NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~THREAD 24~CHAPTER 29 upd 10th MAR - Page 20

Originally posted by: roseraja1915

@ Mitu

Your review has its own beauty, Mitu dearie. Well done! 👏 👏 👏

Originally posted by: lashy

Hello girls.. how has your Holi Sunday been so far? I'm not going to be able to beat the Holi pictures that Manu/Shaggu and Vrinda have posted... but my heartfelt wishes to all of you 🤗

Happy Holi (I imagine how she'll look if Heera and her friends were playing holi)

We had fun here yesterday, with colours and all (dry colours of course because it's too cold for wet ones)

My first Holi party because I've never really celebrated the festival before...

The boys had fun...

Manu... we are going to miss you... 😭 but, have fun dear... 🤗

Yes Rose, I was awake late last night because I slept in the evening after the programme.. was dead tired... so didn't get sleep till 2:30 and have a bad migraine now...

Beautiful words everyone... will get to it one by one.. 🤗

Originally posted by: melovesja

Nice pic 😊

How was dance and lovely that all of you enjoyed holi.

Originally posted by: harshu27

yes d scenarios r diff y i felt mathura track was cz d concept was similar der jalal was on lookout fr jo and here AMK fr heera so dat he can save hr frm khalil...and d MU is where he tries to justify his stance dt y he had to act lik dis lie to her etc and watever misconception she has abt him was wrong but of course heera is not in dt state of mind to belive him since she feels dat he is trying to gv another senseless xcuses so dat she falls into his trap whch isnt...only thing here ur MUs as i said justified der acts...and was quiet meaningful unlike d mathura track...😃

Originally posted by: harshu27

'I turned you away then because...' he pointed at his chest 'I live a very dangerous life myself... and, you had people to care for you... but, I heard the situation changed... with the threat now looming over you... I couldn't sit back and watch you be harmed!'

By the end of that statement, his volume had risen - so much so that he could hear himself.

Originally posted by: divyavm

Writer-e-khaas,

Does each chapter out-do itself or is it that each chapter builds so beautifully on the prior that each chapter becomes part of a running favorite? Or, in other words, the whole story has become my favorite? Likely the latter.

OMG... here she goes with her lovely play of words and shy-coming lines!☺️

If anything, I am glad the interest the chapters hold are building up, rather than the other way around...

If the last chapter saw raw tension, the tension continued to simmer here. There was physical tension aplenty- the grasp of the wrists, the resistance, the heated momets, the attacks of knife and emotions, "the edge of his jaw that brushed her ear", the closer breaths.

Yes... yes and yes..

And, can I say the final "Adab" brought back a flutter of the first "Adab" after the feast. After all, it was still the intriguing Akbar that stood before Harka and us.

yes... yes and more yes...

Yet, what simmered even more to the front in this chapter was the internal tensions and pain of our leads. They were each facing their own denials and conflicts, but what emerged from this churn seemed a common path forward for how these wounds will heal and the ray of hope that I as a reader was looking for.

This chapter was meant to be one of the most intense ones... definitely most intense between the leads.. I am glad it came out that way... and the common path... well we all know what it is!

Akbar: He was consumed by an internal battle that was cutting his heart into pieces; he wanted to show his truth, but was realizing more and more how steep his mountain of lies was.

I think that until Heera put it out to him the way she did (list) even he didn't realise how badly he'd betrayed her.. because within, he has been always a good-wisher... a man who tried to help her as and when he could!

He wanted to release the burden of his guilt, but not at the cost of burdening her more. He wanted to save Harka from pain, but discovered how deep the pain was that he had inflicted. The chapter was very much an emotional journey for him to try to get Harka to turn his way. The highlight for me was the different approaches he took with Harka during his emotionl journey; my take focuses on key moments for me, written as if in Akbar's words:

1. The pain and concern. What was the pain that was greater? Was it the bleeding of my heart, the bleeding from your attacks, or the blood of your hands from the rough edges of the knife? It was only your pain at the fore. Yet, my words of concern rang false to your ears.

Yes... all through he sees her pain first (except his childhood memories, of course) 😭

2. The attempted catharsis. How could I save you from the pain and anger bottled up inside you? I offered myself in silence to vent your every anger with both knife and word. Yet, even that catharsis was viewed with annoyance and frustration.
Exactly

3. The momentary respite. When all seemed lost, I was gifted a moment of respite. Destiny gave me a chance to support you during your dizzy spell. Yet, with the cold water you splashed on your face, you also wiped away that momentary breath of air from me.

I loved the way you've stated this... she poured cold water on a dizzy spell of passion that they were both briefly embroiled in..

(Side note: this may be my favorite line of this chapter - "Maybe it was spurred by the subconscious belief that she needed him to support herself - even if only temporarily." I felt it reflected the story to come- that he will support her whether she asks for it or not and destiny would give him that chance)

😉

My favourite line too.. and will you believe it if I said that was the last line I added... before posting...

4. The emotional rationality. When my impatience was doing no good, I tried to entreat to the rationality of your heart- how I had never behaved like Khalil, how I had never wanted to be a Mansabdar before, how I had calloused every part of me to find you. Yet, nothing stacked up to the lies that you counted beyond the fingers of your hands.
😭

5. The tact. When my lies and I still stood a stranger in front of you, I turned to your own words. Parnagarh, and saving its people. Using me for your gain; as your words accused me of doing. Now, when I retreated from you with an "Adab", I had finally discovered space and Parnagarh were the path to heal.
OMG this is the crux of it all... you've got it to a T, Divi👏
----

Harka: was going through her own major battle of heart and mind, between the Akbar she knew and the stranger she saw in front of her. And while, she did not make it apparent, there were definitely a few chinks in the armour of new-found hatred for him as she saw glimpses of the Akbar of Aidabad. My take on the moments that stood out, in Harka's own words:
Beautiful!👏

1. Who was this enemy that doesn't even break the glass of my bangles with his strength?
😳
2. Who was this enemy that offered his blood without a flinch? And this is only the blood I could see, not the blood his heart was shedding within.

😭

3. Who was this enemy that showed how he had calloused his hands to find me but my heart was too callused by betrayal to acknowledge his toils?

Exactly...

4. Who was this enemy that had saved me from my own moment of weakness as not a knife or drop of poison was remaining in my reach?
😎
5. Who was this enemy that seemed to be the only path to save the very Parnagarh I feel he has endangered?
Guess guess Harka! 😉
----

In the end of the chapter, Harka sets out to save her people, her Parnagarh. It will be only a matter of time before she realizes that Akbar will be her pillar of support in this journey.

Hence, at the end of the chapter, all roads leads to Parnagarh, a road of recovery for both our Akbar and Harka. I am quite excited the moments that this road trip will bring. I hope I am right :)

>>>>😉 and chitti had made this statement a few chapters ago, hadn't she?

I am also excited by moments I feel you foreshadowed throught the chapter- the day when she will listen to his journey as a "introduce her to a sick abused deserted hungry little 11 year old boy" and the time when she will see his love for Parnagarh reflecting his love for her.
All will come... wait and watch!

I am ready writer-e-khaas for what's next! Thanks again for a beautiful, engaging chapter.

Thank you so much Divi and I could feel your love in it... that matters more to me than anything else 🤗

Originally posted by: diya2291

Fantabulous Pic Di , That It Drowned Me In Romantic World On First Place ,Made Me To forget The Pain Of Both Heera And Amk , And I Had Read Twice😆

Heera , Omg The Way This 16year old turned Fearless, She Was Rocking With Her Every Word ,With Her Deadly Glares ( Sorry I Forgot How Old She Is😛 )

>>>🤣 How Cuteee!!

'Sahiba! This is risky... the force with which you're handling that blade, it's going to cut your palm... please put it down...'

Even In Worst Situation Where He Is In , He Still Thinking About Her That It Will Hurt her 😭

Heera:
Poor She , Gone Through So Much That She Wishes To End The Suffering, And Smothered Herself In Deep Sleep Forever😭 , To Never Wake Up But How Can It Be Possible When Amk Is There😉

Amk :

He Tried , Tried And Tried To Explain Her But She Refused To Listen Him , But Her Actions Are Justified As Right Now She Feeling Betrayed And Not Aware Of What Amk Have Gone Through Just To Keef Her Safe.

his palms tenderly nestled around her arms 'Sahiba...' he whispered 'believe me when I say I've never destroyed the lives of innocent people... believe me when I say, I've never preyed upon any woman... in fact... in all my life, there is no other woman I've interacted closely with...' his voice cracked into a husky murmur 'I have touched, no woman...' his eyelids gently shut 'no woman, except one...

Finally He Confessed Though Not Fully But This Gave Little Assurance That She Is The Only One Women Whom He Have Touched , Whom He Have Interacted Closely

Oh My When He Said Heera ... It Felt Heavenly

>>> TOTALLYYY

'I understand Sahiba... but, before I leave... you might want to view this from another angle' he folded his arms - every bit like the shrewd businessman he was, when taking on a tough fellow-merchant. 'I'm a businessman... you're a businesswoman... why don't you treat this wedding like a business deal? I used you to get the Farmaan... in exchange, why don't you use my manpower and my title to keep your Parnagarh safe? I took advantage of you, to make my Huzoor happy... so, why not take advantage of my influence to keep your people happy?'

Yaay My Guess Was Right , Di I Mentioned In My Comment On Fb That Will Get Tedda Amk , And Here I got To See Amk With his Twisted Tactics Dealing With His Sahiba , I Love This Amk And Cant Wait See How He Going To Deal With His Sahiba In His Way In Upcoming Chapter yaaayyy
>>>😆😆
she managed to pick up the broken pieces of her life and continued wobbling ahead.

'I risked their future, by bringing you into their lives Ustaad Sahib... I'll set it right...'

She Is An Amazing Girl , Selfless Who Was Broken From Inside, Rebuilding herself to Become More Stronger Than Ever For Her People

>> as Shruti says ..Heera Baisa is indeed a marvel of nature !

Next Further Chapters Will Be Damn More Interesting M Feeling As Will Go Through The Journey Of Amk To Win Back His Sahiba, Her Trust In Him And Most Important To Be Heera's Khan Sahib Not The Ustaad Whom She Hates

ThankYou Di For This Wonderfull Chapter , For Connecting Us To Pain Of Heera And Amk Through Your Emphatic Writing Which Makes Very Clear To Understand The Feelings Of Each Character

Originally posted by: lashy

Hello girls.. how has your Holi Sunday been so far? I'm not going to be able to beat the Holi pictures that Manu/Shaggu and Vrinda have posted... but my heartfelt wishes to all of you 🤗

Happy Holi (I imagine how she'll look if Heera and her friends were playing holi)

We had fun here yesterday, with colours and all (dry colours of course because it's too cold for wet ones)

My first Holi party because I've never really celebrated the festival before...

The boys had fun...

Manu... we are going to miss you... 😭 but, have fun dear... 🤗

Yes Rose, I was awake late last night because I slept in the evening after the programme.. was dead tired... so didn't get sleep till 2:30 and have a bad migraine now...

Beautiful words everyone... will get to it one by one.. 🤗

Originally posted by: roseraja1915

🤣 🤣 🤣

@ Shivangi

Your enthusiasm is infectious, dear! A high five for your breathless review! 👏 👏 👏

>> Awwwhh!! Thank you sooo much Rose di ❤️🤗YO! HIghhh Five!!

@ Munmun

Lovely poems, Munmun. Not knowing Hindi, the translation of the first poem really helped. I am sure the second one is sweet, too.👍🏼 👍🏼 👍🏼

@ Lashy

Thanks Lashy Sahiba for setting the record straight about the poison ring and Heera's thoughts on taking her own life - not once but twice. Of course, we knew it wouldn't come to that but the fact that she harboured such a dark thought when she couldn't see an end to her miseries gave us a mighty fright. 😲 Our beloved UAMK is indeed a lovely distraction. ❤️

@ Adwi

What a lovely Holi special review, dearie! Your intoxicating thoughts have made this day even more radiant! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️