Crimson Boundaries [ONC 2025]

To gain freedom, one has to choose. One can either follow one's heart, which leads to the unknown, or one's mind, which makes them see the unknown.
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What happens when a single day changes everything? The day, supposed to be a celebration, becomes chaos for survival.

The day where freedom meets the one that has been ruled under the colonizers met with a reality of having to survive their newly found freedom, where the interreligious conflict arises only to be met with a brutal massacre that leads to one of the worst in history.

In 1947, August formed two nations, one different from the other yet carrying the similarity they refused to accept.

Sanya Joshi, a young woman who just turned 20, has to face the reality of survival-to survive without her family and friends, to survive and cross the borders that had been formed, separating the nations that were once one.

20 days of freedom does nothing to her but makes it worse. In the brick of finally accepting her fate and letting herself die in the hands of the thugs, she finds herself in the hands of someone who she never in a million lives would have thought to be her saviour.

The arrogant nawab who held hatred towards her ever since she could remember. The one she wanted to gauge the eyes of and let them bleed only finds herself owing back for saving and protecting her.

Zain Malik, the young heir and Nawab, found himself amid the chaos he had not started, but he owed to finish.

When they agree and finally come to a common ground, that is to plot a plan to have her escape, escape and join her family on the other side.

Will they meet the other side or perish while trying to do so?

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Open Novella Contest - Prompts 110, 126 & 129