Author pov—
The Pandey Haveli stood glowing beneath thousands of golden lights, its massive sandstone walls draped in marigold garlands and red roses that stretched from the entrance gates to the inner courtyard. Luxury cars filled the driveway while armed security guarded every corner like soldiers protecting a kingdom instead of a home.
Inside, power flowed richer than alcohol.
Cabinet ministers, MLAs, businessmen, old political families.
Everyone had gathered under one roof for one reason . Chief Minister Raghav Pandey's daughter was getting engaged.
Traditional shehnai echoed softly through the haveli while waiters moved around carrying silver trays of kebabs, chai, and expensive whiskey. Somewhere in the background, elderly politicians discussed elections.
And in the middle of all that grandeur stood Priya Pandey.
Draped in deep red silk, diamonds resting against her throat, eyes lowered beneath the weight of expectations she did not expected to carry this soon yet corner of heart filled with hope.
Beside her stood Aarav Malhotra.
Her childhood friend.
Her would-be fiance.
The man everyone believed was perfect for her.
Her father watched them from a distance, pride softening the harshness of his political face for the first time in months.
Tonight mattered.
Then suddenly the lights went out.
Complete darkness swallowed the haveli ,the shehnai stopped abruptly.
For a second, nobody moved. Then chaos erupted. Guests gasped, women stumbled.
Security men immediately reached for weapons.
Someone shouted,
"Generator chalu karo!"
And then-
a woman's breathless voice echoed through the sound system, the dj was nowhere to be seen.
But the sound was loud.
Clear.
Intimate.
The entire haveli froze, at first nobody understood. Then another voice came.
Aarav's.
Followed by sounds no respectable gathering should ever hear.
Drunk, Laughing, Grunting yessss aggghh yess fuckkk , you doing so well .
The silence in the hall that followed was worse than death.
Everyone stared at each other in horror. Aarav's face drained of blood completely.
And Priya...
Priya stood frozen.
Like her soul had separated from her body.
The recording continued. Every filthy word. Every breath.
Every moan echoing against the walls of the Chief Minister's haveli.
Humiliation didn't arrive loudly.
It arrived slowly. Like poison.
Then ,the lights came back. The recording stopped instantly.
But the damage had already been done.
The silence inside the haveli became terrifying.
Raghav stood motionless in the center of the crowd ,his eyes bloodshot ,veins visible against his forehead.
The entire state had seen him angry before.
But never like this,never personally.
Aarav came towards him and tried speaking.
"Uncle... I -"
Before he could finish- Raghav pulled out his gun. Gasps erupted instantly.
And within seconds,the barrel was pressed directly against Aarav's forehead.
Women screamed.
Security rushed forward, directed everyone toward the exit, people began to heading out gradually, whispering under their breath.
Raghav's voice shook with rage so violent it barely sounded human.
"Tumhari himmat kaise hui yeh harkat karne ki?"
The gun pressed harder.
"Pure UP ke saamne hamare parivaar ko zaleel kar diya!"
Aarav trembled visibly.
"Uncle please... someone trapped me-"
Raghav roared
"CHUP!"
The entire haveli shook with the sound.
"Jaan se maar dunga tumhe! Humse gaddari karne ka natija jante ho tum, haan ? "
Aarav's mother fell at Raghav's feet crying.
His father stepped forward desperately.
"Pandey ji, please... bachcha hai-"
Before he could complete the sentence- another gun clicked. This time pointed directly at him.
Arjun Pandey.
Priya's elder brother. Standing beside his father with murderous rage burning in his eyes.
"Ek shabd nahi , piche hatt , chal chal dur Ho"
He cocked the gun slowly.
Panic exploded in them as security guards aimed weapons.
And through all that chaos Priya lost consciousness.
Her body collapsed against the marble floor, red silk spreading around her like spilled blood.
"PRIYA!"
Raghav turned instantly.
Anjali rushed toward her daughter with trembling hands while Arjun lowered his gun for the first time that night, panic replacing rage across his face.
Outside, media vans had already begun gathering near the gates.
Someone had leaked the scandal faster than fire spreads through dry fields.
Inside the haveli, the once-grand engagement had transformed into a battlefield of broken trust, shattered alliances, and political ruin.
And somewhere far from the chaos-a phone rang.
Inside a dark SUV parked , a man sat silently in the backseat.
The city lights reflected faintly against the expensive black watch resting on his wrist.
His face remained hidden in darkness.
Only his eyes were visible.
Cold.
Patient.
Dangerously calm.
The call connected.
A nervous voice spoke from the other side immediately.
"Kaam ho gaya , sir ji."
Silence.
The man leaned back slowly.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
Not satisfaction.
Possession.
As if something long-awaited had finally begun.
Beside him sat another man ,he adjusted in his seat, before speaking
"Tumhara inaam mil jaayega tumhe."
The caller exhaled shakily.
"Thank you sir... nobody suspects anyth-"
The call disconnected.
Just like that,no reassurance,no further instructions.
Only silence filled the car again.
Then the man spoke carefully after a few moments "Bhaiya ji ab aap khush tho ho na , bohot dino se aap kaafi bechain lag rahe hain"
The man by the window continued staring outside.
Then finally
He sighed and spoke softly " Shivam, khushi toh madam ji ke humari baahon mein aane ke baad hi milegi" With that, he sparked a lighter, the flame dancing in his eyes before he pressed the cigarette to his lips. As he leaned back into the shadows, a faint trail of smoke filled the cramped space. Silence returned to the car thicker and more bitter than before.
✨ Tropes ✨
Political Rival Families
Political Marriage
Obsessive MMC
Morally Grey MMC
He Falls First and Hard
Marriage of Convenience
Family Rivalry
Hidden Feelings
Forced Proximity
8 years of age gap
✨ Thanks for reading ✨
COPYRIGHT Laal Ishq © copyright 2026 by @selinwritess. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or recording—without prior written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious context. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is entirely coincidental. All visual images used throughout this work belong to their respective owners.
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