The empty assembly hall stretched out like a vast, silent tomb under the harsh fluorescent lights that still burned after the late sitting. Most of the members had drifted out hours ago, their footsteps fading into the corridors, leaving only the senior ministers behind. The heavy wooden doors of the house had been locked from the inside with a deliberate click that echoed off the high ceilings. Outside, the night watchmen paced the grounds, unaware of what was unfolding within the well of the house.

Aradhna stood near the Chief Minister’s desk, her formal saree still in place, the silk clinging to her body from the long hours of debate. She had stayed behind to finish some notes, or so she had told herself. The four senior ministers surrounded her now—men who held the real power in the cabinet, their faces flushed with leftover adrenaline from the session and something darker.