'Simti thi vo dard me is qadar'

'Ki Angdaai bhi le to jism toot jae...'

'Fir bhi vo chali gayi thame vo dagar'

'Jaha pal pal maut Or haivaniyat mandrae...'

'सिमटी थी वो दर्द में इस क़दर'

'की अंगडाई भी ले तो जिस्म टूट जाए...'

'फिर भी वो चली गयी थामे वो डगर'

'जहाँ पल पल मौत और हैवानियत मंडराए...'

'She was so much in pain'

'Even if she takes a breath, the body will break...'

'Still, she went away holding that road'

'Where death and cruelty hover moment by moment...'

***

1628, Mahabaleshgarh, the most powerful and enriched Empire of the entire Hind was enjoying its royalty peacefully. Their royalty and dominance were crying aloud on all the other empires as they haven't lost any war in the last fifty years. The ruthless King and Prince were considered to be the most unkind when it comes to finishing their enemies.

But, little did they know was nothing about a vast conspiracy that was taking birth behind their backs. They were happily conducting their royal meeting on this day but something was fishy.

It was a bright, sunny day and they had a visitor in their Empire too, Sultan Rafiq Sulaiman.

Sultan had traveled miles from Arab to Hind and in an accident, saved the Prince of Mahaleshgarh from a group of dacoits. And for that, the King of Mahableshgarh requested him to ask for something in return. Sultan's face was high when he demanded something in front of everyone in the Royal court meeting, unpredictable to everyone.

When they were thinking of money, gold, ornaments, or any palace, he asked for the Pride of Mahabaleshgarh and the heart of Prince Rajvardhan.

He demanded aloud.

"Iss registan me hamara Gulaab utna hi namumkin hai jitna sookhe me sharab ka...

Lekin ab Kyuki...

Mehfil me Gulaab or Sharab dono hi Maujood hai ...to janab, Waqt ho chala hai hamare nikaah ke Sailaab ka"

"इस रेगिस्तान में हमारा गुलाब उतना ही नामुमकिन है जितना सूखे में शरब का...

लेकिन अब क्युकी...

महफ़िल में गुलाब या शरब दोनो ही मौजूद है...तो जनाब, वक़्त हो चला है हमारे निकाह के सैलाब का"

"My rose in this desert is as impossible as the wine in a drought...

But now because...

Both roses or liquor are present in the gathering...it's time for the flood of my marriage.

Everyone stood up and a lot of swords came out of sheath as he finished his poetic proposal. He would have been killed by now as he asked for something Precious and something that was considered to be proud of Mahabaleshgarh. Princess Gulaab... Daughter of King and sister of Prince Rajvardhan.

He asked for a wedding with Mahabaleshgarh's princess.

She was a sensitive, innocent, and broken child of the king. She was precious, delicate, and a baby for his brother. And she was a beautiful, less talkative, and hurt princess of Mahabaleshgarh.

People of the Kingdom hadn't seen her very much as she became introverted after an incident happened in her life. She didn't possess the power to trust anyone easily. She was afraid of betrayal, hate, and heartbreak. Her name means Rose and her situation best describes a Bleeding Rose.

While on the other hand, Sultan Rafiq was something like a puzzle. His heart, peace, solace, focus, and dedication were on only becoming the king of two continents Arab and Hind. The idea he had for ruling over the hind was to kill the Prince and king of Mahabaleshgarh either in a war, in family politics, or by any other means.

His life was straight as his goal was clear. He never loved, cared, or stayed with his family. His mind and fingers were so sharp that he could have easily done what he thought without even letting anyone know, but.

There was someone, who got the hint and pulled her skirt a little up to run fastly as much as she could. The noise of her anklet bells filled the galleries of Mahabaleshgarh as she ran from her chamber to the Royal Court.

She heard the proposal from a distance and climbed the stairs of the court quickly. She didn't think twice, she didn't process the whole thing properly. The only thing that seemed right to her was a "yes".

She accepted aloud.

"Yes, I am ready"

Everyone was shocked.

No one could believe and be able to understand the reason behind the proposal of the sultan and the acceptance of the Princess.

The king couldn't deny it because now it was about the words he uttered. Now it was about the promise of giving something he just made a few moments ago.

No one could say anything now.

And there was one person who was standing more than shocked, Sultan Rafiq himself. He didn't even know her, never saw her and his face clearly said that his plan was flipped by the Princess.

The whole Empire got busy in preparation for their Princess's wedding but the only Princess knew what she thought and what made her say 'Yes'.

Saying 'Yes' could mean death, torture, hate, rape, or anything more brutal. She didn't know what life was waiting for her ahead. She made herself ready to travel far away from her Empire to his and the reason was still not known to anyone.

This was the journey of Princess Gulaab from Mahabaleshgarh to the Sultan's reign. She wasn't aware of what the sultan had thought for her, She wasn't aware of how she would be treated there. She didn't know anything about the sultan but she was aware of one thing. She knew that she was the only one who could save her brother and her Empire.

She was already broken and all she cared for was nothing. She was someone whom death couldn't scare anymore. She became a venomous bleeding Rose and the sultan definitely hated Bleeding Roses.

***

Thank you so much Aditi for such a beautiful cover. I realllllllyyyyyy love itttttt. ❤❤❤❤❤ thegrlulook_for