chapter 27

A few villagers began to light torches, their faces twisted with hatred. Shri’s breath caught in her throat as the flames grew, casting eerie shadows on the ground.“No!” Maan shouted, but it was too late.The villagers, driven by fear and superstition, began to march toward the house, their intentions clear. Shri stepped back, her heart racing, her eyes wide with terror.“Maan, we have to go,” Shri whispered, grabbing his arm. “They’re not going to stop.”Maan’s eyes were filled with desperation as he pulled Shri close, his voice breaking. “I won’t let them hurt you, Shri. I promised I’d protect you.”But the villagers had already reached the house. They smashed the windows, threw their torches inside, and within moments, the house was engulfed in flames. The heat was unbearable, the smoke thick and choking.Shri clung to Maan, her tears mixing with the soot on her face. “Maan, please,” she sobbed. “We have to leave. We can’t stay here.”Maan held her tightly, his heart breaking. “I won’t leave you, Shri. Not ever.”But as the flames consumed the house, Maan knew there was no way out. He could hear the villagers outside, their voices filled with triumph. They had won. The flames would take them, and their love would be reduced to ashes.In those final moments, as the smoke filled their lungs, Maan and Shri held each other close, their love unbroken even in the face of death.“I love you, Maan,” Shri whispered, her voice barely audible above the crackling of the fire.“I love you too, Shri,” Maan replied, his voice thick with emotion. “Forever.”And then, as the flames closed in, their world went dark.In those final moments, as the flames consumed the house, their love had transcended the boundaries of life and death. Even as their bodies were reduced to ashes, their souls remained intertwined, bound by a love so powerful that not even death could keep them apart.Shri’s tears flowed freely now. “And so, we both died... but you never let go of me, even in death.”Maan held her tightly, his hands trembling as if afraid she might slip away again. "I couldn't let go, Shri. I couldn't live without you, and I couldn't die without you either. So I stayed... waiting for you."Their souls, after wandering in the darkness, had found each other again, just as Maan had promised. In the moment their lives had been snuffed out, they had been drawn back to the same spot where they had vowed to be together forever. The place where their love had begun, and the place where their love had been torn apart.Shri looked up at him, her heart swelling with both joy and sorrow. “When I felt my soul leaving my body, all I wanted was to see you. I wanted to hold you one last time.” She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. “But when I opened my eyes, you were there. Waiting for me. You kept your promise, Maan.”Maan’s voice was thick with emotion. “How could I not? You are my life, Shri. Even in death, my heart beats for you.”Their souls had reunited under the moonlit sky, just as they had so many times before in life. The familiar pull of love was still there, stronger than ever, as if nothing could break the bond between them. For a long moment, they just stood there, holding each other, their forms glowing softly in the moonlight. The pain of their deaths, the anguish of their separation, slowly melted away as they were consumed by the love that had once defined them.