Chapter 5 #2
Her mother and sister were having dinner, talking to each other with wide smiles on their faces.
They gossiped about everything and everyone.
They were like the perfect example of best friends.
Akansha envied their relationship and couldn't understand why her mother always saw her differently.
She had tried many times to spend time with her mother despite her hectic schedule, but her mother always pushed her away.
"Both of you sit... I'll bring rotis for you," her mother Jaya said, spotting Akansha and Akash.
They finished dinner, and Akansha got up to help her mother in the kitchen, but Jaya refused.
"No need. Suman and I will do it. You go and complete your assignment... They won't give you the money if you don't hand it over on time," her mother said harshly.
That stung. She was always a money-making machine to them, and her mother didn't even try to hide it.
"It's fine ma, I'm almost done with it," Akansha tried. She craved her mother's attention. A little time with her mother and father, her siblings—that was all she wanted. A little love and recognition for everything she was doing for the family. Was that too much to ask? she questioned herself.
"No, I'm not ready to take any blame for your incompetency. Whatever goes wrong, you father-daughter put it on my head... I'm honestly fed up of you people," her mother spat bitterly, like always.
I guess it's too much to ask for, Akansha thought to herself and left from there.
The next morning, she gave money to her mother for her father's medicines and also for the suit.
"If you have money, what was all that drama about salary not getting credited and all?" Jaya asked harshly. Akansha was taken aback by her mother's bitterness.
"It wasn't a drama ma... I do not have money. This was my examination fees... I thought papa's medicines were more important," Akansha said and left before her mother could say anything else.
Jaya felt regret for hurting her daughter, but she forgot it soon like always. Akansha, however, would remember it forever.
Akansha came out of her thoughts hearing her daughter's voice.
"Mumma, I'm done..." Siya said.
"Are you sure, Siya? You don't want to have ice cream?" Akansha asked, but her daughter shook her head.
Akansha nodded, got up with her daughter, and walked to the counter to pay the bill. There, she noticed a small billboard of Shaurya with his entrepreneurship scheme mentioned briefly on it. Akansha kept looking at it, and the woman at the counter assumed she was interested in knowing more.
"CM sir and his scheme to empower entrepreneurs was the reason we established this business today. Under this scheme, the government finances..." the woman started, but Akansha cut her off rather rudely.
"Did I ask you?" Akansha asked sharply.
"No, I thought you might be interested since..." the lady started again, but Akansha interrupted once more.
"No, I'm not. Process my bill fast, we need to leave," Akansha said.
The lady nodded, controlling her urge to roll her eyes at Akansha's attitude.
'You might be a demigod to the whole world, Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, but you'll remain a demon in my life. And now you have started becoming one in my daughter's life as well... but I won't let you. Siya would never know you,' Akansha promised herself.
Akansha was deeply upset seeing her daughter disheartened, all because of that man, and it made her hate him even more.
"I want you to be there tonight," Akansha texted her friend after settling into the auto with Siya.
"Am I seeing things? The one who always wanted me to stay out of her house is inviting me there?" Richa's reply came quickly.
"Siya is upset. We need to cheer her up," Akansha replied, rolling her eyes at her friend's taunt.
"What happened to my Siyu? Akansha, I would kill you for upsetting my baby," Richa texted.
"Come soon in the evening, and then plan my murder leisurely," Akansha sent back.
"I'll be there with snacks and party poppers. Tell my therapist tonight is a movie night," Richa texted again, making Akansha smile widely.
"Baby bear?" Akansha called her daughter.
"Yes, Mumma?" Siya responded softly, though the lack of enthusiasm was clearly visible.
"Mumma? You should call me 'Mama bear'," Akansha exclaimed, repeating her daughter's words.
Siya giggled looking at her mother's expression.
"Hehe, Mama bear, you look funny," Siya said.
Akansha smiled.
"Well, by funny, I remembered... We are going to have lots and lots of fun tonight. We are having a movie night today... Richa aunty, you, and I," Akansha said.
As expected, Siya jumped in happiness.
"Yayy... movie night! Mama bear, we'll watch cindlellalla (Cinderella)," Siya said, struggling to pronounce Cinderella.
"Sure, my cindlellalla," Akansha imitated her daughter, who giggled at her mother's mispronunciation.
That night, Richa, Akansha, and Siya had lots of fun. Both best friends did everything in their power to cheer up the little girl, and it worked to some extent. But Richa did not miss the disappointment and sadness in Siya's tone when she spoke about not performing at her school's Annual Day.
Richa glared at Akansha, but Akansha did not budge. Richa diverted the little girl, and after finishing the movie, Akansha made her daughter sleep.
After settling Siya on the bed, Richa took Akansha to the hall and tried to put some sense into her best friend, but Akansha remained firm in her decision.
"Ansha... I understand you hate politicians, and I know the reason too... but that doesn't mean you snatch opportunities from your daughter just to avoid her falling in their eyes. That's unfair to Siya," Richa said.
"You don't know what I went through because of them, so don't comment on it, Richa," Akansha said.
"I know, Akansha... I was there that night," Richa said.
Akansha sighed. If Richa thought that was the only time she suffered because of party activists, political leaders, and especially the CM Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, then her friend was so wrong. But would Akansha tell her the whole truth? No... never.
"Siya won't be participating when that man is the chief guest. That's final, Richa... Don't try to convince me otherwise," Akansha said and walked to their room, leaving Richa fuming at her friend's insensitivity. Well, that was what she thought based on the truth she knew.
Richa became determined to make Siya participate in the Annual Day without Akansha's knowledge.
She spoke to the choreographer and got him to teach the same steps to Siya.
After seeing Siya's extraordinary performance, he decided to place her in the center of the stage.
It would fit in as well since she was not practicing with all the students, and any mismatch could be covered.
Richa was afraid of Akansha's anger, and so was Siya, as she was hiding something from her mumma for the first time.
But Richa convinced her. She promised Akansha would never know.
Richa knew she was wrong, but she could not bear Siya's sad face.
She was that aunt who would spoil her baby to the fullest.
The D-day arrived. Akansha and Siya woke up early, and Akansha dressed Siya in a beautiful frock. Though she was not going to participate, Akansha wanted her daughter to look her best, equal to her classmates who would be wearing glittery frocks and shirts, all ready to perform on stage.
"Akansha... Get ready in an hour. I'll be picking you up today," Richa said as soon as Akansha picked up the call. Before she could respond, her friend hung up, making Akansha chuckle.
"Is it Licha (Richa) aunty?" she heard Siya's sweet voice, followed by a giggle at her mother's irritated face.
"Yes, baby. Let's get you ready. You know how punctual your Richa aunty is..." Akansha said, taking her daughter into the washroom and giving her a bath.
"Mumma, am I looking pwetty (pretty)?" her daughter asked, looking at her the same way her father once used to look at her, before he changed into a completely different man in a single day.
No... don't go there, Akansha chided herself.
"Yes, baby, you are the prettiest. Now let me make your braid, and then we are all set to go," she said, kissing her daughter's cheek.
The mother-daughter duo got ready, and within an hour, Richa picked them up and dropped them at school. Richa said she would take Siya to her class as she did not have much work today.
Akansha frowned, as her friend hardly ever had free time, but nodded nonetheless, completely unaware of Richa's plan.
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"Sir... You need to attend NPS International School's Annual Day at 7 PM," Shweta said, walking in.
"Sure... We'll leave in ten," Shaurya said.
"Sir... These files are very important. If you could please check and sign them now..." Mr. Naveen Sharma, the principal secretary, said.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sharma... I'll sign them by tomorrow morning even if I have to stay up the whole night.
But now I have to leave. We should never keep children waiting, and I saw their invitation.
The first performance is by kids, and I cannot miss that for anything in this world," Shaurya said with a kind smile on his face.
His staff often wondered how one man could remain so charming, calm, kind-hearted, and patient despite carrying such a stressful job.
He would make a great father, they often thought. They also wondered why he never considered marriage and children. It would help build the 'family man' image he lacked compared to the opposition leader.
Shaurya left with his personal security commandos and staff.
The school welcomed him grandly with flower petals, garlands, bouquets, and loud music. Firecrackers burst in the air celebrating his arrival.