Chapter 12
After receiving satisfactory responses from them, he left with his security personnel and Mr. Sharma. Before walking out, he did not fail to glance at his wife one last time. His heart tightened with every step he took away from her. He did not want to leave her, but he had no choice.
"Akash... I need the case details of your sister. Every single detail," Shaurya ordered. "Strict action will be taken against anyone acting against public interest," he added, reaffirming his stance before leaving.
His statement sent shivers through the department staff, including the DGP.
"What the hell is going on in your station, Agarwal?" DGP Pathak shouted at the commissioner, who in turn glared at Ankit.
"Di... tell me, what happened?" Akash asked Akansha.
Akash silently thanked his stars that Shaurya’s Principal Secretary, Mr. Sharma, had left with him. If he had stayed back, hiding things from Shaurya would have been far more difficult, as Mr. Sharma made it a point to report every minute detail to him, regardless of whether he was asked.
Akansha narrated everything to Akash, excluding her daughter’s involvement and the dirty videos Shekhar had used to blackmail Kavita and Sneha.
She did not trust the department with such sensitive information and chose to keep it to herself.
It concerned Kavita and Sneha’s dignity, so she refrained from revealing it.
Sneha also explained everything that had happened before Akansha arrived, including how her father had tried to take advantage of her and how SI Ankit had supported him throughout. Akansha added her own details as well.
"He slapped you?" Akash asked slowly, removing the veil that had been covering her temples. His blood boiled when he saw the finger marks on her cheek. "That ba**a*d," he cursed, turning toward Ankit.
"All this happened because of you... Shame on people like you. You will pay for this," Akash said. He wanted to beat him to a pulp, but his position and responsibility stopped him from acting like an animal.
"Bring that Shekhar here. And register this teenage girl’s complaint against that bas***d," Akash ordered, ensuring everything proceeded strictly according to law. He also tried to minimize his sister’s involvement as much as possible, not wanting her to be dragged into courts or exposed to the public.
The girls were shifted to government quarters under security. Shaurya’s staff briefed him over the call and then left.
It took another hour for Akansha’s matter to be fully processed. The DGP suspended Ankit and ordered a formal inquiry, while the Commissioner assured direct supervision of the investigation.
---------------
"I need a favour, Suraj," Shaurya said to his head security officer, a highly capable and efficient NSG commando.
"Sure, sir..." he responded.
Shaurya asked him to take him to the Rajesh Nagar junction without the CM convoy. Suraj apologized, but he had to deny the request. However, Shaurya negotiated, and after a while, Suraj obliged, making the necessary arrangements while keeping the CM's movement discreet, as instructed.
Shaurya and a few of his NSG commandos waited on a secluded road. He knew Akash and Akansha would pass through the same route, so they stayed there, waiting.
Shaurya trusted his security personnel completely to keep his secrets. Even bureaucrats could backstab him when the government changed—but his security team wouldn’t. Of that, he was certain.
-------------------
Akash and Akansha finished the formalities. Akansha settled into Akash’s car, and they began their journey to her place.
"Now will you open your mouth and tell me what deal you made with him that he left the place immediately?" Akansha asked.
"I will tell you, but after we reach home. I am driving right now, and I can't fully defend myself if you attempt to kill me," Akash said, seriousness clear in his tone.
"Akash... out with it. I am already very pissed," Akansha said sternly.
"So am I, di... so am I. How dare that baa*d slap you... I so wanted to cut his arms, bldy rascal," Akash fumed.
"Come to the point, Akash. What did you tell him?" Akansha asked, her patience wearing thin.
"Di... I... had no choice. I had to do anything and everything to send him away from there, so..." Akash trailed off, defending himself even before revealing what he had done. He was hell scared of his sister.
Akansha waited.
Finally, he spoke.
"You will have to meet him thrice and listen to him..." Akash said. He couldn't even close his eyes to cope with the fear while driving. He knew his sister would kill him.
Akansha took a few seconds to process his words. She couldn’t believe her brother—who knew how much she despised even talking about Shaurya—had done this.
"How dare you?" Akansha’s tone was cold—too cold.
"Di..." Akash struggled to explain himself. He had been sh*t scared of her anger since childhood—and he still was.
"I. Won’t. Meet. Him," Akansha said, stressing each word.
"Di... he will find out about Siya soon. It’s better to—" Akash began, but she cut him off with a shake of her head.
"I have already announced my decision, Akash," she said firmly.
"Di, please hear me just this once. Please meet him and end this once and for all, so that he won’t probe into this matter anymore. That way, he won’t know about Siya, and you won’t have to move somewhere far from here," Akash said.
"You think he will let me live in peace after these three meetings? Or that he will stick to his word after this?" Akansha asked sarcastically.
"Di, he gave me his word," Akash argued.
"I don’t trust that man... and I don’t want to meet him.
I’m sure he wants to make my life more miserable now.
.. or, if the change I saw in his eyes was real, then he wants my forgiveness so he can live his life in peace—which I am not going to give him.
I want him to suffer his whole life with this guilt, pain, and regret.
I want him to face hell like I did," Akansha said, tears of anguish streaming down her face.
Akash didn’t stop her. In fact, he felt relieved. This was the first time he had seen his sister openly curse Shaurya—finally letting out years of bottled-up pain.
He became certain that even a few meetings with Shaurya could help her release everything she had suppressed for years—her pain, her anger, her emotional burden.
"Di... if you don’t meet him, he will come after you.
He will search for you, and if I’m not wrong, he might have already taken steps to prevent you from disappearing again.
It’s better to cooperate and get this over with.
Please, di... if he breaks his word, I will help you leave for a faraway place with Siya.
Please just listen to me this once. You know he is not someone who breaks his word—that’s exactly why I made this deal with him," Akash said, trying to convince her.
Akansha was about to lash out again when she noticed a black XUV ahead of them. From its presence, they immediately recognized it as a government vehicle—the CM’s vehicle.
Akash hit the brakes.
Akansha’s eyes widened as Shaurya stepped out of it.
"And you trust this man to keep his word, huh?" Akansha taunted, throwing a sharp look at her brother.
She knew Shaurya never broke his word—with anyone.
Except her.
With her, he had broken every promise he ever made.
And she would never trust him again.
"You stay in, I will go and talk to him," Akash said, unfastening his seat belt and getting out of the car. But before he could move further, Shaurya walked toward them and headed straight to Akansha’s side, shocking both his security staff and Akash.
"Sir..." Akash called, but before he could continue, Shaurya had already reached the car and opened Akansha’s door.
"Please get down... I need to talk to you," Shaurya said, controlling his emotions. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but he held himself back. He knew his wife—and her temper—too well. If he so much as touched her, Chief Minister or not, she would slap him without hesitation.
Akansha took deep breaths, trying to control both her anger and the storm of emotions rising within her. His proximity, the way he opened the door for her—it stirred something in her heart, the same heart that had fallen for him years ago. But no, this time, she refused to give in.
Shaurya observed her closed eyes. He knew she was trying to calm herself. He allowed himself those few seconds to look at her—really look at her. His heart urged him to take it in; he might not get another chance. Even the thought tightened his chest.
His gaze drifted from her thick eyelashes to her cheek.
And then he saw it.
The slap marks on her left cheek.
The imprint of a hand.
A surge of rage exploded within him.
"Who did this?" he asked, his tone turning ice-cold, sending chills through everyone—including her.
Akansha’s eyes flew open. Realization struck, and she cursed her fate. She quickly stepped out of the car and walked toward her brother, with Shaurya following close behind.
"Akansha, I asked you something—who did this?" Shaurya’s voice rose slightly.
"None of your business..." she shot back just as fiercely. She heard the shocked gasps around her and immediately corrected herself. "Sir."
"Akash... who did this to her?" Shaurya asked, turning to him.
"Um... sir... it was Shekhar, Sneha’s father. I will tell you everything as promised, but please, sir... lea—" Akash began, about to remind him of their deal, but Shaurya cut him off.
"Our deal was about three meetings, Akash. Consider this the first one," Shaurya said.
Akash allowed himself a small smile—his belief in his brother-in-law... ex-brother-in-law... had proven right.
"I would never go back on my word. Again," Shaurya added, stressing the last word as he looked at Akansha.
She avoided his gaze.
His eyes lingered on her face—and the marks on her cheek pierced him like a blade.
"Suraj..." he called.