For a long, trembling moment, no one spoke.
The storm still raged, but something had changed—
its fury now danced to Gauri's heartbeat.
Kamini slowly rose from her throne of serpents, her smile fading into disbelief. Her golden eyes flickered, sensing a shift in power she had not foreseen.
"What…" she hissed under her breath, "what have you become?"
Before anyone could answer, a symbol of flowing water began to bloom across Gauri's right arm—its curves and ripples glowing like molten silver, forming an ancient divine tattoo. The mark pulsed, alive, radiating the power of the rivers themselves.
Kamini's expression hardened. "Impossible… her powers were sealed!"
But Gauri didn't hear her. Her eyes—still glowing blue—were fixed on something far away. She stretched her hand sideways, palm open, as though calling to a forgotten companion.
And then—
from deep within the jungle—a streak of light shot through the rain.
The ring Kamini had flung away moments ago soared back through the storm, cutting through the wind, spinning until it landed perfectly on Gauri's finger.
The impact sent ripples of divine energy through the air. Kamini stumbled backward slightly, shielding her face from the burst of light.
"Jalpanchi…" whispered Dadi, tears glistening in her eyes. "The protector of sacred waters… the goddess's chosen one."
Sharda wiped her tears, her trembling lips curving into a proud, reverent smile. "Adrija was never the Jalpanchi," she said softly, her voice echoing with awe. "It was always Gauri… our Gauri."
The Kotharis stood as one, hands folded in reverence. Their tears were no longer of fear—but gratitude.
"Jai Devi Maa!" they whispered, their voices blending with the rolling thunder.
Gauri looked up, her expression serene yet fierce.
She removed the ring from her left hand, holding it tightly in her right, feeling the power surge through her veins.
Then, with her voice echoing like divine thunder, she shouted—
"Jai Devi Maa!"
She hurled the ring forward.
The ring blazed midair, spinning faster and faster until it transformed into a shimmering tidal chakram—a weapon of celestial beauty and unstoppable force.
It cut through the storm, slicing the dark roots binding Vihaan.
With a sound like cracking thunder, the roots burst apart, dissolving into mist and water.
Vihaan fell forward, collapsing onto his knees. Blood and rain mingled on his skin, but his eyes—wide, disbelieving—were fixed on the woman standing before him.
"Gauri…" he whispered, awe and love breaking through his pain.
Kamini stumbled backward, clutching the armrest of her serpent throne, her face pale with shock. "No… this cannot be! The waters—they obey her!"
The tidal chakram returned to Gauri's hand, its glow fading as she caught it with calm grace.
Behind her, Charvi gasped, her tears breaking into a relieved, trembling smile. "She did it… Didi saved Bhaiya…"
The family stood together once again, their hope rekindled in the midst of the storm.
And in that sacred moment, as the blue light of Gauri's power shimmered against the red glow of the blood moon—
the battle between darkness and destiny had truly begun.
The storm still trembled under the weight of divine power.
Vihaan struggled to his feet, his body weak but his eyes never leaving Gauri. The tidal chakram's light had faded, but Gauri herself now glowed brighter than the storm around her—her blue aura blending with the lightning that danced across the sky.
Kamini, though wounded and shaken, refused to bow. Her eyes blazed crimson with rage.
"I will not be defeated by a mere mortal wearing divine skin!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the rain-soaked night.
She raised both hands, summoning her full fury. Dark magic spiraled from her palms, forming countless shadow-forged daggers, each pulsing with the energy of death and betrayal.
"Let's see your goddess save you now!" Kamini shrieked, and hurled them toward Gauri.
The daggers cut through the air like black lightning—
but before they could touch her, a burst of frost and light erupted around Gauri.
Kamini froze mid-laugh.
From Gauri's back unfurled magnificent wings, made not of feathers—but of crystalline ice, glowing faintly with divine blue fire. Each feather shimmered like a shard of frozen starlight, moving with the grace of a phoenix reborn.
As the daggers struck, the wings flared open—
and every blade of darkness melted into mist, vanishing upon contact.
"What… what is this power?" Kamini gasped, stumbling backward in disbelief.
Gauri's eyes glowed brighter, her hair dancing with the wind as she rose into the air. The wings folded inward—
and then, with a motion as fluid as the waves, she unfurled them wide, releasing a storm of glowing ice feathers.
Each feather shimmered with divine energy as it rained down upon Kamini.
The dark sorceress screamed as the feathers pierced through her magic, freezing her power midair. Her body began to turn to ice, spreading from her arms to her chest.
"NO! I AM YOUR—" she tried to shout, but her words froze on her lips.
With a final crackling sound, Kamini's entire form shattered into glittering ice dust, dissolving into the wind—
erased from existence.
The storm fell silent.
The rain slowed, and the moonlight broke through the clouds, bathing Gauri in a celestial glow.
Vihaan sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he looked up at her—his protector, his destiny, his Jalpanchi.
The family stood behind him, overwhelmed, watching as the divine wings slowly faded into a trail of light.
The evil had ended.
But as Gauri's glowing eyes softened, a whisper of unease stirred in the air—
for when one darkness dies, another always waits in the shadows to rise.
To be continued…