Devraj had banished Neel into a cold, shimmering cage in a flash of divine fury.
Watching Neel trapped like that twisted Vaibhav's heart with sorrow. He believed—deeply—that love was no crime. Love was a gift, a sacred blessing woven by the hands of the Divine themselves.
Yet, courage failed him. Vaibhav could not defy the gods. Silently, helplessly, he stood there, watching Neel's wings droop in despair.
After sealing Neel's fate, Devraj turned to Vaibhav with a voice both commanding and comforting.
"Angel Vaibhav, do not torment yourself over this. Neel broke the ancient laws. He must face punishment. Still, his misstep is not grave—he will not suffer for long. Worry not."
But Vaibhav remained silent. His lips refused to move. His soul refused to be at peace.
All he could see was Neel's face—Neel, who had been willing to erase himself in the fires of love for a human girl.
The goddess, seeing the storm within Vaibhav, stepped forward and spoke with the softness of a mother.
"Oh, gentle Vaibhav, do not grieve so. We could have forgiven him—indeed, we had forgiven him when he merely watched over her, silent and unseen. We allowed him that much.
But today... today he crossed the line. He was ready to reveal himself to her. To entangle her heart. To forge a bond of flesh, not just spirit.
And had he succeeded, that girl would have been torn away from the true love destined for her in the mortal world. Her future would have been lost."
The goddess's words fell like cold rain upon Vaibhav's heart.
Finally, he bowed his head and replied with careful detachment.
"You are right, goddess. His love, however pure it began, would have brought danger in the end. My respects to you and to Lord Devraj. I shall take my leave—I have duties to complete."
Vaibhav forced a smile, bowed deeply, and departed.
---
Earth - Prithvi Lok
The winds of Earth whispered around him as Vaibhav returned to the place where he and Neel had first crossed paths.
He sought the girl—the girl with the flute.
But she was gone.
The trees sang with the songs of birds, and the air shimmered with life. Yet the one he sought was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, the soft jingle of anklets caught his ears, threading through the forest like a beckoning spirit.
Without a second thought, Vaibhav followed the sound, weaving through the woods, climbing higher and higher—until he reached the crown of a hill.
There she was.
The girl, her back turned to him, her hair cascading down to her knees, danced in the furious wind like a spirit of nature itself.
Her clothes and hair whipped around her as if the heavens themselves reached for her.
And then—she stepped forward.
Toward the cliff's edge.
Toward death.
Before reason could chain him, Vaibhav burst forward, wings slicing the air, soaring to her side.
In a blink, he caught her in his arms, lifting her into the sky.
For a moment, the world stilled.
Her black eyes, wide with shock and tears, locked onto his golden ones.
He realized, too late, that he had revealed his true form—his great wings unfurled against the sky for her to see.
And in that moment, suspended between earth and heavens, their fates tangled forever.
---
Angel Realm
In the celestial gardens, Rakhi adorned her hair with a crown of white flowers. The petals glistened like morning dew against her dark locks.
She spun, radiant, when Pan, her mischievous companion, spotted her.
"Little goddess," he teased, "you are dazzling today. What occasion have I been kept in the dark about?"
Rakhi smiled, a smile that carried all the light of her heart.
"Today," she whispered, "is the day Vaibhav saved me. Today, I will finally tell him how deeply I love him."
Pan's teasing faded, replaced by gentle concern.
"But little goddess... Vaibhav has been sent to Earth. It may be a long time before you see him again."
The words struck Rakhi like an arrow. Tears welled in her eyes, glimmering like jewels.
"If that is true," she said with trembling lips, "then I can wait no longer. I have waited enough. Whatever it takes, I will be with him."
---
World of Monsters
In the darkness, unseen eyes watched Vaibhav—eyes full of ancient malice.
A shadow moved, unseen, plotting.
---
Back on Earth
The girl cried softly, her tears catching the light as they drifted into the wind.
Vaibhav, stunned, held her closer, unable to comprehend why she wept for him.
They had never met—yet her soul wept as though it knew him.
As though it had been waiting for him across lifetimes.
But amid the wonder of her gaze, a cruel truth burned in his mind.
He had broken the sacred law.
On his very first day on Earth.
By revealing his wings, his divine form, to a human.
The heavens would not overlook this mistake.
And yet... looking into her tear-streaked face, Vaibhav wondered if, perhaps, some rules were meant to be broken.