The Hashtag Heart
Story Pages
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Page 1
"Muskan scrolled through her "EuroVibes" inspo board, a digital collage of pastel-coloured streets and aesthetic cafe flat lays. It was her last gasp of freedom before... well, before her life was no longer her own. Her dad, Mr. B, appeared in her doorway. "Just a few weeks, beta," he said, his voice a mix of affection and unshakeable tradition. "Then it's back to Punjab. Kuljeet's family is very excited." Muskan pinned a picture of the Eiffel Tower, the name 'Kuljeet' a bitter taste in her mouth."
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"Paris. The Gare du Nord was a glorious chaos, and Muskan was determined to capture her #MainCharacter moment. She posed with her vintage-style suitcase, phone held high. Suddenly, a human hurricane with a selfie stick slammed into her, sending a caramel iced coffee all over her white sneakers. "Whoa, my bad! Total wipeout!" he exclaimed, camera still rolling. "You guys are NOT gonna believe this!""
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"On the train, Muskan furiously tried to clean her sneakers while ignoring the coffee culprit, who now introduced himself as Rohan. "Look, I'll Zelle you for the kicks," he offered, sliding into the seat across from her. "I'll even shout you out in the vlog. It's already getting insane engagement." He flashed his phone screen at her. The caption read: "Met the girl of my dreams... by destroying her drip. #TrainWreck""
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"They bickered their way across the French countryside. It was only when the train glided away from a tiny, impossibly charming station that Muskan looked up from her phone. "Um... this doesn't look like Zurich." Rohan's confident smirk vanished. "Wait, for real? I thought you were tracking the stops." They were stranded, with nothing but rolling green hills and a single, intimidatingly fancy hotel in sight."
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""Well," Rohan said, whipping out his phone. "When life gives you a travel fail, you make it a viral moment." Muskan rolled her eyes, but a genuine laugh bubbled up. They spent the rest of the day creating the most unhinged travel guide the village had ever seen, from "reviewing the local goats" to "dramatically lip-syncing to the church bells." For the first time in forever, Muskan's smile reached her eyes."
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"As the sun set, they sat by a glassy lake. The phones were finally put away. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just playing a character," Rohan admitted, skipping a stone across the water. "The 'always-on, super-stoked travel bro'." Muskan hugged her knees. "I get that," she said softly. "I'm about to star in a whole production that I never even auditioned for.""
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"The trip ended. Back in London, the vibrant dream faded to a grey reality. Rohan's DMs, filled with memes and links to their "viral" videos, piled up. Each notification was a painful ping of what couldn't be. With a shaky hand, Muskan hit 'block'. It felt like ghosting her own happiness. She saw a tagged photo from a relative: her own face, her smile hollow, her hands covered in henna. The caption: "So excited for my beautiful cousin's big day! #MuskanWedsKuljeet""
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"Rohan saw the same tagged photo. Kuljeet. So that was the name. The old him would have posted a sad Boomerang and milked the sympathy. But looking at her trapped eyes... No. He stood up, throwing clothes into a backpack. He grabbed his passport but left the vlogging camera on his desk. This journey wasn't for the algorithm. It was for her."
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"The village in Punjab was a sensory overload. Rohan spotted Kuljeet showing off on a tractor. "Bro, that tractor is sick!" Rohan yelled. "I'm a huge fan of... rural mechanics." Kuljeet beamed. Rohan was in. He charmed the family and even impressed Mr. B. But the night before the wedding, Mr. B saw a photo on Muskan's phone: her and Rohan, laughing by the lake. "What is this?" he roared. The game was up."
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"The train whistle shrieked. Rohan, bruised but defiant, clung to the door of the moving carriage, his eyes locked on hers across the platform. "MUSKAN!" he yelled over the noise, his voice raw. "This is our story! Not theirs!" In that instant, Mr. B saw not a disobedient daughter, but a heart breaking in real-time. He squeezed her hand. "Go," he urged, his voice thick with emotion. "Go live your life!" He propelled her forward. Muskan didn't hesitate. She flew across the platform, a blur of colour and hope, and leaped. Rohan caught her, pulling her into the train and into his arms. As the village disappeared behind them, he grinned, "Ready for our next adventure? Come fall in love.""
Continue Your Journey
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