Sang-e-Marmar

Sahiba Tripathi had fought patriarchy her entire life, in her father's blatant favouritism, in the taunts whispered by relatives, and in society's endless expectations of how a "decent woman" should behave.

But how much could an eighteen year old really defy?

Her father, Chandrakant Tripathi, Agra's most influential businessman, had already decided her future. Her alliance had been fixed with the son of the Chief Minister.

Sahiba resisted for as long as she could. She argued, rebelled, pleaded. But when her father refused to budge, she marched straight into her fiancé's office.

She had heard about him throughout her teenage years. Girls whispered his name in school corridors, giggled over stolen photographs, and spoke of him like he was destined for greatness.

The future Chief Minister, they called him.

But when Sahiba finally stood before him, all she saw was a man standing in the way of her freedom.

So she did what she did best.

She debated.
She fought.
She reasoned.

And somehow, the twenty four year old man agreed to every single one of her demands.

Within months, Sahiba left her motherland behind to pursue law at Georgetown.

Washington gave her distance, ambition, and the illusion of freedom. But deep down, Sahiba knew this was never an escape. Every freedom she had earned came tied to a condition.

And hers was simple.

She had to come back.

Come back to become the wife of Rajvardhan Thakur.