Lost In Panam City: A Time Travel Romance
two worlds
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah (Age: 20)
Background: The crown prince of the independent Sonargaon Sultanate (1349). He has just lost his warrior father, Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, and is forced to ascend a bloody, unstable throne that he never wanted.
📚 Female Lead: Tania Rahman (Age: 21)
Background: A modern, stressed-out 3rd-year Literature and History student
I love that ancient capital city
Setting: Modern-day Dhaka, Bangladesh (A messy university dorm room overflowing with history textbooks).
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Slamming a heavy textbook onto her desk, groaning loudly) I am literally going to lose my mind! Why did I choose history as a major? Why?!
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Reading out loud from the page, rubbing her temples) "The Bengal Sultanate. 14th century. Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah established independent rule in Sonargaon in 1338..." Uhhh, okay? And then who came next? Who came next?!
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Flipping the pages aggressively) Shits, I can’t remember any of this! It’s all a massive blur. Ilyas Shah, Fakhruddin Shah, Ghazi Shah... why do they all sound exactly the same? This is a systematic torture of literature students!
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Staring at a tiny picture of an ancient 1350s silver coin in her book) Look at this coin. No portrait, just random Arabic calligraphy. Who even was this Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah guy? The book says he ruled for three years and then... poof. Gone. Vanished from the records. No family tree, no wife, no legacy. Just a blank space.
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Leaning back in her chair, sighing in frustration) Seriously, curse these medieval kings and their endless royal dramas. They spent all their time fighting, killing each other, and making messy history just for me to fail my exams 700 years later. Fuck your silver coins, Ghazi Shah. If you were so great, why couldn't your court writers at least write down your age properly? I hate this. I literally hate this.
POV: ML (Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah)
Setting: Year 1349. The Royal Palace inside Panam Fort, Sonargaon. (A candlelit, stone corridor filled with the heavy scent of burning rosewater and the loud, echoing sound of weeping).
...
(Exiting the grand royal chambers, dropping his head, speaking in formal Persian-infused Bengali) "সুলতান আর ইহজগতে নাই। ইন্না লিল্লাহি ওয়া ইন্না ইলাইহি রাজিউন..." (The Sultan is no more. To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return...)
...
(Fakhruddin's wife, bursting into loud, hysterical tears, clutching her chest) "হে খোদা! আমার সায়াদাত (সৌভাগ্য) কাড়িয়া লইলে? আমার সুলতান আমাকে ছাড়িয়া চলিয়া গেলেন!" (Oh God! You have stripped away my fortune? My Sultan has left me!)
...
(Ghazi Shah’s sister, weeping openly as she holds her mother) "আম্মাজান, ধৈর্য ধরুন। ভাইজান, আপনি কিছু বলুন!" (Mother, have patience. Big brother, please say something!)
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Standing completely frozen in the dark corridor, his hands clenched into tight fists inside his silk sleeves. His face is pale, but his eyes are completely dry. He looks at his mother and sister, feeling a massive suffocating weight crushing his chest).
...
(Kneeling down before the young prince, holding a royal velvet cushion with his father's silver-inlaid crown) "হে শাহজাদা। শোক প্রকাশ করিবার সময় নাই। Your father is gone, but the throne of Sonargaon cannot remain empty. Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah’s spies are already watching our borders. You will be crowned as the sovereign Sultan of Bengal in exactly two weeks."
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(His voice is completely hollow, cold, and dead) "দুই সপ্তাহ? Two weeks... Leave me. All of you. আমায় একাকী থাকিতে দাও।" (Leave me alone)
Setting: The Prince's Private Library. (A dark room lit by a single, flickering wax candle. Heavy Persian manuscripts are scattered on the floor).
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Slamming the heavy wooden door shut, bolting it from the inside. The moment the lock clicks, his royal composure completely breaks. He drops to his knees on the Persian carpet, gasping for air as hot tears finally spill over his eyes).
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Clutching his head, whispering frantically to himself in broken, emotional Persian) "আমি প্রস্তুত নই... খোদা, আমি এই রাজত্বের যোগ্য নই।" (I am not ready... God, I am not fit for this kingdom.)
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Looking at his hands, trembling with anxiety) Two weeks. In fourteen days, they will put my father's heavy iron crown on my head. They want me to lead an army. They want me to execute rebels, sign death warrants, and fight a brutal war against Ilyas Shah. But I am not my father! Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah was a warrior, a conqueror... I am just a boy who wanted to read.
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Crawling over to his desk, desperately picking up a beautifully handwritten leather manuscript of Nizami's poetry, his fingers shaking as he traces the elegant ink) I like Persian poems. I like the quiet melody of verses, the beauty of art, the peaceful nights under the stars of Sonargaon. I don't want this blood-soaked throne. I don't want these political shits!
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Staring into the dark shadows of his room, feeling completely alone, his heart pounding with a strange, dark premonition) I am not mentally okay for this. If I take this crown, it will destroy me. I can feel it... this kingdom will drink my youth, and history will bury my bones in the dirt of Panam. I don't want to be a king... I just want someone to save me from this nightmare.
trip to panam
Setting: A crowded, stuffy lecture hall at Dhaka University. The ceiling fans are buzzing loudly, doing absolutely nothing against the humid morning heat.
...
(Slamming his attendance register onto the podium, his voice echoing sharply) "Quiet! Roll 42, Tania Rahman! Stand up."
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Jolting awake from her daydream, quickly hiding her phone under her desk, standing up frantically) "Yes, Sir! Present, Sir!"
...
(Narrowing his eyes behind his thick glasses, pointing a piece of chalk at her) "Since you were so busy staring out the window, let’s see if you opened your textbook last night. We are covering the Bengal Sultanate. Tell the class, who succeeded Sultan Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah in Sonargaon in 1349?"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Blinking blankly, her mind completely scrambled by the endless list of names she tried to memorize) "Uh... succeeding Fakhruddin Shah? Sir, it was... Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah?"
...
(Nodding slowly, surprised) "Correct. Now, tell me about his achievements, his character, or his administration. What kind of ruler was Ghazi Shah?"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Blurted out without thinking, completely frustrated by her late-night study session) "Sir, he was a total gada (donkey)! Just a useless gadar son (son of a donkey) who couldn't handle the pressure! He just sat around crying alone in his room, reading Persian poems like a hopeless romantic while his entire kingdom was falling apart around his ears!"
(Bursts into chaotic, roaring laughter. Students are slamming their desks, wiping tears from their eyes).
...
(Whispering loudly while giggling) "Dost, are you crazy? Did you read a fanfiction version of history or what?!"
...
(His face turning red with anger, slamming his fist on the podium to silence the class) "SILENCE! Enough! Tania, what kind of ridiculous, uneducated slang is this?! This is a department of history, not a local fish market!"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Realizing what she just said, swallowing hard) "Sorry, Sir... I just meant... he didn't do much."
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Sinking back into her chair, muttering under her breath) "If you actually met him, Sir, you'd know I'm right. The guy was literally having a panic attack over a book of verses..."
...
(Sighing, rubbing his temples, turning to the rest of the room) "Let's move on to a timeline that actually has records. Who can tell me about the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s conquest over the Baro-Bhuiyans of Bengal? Anyone?"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Desperate to clear her name, raising her hand instantly and speaking before being called on) "Sir! I know! Akbar personally marched into Sonargaon with a million elephants, built Panam City in three days just to show off, and then got defeated because he couldn't handle the monsoon rain!"
The Whole Classroom: (Explodes into laughter again, even louder this time).
...
(Staring at her, completely flabbergasted, his jaw dropping) "Akbar... built Panam City in three days? To show off? Tania Rahman, your historical knowledge is a national tragedy! Akbar never even set foot in Sonargaon during the Isa Khan campaigns!"
...
What about the rest of you? Roll 15! Roll 28! Did any of you do well on the mid-term assignment? No! Half the class failed the timeline quiz! You guys can't even remember the basic centuries!"
...
(Leaning back, whispering to each other, totally unbothered by the scolding because they are all in the same boat).
...
You think this is a joke? Look at your attitudes! After some days, we will be going on an mandatory academic field trip to Panam City. We are going to examine the ruins, the architecture, and the geographical layout of ancient Sonargaon firsthand."
...
(Glaring at Tania and her friends, pointing a strict finger at them) "But looking at this class, you guys are completely useless! You will probably just use the historic site to take selfies for social media instead of reading the inscriptions! None of you deserve to walk through those ancient gates."
Tania & Her Friends: (Instantly brightening up, completely ignoring the 'useless' insult, flashing massive, happy grins at each other).
...
(High-fiving Tania under the desk, whispering excitedly) "Oh my god, a field trip?! Yes! No lectures for a whole day!"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Smiling happily, completely unaware of the glowing silver coin currently sitting in her backpack, waiting to change her life forever) "Bro, a day out at Panam City? Trust me, anything is better than sitting in this boring class listening to him rant about coins!"
trip
Setting: The Grand Diwan (Council Chamber) of Sonargaon Palace. (1349 AD. Architects, brickmasons, and royal ministers are kneeling on Persian carpets, looking terrified as the young prince paces before them).
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Slamming his hand onto a large leather map spread across a wooden table, his voice commanding but laced with anxiety) "ছয় মাস! I want the fortified brick settlement of Panam constructed within six months. My father began the foundations, and I want it finished. We need a secure, wealthy trading hub connecting the river ports before Ilyas Shah’s forces move closer."
...
(Trembling, bowing his head to the floor) "হুজুর... Six months is too short for such grand stone masonry! The monsoon mud has barely dried—"
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Cutting him off coldly, his dark silk face-veil rippling as he speaks) "I do not care about the mud. Double the laborers. Pay them from the royal treasury. Panam must stand as a fortress of peace, not just a city. Dismissed.
Setting: The Royal Bedchamber. (Midnight. The storm outside rumbles softly as Ghazi Shah finally sleeps, exhausted from the political pressure).
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Tossing and turning aggressively on his silk pillows, his brow covered in sweat as a bizarre, vivid vision floods his mind).
In the Dream: He sees a strange, blindingly bright white room. A girl with messy, shoulder-length dark hair is throwing her head back, laughing hysterically. She isn't wearing a proper gown or a veil. Instead, she is wearing a bizarre, loose white cotton tunic with strange English symbols printed on it and dark, tight trousers that expose her ankles. She is high-fiving another girl, her laughter loud, unfiltered, and utterly free
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Jolting awake with a sharp gasp, sitting up instantly in the dark. His heart is pounding wildly against his ribs as he clutches his chest, staring into the empty shadows of his room).
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Whispering frantically to himself, running a hand through his loose, dark hair) "খোদা... ওটা কী ছিল? What on earth was that? What kind of girl did I just see... and what scandalous, alien dress was she wearing?!"
👑 Male Lead: Prince Ikhtiyaruddin
(Pacing his room, completely shaken) "There was no modesty, no royal protocol... yet her laughter... why did it feel so loud, so alive? Which world is that? Am I finally losing my mind under the weight of this crown? What the fuck is happening to me?"
Setting: Modern-day Dhaka. (6:00 AM. A bright, sunny morning. Tania is rushing around her living room, throwing a water bottle into her backpack where the ancient silver coin is secretly resting).
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Yelling toward the kitchen as she slips into her sneakers) "Amma! Abba! I'm leaving! The university bus leaves at 7:00 AM sharp for the Panam City field trip!"
...
(Walking out with a small tiffin box) "Take your lunch, Tania! And please don't argue with your professors today. Don't call any more ancient kings donkeys!"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Giggling, kissing her mom's cheek) "No promises, Amma! Bye!"
Setting: The Dhaka University Department Bus. (7:30 AM. Driving down the highway toward Narayanganj).
The Bus Speakers: (Blaring a loud, energetic Bengali dance track).
...
(Standing up in the middle aisle, pulling Tania by the hand) "Tania! Stop looking at your notes! Get up and dance, bro!"
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Laughing loudly, jumping into the aisle with her friends, completely matching the chaotic, joyful energy of the bus) "Let's go! Who cares about the Bengal Sultanate right now?!"
Tania & Her Friends: (Dancing wildly, singing at the top of their lungs, high-fiving each other as the professor watches from the front row, covering his ears in sheer frustration).
Setting: Sonargaon Museum grounds (The grand, white colonial-style building known as Sadarbari), leading toward the entry of Panam City.
...
(Gathering the students in front of the ornate white building) "Listen up, everyone. Before we enter the main street of Panam City, we will view the Sonargaon Museum inside this grand palace."
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Walking through the beautiful archways, looking around at the white columns, her historical instincts suddenly kicking in. She walks up to Professor Jalal, frowning).
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
Sir? Excuse me. If this is Sonargaon, the capital of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah and his son Ghazi Shah... why is there absolutely no trace of them here? Why does this building look so modern?"
...
Ah, finally a smart question, Tania. That is because this building—Sadarbari—and the fifty-two houses lined up inside Panam City were actually built over 500 years after Ghazi Shah’s time. They were built by wealthy Hindu cloth merchants during the British colonial era in the 19th century."
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
(Her jaw dropping, looking around the ruins, feeling a bizarre, cold shiver run down her spine) "Wait... what? Made 500 years later? That’s so strange..."
📚 Female Lead: Tania rahman
There is a massive mismatch here. If this city was built in the 1800s... then where is the real Panam Fort that Ghazi Shah built in 1349?
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