Empire of Hearts

The veranda of the Siddiqui Haveli lay quiet in the late afternoon, shadows stretching long across its tiled floor.

"So, ... what about Aaliya?"
Rukhsana asked softly.

He stilled. "Ami-"

his voice cracked, then fell heavy.

"It's already hard for me... please, don't push it."

He walked away, leaving his mother sitting, with the ache of what he would not say.

***

At the archway, she stood unseen, a cushion cover clutched in her hands. She had come with a smile, ready to ask about the courtyard's new setting but the words she overheard emptied it from her face.

Her nails dug into the fabric, a sharp twist catching in her chest. The ground seemed to slip, breath catching, though she could not understand why. Only that something unnamed had shifted, leaving her still, and strangely hollow.

Zaydaan. Her eldest cousin. Her Zaydaan Bhai. The name clung to her chest, sharp and bewildering, and she did not know why it hurt.

__________________________________

Siddiqui Heirs _ Book 1

Aaliya & Zaydaan

He carries the weight of inheritance.
She carries the light of defiance.

Between them lies silence, thick with secrets, fragile with possibility.

In the Siddiqui Haveli, where tradition rules and every glance hides a truth, one heir and one dreamer find themselves drawn together by what cannot be said aloud.

Empire of Hearts is a tale of hidden emotions, unbreakable family ties, and the dangerous beauty of what lingers unsaid.

Started 14_ August_25

Ranked
_) On 10/9/25
#1 in subcontinent
#1 in unspoken emotions
#5 in heritage