Beneath the Thorns — A Dark Romance of Fire, Devotion, and Redemption
prologue
He walked like sin in human form—arrogant, untouchable, and as cruel as winter in Moscow.
Aarav Volkov Knight—half Russian, half indian, the next heir of the feared Volkov Mafia. With Russian mafia blood running through his veins and the cold discipline of British elite education, Aarav ruled Vardenhill University like a dark monarch. His black Bugatti screeched into the parking lot every morning, his tailored coat swaying like a cape, his eyes cold, unreadable.
He had three shadows always by his side—Rai, the charming devil, Leo, the strategist with a poisonous smile, and Nina, the only girl in his circle, vicious and loyal.
Girls in the college whispered his name like a forbidden prayer. He broke hearts like glass, collected enemies like trophies, and yet... no one dared to cross him.
Until she came.
Meera Sharma was everything he wasn't.
She walked into Vardenhill with a scholarship letter in hand, her ghungroos packed away in a modest bag, and faith in her heart like armor. An Indian girl who danced with her soul—Salsa, Kathak, freestyle—but when life got hard, she turned to Shri Krishna and Radha Rani, not people.
She didn’t chase love. She didn’t crave power. But her kindness was dangerous—it made even monsters pause.
Her best friend, Ayla, was the rich golden girl of the college, rose lil princess of wolveria but when they were with Meera, all the glitter melted into sisterhood. They were inseparable.
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introduction
Moscow. Snow fell like ash over the Volkov mansion.
A boy of nine stood silently before his dying grandfather, who had just slit a man’s throat for betrayal. That boy didn’t cry. He didn’t flinch. His name was Aarav Volkov Knight, son of a British heiress and a Russian mafia king.
“Feelings make you weak, boy,” his grandfather whispered.
“Don’t love. Control.”
That night, Aarav buried every piece of his heart under the ice.
---
Thousands of miles away, in the courtyard of a Vrindavan temple, a young girl danced barefoot in devotion.
Meera Sharma, age nine, spun like a flame in the moonlight, her hands telling the story of Radha and Krishna’s eternal love. Her mother watched from the steps, her eyes misty.
After every dance, Meera folded her hands to the dark idol of Krishna.
“Please always be my best friend, okay? I’ll never need anyone else.”
---
Two souls.
Two different worlds.
One storm-bound fate.
Aarav volkov(ml)
🥀 Aarav Volkov — The Thorned Crown
Aarav is the heir to the Volkov Empire — a dynasty built on blood, shadows, and calculated terror. Born of two worlds — Russian mafia blood and Indian grace — he walks the tightrope between brutality and restraint. With cold grey eyes and a sculpted exterior, he is a silent storm.
He is feared across nations for his ruthlessness. In boardrooms, he’s untouchable. In underworld circles, his name silences rooms. But beneath the tailored suits and venom-laced charm, lies a storm of grief, betrayal, and buried innocence.
He believes love is a weakness. That faith is delusion. That no one stays. Until her.
Likes: Control, classical music (secretly), sharp minds, late-night solitude, old letters from his mother.
Dislikes: Weakness, unpredictability, emotional vulnerability, pity, loud people.
Arnold Volkolo(ml dad)
🧊 Aarold Volkov — The Ice General
Aarav’s father. The head of the Volkov empire — cold, calculative, a man whose gaze alone can command armies. He speaks little, but his silence is louder than thunder. To the world, he is a serpent in a silk suit — cunning, strategic, and merciless.
But to his wife, Vishakha, he’s a love-struck fool. The only woman who can melt his icy resolve with a single look. He becomes a child in her presence — soft, smiling, and almost… innocent.
Likes: Silence, old war books, red wine, Vishakha’s laughter, loyalty.
Dislikes: Betrayal, sentimentality, weakness in leadership.
Adrik volkov(ml grandfather)
🥶 Adrik Volkov — The Ghost King
Aarav’s grandfather. The man who once ruled the underworld with an iron fist. Cold, ruthless, and terrifying. His love died with his wife — once the only softness in his stone heart. Since her tragic death, he’s become a shadow: heartless, detached, and brutal. He raised Aarav to be steel — no softness, no emotion, only survival.
Likes: Absolute power, control, discipline.
Dislikes: Love, disobedience, emotional expression.
Leo thomson(ml frnd)
😈 Leo Thomson — The Devil’s Smile
Aarav’s closest friend. Heir of the Thomson Group. Model by profession, criminal by blood. A heartbreaker with a smirk that could melt glaciers and a tongue sharp enough to cut steel. He’s chaotic charm in human form — flirty, deadly, and irresistibly magnetic.
He can kill with a smile and then joke about it. But under all that glitter lies a fiercely loyal soul — the only one who dares call Aarav out and live.
Likes: Girls, expensive wine, tailored suits, wordplay, vintage cars.
Dislikes: Boredom, possessiveness, fake emotions.
Rai clestine(ml frnd)
🧠 Rai clestine— The Silent Flame
Rai is the observer. Aarav’s silent shadow and the most dangerous among them. Calm, cold, and incredibly intelligent — he rarely speaks, but when he does, everyone listens. His presence is intimidating, his mind a maze.
Mystery surrounds him like perfume. He watches everyone, trusts no one — and always knows more than he lets on.
Likes: Chess, poetry, thunderstorms, control, psychological games.
Dislikes: Attention, small talk, betrayal.
Nina dobriel(ml frnd)
👑 Neena dobriyal— The Spoiled Flame
The daughter of a billionaire media tycoon. A former childhood friend of Aarav’s, now clinging to the fantasy that they are destined to be together. She’s stunning, sensual, and aware of it. She uses her body and charm like weapons. Jealousy burns in her every glance toward Meera.
She believes Aarav is hers — and anyone who stands in her way will regret it.
Likes: Attention, luxury, dominance, Aarav.
Dislikes: Being ignored, competition, Meera.
meera sharma(fl)
🌸 Meera sharma — The Devoted Flame
The female lead. A classical Indian dancer on a scholarship in Europe. Graceful, kind, and deeply devoted to Krishna. Raised in a small town, she carries the strength of centuries in her soul. She’s gentle, but not weak. Naïve, but not blind. And her faith — unwavering.
Her presence is peace. Her dance, prayer. She’s the storm Aarav never saw coming — light in his darkness.
Likes: Dancing, reading scriptures, tulsi tea, full moons, soft music.
Dislikes: Lies, cruelty, loud voices, being underestimated.
vaidehi sharma(fl mom)
🌷 Vaidehi sharma— The Mother with a Silent Spine
Meera’s mother. A woman of soft words and deep devotion. Naïve at times, but holds a quiet strength. She’s proud of her daughter and believes in her dreams. She’s suffered in silence for years — for her child’s future — but when it comes to Meera, she will become fire.
Likes: Prayers, sunlight, temple bells, feeding others.
Dislikes: Conflict, arguments, her own tears.
Ayla verma(fl frnd)
🔥 Ayla Verma — The Wild Rose
Meera’s roommate and best friend. A total contrast to Meera — bold, loud, brave, flirtatious, and sassy. She curses like a sailor and loves like a child. Has zero filter and a heart of gold. Protective of Meera like a lioness. Will punch a guy and hug a stranger in the same minute.
Likes: Lipsticks, coffee, bold fashion, Meera’s innocence, spicy food.
Dislikes: Douchebags, silence, rules.
Rose bennett(fl frnd)
🧊 Rose Bennett — The Silent Storm
A contrast to her name, Rose isn’t soft or delicate — she’s snow: cold, beautiful, silent, and lethal. She’s the observer of Meera’s circle — always watching, rarely speaking. When she does speak, it cuts like a blade wrapped in silk.
Rose loves her friends — Meera, Aayla, and others — like family, with a fierce loyalty. But she doesn’t let many in. To outsiders, she’s intimidating, unapproachable, and often mistaken for arrogant. But those who hurt her loved ones? They learn quickly that she’s not just icy — she’s venomous.
Likes: Snowfall, clean silence, poetry, classical ballet, justice
Dislikes: Small talk, fakeness, bullies, disloyalty, men who talk too much
Chapter 1: The Collision
The sky over Ravenshade University was dull and cold, a shade of grey that mirrored the stone buildings towering above Meera.
She walked briskly through the courtyard, dragging her small suitcase behind her, clutching a printed map and muttering a quiet prayer under her breath. Her ivory churidaar danced around her ankles, her long braid swayed behind her, threaded with jasmine from home. A red bindi rested between her brows. She was clearly not from here — not just by her clothes, but by the softness in her eyes and the way she looked up at every building with reverence.
meera sharma(fl)
“Excuse me,” (she tried asking a group of passing students, but they barely acknowledged her.)
Lost and tired, she turned a corner, searching for the principal’s office, when she opened a heavy glass door — and walked straight into a room of shadows and silence.
Inside sat four people. They weren’t just students — they felt like a different species.
unknown 1
(Stare at her coldly)
unknown 2
(Smirk looking at her)
unknown 3
(Judging her appearance)
unknown 4
(Calmly looking at her)
Aarav volkov(ml)
At the center, in all-black, was Aarav Volkov, tall, sharp-jawed, and far too still. A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers though he didn’t smoke it. His silver watch glinted in the light, but his cold grey eyes didn’t. They were already on her.
Leo thomson(ml frnd)
.“Lost?” (a smooth voice asked. It belonged to Leo, casually lounging on the couch, flashing a charming smirk.)
meera sharma(fl)
(Meera hesitated.) “I’m looking for the principal’s office.”
Rai clestine(ml frnd)
“You’re on the wrong floor,” (said another guy without lifting his eyes — Rai, quiet and unreadable.)
Aarav volkov(ml)
Aarav stood. He didn’t speak for a moment, just stared — like he was dissecting her with his gaze.
Aarav volkov(ml)
“You’re the dancer,”( he said finally). “Scholarship student.”
meera sharma(fl)
“Yes,” (she replied, confused.) “How do you know?”👀
Leo thomson(ml frnd)
(Leo grinned. )“We know everything.”
meera sharma(fl)
“I’m just trying to find my way,” (she said, -standing straighter.)
Aarav volkov(ml)
(Aarav’s lips curved slightly — not a smile, not quite mockery.) “You’ll have to do more than that here.”
meera sharma(fl)
“I can handle myself,” (she answered, then turned, her braid flicking as she left.)
Leo thomson(ml frnd)
(Leo finally chuckled.) “She’s interesting.”
Rai clestine(ml frnd)
(Rai glanced up.)“Or doomed.”
Aarav said nothing. His eyes remained on the door she had walked through, still and unreadable.
Aarav volkov(ml)
"Aarav's thought" (She walks like the world hasn’t broken her yet. That’s dangerous in a place like this.)
meera sharma(fl)
"Meera's thought" ( He looked at me like no one ever has — like I was a puzzle and a threat. Krishna, what kind of place is this?)
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