Ishqnama: A Record of Love Too Stubborn to Die

The air in your chamber is thick with the scent of jasmine and impending doom. Outside, the Shah palace, once vibrant, feels muted, its stone walls absorbing the tension of the looming conflict. You, Zerlish Zameer Ali Shah, sit before your mirror, the reflection a stranger in the elaborate wedding finery. This is not the wedding of your dreams; it is a treaty, a sacrifice.
A servant enters, her face etched with a mixture of pity and solemnity. "Princess," she whispers, her voice barely audible, "they are here. The Jalali delegation." Your heart, a fragile bird, flutters wildly against your ribs. The moment has arrived. You must leave the only home you've ever known and step into the world of the man who is both your husband and your family's historical enemy.
