Fun Facts

♛  The inspiration behind Shanzae's character were women like Benazir Bhutto, Michelle Obama, Hina Rabbani Khar, Lady Macbeth.

♛  Shanzae is obsessed with chai, so much that the book started with the word itself. Interestingly I've never had chai.

♛ The political speeches at the rallies were written after spending days listening to political speeches of several important politicians like Benazir Bhutto, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Imran Khan and Bilawal Bhutto.

♛  The idea of beginning with the story with a love triangle between Shanzae, Aliyaar and Shehryar was given to me by my sister.

♛  As per the original plan, Shanzae was supposed to find out about her pregnancy at the hospital where they were treating a seriously injured Aliyaar. I changed my plan last minute and added chapter 43, because I didn't want to rob you all and AliZae off that precious moment.

♛  Shanzae does not like children, neither was she keen on having them, so for her to accept the unplanned pregnancy, because Aliyaar wanted a child, was a very big step.

♛  Not one scene of the book, apart from the first kiss, was planned. Everything was written in the spur of the moment.

♛  Shanzae has a very fun-loving and child-like personality. She enjoys when people around her, especially Aliyaar, pamper her. She adores animals and has several pets. Unfortunately, given the serious nature of the book, this carefree aspect of her personality wasn't explored enough.

♛  While it might not seem like it, Shanzae is very firm in what she wants. She has come across as indecisive but if she sets her heart to something she'd go to any lengths to get it.

♛  Aliyaar had angrily left the meeting when Dada Jaan proposed Shanzae's marriage with him. But on his way out he saw Shanzae dancing in the rain and while he didn't fall in love with her, his anger suddenly melted away. And his first thought was, "If I have to get married, then this girl better fucking be Shanzae."

♛  The main motivation behind writing Aliyaar's character was to show and normalise positive and supporting husbands, who are secure in their relationship.

♛  A deleted scene included Aliyaar and Shehryar playing PS5 in the middle of the night, only for Aliyaar to spot Shanzae before she barged into the room in a pair of shorts and a silk camisole. Obviously, he left the game in the middle and ran out before Shehryar or anyone else saw her.

♛  Aliyaar secretly enjoys scolding Shanzae whenever she does something crazy, because he gets to see her puppy eyes and childlike pout.

♛  Ever since I started writing this book, I have read over 50 books on politics, by world leaders or upon them. I have watched close to 20 shows, documentaries, movies and web-series on politics, royals, conspiracy theories around famous scandals and corruptions. My youtube history is filled with speeches from world leaders, famous assassination attempts, political master-stokes etc.

♛ I wanted Aliyaar & Shanzae to come off as a power couple, who stood by each other no matter what the circumstances were. Some major inspirations were the Obamas, the Clintons, the Underwoods, the Kennedy's and Lord and Lady Macbeth.

The story behind the names.

When choosing names, I drew heavy inspiration from the shows I was watching at the time of writing. Below are some fun facts about all characters names:

Aliyaar

Aliyaar was the name of a supporting character from the Turkish series Dirilis: Ertugrul. While I've never watched the show, I absolutely fell in love with the name when my mother first mentioned it, so much so that I thought if I ever have a son I'll name him Aliyaar.

Shanzae

The name was inspired by the villain of the Hum TV television show Pyar ke Sadqay. While watching the show I hated the stereotype of the modern western girl playing the villain. Conveniently, the meaning of the name, daughter of the king, perfectly tied in with the overall theme of this book.

Layla

Layla was actually a homage to one of my favourite Wattpad characters, Laila from Empire of Dreams by jonoyuk

Shehryar

This one was pretty straightforward. I wanted a name that ended with Yaar. Between Asfandyar and Shehryar, the latter seemed like a better option.

FAQs

How did you come up with the book?

I started writing during the Covid-19 lockdown. Ample time and boredom probably lead me to create this insane world of Bekhudi. The desi genre within the Wattpad community was relatively new to me and I hadn't found any stories on politics. I wanted to write something that was different yet relatable. When I started writing, apart from a very vague idea of what I wanted, I had no plot, planning or idea of what this story was going to be about. Over time a lot of things inspired and contributed to the story. But three people really helped me chalk out the plot, my sister and my friends roseglasses90 Zinu13

Which character was the hardest to write?

Shehryar.

Shehryar was a grey character. He wasn't good nor was he bad. He was just one of those emotionally indifferent people, who loved his brother enough to marry his best friend and give up on the woman he loved. And as awful as it might sound he wasn't supposed to feel bad over it. He cared for Shanzae enough to be able to spend his life with her but not enough to fall in love with her.

In retrospect, if there is one character I'm disappointed with it's probably Shehryar, I feel like my writing didn't do justice to his character.

Was there any other plot you had thought about Bekhudi?

The initial concept or idea of Bekhudi was born in 2015 when I had started writing a fanfic. Unfortunately I never completed that book. When I started rewriting Bekhudi in 2020, I had a very vague idea of the plot so yess over the course of writing I had many different ideas and plots that toyed with.

Will there be an epilogue or bonus chapter?

At this moment I am not sure.

Was there ever another ending that you had planned?

Yes. I had three different endings planned:

♛  Aliyaar dies and Shanzae becomes the next CM.

♛  Aliyaar live but loses the election, but Shanzae develops a liking for politics and enters the world of politics.

♛  Aliyaar becomes the next CM, while Shanzae continues to manage this career and party from behind the scene. This one finally took the crown.

What does Bekhudi mean and why did you choose this title?

Bekhudi means ecstasy, happiness. I suck at picking out titles. When it was time to choose a title, I literally went on Google and looked up 'beautiful Urdu words.' 😂😂

Will there be a sequel to Bekhudi?

No, there will be no sequel. As much as it pains me to leave these guys, I think their story has been completed.

There might be a spin off though. 😉😉

Do you belong to a political family?

Nope! Far from it. The politics involved here was heavily researched and inspired from the real world.

Thank you

Today as I wrap up this book, I want to thank each and everyone of you for being a part of this journey. The love and appreciation you have given Bekhudi, Shanzae and especially Aliyaar has been heartwarming and overwhelming. A special thank you and shout out to my friends and readers who left all those wonderful comments and motivated me to continue writing this book.

While I understand that a lot of you had issues with Shanzae's character development, it was always supposed to be that way. She had a certain darkness in her soul and she was always aware of it. It frightened her, but during her hard times it was her biggest strength that not only helped her survive but also helped her catapult the party to the pinnacle of success. The decision to not make her the Chief Minister was a deliberate one. While she deserved it, she did not want it. And as a author I felt I needed to respect her choice.

Writing Aliyaar was a dream and I am touched with the love you all have smouldered him with. The types of messages I received after the last update were so sweet and heartwarming. At times, it felt like they were for a real person. But the love shows, the reasons for writing Aliyaar have been well conveyed. He was a strong enigmatic man who was madly in love with his girl. I wanted to stray away from the stereotypes of toxic, anti-hero masculinity. Aliyaar was secure in his relationship, to the point that even Shanzae's past with his very own brother was of no consequence to him.

Together, Shanzae and Aliyaar shared a bond that was truly wholesome and heartwarming. I hope you all enjoyed reading their journey as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Only again, thank you.

Love always,
Kiah

For more updates about Bekhudi and my future works follow me on Instagram & Twitter: @sssournothings