"He was the empire's sharpest weapon. She was the spark meant to burn it down." --- India, 1921. In a land bleeding under the iron heel of British rule, Captain Leonard Elias Blackwood is feared like a curse. Known for his merciless discipline and ice-cold stare, he's the empire's most brutal enforcer-the man who silences revolts before they begin. Until he meets her. Aratrika is no revolutionary-just a village girl with fire in her eyes, a red dupatta like a battle flag, and a heart full of fury for what the empire has taken. She dares to speak when no one else will. Dares to stand when others kneel. And in doing so, she becomes his obsession. Instead of executing her, Leonard takes her prisoner-dragging her into the world of blood-polished floors and whispered commands. But Aratrika is no lamb. She fights with words sharper than blades, her silence more dangerous than screams. Enemies by fate. Bound by something neither understands. Their war becomes personal. Their hatred, intimate. And in the shadows of a crumbling empire, a forbidden passion threatens to ignite everything-honor, rebellion, loyalty, and love. He's sworn to crush India beneath his boots. She's ready to burn every piece of his empire down. But the closer they get, the more the line between hunter and captive blurs... Until all that remains is ash.