Blissful Intrigue
By Muhammad Kamran Rifat

Born during the conflict of 1971, Raees Ali finds his entire life entwined in the political upheavals of Pakistan-something his grandfather, Dost Ali, also goes through during the partition and the following wars.From the time of his birth, we follow Raees Ali into the historical city of Lahore and its many complex layers of tangible and intangible past. Simultaneously, Dost Ali goes through the forced migration of 1947 and we follow his struggle of re-establishing his family and home. As Raees grows up and finds his footing in the world, we pass through the martial influence on the government of the country. Their storylines converge when they take a trip to Amritsar and Raees discovers a new set of history. Soon, Dost Ali dies and leaves his dream of Raees becoming an architect in the world.Afterwards, Raees steps into Karachi and his infatuation with his cousin Ghazia increases, and he dreams of being in love with her and starts his pursuit of her. He's faced with many hurdles and his plan to marry her is rejected both by his mother and Ghazia herself, he finds himself heartbroken and hopeless. Ghazia marries and leaves the country. Throughout it all, and the other major life decision in Raees's life, he continuously seeks his friend, Nadir's advice. Nadir is his childhood friend and soon moves to work abroad.Under the influence of such dark emotions, he's somehow caught up with the jihadi groups and the ongoing war on Kashmir. His entire personality changes. On the verge of departing for the war' and sacrificing his life, he meets with an old man under a bridge that nudges him in the right direction. After much contemplation, Raees steps back into his normal life. He has to work hard to bridge the two-year gap and grind hard for a job and once he lands it, stick with it. There, he meets with Natasha, whom he had a chance encounter during a cricket match. Their personalities influence each other as they both move on with their life, her being a divorcee.Will he allow his heart to trust again?