Hera had her phone screen opened as she made starry eyes at the heartthrob of ZRU. The elusive and mysterious Mirsab Furaat. She had clicked the pictures from the university the year before.

Hera Rasan had always been in Adiva's shadow. Everything she did fell short to Adiva. Her own father seemed to love her cousin more than her. She had always been pushed aside so Adiva could take the centre stage. But Hera was just as good, if not more, as Adiva (according to herself). So she had been fed up.

Last year, she had finally been away from Adiva at the university and she had been glad that her cousin hadn't been there to overshadow her. She had been free of Adiva's light. She had been free of her family's partiality and she had thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact she had been given the 'queen bee' status in her house, 'The house of Rasans', also called as 'Muharibs'. She had paraded around like a princess all the time last year. And now, Adiva was not just going to join ZRU, but also going to be married to the one guy every girl dreamt of in the lands of Naia. Hera was going crazy with rage and she didn't care what madness she needed to do to stop this wedding, because she had had enough of this partial world where the sun rose and set for Adiva. She was going to put a stop to it, whatever the cost might be. She was ready. She was more than ready. She huffed and then kissed the screen of her iPhone.

"What can I do to sabotage this wedding Mirsab?" She asked his picture. "They say you are brilliant. Why don't you give me an idea on how to out a stop to this?" She crooned to the unresponsive, unmoving image and wished she had clicked it live so his little heart stopping movements could be captured on her device and then flipped on the bed, facing the canopy of lace and feathers as she sighed. "Why do they love her so much? Why is she so special? Do you know how much partiality I have witnessed in this house? In this family? I have lost counts! And when I was finally setting myself up to woo you and get out of this hell hole, again Adiva had to rise! She took even you away from me! Ah Mirsab..." She sniffled. "Even Cinderella got Prince Charming in the end! But in my story, the step sister, or rather, cousin... gets every single thing. I am fed up of this. You will be mine! And I will not allow any single reason to take you away from me. By hook or crook you will be mine and when that happens I will look into her eyes and smirk in victory. You will be mine and I do not care what heights of insanity I need to cross for that. I do not care for any treaty and any family honor. I am done with all that!"

Hera was in midst of her monologue when Adiva arrived outside her room stealthily. Adiva and Yamin had quite a lot of practice in sneaking around and that's exactly how Adiva entered Hera's bedroom and crawled beneath her bed. For almost twelve minutes, she had to listen to her cousin's complaints about how unfair the treatment in their house was. She rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time she had been hearing this. She knew the special treatment she got was always a sore spot for many of them, but she didn't have any hand in that.

Adiva had always been demanding and stubborn. She didn't bend for anyone and lived her life according to her whims. She was never a goody two shoes who flattered anyone for being in their good books. She was as she was. She didn't hide behind a mask and talked sweet while being bitter from within. What she felt in her heart usually erupted from her mouth. She had no control over her tongue. And even after all that if somebody loved her then it was their choice. She didn't change for anyone. And she didn't push the people who loved her away for anyone. Love was precious and she treasured it. But if that was partial of the people then it wasn't her fault, was it?

Adiva listened to Hera croon (gag!) to her supposed fiancé (gag!) and then proceed to kiss the screen of her phone countless of times loudly. Adiva gaged soundlessly again. Why couldn't she just do something about it instead of speaking half an hour monologues to herself?

Hera then proceeded towards the attached bathroom with a towel and Adiva sighed in relief. God! She thought Hera would never leave or sleep, either was okay with her. The moment Hera closed the bathroom door, Adiva crawled out from under the bed and snatched Hera's phone from the bed. From inside the bathroom, she could hear Hera's iPod blaring some tune loudly. Adiva shook her head and pressed Hera's password in the phone. And when the phone clicked open, Adiva smirked. Bingo! The password was Mirsab. Adiva shook her head at Hera's predictability and proceeded to air drop the edited video to Hera's phone before locking the phone and placing it right where it was on the bed and rushed out of her cousin's room. She tried her best to keep far away from Hera unless needed or when all of them had to attend functions together.

She closed the door of Hera's room and turned, coming face to face with Yamin, who was watching her questioningly. She sighed and grabbed his hand as she pulled him towards her own room.

"I have poured the oil and placed the lighter in Hera's hand. Now she just has to light it and there will be explosion."

"Are you sure about this Diva? There is still time! We can still go inside delete the video from her phone."

"Yamin!" She exclaimed irritatedly. "I didn't stay there for nearly half an hour and listen to her monologues on inequality and her sick crush on the 'Ice Prince'—" She made quotations as she spat the title the internet had given her would-be-husband, "— just to go back in and delete my hardwork!"

"If that video is leaked to the media, Rasans will have to face backlash and criticism for your behavior and mistake. Grand Da will never forgive you if his hard earned name was tainted because of your foolishness..."

"The video will land in some or the other Furaat's hand Yamin. Preferably Mirsab's! I cannot wait for them to reject me!" She sighed dreamily. "I can taste the taste of freedom on my tongue. And as far as media is concerned, they will not get even an inkling of this. Chill!"

"I am warning you again Diva... Do not take the risk. We can try some other trick!"

"There isn't even a month left for the wedding Yamin! I am desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures. I am going to take the risk and I am going to succeed!" She declared. Yamin shook his head helplessly. He just hoped that she hadn't grossly underestimated the events she had just put into motion.

Within Hera's room, Hera exited the bathroom and after half an hour of her nightly routines, she came to bed and checked her phone for messages. The new media received alert made her frown. How did this arrive? She frowned and played the video. Her frown disappeared as the video began to play she smirked as it ended.

"Adiva Rasan... I take the first step towards destroying you! All the best." She whispered bitterly and began to fish around for her second phone, with her scarcely used number. An anonymous tip to the Furaats won't hurt, would it?

•••

"Her silence and easy acceptance regarding this wedding is scaring me more Grand Pa." Aun mumbled to his grandfather. "If she had thrown a tantrum then that would have been easy to handle. A routine. But this? I feel like its the calm before storm and when that storm hits us... we will be annihilated. I wish I am wrong."

"To tell you the truth, even I am feeling uncomfortable due to how easily she have given up. Doesn't sound like the Adiva we raised. We had raised a lioness. The one who roars and fights for what she wants... This version of her though, is like a fox, sly and cunning. My heart feels jumpy wondering what exactly she is up to. The feeling of wrongness she has put us all in is a punishment enough within itself. It's slow and it's torturous and completely unlike anything she had previously done." Ehlam sighed.

"Shall we speak to her then? Clear out these doubts and fears?" Aun enquired gently from his grand father.

"No. It will alert her that we know she is up to something. We can't do anything that would tip her off." Ehlam overruled Aun's suggestion. Aun nodded thoughtfully. "Just keep an extra cautious eye on her. We can't take any risks! Especially during these times. The elections are about to commence. The campaigns have already started and based on the chosen monarch we need to choose the members who would represent the Niwayaths. If any hitch comes in this marriage, the strenuous peace that surrounds the two communities would fall away and could end up being destructive for the community and especially us Rasans." Ehlam directed him. He nodded and watched as his grandfather massaged his temple with his thumb and the index finger.

Aun observed that his grandfather looked especially old and tired these days and hoped Adiva would be sensible enough and not create unnecessary problems. He sighed that what he was expecting from Adiva was unfair. Marriage was a serious issue and every person should have the right to choose the one who they would like to enter this institution with. Adiva had always been given the right to freedom and suddenly taking away the right to choose in such a major decision of her life from her was absolutely unfair. But this treaty was now law.

When it was crafted, the times for it was acceptable, but now, the times and people were changing and so were the morals. What had been normal then seemed forceful now and yet this treaty was the only thing holding the peace in their lands. Aun was helpless along with everyone in either family. He just hoped Adiva would for once in her life be sensible about something she is being forced into.

He had heard about the dress shopping fiasco of the day before from his wife and hoped that piece of news didn't leak into the open. If it did they would come under major scrutiny and criticism from everyone. No one wanted to be in midst of another community war that could burn down the lands to ashes. They would all begin to criticize their family and especially his daughter. And he knew that Adiva, however strong she may be, was still not immune to the hatred that would come with such a leak.

•••

The Furaat mansion was quiet and peaceful when Shehley's daughter, Ishaal, walked determinedly over to her mother with a frown marring her beautiful face. She was nineteen, just a few months older than Mirsab and was in the same year as him. Ishaal was protective of Mirsab just like the whole family and what she had received that morning had been really shocking and distasteful for her.

Before Ishaal could reach Shehley, she clashed with Shehra and dropped her phone to the ground and the video that had been on pause began to play again. Shehra was shocked when she lifted the phone to return to Ishaal, and saw the video. Her eyes became wide. This was the girl chosen for her prince? Shehra placed both her hands on her ears in horror and looked towards the roof shaking her head weirdly, like she was trying to prove this wedding a prank by shaking her head so much.

Shehley had reached them along with other family members who were each watching with something akin to pity. Before anyone could say a word though, Shehra faced the sky and shouted.

"NOOO!"

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