Chapter 11 #3
From the moment she left, Shaurya had constantly worried about her—her safety, her survival, her basic needs.
He knew she was strong and independent, but he also knew she would go out of her way to avoid him, even if it meant not using her full potential.
And he was right—she had taken a modest job as a primary school teacher just enough to survive with her daughter.
Akash’s statement shocked Ankit. Now he knew there was no escape left.
"I know what you are trying to do..." Akash said, grabbing Ankit’s collar.
The DGP, Commissioner, Shaurya’s Principal Secretary, and Additional Secretaries were baffled seeing a highly respectable IAS officer like Akash behave that way.
Soon, however, they understood the gravity of Ankit’s deeds.
The Commissioner wiped his sweat, even thinking about what Ankit might have done this time.
Seeing Akansha’s influence, he realized Akash would not let the matter go easily, and by the look of it, even Shaurya would not let it go.
Everyone knew Shaurya could not tolerate any wrongdoing, especially against women, and the fact that the woman involved was Akash Dixit’s sister added even more weight to the case.
Everyone in the government was aware that Akash was a close aide to the Chief Minister.
Akansha rushed to Akash and grabbed his hand, making him release Ankit’s collar.
"My case will take time, Akash... solve their issue first... it’s fine," Akansha said, looking at her brother and signaling him by blinking her eyes.
Akash understood that his sister did not want Shaurya to know about the matter.
She was silently asking him to do whatever it took to keep the entire situation hidden from Shaurya, and to stop him from probing further.
If Ankit revealed her daughter’s existence, it would take no time for Shaurya to discover the truth, and even the thought sent shivers through Akansha.
"Okay, go and sit there beside Sneha..." Akash directed his sister.
She nodded and walked toward the chairs.
All this time, she could feel Shaurya’s gaze on her.
She cursed him internally multiple times for making it obvious to others.
But when she looked at him, she noticed he was observing her only from the corner of his eye, trying to be discreet.
She sighed in relief; at least he had some sense.
She did not want anyone to even suspect their past relationship.
Shaurya had initially planned to leave after checking the basic details and ensuring the girls would be set free.
His team was supposed to stay back to handle the procedure.
But now, he decided to stay. Even though he could not look at his wife or speak to her, he wanted to remain in the same room and feel her presence nearby.
He also decided to resolve her matter first and only then leave. Since he knew she was in the same city, he intended to gather all her details through this case. However, he still did not know what his ex-brother-in-law and ex-wife had planned to keep him away from everything.
"Like I was saying before, every one of you and your lives are equally important to me.
I am here to listen to your problems and help you in every way possible.
If you want to restart your life, the government will fund you to start your own business or pursue your education.
Last but not least, I owe you all an apology for not being able to protect you from this fate," Shaurya said, looking at the girls. His soft tone was filled with empathy.
His simplicity and firmness amazed them. He was not in power at that time; he could easily have blamed the then Chief Minister, the government, or the opposition, and stirred more hatred. Instead, he spoke with dignity and took responsibility by apologizing.
"Thank you, sir... for everything you are doing. We will forever be grateful that you came here for us and are standing with us. If not for you, we don’t know what would have happened to us," a woman said, giving a side glance toward Ankit and the Commissioner.
"The department is here to serve you, not to scare you.
I am sure every police officer is aware of that.
I appreciate the service they provide by working 24*7, but negligence and unlawful actions are unacceptable.
I will ensure you get justice," Shaurya said calmly, while his words carried an underlying warning for the department.
The girls thanked him with folded hands and tearful eyes, and he simply shook his head with a soft smile, saying it was his duty.
They were overwhelmed by what was unfolding before them.
They had never imagined a Chief Minister would come to their rescue even in their dreams. The realization that they were now free from that hell gave them immense relief.
Shaurya then spoke with the officers and demanded that all necessary records be submitted immediately. The procedures were to be fast-tracked, and after proper investigation, all records related to the girls involved in sex work were to be sealed and sent to the CM office.
He could not erase the records completely, as it would create complications.
Years ago, a politician had used his power to wipe out records of 35 sex workers, and as a result, 1,012 cases were shut due to lack of evidence.
Many criminals used such gaps to escape justice.
Shaurya did not want to repeat that mistake, but he would ensure the girls’ identities were protected.
"Start the procedures... get me the files containing all the details," Shaurya said, pointing at the case records. The entire station immediately got to work.
"So, do you all have any idea what you want to do in the future?" he asked, looking at the girls gently. His tone was entirely different from when he was addressing the police.
The girls looked surprised. They had expected him to order their release and leave, but instead he was speaking to them like a father speaking to his children about their future. Some of them teared up but quickly controlled themselves.
"I always wanted to open my own beauty parlour, sir... I was working in one before I was kidna..." Anita began, but her voice broke as she remembered being brutally dragged into a car five years ago after her shift.
"Kidnapped," Shaurya completed, his eyes flashing with anger toward whoever had done that to her.
"DGP Pathak... alert your sources. Find the people involved in this and make sure they get punished. During investigations, every word spoken by the women must be recorded and reported directly to me. The entire procedure must be documented and done strictly within rules," Shaurya ordered.
"Yes, sir. I will personally report this to you," the DGP replied.
Akansha was not at all looking at Shaurya, but she heard his words. Was he really such a good leader? A good Chief Minister?
In these five years, she had heard people praising him, going crazy for him.
But she never paid attention to any of it, nor did she try to understand why he was so admired or what he had done for the people.
Her hatred for him did not allow her to hear even a single word related to him.
Her hatred for Shaurya, the ex-husband, had completely blocked out Shaurya, the Chief Minister.
But she did not regret it. She was happy staying away from news about him, and she preferred it that way—though her heart did not fully agree with the word "happy.
" It did, however, agree with the preference of staying away from Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, as it did not have the strength to survive being broken again.
Shaurya’s eyes kept shifting toward Akansha from time to time.
With every passing second, it was becoming harder for him not to look at her.
He had planned so much if he ever came across her again, but now he was in a position where his own emotions felt restrained, and he could not act on anything.
"So... what do you want to do?" he asked the girl standing beside Anita.
"I want to continue my studies, sir. I wanted to become a child psychologist," the seemingly young girl among them said.
Shaurya’s eyes instantly moved to his wife for a brief second before settling back on the girl.
"Pursue your education then. Nothing can stop you.
The government will fund your education, and if it exceeds the allotted limit, I will personally fund it," Shaurya said, surprising his staff. He did not usually say he would personally fund anyone’s education; not because he would not help, but because he preferred doing such things privately.
He wanted to project his government and party as committed to public welfare, not build an individual image.
He believed in taking his party and ministers along with him, not ahead of them.
That approach made him a respected leader within his party despite his strong ideologies and strict anti-corruption stance.
The girl expressed deep gratitude. Shaurya shook his head slightly.
He remembered his wife’s struggles to pay her fees while still refusing to give up on her dream of becoming a child psychologist. Now, he did not even know whether she had achieved that dream.
Hearing "child psychology" immediately brought Akansha’s struggles to his mind, which was why he had instinctively offered help.
Shaurya continued speaking with the girls in a calm, conversational tone while simultaneously reviewing all case-related documents with Akash and his immediate staff. Once the overall verification was complete, everyone assumed he would finally leave.
"Now coming to the name you wrongly added..." Shaurya began.
Akansha’s heart started racing wildly. What if Ankit decided to confess everything now that he had no escape? What if he revealed about her being a single mother? No... no...
Akash noticed his sister’s condition. If he did not intervene soon, she would suffer a panic attack, and seeing her like, his brother-in-law wouldn't be able to control his emotions and that would make things even more complicated.
"Sir... thank you so much for everything you have done, but I don’t want you to waste any more time. I know your attention is needed elsewhere. I will handle things here," Akash said politely.
Shaurya was about to object, but seeing Akash’s pleading expression, he decided not to prolong it.
"I need to discuss something with you... come with me," Shaurya said, looking at Akash, and walked outside the station.
Akash followed him, first assuring his sister with his eyes.
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"What's all this, Akash? And why do you want me to leave so desperately?" Shaurya asked as soon as they reached a deserted area.
"For obvious reasons, sir. You are the Chief Minister, and solving every individual police case is not your job. People will start suspecting if you stay any longer," Akash said with due respect.
"Akansha is not any random individual, Akash. She is my wife..." Shaurya whisper-yelled.
"You and I both know the situation of your marriage, sir. Please don't increase difficulties for my sister. I won't be able to handle it if she leaves me again... and this time I don't know how many years it will take me to find her or in what condition I will have to see her," Akash said.
He was about to say "them" but quickly corrected it to "her" before the word could slip out. Damn it—he knew Shaurya well. He was extremely smart and a keen observer. One small mistake, and he would figure out about Siya.
"What do you mean? Akansha didn't inform you about her whereabouts?" Shaurya asked, his heart beating wildly. Was she suffering alone all these years? His question was answered the very next moment.
"No, she didn't. I was searching for her just like you until a couple of years ago, when I found her in a... horrible state," Akash finished.
"What state?" Shaurya asked, his chest tightening painfully.
"I can't tell you," Akash said firmly.
"Then I'm not leaving," Shaurya replied. He knew Akash would do anything to make him leave.
"Please, sir... try to understand. I can't tell you," Akash insisted. His sister would kill him if he said even a single word.
"Fine then..." Shaurya turned to leave when Akash suddenly spoke again, saying the first thing that came to his mind—and instantly regretted it.
"I'll bring Di to meet you. I know you wanted to apologize to her. I'll convince her... but in return, you need to leave from here and promise not to probe into this matter," Akash said.
Shaurya turned back, narrowing his eyes.
"Do you take me for a fool, Akash? If I stay here for ten more minutes, I will have every detail in my hand... including her residential address. Don't you think I could go and meet her myself?" Shaurya asked.
"You would be able to meet her only if she stayed there anymore.
The moment her details are revealed to you, she will leave again.
And she might reach out to me after a few years—but what about you?
You might take tens of years to find her again, or maybe never.
After all, fate is too cruel to give second chances," Akash said.
He knew Shaurya would not take even a 0.
000001% chance. He was too afraid of losing Akansha.
And Akash used that fear. He did not feel guilty—he was doing this for his sister and niece.
He knew how much his sister loved Shaurya.
If she had chosen to stay away from him and even kept his daughter away, she must have been broken beyond repair.
And now she deserved peace. He would do anything to give his "di" that.
"I need to meet Akansha—not once, but thrice. And I won't probe into this matter, but I want you to tell me everything that happened once all this is sorted," Shaurya bargained.
"Thrice? Di doesn't even want to see your face," Akash blurted out but quickly composed himself. Even if he was his sister’s husband, he was still the Chief Minister and his boss.
"I'm sorry, sir. But it will be difficult for me to get her to agree even once. Thrice is not possible," Akash tried.
Shaurya did not budge.
"Twice?" Akash asked.
Shaurya shook his head.
He knew his wife was extremely stubborn, and convincing her might take more than a few meetings. If he said that out loud, his brother-in-law would probably throw him out of the conversation. He swallowed his sarcastic thoughts and waited for Akash's response.
Akash, having no other option, finally nodded.