"What's all this aunty? I never saw mom like this." Sumedh rushes in the room.

"I can't understand too." Sarah pressed her fingers between her eyebrows closing her eyes shut.

"What's the date today?" She asked after a pause.

"30th of October." Siddharth replied.

"What?" She zoomed out of the room, reaching at Ashi's room where Sameer was cleaning her wound.

"Ashi dear I need your help. Please help saving Surbhi."

"Why should I?"

"What?" Sarah whispers.

"Why should I? She tried to kill me. Why should I save someone who is harmful for my life."

"She is our mother Ashi"

"Really Sid? You are saying this? Just now she tried to kill both of us and you still want to save that lady?" Ashi asked

"Ashi please listen to me..."

"I don't want to listen anything Sarah Aunty. She is a beast. She don't give a damn about anyone, Sumedh or Siddharth or Dad or anyone and about me, she hates me. So much that she was about to choke me to death"

-----

Shivaay raised his head feeling the movement on the bed, he was sitting beside. Surbhi was breathing heavy, tiny balls of sweat sliding down her face. He tightened his hold on her hand trying to calm her down but nothing seem to work.

Not even a second, she flee away not giving any ounce for Shivaay to act or react. He rushed behind her.

------

"She don't care so why should I? So better let her die." Ashi completes.

"Ashiii!!!" Sarah fumes. "You...." her words died in her vocal box itself as Surbhi, out of nowhere appears engulfing Ashi in a tight hug.

Ashi was beyond shock. Why was she hugging her? Was the only question that popped out in her head.

Shivaay rushed in and haulted at the entrance.

Surbhi instantly pulled apart and went back to her 'Surbhi mode'. Before anyone could ask or speak anything she started walking or say running away from the scene.

She zoomed out of the house on her bike. Still Ashi was not over the moment yet.

"What did you say? She hates you, right? She wanna kill you. If she actually wanted to kill you, then you, my love, wouldn't be standing here." She have had enough of both these mother and daughter, so she finally decided to spill the beans.

"You know what, let me now tell every thing to you today. You think she hates you right? Then listen, SHE IS THE ONE WHO LOVE MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. EVEN MORE THAN YOUR FATHER DO." she states. And seeing the face she added "Yes you heard me right. You wanna see? Come let me show you"

She swap her hand in the air, a screen with smoky frame appears on the wall.

"This is when you three were about to born. Your mother is the strongest of all mermaids and she has the ability to bear tremendous amount of pain without letting out even a hiss, without wincing even a bit. So when Sumedh and Siddharth were born she was all normal as if nothing happened. But when it was you..."

They could hear the ear splitting sheirk of her, enough to send chill down everyone present there. They could see her face changing its colour, veins popping out as she scream, blood oozing out from her face tearing apart the skin, due to the pain.

"Her Majesty had an option to save herself from the pain by killing you, Ashi. But she did not choose that option."

Ashi was out of words. She knew women bear huge amount of pain while delivering a baby but this was insanely unbearable.

But if she love her so very much then why did she leave her?

"Cause you are a human. You could not survive in the sea. So she had to send you here." Sarah answered her voiceless question, with a half-truth.

Her lips part but nothing except air came. Words choke in her throat.

"But why did she even go. What was the urgency then?" Shivaay finally asked the only question he was finding the answer of since last 25 years.

"To save the pupil. There was an attack in the sea. By the same witch for whom Former Queen Celestina had to leave and before you ask why she didn't came back, look at this Ashi."

She swap her hand on the bed where, something like a 3D picture a little Ashi was sleeping peacefully hugging her mother, appears. Yet another voice taker, if it goes on like that she might loose her voice permanently.

"Untill the age of 10 you never used to sleep without her. Every night she used to come over here. Every single night to make you sleep but not before a small game and bedtime story." She looked at her face she have question but couldn't voice it out. She chuckled a bit and added "And before you ask why don't you remember this, answering it I would just say she is A Mermaid." Sarah and the rest elders lets out a chuckle.

"If you're not satisfied with all this then let's me give a last demonstration." She pulled her out of the room taking her to the kitchen and the rest follows.

Sarah took out the vegetables and started cooking something. All got no clue why she started cooking all of a sudden.

"Ashi can you help me chopping these veggies?"

Ashi confusingly took the knife and started chopping. Seeing her engrossed in chopping she swap her hand again and a smoky framed screen appears again with a different scene.

"See she is here."

Ashi looks up, Surbhi was at the same place where both of them went at that night, standing on the terrace of the palace staring at the moon.

"Whenever she feel to stay alone she does this." Shivaay said with a smile.

Ashi kept staring her all the while chopping the vegetables and accidentally she cut her finger too. She winced.

But her eyes fell on Surbhi's hand. She saw a drop of blood on her finger as well, same one as her. She swap her hand in the hand and the picture of them i.e. Ashi Sarah and Shivaay, who was scolding her while cleaning the wound, appears.

Shock would be understatement for her. She don't even know when Shivaay held her hand or bandaged it or what was he saying. She just kept staring the screen.

"Ashi!!" Shivaay shook her holding her shoulders. "Huh?"

"Are you even listening to me? Dhyan kahan hai tumhara?"

"I am sorry dad. I was just..."

"And you Sarah, what demonstration were you talking about? This what you meant? Hurting my daughter was you demo...."

"Dad" Ashi cuts him off "I am fine" she added.

"But..."

"Don't freak out dad. I said I am fine. Don't worry." She said, calmly.

What the hell Sarah? Why are telling all those to her Surbhi from the screen asked.

Because enough is enough now. I am not gonna stop today. Do whatever you want.

Surbhi sighed and shuts off the screen.

"Come on leave all these" Sarah pulled her out of the kitchen.

"You saw that right?" Sarah asked. Ashi nods her head.

Others were confused but chose to remain quite.

"She send you here cause your life was in a.." she pauses for a second "is in a grave danger." She complete only to recieve shocked faces.

"Yes. The witch was so powerful that Her Highness couldn't defeat her but she didn't let her win either. She did not come here because if she had stayed with you it would be hard for her to save you alongside fighting with you."

"Now after 25 years Nalaveni, the witch is back and with more powers and what happened with you mom today was the sign of her arrival. It would be really hard for your mother to fight with her. So Ashi, you, be prepared. Cause this time it's Nalaveni vs You. We could help you but not for longer time. So get ready Ashi for the FINAL WAR." She declared.

"Bu... but how can I?" She finally spoke. "I mean Nalaveni or whatever is a witch and a powerful one as you said. So how can I being a simple human would be able to defeat her?" She asked.

"Who said you're a simple human?" Sarah Sumedh and Siddharth stood ahead of Ashi like a shield as Surbhi enters in as they could not take risk.

"What do you mean?" Shivaay asked

Surbhi stepped towards Ashi pushing off the trio. She holds her hand and pull her out of the house. The rest follows them.

"You're not just a simple human. You're a blessed soul and today you're going to get your powers" Surbhi declared.

"Powers? But...." Sarah begins but eventually stopped receiving a look from Surbhi.

"Ho... how?" Ashi asked.

"You just stand here."

Surbhi sighed and looked up. Few seconds later the wind started racing, clouds thundering and a huge lightning falls on Ashi.

All the members were petrified by the view in front of their eyes. Painful sheirks of Ashi tear them apart. Shivaay started to run to her but Surbhi stopped him. He, unwantedly stopped. He was not able to bare his princess screaming out of pain.

Ashi felt weak on her knees and fell on the ground. She felt her throat dried up. She wasn't able to scream even but the lightening didn't stop yet.

"Anika please stop it. She will die" Shivaay plead.

But she gave no ear to him. Cause she can't stop it. It will stop after all the powers are given to her.

"Why is she not listening to me?"

"Because she is not the one to stop it. As all the powers will be given it will stop." Sarah answered.

Finally the lightening stopped. Ashi looked horribly weak and tired. She barely was able to keep her eyes open. Before she could hit the ground Sameer held her.

As they took Ashi inside Surbhi went out again taking her bike.

--------

It's been months since the whole event. Life was completely normal. The war finally came to end after 3 generations. Yes Nalaveni was finally dead. But none were happy cause along with the witch they lost her too.

********

Heyaa. Sorry for the short one but as promised I updated, a day before that though.

Okay so please tell me how is it. Cause I don't feel it to be satisfying. Don't know why?

Anyways. Happy Diwali guys!! Be safe and sound. Please avoid bursting fire crackers. It's dangerous not only for the environment but also for the street animals. My heart clench when I see those scared little puppies crying.

So please try to avoid that.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Love Love ❤

M. S.