Chapter 13 #3
Dev gave a faint smile, though his eyes grew heavy with emotion.
He had watched his best friend turn into someone hollow over the past seven years. Shaurya had loved Akansha deeply, even while knowing she was tied to the pain of his own sister. What began as an act of retribution had slowly blurred into something real.
Marriage was never part of Shaurya’s plan.
He had only intended to break her the way he believed she had broken his sister.
But he ended up marrying her instead, partly to protect her from her own selfish family.
In doing so, he pulled her out of one hell—only to unknowingly push her into a deeper one.
Shaurya had believed retribution would bring peace for his sister and himself.
Instead, it took away his peace completely.
The moment he realized he had fallen for her, the thought of harming her became unbearable.
And the day she discovered the truth behind his actions, the broken look in her eyes shattered him further, slowly turning that pain into self-hate.
Dev knew all of it. Though he had initially encouraged Shaurya, he later warned him to abandon the plan before it destroyed him. But Shaurya was blinded by his sister’s pain.
"Okay, so what is running in your head, Shaurya?" Dev asked, curious about how his friend planned to establish regular contact with Akansha.
"I still have to figure it out. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later. We need to get back to work," Shaurya said. He knew Dev had been extremely busy lately, as the opposition had intensified campaigning with elections nearby. Both of them ended the call and returned to work.
Later, Shaurya found himself thinking about meeting his little friend.
It had been several days since he last saw her.
She was unusually smart for her age, and he genuinely enjoyed her company.
At first, he had believed it was just an instant connection with the child, but with every meeting, that bond only deepened.
He called Richa to ask if he could meet Siya that Sunday, and she agreed.
He then asked for Siya’s mother’s number, wanting to seek permission directly.
He felt it was inappropriate to meet the child without informing her mother each time.
He assumed Richa would already be keeping her updated, but he still wanted to inform her personally.
However, Richa insisted she would handle it herself.
Shaurya did not press further, worried that insisting might offend her and result in losing access to Siya altogether. Even the thought of being away from the little girl tightened his chest. Despite his efforts to maintain distance and avoid emotional attachment, he kept failing.
Due to upcoming school functions, Akansha had to work even on Sundays.
This created an opportunity for Richa to facilitate Siya’s meetings with Shaurya.
At the same time, Siya had been constantly asking to meet him, as it had been over two weeks since she last saw him.
Richa was surprised by how quickly the child had grown attached to him.
She knew Shaurya took good care of Siya and never let her out of his sight during their time together.
Still, she always gave Siya her spare phone and instructed her to call immediately if anything went wrong.
After every visit, Richa would ask for updates, ensuring she was aware of how things were going.
Deep down, Richa knew she was crossing a line by allowing these meetings.
If Akansha found out, she would never forgive her.
But she couldn’t bring herself to deny Siya or dismiss the bond they shared.
In her mind, she justified it as harmless friendship—something Akansha was overthinking out of paranoia.
What she didn’t realize was that this wasn’t paranoia. It was a lived experience. Everything Akansha had endured at the hands of Shaurya had forced her to be cautious, especially when it came to her daughter.
Akansha had previously shared every detail with Richa—everything that happened with Shekhar, including Shaurya’s involvement—so there would be no suspicion later about why she had concealed the Chief Minister’s presence during those events.
She didn’t want any room for doubt or misunderstanding, so she told her everything.
Richa had been furious after hearing it. She had stormed to the jail and physically attacked Shekhar, so violently that two police personnel had to restrain her from further injuring him.
After that incident, Richa felt deeply grateful toward Shaurya. Through her own sources, she learned that it was only because of his involvement that the case was progressing swiftly, despite Shekhar’s wealth and influence.
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Sunday came too quickly, and Akansha noticed her daughter was unusually excited. She assumed Richa and Siya might have planned their usual small outings.
"Take care, both of you. I know you are up to something, but be careful. If I find anything wrong, I won’t spare you," Akansha warned before leaving.
Little Siya panicked immediately.
"Licha Aunty... I'm scaled(scared), what if mumma finds out?" Siya said in her broken sentences, though Richa understood her perfectly.
"Hm... you are right... let’s not go," Richa said, pretending seriousness just to tease her.
The moment she said it, Siya started sobbing uncontrollably. The thought of not meeting Shaurya or playing with him deeply upset her.
"I miss my flend(friend), I want to see him..." Siya cried between sobs.
"Arre Siyu baby, I was just joking. Of course I’ll take you to your friend. Stop crying now," Richa said, quickly wiping her tears.
This was exactly what Richa feared. The moment she even hinted at cancelling the plan, Siya broke down. And it wasn’t the usual tantrum tears—Richa could tell the child was genuinely attached. The idea of not seeing Shaurya was affecting her emotionally.
Richa mentally cursed herself for ever initiating this arrangement.
Yet, ironically, her mistake had unknowingly become a blessing in Shaurya’s life—allowing him to bond with his daughter without realizing the truth.
But for how long would this continue? What would happen if Akansha found out about these little “escapades”?
Siya’s sobs didn’t stop, but they slowly reduced as she heard Richa’s reassurance. She still looked unsure, and Richa noticed it.
"I promise, Siyu baby. I will take you to your friend," Richa said softly, pinching her cheek reassuringly.
Finally, Siya believed her. Her crying reduced, though she still had hiccups. Richa wiped her face and nose, gave her some water, and got her ready to leave.
Richa accompanied her, as she wasn’t comfortable sending Siya alone. Over time, she had been allowed inside the residence, but Shaurya always ensured all sensitive documents and his home office were locked away securely.
They reached the Chief Minister’s official residence. Richa was asked to wait in the outhouse, while Shaurya’s secretary Shweta took Siya inside.
The moment Shaurya saw Siya, he rushed toward her and lifted her into his arms, gently nuzzling her stomach, making the little girl giggle loudly.
"Hehehe... uncle..." she giggled.
"Yay... how is my Siya doing?" he asked, carrying her toward the playroom.
He had converted a room adjacent to his bedroom into a dedicated space filled with toys, coloring books, and everything he had specifically arranged for her.
"I’m fine... how is my flend(friend) doing?" Siya asked in return, mispronouncing several words, but he understood her perfectly. He chuckled at her adorable way of speaking.
"I’m good. And now that I’ve seen my Siya bear, I’m very, very, very fine," he said.
She giggled and ruffled his hair to tease him. Shaurya instinctively adjusted it again, as he always did, and she enjoyed messing it up repeatedly.
Her small gesture reminded him of Akansha.
She too used to mess up his hair, annoy him, and push his patience—but he had always allowed it.
He liked his hair perfectly in place, just as he liked order in everything, yet with her, he made exceptions.
And now, with Siya, it was happening all over again.
Except for them, no one had ever touched his hair. That had always been a forbidden space.
"Put me down... we will pay(play)," Siya said.
"We will. But first tell me—why are your eyes and nose red? Are you okay, bache?" Shaurya asked, noticing her slightly warm body.
"Yes... I clied(cry), na, so it is red," Siya replied innocently.
"Why did you cry, bacha? Did someone scold my friend?" Shaurya asked softly, searching for the thermometer.
He finally found it.
"No, Licha aunty said she wouldn't take me to you and I got vely sad," Siya replied in her broken words.
Shaurya’s heart filled with overwhelming warmth at the affection the little girl showed toward him. In that moment, he understood just how deeply she had grown attached to him—just as he had to her.
"Richa aunty was just joking, bache... you shouldn’t cry. I don’t like your tears. My Siya bear is cute only when she smiles, so give me a smile, please," Shaurya said gently, checking her temperature with a thermometer gun. He sighed in relief when he confirmed she had no fever.
Siya became shy under his gaze, especially as he waited for her to smile. After a moment, she giggled and hid her face in his neck. Shaurya chuckled at her innocent reaction.
"Aww Siya bache... why are you so cute?" he said softly, ruffling her hair.
"I don’t know... mumma also says the same," Siya replied seriously, as if trying to figure it out, making Shaurya laugh.
He pulled her into a gentle hug, feeling an unfamiliar but deep sense of pride and warmth for the child in his arms.
"Okay, what would you like to do? Coloring or playing?" Shaurya asked.
"Paying(playing)," Siya answered excitedly, bouncing slightly.
"Okay, ‘Paying’ it is," Shaurya repeated with a smile, imitating her pronunciation.
They began playing together. One thing Shaurya loved about spending time with Siya was how she was a blend of Gen Alpha energy and old-school innocence.
She enjoyed modern children’s games, yet she was equally excited about traditional ones like "Chor-Police" and "Chupan-Chupai.
" In fact, she often preferred playing "Chor-Police" with him, and through her, Shaurya found himself revisiting pieces of his own childhood.
When Siya eventually grew tired, Shaurya asked Mrs. Sudha to bring her a chocolate shake. He helped her drink it, carefully ensuring she was comfortable.
After that, they sat down for board games.
Siya was still full of energy, so they started with Snakes and Ladders and moved on to Chinese Checkers.
She didn’t fully understand the rules, so she moved the pieces wherever she liked.
Instead of correcting her, Shaurya simply smiled and enjoyed her playful chaos, even recording a few of her adorable antics.
After some time, they sat side by side again, and Siya resumed coloring in the book Shaurya had given her during her previous visit.
"Uncle... what do you like?" Siya asked suddenly.
Shaurya furrowed his brows, not immediately understanding her question. Siya noticed his confusion and quickly elaborated.
"Like I love cololing(coloring), mamu likes diving(driving), Licha aunty likes talking, and mama bear likes leading(reading)... what do you like?" she asked in her broken yet meaningful way.
Shaurya understood what she meant this time—she was asking what he liked to do in his free time. The question, however, made him pause.
He never really allowed himself free time. Whenever he did, his thoughts inevitably drifted toward his wife, and it affected both his peace and his focus. Over time, he had conditioned himself to stay constantly occupied.
"Um... I used to work in my free time before I met my little friend. Now I spend it playing with her," Shaurya replied honestly.
Siya giggled happily.
"But why wok(work)? You can play na?" she asked innocently, referring to the time before she became part of his routine.