Chapter 14
"But why wok(work)? You can pay(play) na?" she asked, referring to the time before she became his friend, and he understood her question.
"Siya bache... today I’ll tell you a secret. Will you keep it with you? You shouldn’t share it with anyone, promise?" Shaurya asked.
Siya nodded eagerly. The word "secret" instantly excited her—she loved secrets.
"Yes, yes, plomise," she said without hesitation.
Shaurya chuckled. "Tell the stoly(story) fast," Siya urged, assuming it was a story. He understood and decided to present it that way.
"There used to be a beautiful girl in my life, and I loved her a lot.
.. She was the prettiest—kind and selfless.
She never thought about herself, only about others.
She worked hard to keep her family happy.
She got angry easily, but it was just as easy to calm her.
A little love was all she needed..." Shaurya began.
"Hel name is cindella?(cindrella)?" Siya asked cutely.
Shaurya smiled and shook his head. "Then what is hel name?" she asked.
"Popcorn," he replied.
Siya gave him a puzzled look. Shaurya didn’t want to reveal Akansha’s name, yet he didn’t want to lie to his little friend, so he used the nickname he had given her. He remembered how angry Akansha had been at first, but she had eventually grown to love it.
"I’m waiting for an hour, Shaurya... You have time for everyone except me," Akansha snapped.
"I’m so sorry, Akansha... I got late at the youth wing meeting. Please forgive me..." he said softly.
"I know you are an MLA and have responsibilities. I’m not asking you to prioritize me—I would never do that. But the least you could do is give me a proper time and be punctual. You know I would still meet you even if it’s late, but I expect you to value my time," she said firmly.
"I know, baba... I’m really sorry. I won’t repeat this, I promise," Shaurya said, hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek.
She melted instantly. He was a charmer, and she never understood how he broke through her guarded walls. She had believed she would never date anyone, yet he made a place in her heart without her realizing it.
"Sorry accepted," she said, and he kissed her cheek again with a smile.
"I so love you, my popcorn..." he murmured.
"Popcorn? What kind of nickname is that? You are mad, Shaurya," she said, glaring at him.
"It suits you perfectly. You’re like popcorn—my caramel popcorn. You explode at high temperatures, but once you settle, you melt... delicious," he whispered near her ear.
"Shaurya..." she pushed him away, trying to hide her flushed cheeks, but he had already noticed. "Your double-meaning dialogues are horrible. Get some training on how to flirt," she said.
He only laughed.
"Hehe... popcorn? It’s so funny..." Siya’s giggles pulled him back to the present.
"Yes, it is funny. She used to get angry whenever I called her that, but then... she started loving it too," he said, making Siya sit on his lap.
"Where is she? Can I meet hel(her) pwease?" Siya asked.
Shaurya’s smile faded.
"She left me... because I hurt her a lot..." he said quietly, holding Siya closer, drawing comfort from her presence.
The little girl sensed his sadness. She cupped his cheeks with her tiny hands and gently rubbed them. Shaurya smiled at her concern.
"Thank you, bache..." he said, kissing her palm.
"Why hut(hurt) hel?" Siya asked.
"I was a fool..." he muttered. "Okay now... listen to my secret, Siyu bache," he added, diverting her.
Siya nodded eagerly, already distracted.
"I met her a few days ago. I wanted to say sorry, but she isn’t listening to me. What should I do? Help your friend, bacha," Shaurya said.
Siya caught only bits of it. She tapped her head, thinking hard, making Shaurya smile. He knew she couldn’t really help, yet sharing this with her eased something inside him.
"Um... say sorry to hel(her) like thich(this)," Siya said, holding his chin. "I say sorry to mama bear like thich(this), and she smiles... um... if she is big angly(angrier), then I give hel books. She loves to lead(read)," she added seriously.
"You give your textbooks to your mumma?" he asked, amused.
"No, chilly(silly). Mumma doesn’t like leading(reading) my techt books(textbooks). She says they ale(are) bad and she would like to relite(rewrite) them. I pick books from her chelf(shelf) and give them to her to lead(read)," Siya explained.
Shaurya chuckled at her innocence. How lucky the mother must be to have such a child, he thought.
And just like that, an idea struck him.
"OMG... Siya... you are awesome. I so love you, bache. Thank you for helping me," Shaurya said, pulling her into a tight hug.
Siya mentioned that her mother didn’t like her textbooks, and that reminded Shaurya of how Akansha used to complain about outdated content.
She had always said that, if given a chance, she would redesign them—adding relevant and practical topics for today’s children.
She had even asked Shaurya to speak to the education minister about it, back when he was an MLA.
He had promised her.
Later, when he became the Chief Minister, he took charge of the Education Portfolio himself.
He believed it directly shaped the future of the country, and he didn’t trust his cabinet ministers to handle it with the same seriousness.
However, due to multiple challenges during his tenure, he couldn’t fully overhaul the curriculum.
He had managed to revise the syllabus for higher classes but left the primary standards untouched.
It had always remained on his agenda—and now felt like the right time to revisit it. He smiled at the thought.
Akansha had been pursuing a Ph.D. in Child Psychology before their marriage and had brilliant ideas for curriculum development.
Shaurya had once asked her to prepare a document outlining her plans so he could present it to the then education minister.
But before anything could move forward, his truth came out—and everything fell apart.
He didn’t know whether she had completed her Ph.D.
If she had, he could directly appoint her to the committee he had formed to remodel the curriculum.
Even if she hadn’t, he still believed she would be an asset to the government.
It was about the future of the children, and he knew she was more than capable.
But without a doctorate, it would be difficult to justify her position if questioned. And if their past relationship ever came to light, it could escalate into a scandal. He could handle that—but he wouldn’t risk putting her through more trouble than he already had.
First, he needed to know about her academic status.
He leaned forward and kissed Siya’s cheek, thanking her for unknowingly giving him such an idea. He praised her, and the little girl shyly hid her face, making him chuckle.
Time with his little friend ended sooner than he liked. He promised to meet her again soon. Saying goodbye became harder each time, but he had no choice.
For a fleeting moment, he wished Siya had been his and Akansha’s daughter—he would never have had to let her go.
He immediately dismissed the thought and returned to work.
The task now was simple—find out if she had completed her Ph.D.
He could get the information within minutes, but he had promised he wouldn’t dig into her life. That left him with only one option—Akash.
Shaurya called him.
"A quick question, Akash... did Akansha complete her Ph.D.?" he asked as soon as the call connected.
"Sir... I’ve already told you, I am not liable to disclose any personal information about my sister," Akash replied.
"You know I can get the answer in minutes. I just didn’t want to break my promise. Alright, I tried," Shaurya said, about to disconnect.
"Yes, she completed it," Akash said.
Shaurya paused.
"She submitted her final thesis when she was still married to you—and you had no idea. Think about that. Do you really believe you deserve her forgiveness?" Akash added, his tone controlled but pointed.
He hoped this would make Shaurya step back and let Akansha live in peace instead of trying to re-enter her life.
"Thanks for the information, Akash," Shaurya said simply and ended the call.
He had known she submitted her thesis. But she hadn’t told him herself—and he knew why. She didn’t consider him worthy of sharing that part of her life.
And she was right.
Even when he had kept his distance, he had ensured her needs were taken care of. That day, he had arranged the car and driver to take her to the university—but, like everything else, he had done it quietly, without letting her know.
He didn’t try to justify himself. Akash wasn’t wrong.
His wife hadn’t told him herself—and that said everything.
Shaurya’s thoughts drifted back to those days, when he had first begun to feel the quiet fear of losing her.
He had sensed her withdrawal over the past few weeks.
At first, he thought she would return to normal, but he soon realized he was wrong.
He wanted to change for her, to become her husband in every sense—but how could he, when resentment still lingered within him?
She neither apologized nor accepted her fault.
How was he supposed to forgive or forget her involvement?
He decided to talk to her, but these days she didn’t even look at him, let alone speak. And beyond that, there were other problems weighing on him. Would a conversation alone solve anything? He wondered.
Her emotional distance began to burn.
He kept track of her university schedule. Since she had missed her submission the previous year, he made sure to note the deadline this time. The moment he learned about it, he left to inform her—but paused when he heard her speaking to her brother.
"Yes, Akash, I will submit this time, but please don’t say anything about this to him (Shaurya)," she said.
Her tone made him freeze.