Devika sprinted up the mountain, her tears falling like rain, her heart heavy with the wounds of betrayal. As she reached the temple, her eyes, red from crying, fell upon Shiva and Parvati. Their calm presence felt like an anchor in the storm raging within her. Without hesitation, she threw herself into their embrace, clutching onto them as if they were her last refuge.
"Maha Dev! Mata Parvati!" she sobbed, her voice trembling. "Why did this happen to me? Why did they do this to me? What did I do to deserve this pain?"
She continued crying, her voice breaking under the weight of her grief and anger. Shiva and Parvati remained silent, their expressions steady but laced with an undercurrent of sadness.
As the night wore on, Devika's cries gradually subsided, and she collapsed into unconsciousness at the break of dawn. Parvati gently laid her on the temple floor, her motherly concern evident as she stroked Devika's hair.
Then it happened.
Shiva's third eye opened, radiating an intense, blinding light as his anger boiled over. The entire mountain trembled under his rage. Parvati's serene visage transformed; her gentle expression gave way to the fierce and fearsome form of Mahakali.
A deafening roar echoed across the valley, shaking the city below. Every soul in Devika's city heard it, a sound that froze them in fear.
"You foolish mortals!" Parvati, now in her Mahakali form, thundered. Her voice resonated with divine authority and fury. "You dared to make a daughter of Himachal, of gods and demons, weep in anguish! For this unforgivable act, I curse you all! From this moment forward, your souls are condemned to the Narak of eternal suffering. None of you shall escape this fate; none shall enter the cycle of reincarnation."
Her eyes blazed like fire, her fury burning brighter than the sun itself. The winds howled in response to her wrath, and the earth below trembled as if it too feared her power.
As Mahakali's form began to wane, Parvati returned to her gentle self, though her sorrow lingered in her eyes. She looked down at Devika, still unconscious, and whispered, "Rest, my child. You are safe with us."
Shiva, his anger still simmering, rose to his full height. The mountain rumbled beneath his feet as he lifted his trident. With one swift motion, he raised the mountain into the air, carrying it from the mortal plane to the heavenly realm.
His deep voice carried an ominous calm as he spoke, addressing the mortals below.
"You have chosen your path, and now you shall face the consequences. But know this—Devika's light shall not be extinguished by your darkness. She is under my protection now, beyond your reach. Repent, for your deeds shall weigh heavy upon your souls."
With that, the mountain ascended, its divine presence fading from the mortal plane. The city below was left in stunned silence, its people reeling from the echoes of divine wrath.
Above, in the heavenly realm, Shiva and Parvati sat beside the still-slumbering Devika, their expressions a mix of sorrow and resolve.
"She will rise stronger than ever," Parvati murmured, her voice soft but firm.
Shiva nodded. "Her trials have only just begun. But she will endure. She is destined to become more than they could ever comprehend."