Chapter 03 | The Storm and a Photo

The sun disappeared behind storm clouds before the summit's final session even began.

Thick gray mist rolled over the valley, and within hours, heavy rain started lashing against the glass roof. The evening was scheduled to be a gala dinner between both leaders and handpicked diplomats. But nature, like politics, had its own plans.Security personnel scrambled. Flights were canceled. Roads were blocked.

The summit complex went into lockdown mode.

Rudra's Side Quarters

He stood near the window, watching raindrops race down the glass.

There was no signal. No internet. No escape.

He removed his tie slowly, letting the silence wrap around him like the storm outside.

Then suddely, 

A knock. Sharp. Twice. Then once.

The signal like knocking

He turned.Opened the door.

Li Wei stood there hood soaked, eyes unreadable.

Li: "Power's out. They told us to stay in our rooms."

Rudra: "Then why aren't you in yours?"

Li (stepping in): "Because I'm tired of pretending your silence doesn't scream."

Rudra not able to interpret situation at that instant.

The door closed behind him. The rain roared louder.

after some time.They moved to the emergency stairwell anarrow, concrete, lit only by flickering backup lights. Rudra didn't speak. Li followed close behind him.

The stairwell was empty. Cold. Echoing.

But their steps were synced. Their breaths uneven.

They stopped between the third and fourth floor.

Li exhaled. Loud.

Li: "We need to stop doing this."

Rudra: "Doing what?"

Li (frustrated): "This dance. This invisible war. This... this thing between us."

Rudra turned, slowly.

Their faces were inches apart now.

Rudra: "It's not a war if I already lost."

Li blinked.

Li (softly): "What did you lose?"

Rudra: "Myself. Around you."

The air cracked like thunder.

The lights flickered. And then darkness.

Complete blackout.

Rudra reached out instinctively. His hand found Li's chest.

A heartbeat. Fast.Fast.Fast..more Fast but Familiar now.

Li (whispered): "It's just a blackout."

Rudra: "I know."

Li: "Then why do you look like the world just ended?"

Rudra: "Because if I touch you again... I won't stop."

Silence.

Then Li placed his hand over Rudra's.

"Then don't stop," Li whispered.

Rudra's breath caught.

His hand moved higher along Li's neck, then jaw.

Fingertips tracing something they weren't supposed to know.

But then a flash of emergency lights.

And the moment shattered.

They stepped back. The stairwell lit up again.

Rudra (composed): "Go back to your room."

Li (quiet): "Noding nervously"

Location: Post-Blackout, Conference Hall:

The lights had returned. The storm passed.

But something inside Rudra hadn't.

He wore his usual steel blue suit again. His signature presence was back , eyes sharp, words measured. No one would guess that just 12 hours ago, he was a breath away from a man he was never meant to crave.Never meant to touch.

Today was the final day of the summit.

Cameras lined the golden-carpeted stage.

Two podiums stood side-by-side, microphones waiting to catch any misstep.

And when Li Wei walked in, reporters whispered.

He looked too perfect.A spotless white suit. Hair sleek.

But those who looked closely would see it

the faint red mark on his jaw.

Left by someone's fingers.

Left in darkness.

Left unclaimed.

Press Conference Begins

Rudra spoke first. Sharp, political, distant.

"The past does not define the future. India and China will walk forward together—strong, sovereign, and respectful."

Polite applause.

Then it was Li's turn.

But he didn't read his paper.

He stepped forward. Looked out at the dozens of cameras. At the hundreds of eyes. And then at Rudra.

"Diplomacy is performance," he began.

"But this week... I stopped performing."

The room tensed.

"This summit was about more than peace. It was about... honesty.

And sometimes, honesty feels like betrayal."

Rudra stiffened.

Their security advisors glanced nervously.

Li continued.

"There are moments we never talk about.

Moments behind curtains. Behind microphones. Behind closed doors.

Behind closed... borders."

Rudra's heart thundered.

Li's hand slid into his pocket and pulled out something.

A small photograph.

Unpublished. Taken on Day 1.

Their handshake.

Their eyes locked.

And between them: something raw. Something real.

Li (holding it up): "This photo was never released.

Because it revealed too much."

Gasps filled the hall.

The aides moved to stop him.

A security guard stepped forward.

But Rudra held up a hand.

"Let him speak." Rudra Ordered

:Flashback – Rudra (Internal):

" When he looked at me, it wasn't just desire.

It was recognition.

Of pain. Of restraint. Of loneliness.

I had seen my own reflection in him.

Now... again...i dont want to loose. "

Back to the Hall

Li's voice dropped.

"I do not apologize for what I felt.

Even if it was forbidden.

Even if it was impossible.

Even if it was with... someone who stands behind a different flag."

The room froze.

He didn't name Rudra.

He didn't have to.

The photo spoke louder than words.

After the Conference – Private Corridor

Rudra walked behind the curtains. He knew Li would follow.

He could feel it.

The moment they were alone, Rudra turned.

Rudra: "Do you know what you just did?"

Li: "Yes. I lit the match. And now the world burns."

Rudra: "Why?"

Li (stepping closer): "Because I wanted them to see power not of war. Not of politics. But the power of choosing someone... even if I can't have him."

Silence.

Their breaths tangled again.

This time, Rudra kissed him.

Fast. Sharp. Unforgiving.

It lasted a second—no more.

But it was enough to tear down a thousand borders.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rudra said after, voice trembling.

"And yet," Li whispered, "You didn't stop me."

6hr After the Photo Release

Trending worldwide:

#HandshakeOfFire

#RudraLiAffair

#BordersBroken

News outlets spun theories. Commentators gasped on live panels. Protesters gathered in the streets. Some demanded resignations. 

Others lit candles and held up hand-painted signs:

🕊️ "Love knows no border."

💔 "Two men. One war. One kiss."

🔥 "Power cannot silence the heart."

Place: Delhi – PMO

Inside the Prime Minister's crisis chamber, Rudra sat at the head of a long table. His ministers, advisors, and intelligence chiefs barked words he barely registered.

"...Indian sovereignty under threat!"

"...international embarrassment, sir."

"...should've denied everything why didn't you stop him?"

"PM Singh, we must issue a statement immediately."

He stood up slowly.

His voice cut through the noise like a blade:

Rudra: "Silence is no longer strength."

"I have made mistakes. But silence... was the loudest one."

And he walked out.

Place: Beijing – Presidential Office

Li Wei watched a storm of flashbulbs outside his window. His cabinet was in chaos.

"You've endangered national security!"

"There are calls for your removal tonight!"

"Your legacy is crumbling!"

Li turned. Calm. Controlled.

But his fingers trembled.

Li: "A legacy built on lies isn't worth preserving."

"Let them take my office. I never wanted the chair. I wanted the freedom to look at him... without guilt."

Secret Call Between Two Nations

📞 Secure Line.....

Rudra (low, tired): "You lit the world on fire."

Li (softly): "And you let it burn."

Rudra: "They want me to deny you."

Li: "Then do it. Let the storm pass. Survive."

Rudra: "I've survived my entire life. Maybe it's time I die."

Silence.

Li (quiet): "Then meet me."

"One last time. Not as leaders. Not as enemies. As two men who lost everything... but each other."

Place :Somewhere Near Himalayan Border – Dawn

No cameras. No guards.

Just snow, wind, and them.

Li stood first scarf wrapped tight, eyes glassy with exhaustion.

Rudra arrived moments later.

They didn't speak.

They simply walked forward until they stood inches apart.

Li (voice breaking): "The world turned against us."

Rudra: "Then let's turn away from the world."

He pulled Li into him.

No speeches.

No flags.

No fear.

Just a silent embrace that cracked the mountains.

Another Day, Another Chaos:

News montage Thoughout a day

"...historic resignation from President Li Wei Jun..."

"...Prime Minister Singh refuses to issue denial..."

"...global movements inspired—youths in Korea, Brazil, Egypt chant 'Borders are lies!'"

"...photo projected on UN Headquarters in New York..."

"...Butterfly protests spread across Asia..."

Location: Northern Italy – Lake Como – Three Weeks Later

On the edge of a private villa, far from the noise of nations and headlines, Rudra Veer Singh stood alone on the balcony. No guards. No speeches. No nation behind him.

Just silence.

And exile.

He had not resigned—but Parliament froze his authority. Political pressure mounted. Media still debated whether he was a traitor or a tragic hero.

But Rudra didn't care.

Not anymore.

He sipped dark coffee from a plain ceramic mug. No silver. No crest. Just something warm. Something human.

His fingers traced the rim absently, as if searching for something... someone.

Rudra(thinking):

"I wasn't supposed to miss him.

We were never more than five days... and one kiss.

And yet, every sunrise feels incomplete without his eyes looking back at mine.

Perhaps exile is the price of feeling something real in a world full of masks."

News headlines flashing across TV screens:

"China's Li Wei Steps Down 'By Will of the People'"

"Rudra Singh Refuses to Condemn Romance Rumors: 'Love Isn't a Lie'"

"#ButterfliesmustbeinPower becomes global human rights slogan"

slogans of LGBT murals in Delhi, Shanghai, Paris.

A teenage girl in Seoul crying during a live stream: "They were supposed to be enemies. But they showed the world how to love." 

Meanwhile – Unknown Coastal Island, South China Sea

Li Wei Jun walked barefoot across a wooden jetty.

He looked... lighter.

No guards. No staff. No headlines.

Just him, the wind, and the letter Rudra had sent.

He re-read it every morning.

"There is no country that can cage my heart.

And no scandal that can erase your name from it."

Li folded the letter again and stared out at the waves.

Li (to himself): "He should be here."

He looked up and froze.

At the end of the pier, just visible in the golden mist

Rudra was standing there.

Breathless. Carrying nothing but a Bag and a trembling smile.

Li blinked. His lips parted.

Li (whispers): "How did you find me?"

Rudra: "You never really left me."

Silence.

And then Rudra dropped the bag. Walked forward.

They met in the middle of the pier.

There was no hesitation.

No fear.

No permission asked.

Just hands on cheeks. Foreheads kissed. Eyes wet.

Rudra: "The world can have everything else.

But this... this is mine."

And they kissed longer than a second this time.

Like they had all the time in the world.

Like peace could be found on a dock, with no country watching.

At that Instant

A single butterfly. Pale blue.

Landing on Rudra's shoulder.revealing hundreds fluttering over the sea,like silent witnesses to something both forbidden and sacred.