The Heartbreak Couple
cold vow
A dimly lit, luxury penthouse in Seoul. Rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling windows. Aarav is standing by the window, wearing a traditional white kurta. Ji-hoon enters, slamming the door.
ji hoon
(Coldly) Stop looking at the rain like you’re in one of your Bollywood movies, Aarav. This marriage isn't a romance. It’s a contract.
Arav
(Turning slowly, voice calm) I never asked for a romance, Ji-hoon. I only asked for respect. My family trusted yours.
ji hoon
(Laughs bitterly) Respect? You tricked my father into this alliance. Min-ah told me everything. She told me how you manipulated the business deal back in Mumbai.
Arav
(Eyes flickering with a strange, golden tint for a second) Min-ah doesn't know the truth. She only knows how to poison your mind.
ji hoon
(Steps closer, grabbing Aarav’s wrist) Don’t you dare speak her name. We grew up together. She’s loyal. You? You’re just a stranger with a pretty face and secrets I can’t wrap my head around. Why do you smell like sandalwood and… something else? Something not human?
Arav
(Pulls his wrist away, his heart beating abnormally fast) It’s just incense, Ji-hoon. Nothing you would understand
ji hoon
Whatever. You’ll stay in the guest room. Don't touch my things, and don't expect me to play the doting husband. You’re here for revenge, and I’m going to make sure you regret ever stepping foot in Korea.
(Ji-hoon storms out. Aarav collapses onto the sofa, clutching his stomach. He winces in pain as a faint blue glow emanates from his skin for a moment.)
Arav
(Whispering to himself) If you knew what I really am… if you knew what’s growing inside me… you wouldn't just hate me. You’d be terrified.
unholy alliance
before arav and ji hoon marriage
A traditional, grand haveli in India. The air is thick with the scent of marigolds and tension. Aarav sits in the shadows of the balcony, watching the arrival of a fleet of black luxury cars.
Manohar tyagi
(Sternly) You must hide it, Aarav. The doctors in Korea are advanced. If they find out your blood isn't like theirs—if they see your heart beats twice as fast—they won't treat you like a son-in-law. They will treat you like a lab rat.
Arav
(Touching a glowing mark on his shoulder that quickly fades) Why me, Baba? Why must I marry into the Park family? They hate us. Their son, Ji-hoon, thinks we ruined his father’s business.
Manohar tyagi
It’s the only way to protect you. But you must never let Ji-hoon touch your heart.
The scene shifts to the grand hall. Ji-hoon stands there, looking out of place in his sharp Italian suit. Beside him is Min-ah, his childhood friend, whispering in his ear.)
min-ah
(Smirking) Look at this place, Ji-hoon. It’s like a set from a movie. These people are scammers. Your father is making a mistake. That boy, Aarav? I heard he’s... "unnatural."
ji hoon
(His eyes are cold, fixed on the staircase) My father wants this merger. If marrying this Indian boy is the price to get our company back, I’ll do it. But I’ll make sure he knows he’s nothing more than a prisoner in my house.
Aarav descends the stairs. He is dressed in a deep red sherwani. As his eyes meet Ji-hoon’s, a spark of energy—invisible to others—pulses through the room. Ji-hoon flinches, feeling a strange warmth in his chest he can't explain.)
ji hoon
So, you’re the prize? You look fragile
Arav
I Am not here to be your "prize." I am here because I have no choice.
min-ah
(Interrupting, grabbing Ji-hoon’s arm) Oh, please. Save the poetry. Ji-hoon already belongs to me, in spirit if not on paper. Don't get comfortable.
Arav
Your spirit is your own, Ji-hoon. But the contract says we belong to each other. For now.
ji hoon
Then let’s get this over with. Sign the papers. Pack your bags. Your life as a "normal" person ends today.
As they sign the papers, a drop of Aarav’s blood falls onto the white contract. Instead of soaking in, it shimmers gold for a split second before vanishing
the silent morning
The cold, minimalist master bedroom of the Park Mansion in Seoul. The sun is rising, but there is no warmth. Aarav is sitting on the edge of the massive bed, still in his rumpled wedding sherwani, having stayed awake all night.
ji hoon
You’re still in those clothes? My mother is coming for tea in an hour. If she sees you looking like a displaced refugee, it’s my reputation on the line, not yours.
Arav
I... I couldn't find where the heaters are. It’s very cold, Ji-hoon. And I didn't want to touch your things without asking.
ji hoon
(Walking over, looming over him) Listen carefully. In this house, you are a ghost. You eat when I say, you speak when I say. And don't play the "fragile" card with me. I know your family only sent you here to spy on our technology.
Arav
(Looking up, his eyes momentarily shimmering with that strange silver light) You think so little of me. You haven't even asked why I can't stop shivering.
ji hoon
(Pausing, noticing the strange glow in Aarav's eyes) Your eyes... what is wrong with them? Are you on something? Some Indian herb?
(Before Aarav can answer, the door slides open. Min-ah walks in, holding a tray of Korean porridge and a small vial of herbal medicine.)
min-ah
(Sweetly) Oh! Am I interrupting? Ji-hoon, I brought some traditional tea for Aarav. I heard people from his... culture... have trouble adjusting to our clean air.
ji hoon
(Softening his voice for her) You’re too kind to him, Min-ah. He’s been complaining since he landed.
min-ah
(Setting the tray down, smirking at Aarav) Actually, Ji-hoon, I found something strange in his luggage while the maids were unpacking. (She pulls out a small, ancient-looking copper box—Aarav’s suppressed medicine from his father).
Arav
: (Panicked, reaching for it) Give that back! You had no right to touch my belongings!
min-ah
(Backing away) See, Ji-hoon? He’s so aggressive. I looked up the symbols on this box. It’s used in occult rituals. I think he’s trying to use some kind of "black magic" to make you fall in love with him. Or worse... to poison you.
ji hoon
(His face darkens with fury. He grabs the box from Min-ah) Is this true, Aarav? Is this why your family was so desperate for this marriage? To bring your "not-normal" superstitions into my home?
Arav
(Standing up, his body trembling) It’s medicine, Ji-hoon! Without it, I... I can't stay stable
ji hoon
(Throwing the box into the trash can) You’re right. Your body is different. It’s unwanted. (To Min-ah)
min-ah
(Leaning in to whisper to Aarav as Ji-hoon walks away) Welcome to Korea, "Priceless" Aarav. By the end of the week, he’ll have you thrown out in the streets
They leave, slamming the door. Aarav collapses to his knees, clutching his stomach as a sharp pain radiates through him
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