Vaibhav stood firm, his voice steady as he faced Neel.
"I never fight to prove my strength," he said coldly. "I have nothing to prove to anyone. Now step aside — I have a job to do, and I don't appreciate anyone trying to interrupt my work."
Neel hesitated for a moment, but before another word could be spoken, a strange force enveloped them. In an instant, both Vaibhav and Neel vanished from the earthly realm and materialized into another world — a vast, endless expanse where no ground existed, only swirling clouds and thick, suffocating gas.
Trapped in the heavy mist, Neel suddenly cried out as bolts of lightning-like energy struck him, throwing him violently backward. Vaibhav's instincts flared, and he surged forward to help — but before he could reach Neel, a voice, powerful and laced with divine fury, echoed through the skies.
"Angel Neel!" a goddess's voice roared. "How dare you... How dare you love a human girl?!"
Without warning, fireballs rained down from the clouds, each aimed mercilessly at Neel. He struggled, summoning his powers to shield himself, but the goddess's might was overwhelming. He faltered, battered by each blow, his strength fading with every passing second.
Vaibhav gritted his teeth and rushed to Neel's aid, but the goddess, furious at the interference, unleashed a force that sent Vaibhav tumbling away.
"You have broken the sacred laws, Neel!" the goddess screamed, her power gathering into a searing beam aimed straight at the wounded angel. "You dared to love a human — a betrayal of your divine duty! For that, you must be punished!"
Neel, bloodied and barely able to stand, braced for the end. But just as the fatal blow descended, Vaibhav appeared before him, raising his hands. A glowing circle of energy expanded outward from him, shielding them both from the goddess's wrath.
The goddess's anger only deepened. Gathering her strength for another attack, she prepared to strike Vaibhav down — but before she could, the skies trembled, and a figure descended from the heavens.
It was the King of the Gods.
Clad in robes of silver and gold, with a flowing white beard and piercing eyes that held the weight of ages, he radiated authority and power. Raising one hand, he stopped the goddess with a simple gesture.
"No god may attack an innocent angel," he declared in a voice that echoed through the clouds. "It is Mahadev's law. To harm an innocent is to invite Mahadev's wrath — and the destruction of our heavens."
The goddess bowed her head but protested, "My lord, he aided a guilty angel."
The King of the Gods, known as Devraj, turned his wise gaze to Vaibhav and said calmly, "He helped not because he wished to defy the law, but because it is in his nature to protect. Compassion is his strength, and it is for that reason Mahadev cherishes him."
Devraj then approached Vaibhav directly. "Tell me, Vaibhav," he said. "Why did you risk yourself to save Neel? He has broken the rules, and by aiding him, you risk sharing his fate. Do you still wish to stand by him?"
Vaibhav's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "I never break my own rules," he replied. "Love itself is not a crime. But it must remain within its bounds. Neel should have known better."
He turned to Neel, his voice laced with both disappointment and curiosity.
"Is it true, Neel? Have you fallen for a human girl?" Vaibhav asked. "You, an angel, binding your soul to beings who age, rot, and betray? Humans are greedy, selfish. How could you love one of them?"
Despite his wounds, Neel smiled faintly — a smile full of warmth and quiet defiance.
"Not all humans are the same, Vaibhav," Neel whispered. "You've only heard tales... You've never lived among them, never seen their beauty with your own eyes. The girl I love... she's not ordinary. She's kinder than any goddess, purer than the brightest star. Her laughter, her spirit — they healed something in me I didn't even know was broken. Living alongside her, I forgot I was supposed to be an angel. I became just... a man who loved a woman. If loving her costs me my existence, then so be it. I would trade eternity for just one life beside her."
Vaibhav fell silent, Neel's words stirring something deep within him. But before he could respond, Devraj raised his hand again.
"You would erase your existence for her?" Devraj asked, his voice solemn.
Neel nodded, unflinching.
"Then your wish shall be granted."
With a heavy heart, Devraj conjured a glowing cage of divine light around Neel. Chains of pure energy wrapped around the wounded angel, sealing his fate.
"No!" Vaibhav shouted, stepping forward — but it was too late. Neel had already been banished, his form swallowed by a flash of blinding light.
As silence returned to the clouded realm, Vaibhav stood alone, the weight of loss heavy in his chest, wondering if Neel's sacrifice was foolish — or the purest kind of courage.