Fic Writer

Inspired by the Netflix series Bridgerton, this fic explores an alternate setting closer to our own colonial history. Set in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1814, Kathani "Kate" Sharma is a woman fighting for independence from the British Empire and the East India Company's growing encroachment, all while working to provide for her family. Anthony Bridgerton is a viscount who served with his father in the East India Company's military until his father's death, after which Anthony left for England. Anthony has now returned to Bombay to reclaim his family's abandoned property and, with the opportunity opened by the Charter Act of 1813, establish an agent-house and business that could even rival the East India Company. Kate and Anthony start from opposite sides, but will their mutual hatred for the East India Company be enough for them to become allies as the threat of war looms once again over the Maratha Empire's territories and the British forces?

Released - 2026.04.18

Chapter 5 of To Gaze upon Altair and Abhijit in a Pool of Blue Lilies was released on 18 April 2026.

Chapter is an interlude in Benedict POV. Read endnotes if you only wish to know plot-related developments that will be relevant to future chapters.

It’s kinda insane how I have untapped a desire to write historical fiction but without the worry of having to make it marketable or publishable

The power Kate and Anthony have over me

(Though I am oddly attached to Anthony being British of some kind and Kate being Indian of some kind, but it has led to some crazy ideas for other AUs)

Chapter 4 of To Gaze upon Altair and Abhijit in a Pool of Blue Lilies was released on 04 April 2026.

Historical Figures. Francis Warden is a historical figure, but there is not much of his personality, so his characterization is entirely fictional. Because of this, he will not be made into a cartoonishly evil character. Henry Cadigan is fictional, but there is a viscountcy title that is related to Sarah Anstruther, nee Prendergast.

Chanakya. Conventionally, Chanakya was identified with Kauṭilya and synonymously Vishnugupta, the author of the ancient Indian politico-economic treatise Arthashastra. In this treatise was the adage about the concentric circles of foes and allies.

Geography Notes. In 1814, Bombay would still have been an island surrounded by other islands. It was only through land reclamation projects that, by 1845, the islands were merged into a single landmass. However, three reclamation projects would be completed by 1814:

1704–1728: Early attempts to block the "Great Breach" between Worli and Bombay to prevent tidal flooding.

1782–1784: Governor William Hornby's Hornby Vellard project, a major seawall connecting the central islands, which was completed in 1784.

1803: The Duncan Causeway was built, connecting Sion to Salsette island.

Horse racing. Captain G. Hall, Sir Charles Forbes, A. Campbell, P. Hadow and others founded the Bombay Turf Club in 1802 and acquired land in Byculla for racing; the clubhouse balcony was a private stand for the Members. Soon the club was renamed to the Western India Turf Club. Racing were continuously held in Byculla until 1883. The venue shifted to Mahalakshmi on land provided by Sir C N Wadia.

Chapter 3 of To Gaze upon Altair and Abhijit in a Pool of Blue Lilies was released on 28 March 2026.

The Port Of Bombay by Sharpe W.r. S.

Do not read before reading chapter 2 of the Bridgerton Historical!AU fic if you want to avoid spoilers.

MILK. Mostly created as a reference to a moment around milk in season 1 of the show, but turned out to require wayyy more logistical research than I thought would be necessary. Dairy milk is not quite a common staple in Bombay, but buffalo milk, which had higher fat content than dairy milk back in England, was delivered by trusted vendors in the early mornings. Market-sold buffalo milk would often be watered down or spoiled by the day's heat. Anthony being able to keep his milk cool for an evening drink, thanks to both the cooler February weather and the expensive saltpeter (niter), is a flex.

Bombay's Regency Era Social Season. Bombay's social season time differed from London's. London's social season ran from April to August, while in Bombay, it started in November and ended in the following March.

Indian resistance. There isn't much information about independent (i.e. not directly connected to an Indian kingdom waging war against Britain) Indian resistance to the British in the 1810s beyond the Pindari fighters, who didn't quite fit the cast I envisioned for this fic. Kate and her durrah (which actually is the term for a unit of Pindari fighters in real history) are fictional in this regard. Some elements draw inspiration from the Korean resistance portrayed in the K-Drama Nokdu Flower.

Chapter 2 of To Gaze upon Altair and Abhijit in a Pool of Blue Lilies was released on 14 March 2026.

If you have not read Chapter 1 of my fic, be aware there will be spoilers :)

Geography. I used most of the geographical elements from extant maps from the time period. Below is the map drafted in 1812-1816 (the red parts are post 1816)

A key location is Mazagaon, where the majority of the elites lived in large bungalows and summer houses before a new luxury neighborhood was built in Malabar Hill on the other side of the island. I did, admittedly, play a bit fast and loose with travel times and specific neighborhood names.

Guns. And of course, the matter of muskets and rifles. I admit I do not know too much about firearms, but I think having just enough to create the foundations for a gun-related storyline was important. Also, a fun fact, flintlock musket accuracy is very bad beyond 100 yards (~91 m). Let's hope Kate gets her rifle.

Languages of India. India is a country of many peoples and languages. I focused on using the commonly used Marathi in the area, but also used other languages such as Sanskrit (used for Vedic texts, for example), Hindustani (now called Hindi), Tamil, etc., when appropriate.

East India Company & Aristocrats. Usually, direct title-holders and heirs were not involved in the EIC business, but I pushed the limits by giving both the 8th and 9th Viscounts Bridgerton history with the Company. You may bring up Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, and his connection to the EIC, but when he was first there, he was the second son of an earl, and got knighted in 1805, became Viscount in 1809, Earl in 1812, and then finally a Marquess and Duke in 1814.

Riding Astride = Marathi. This is actually directly inspired from CVD's comments about the show's decision to have Kate ride astride: "In our story, Kate and Edwina’s father worked as a respected secretary for a royal court back in Bombay. And so Kate and Edwina grew up in this courtly environment amongst royals who, in our minds, were a bit more progressive. We actually used a figure named Baiza Bai as our model." Baiza Bai was a Maratha Queen of Gwalior, specifically the Scinidia Dynasty. Also from CVD: Baiza Bai "was this queen who was this adept horse rider, she sat astride like the men did, never side saddle, she was this masterful swordswoman and also someone who could handle a firearm." 

Kate's mixed Indian Heritage. I decided for the fic world that this was Kate's ancestry: "Her mother was Marathi, but her father was half Punjabi and half Tamil." I actually got the inspiration from this from a reddit comment: