His heart was a fortress, haunted by the warmth he pushed away, scarred by the silence he forced between them, all because he believed she deserved more than the broken pieces he could offer.
And, her heart was a battlefield, bruised by all the words he never said and all the love he refused to show.
But no walls are unbreakable, and no heart can stay silent forever. Sooner or later, her war would reach his gates, and maybe, just maybe, he'd let her in.
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Set in early 20th-century Delhi, it is the tale of Arnav and Khushi, two childhood companions bound by shared trauma and unspoken affection. As they navigated the complexities of societal expectations and pursued personal ambitions, their profound friendship quietly transformed into a love they dared not acknowledge. Amidst the fear of losing each other forever, they must confronted their feelings and weighed the risks of pursuing a future together, where happiness hung delicately in the balance.
It is my first attempt at writing fiction. I might be wrong about certain aspects of that age and era, but it's a fantasy, so why not? I don't own Arnav and Khushi, and this story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This story is a submission to the 13th Anniversary Arshi Fiesta 2024, according to the moodboard Historical AU on Tumblr.
The day meant to be the best day of her life had turned out to be the worst one.
Celebration of love and harmony, which the night was supposed to be, ended up as the witness to bloodshed and hatred.
With the stench of corpses choking her and the sight of mutilated bodies shattering her, Khushi stood benumbed, decked up in exquisite bridal finery, and the signs of a newly married woman shining brightly against her paled demeanor and the blood which had splayed against her; the blood of her own, maybe of her own father.
Her father's lifeless body was strewn across several others and her mother's breathing yet lost body hovered over his; her hollow and teary eyes pleading him to rise and embrace her but her efforts were in vain.
But that was not the only agony killing her from inside. The affliction of betrayal, from her own husband, on the wedding day, after reiteration of his love from the passionate ministrations on their first night together, felt like the worst nightmare coming true.
From the pieces of her broken heart, the resolve to avenge arose and Khushi Gupta was not the one to let her heart's desire be unheard.
Deceit for a deceit, eye for an eye, heart for a heart, so what if the world ends or goes blind? After all, all is fair in love and war and Arnav Singh Raizada had turned her love into the inspiration for a bloody war.
~Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound will last for a lifetime.~
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