Chapter 9
"Mama bear... ale(are) you angly(angry)?" Siya asked. Akansha hadn’t said a word till then. She was silent throughout their way and even after coming home.
Akansha shook her head and silently helped Siya freshen up and change into her pajamas.
"Mama bear... you ale angly," the little girl concluded.
Akansha sighed at her daughter. No, she wasn’t angry with Siya but with her father. She was so angry with that man that she feared she might burst out on her daughter for the first time, so she chose to remain silent. But looking at her worried daughter, she couldn’t stay quiet anymore.
"No, Siya bacha... why would mumma be angry with you?" Akansha asked, cupping her daughter’s cheek.
"Woh...(that...) I went out of school na, mumma," she said, as if Akansha didn’t already know.
"Yes, you did, but it wasn’t your fault, Siya... jinki galti thi, unko mumma ne suna diya (whoever was at fault, mumma gave them back)," Akansha said.
"Then why ale(are) you silent?" Siya questioned.
The mother and daughter walked to the kitchen, with Akansha cutting fruits into small pieces to feed her daughter after lunch.
"I don’t like it when you go to anyone’s house, baby... so I was silent because I was upset," Akansha answered.
"Why, mumma?" Siya asked again.
Her daughter was a question bank. Akansha didn’t understand how she never got tired of asking questions, but she loved talking to her baby.
She often saw that same zeal to know everything in Siya’s eyes—the same one she once saw in Shaurya’s.
If there was something he didn’t know, he would do anything to learn it.
Her grip on the knife tightened as her blood boiled at the thought of him, and a familiar ache surfaced again. She quickly shook away his thoughts and focused on her daughter.
"Because Mama Bear loves her Siya bear so much... I don’t want anyone else to spend time with my Siya baby," Akansha said.
Siya was about to ask another question, but Akansha already knew what it would be.
"Except for Richa aunty, Maamu(maternal uncle), and Nana-Nani(Richa’s parents)," she added.
The little girl nodded, already thinking of her next question.
Akansha finished her work in the kitchen and walked to the small dining table. She made Siya sit and began feeding her.
"So... Siya baby... where did you go?" Akansha asked, feeding her while Siya’s entire focus was on the mobile phone, watching cartoons.
Akansha never encouraged watching TV or using the phone.
She always tried to engage Siya in activities.
She had heard countless complaints from parents about their children’s phone addiction, and she wanted to prevent that for her daughter.
Screen time was strictly limited, and Akansha felt grateful that she had a very understanding and obedient child—something rare in this generation.
"To uncle’s house..." Siya said, still absorbed in her favorite cartoon.
Akansha had purposely asked her while she was distracted, knowing it would help Siya reveal things without overthinking.
"Uncle?" Akansha became alert. Who was she referring to?
"Haan... Mama bear... handsome uncle... he is so nice... so good... he gave gifts, plizes to all of us... he clicked photos with us also," Siya went on excitedly, completely forgetting her cartoon, which shocked Akansha.
"Siya... what’s that uncle’s name?" Akansha asked seriously. She tried hard to control her tone, but anything related to Shaurya always brought out extreme emotions in her—whether it was love before or hatred now. Her feelings for him had always been limitless.
"I don’t know, mumma..." Siya slowed down, noticing her mother’s changing expression.
"Is he the one?" Akansha asked, showing his picture on the internet.
"Yes! That’s him! Yayy... I played with him so much today... he is so nice... uncle is so nice," Siya said, jumping and climbing onto the dining table.
Akansha stood stunned, watching her daughter so happy just by talking about him.
What magic had he done in just a few hours that Siya got so attached to him?
Did he recognize Siya?
Fear gripped her.
No... if he had, he would have come here by now with all his power. Akansha knew him very well—he would never step back from protecting his family. He would never let his people stay away from him, no matter how much he hated them.
No.
Siya was not his family.
She was not his daughter.
She was only hers.
Akansha would never let him know about Siya’s existence.
That was final.
Seeing her mother’s stiff demeanor and anxious face, Siya grew unsure.
For the first time, she felt afraid.
"Mama bear?" Siya called.
"Yes?" Akansha answered. Though she tried to conceal it, the harshness, pain, ache, betrayal, and hatred that man had given her clouded her tone.
"You ale angly again..." Siya said, slightly afraid of her mother.
Akansha sighed and pulled her baby into her lap.
"You are such a good baby... you won’t hide anything from mumma, right?
" Akansha asked. She was afraid her daughter might get attached to Shaurya. His personality was such that anyone could grow fond of him in a short time, and Siya was his child—his blood. Akansha feared that connection would bring them closer. She only wanted to make sure her daughter wouldn’t hide anything from her, but she didn’t realize that this same protectiveness might one day push her daughter to do exactly that.
"Yes, mumma... I won’t," Siya nodded.
"Then mumma can never be angry with you," Akansha said with a smile.
"Thank you, mama bear... now give the phone... I want to see uncle’s photos more," Siya said excitedly.
Akansha’s smile vanished instantly.
"But you were watching your favorite cartoons..." Akansha tried to resume the video, but Siya protested.
"No, mama bear... I want to see uncle’s photos..." Siya whined.
Akansha’s face paled. Was she already late? Had Shaurya already made a place in her daughter’s heart?
No... that couldn’t be possible.
She tried to reassure herself, but her fear took over—pushing her toward a mistake she believed many parents made.
"Siya... do you love Mama Bear?" Akansha asked suddenly.
"Yes, mumma... yes, yes, yes," Siya nodded her head frantically.
"Okay, stop it... you’ll hurt yourself," Akansha said, holding her neck and head to steady her, stopping the rapid movement. Siya giggled.
"What happened?" Akansha asked—and immediately regretted it.
"Uncle too did like this... you both same same..." Siya said.
Akansha stiffened.
We both are not the same, Siya... only mumma loves you. You are her life. That man doesn’t even deserve to be called your father, Akansha thought.
Siya had felt the same care and warmth from her mother just now that Shaurya had shown her earlier. Children never fail to recognize genuine love.
"Siya bear... Mama bear wants you to promise that you won’t meet that uncle again... mumma doesn’t want you to meet him... promise me," Akansha said.
"No, mumma... I like uncle... uncle plomised(promised) to meet me again," Siya said. Even the thought of not seeing him again unsettled her little heart.
Akansha’s heart broke.
For the first time, her daughter had refused her.
And the fact that Shaurya was the reason only deepened her resentment. Her eyes welled up in anguish. Years ago, he had taken her life away from her... and now it felt like he was coming back to take her daughter too.
"Mama bear..." Siya hugged her tightly, noticing her tears. "Don’t cly(cry), mumma... what happened? Did you get hut(hurt)? Is it paining?" she asked, worried.
She only knew that people cried when they were physically hurt.
Akansha quickly composed herself and forced a smile. She didn’t want to guilt-trip her daughter into agreeing.
"I’m fine, baby... have your food, and then take a nap for some time, hm?" Akansha said, feeding her.
"Mama bear... but why did you ask me not to meet uncle? He is very nice... you will like him too if you see him," Siya said innocently.
Akansha sighed.
"Eat, Siya..." she said.
Siya fell quiet. She could sense her mother was upset, but she didn’t understand why.
That night, sleep evaded Akansha. The fear of losing her daughter kept her awake.
The way Siya had refused to promise her kept replaying in her mind like a loop.
If this was the situation when Siya didn’t even know the truth about her father, what would happen when she did?
The very thought made Akansha’s heartbeat rise.
She felt a twinge of guilt every time Siya addressed Shaurya as "uncle," but she immediately pushed it aside, reminding herself that it was all his doing that had led them to this situation.
The next day, Akansha got herself and her daughter ready and they began their journey to school.
"Siya... from today, you won’t meet anyone without my knowledge. Understood?" Akansha said sternly, after kissing her outside the school.
Akansha rarely used such a tone with Siya, and when she did, the little girl immediately understood the seriousness.
"Yes, mumma..." Siya said softly and walked inside. Akansha followed her.
She had to harden herself to be this strict with her daughter, but she had no choice. She needed to keep her daughter away from him.
As soon as she entered the staff room, the peon informed her that she was being called to the principal’s office. She let out a quiet sigh before telling him she would be there shortly.
She knew she would be reprimanded for her behavior, but she didn’t regret it. What the school had done was wrong, and she would go to any lengths for her daughter—there was no doubt about that.
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"How are the pictures? Isn’t she cute?" Shaurya said into the phone.
"Yes, Shaurya... she is so cute... omg... this video is too cute... I want to meet her..." Rachna squealed, watching the pictures and videos he had shot the previous day. He had sent them to Dev’s phone, and the Bisht couple was glued to the screen, unable to take their eyes off the little girl’s cuteness.