House of Ashes [Complete]

Some Facts about HOA

If you're a new reader or someone who hasn't completed the book yet, I'd recommend you not to read this as it contains spoilers.

Anyhoo, let's get on with the facts:

1. Safa was supposed to die in the end leaving Azlan with guilt and unrequited love forever. Evil I know :D

2. Arham was supposed to be paired with Raina but as I kept on writing, Arham and Asmara met; Arham started to feel uncomfortable around her. I was like, woah, man, hold on, what's with all this 'Ohmigaad I'm so shy around women, I've never even talked to one evahhh.' But then I was like "A'ight, nvm. This drama queen will be okay." And then the next thing I knew ASMARA WAS SHARING HER INTERNAL TURMOIL WITH HIM? AND HE WANTED TO LISTEN TO HER VENT? I have to say I was really surprised and then Asmara was suddenly jealous of just the mere thought of him being with another woman? I was like "ooh that's interesting." So I made Raina call Arham 'bhai.' Typical desi me hehe.

3. The plot came to me while I was trying to figure out a way to cover my syllabus just a few weeks before exams (also, I get a strong urge to write during exams so ya). I texted the plot to my friend immediately who btw doesn't read, and she approved. But warned me not to go with it until my exams were over. I agreed but the next thing I knew I was making all these aesthetics and searching through the internet for the names that matched their characters and by the night the first chapter was dropped. Forever grateful for the amount of love I was showered with.

4. Azlan was supposed to torture Safa in the cruelest of ways. That rain scene was nothing in front of what I had initially planned. But the amount of hate he received for that one particular scene told me how bad of an idea it was. His chance at redemption would have neither been accepted by me nor you once he had received the reality check so it was only fair that Safa shouldn't forgive him too but I wanted my Satan's progenies to work out so ya...

5. After I dropped the idea of killing off Safa, Arham and Asmara weren't supposed to end up together. I'm a sadist, I know. But the way you guys were shipping them left me in awe so I couldn't bring myself together to commit such a horrible deed. You should now know how much I love y'all.

6. There came a time when I didn't want to publish the rest of the book anymore. I was enjoying writing it to myself only so much that I got a little selfish. I still can't believe this book is over. *cries in the corner*

7. The idea of basing this novel in Neelum Valley stemmed from a famous Pakistani drama "Yaqeen ka Safar." I recommend all of you to watch it.

8. Dr. Asfandyar and Dr. Zubia (characters from Yaqenen ka Safar) were to make an appearance in the hospital of the valley but I didn't know if it was ethical to do that so dropped the idea.

9. I know you guys hate me for killing Ayyan. But it had been planned since the start. It wasimportant for the plot. I know you guys can't see how but it was. It broke me to write that scene. You guys had to read it and I had to write it. I guess you can very well understand my turmoil here, too.

10. Asmara and Raina characters were built from a reader's POV. Their dialogues were supposed to voice out your thoughts.

11. Safa's character was the hardest to pen down. She had anxiety, fears, doubts, PTSD, anxiety attacks and what not. Writing her with all that was no easy task. I had to keep myself in her place and think how I'd react in a certain situation. She didn't have a normal life and normal problems like others so her character wasn't normal like others either. She wasn't a 'oh I was faced with many problems in my life but since everything has fallen into place now, I can go back to being okay and just forget everything' character. Because what happened with her didn't just affect her physically but mentally as well, and had changed the entire course of her life. Everything needed to be kept in mind while writing her throughout the book and, ngl, it would get pretty exhausting as well. I tried writing her character in the realest way possible. Most of you must've expected her to let go of all her doubts and anxiety by the end of the book but it just doesn't happen that way. Healing is not an overnight process. It takes time. Sometimes a lifetime. She might get normal for a few days, weeks, months or maybe even a year but eventually something would happen that'd trigger her.