14 parts Ongoing Title: "Tied in Crimson Threads"
Parl never expected his life to take such a dramatic turn.
At twenty, he was still the baby of the family - wide-eyed, soft-spoken, always with a book in hand and a dimpled smile that could melt anyone's heart. He dreamed of quiet things: maybe opening a little tea shop, adopting a puppy, falling in love slowly under the monsoon rains.
But instead, he found himself standing in an ornate haveli, dressed in ivory and gold, trembling like a candle in the wind.
His parents - greedy, power-hungry, and drowning in debts - had signed him away to none other than Aarav Khanna, the enigmatic mafia don of Mumbai. At 33, Aarav was cold, powerful, feared by everyone from politicians to police. His dark eyes saw everything, and his voice could silence a room. They said he had a heart of stone and hands stained with blood.
So why had he agreed to marry someone like Parl?
That question lingered in Parl's mind as he was led to the mandap, his heart pounding in his chest.
But as the ceremony ended, and Aarav gently touched Parl's trembling hand, something unexpected flickered in the mafia boss's gaze.
Not lust.
Not possession.
But... protection?