Chapter 14 #2
She thought he would stop her—or worse, play games to prevent her from submitting her thesis. Did she really think so little of him? But then again, he had never been the man she believed him to be. He had betrayed her in the worst way. Anyone would lose trust after that.
That thought hit him hard.
He realized he could lose her forever if he didn’t act. At the very least, he could show her that he was reliable—that he wasn’t the cruel man she believed him to be. He wanted to see her succeed, to achieve her dreams.
He began coming home early these days. He would sit in their room, waiting—hoping she would tell him herself. But she didn’t.
Instead, she avoided even working there. Afraid he might find out, she shifted her study space to a far corner of the terrace—the left wing—where no one usually went. She kept all her books there and only returned to their room briefly to pick up whatever she needed.
That day, when she entered and saw him sitting on the bed, she cursed her fate.
For a moment, she even wondered if he had started coming home early just to disturb her studies. Had he figured out her submission date? Her college?
She turned to leave immediately.
"Akansha?" he called.
There was no coldness in his tone this time, but she had come too far to notice.
Her steps halted, though she didn’t turn back. That was enough for him.
"Is there anything I should know?" he asked.
She turned briefly, looked at him for a second, and shook her head.
That silent dismissal cut through him. He couldn’t say another word.
Taking it as her answer, she left.
Soon, the day of submission arrived.
The university was nearly 45 miles away, and she had no clear way to get there. Her first thought was to sneak out, reach the main road, and take a cab. She doubted the money she had would be enough—but she was determined to submit her thesis at any cost.
She cursed herself for handing over all her money to her mother.
"Ma’am?" the driver called.
She stiffened, thinking she had been caught.
"Are you going to Ravishankar Chowk Road?" he asked.
She was surprised, she thought she was caught but nodded nonetheless.
"Ma’am, could you please collect the print samples bade sahab (Shaurya’s father) asked for on the way? No one in the family is free, and he will be angry if he doesn’t receive them before he returns," the driver said.
She frowned for a moment—but then a plan formed.
Her university was just a five-minute walk from the Chowk.
She remembered overhearing her father-in-law mentioning those prints before leaving for Delhi. Now, she realized she could use this opportunity.
"Yes... I will collect them. Will you take me there?" she asked.
"Of course, ma’am," the driver replied.
She quickly got into the car, her eyes scanning around nervously.
The driver immediately informed Shaurya, who sighed in relief. At least now, he didn’t have to worry about her struggling with public transport or reaching late.
When they reached, the driver mentioned it would take time for the prints to be ready. Akansha nodded and said she would finish her work in the meantime.
He agreed.
She walked swiftly to the university, submitted her thesis, and returned to collect the prints before heading back to the car.
She wanted to request the driver not to mention that she had collected them. She knew how much her father-in-law disliked her and wouldn’t appreciate it. But her real reason was different—she didn’t want anyone to know she had gone to submit her thesis.
Before she could say anything, the driver spoke.
"Ma’am, if you don’t mind... can this stay between us? Bade sahab wouldn’t spare me if he found out I requested you..."
She understood immediately.
It stung—that even the staff knew how unwelcome she was in the family. But she pushed the thought aside. It worked in her favor.
"I won’t tell anyone—not even Shaurya. Don’t worry," she said.
And in that moment, she believed it.
If only she knew it had all been orchestrated by her husband.
What irony. He had the confidence of an entire state—but not his wife’s.
The thought almost made him laugh at himself. In the end, it was his own actions that had led to her mistrust.
Determined, he called the Curriculum Review Committee head, Mrs. Somya Arora, to his office and reopened pending discussions. He ordered a review of the primary-level curriculum.
"I want to recommend a child psychologist for the team, but I’ll leave the final decision to you. Interview her, and only if you find her suitable, proceed with the hiring," Shaurya said.
"Of course, sir. If it’s your recommendation, I’m sure she is capable," Mrs. Arora replied politely.
"The issue is, I’m not certain whether she is currently practicing. But I can assure you—her ideas will be valuable in developing a relevant curriculum for primary students," he said.
Mrs. Arora was slightly skeptical. If the candidate wasn’t practicing, her experience could be questioned. However, she also noted Shaurya’s approach—despite holding authority, he was leaving the decision to her.
The least she could do was conduct the interview.
"Sure, sir. I will arrange a panel," she said.
"Not immediately, Mrs. Arora. First, complete the groundwork—review the syllabus and textbooks, finalize your team and assistant teachers. I assume you’ll include primary teachers from top schools for their input. Finalize them first," Shaurya instructed.
She nodded.
After a brief discussion, she took his leave.
He would need time to get Akansha onboard, and that could only happen through Akash. So, first, he decided to speak to Akash.
He wondered what Akansha had been doing all these years. Was she practicing psychology? Most likely not. He was almost certain she would have hidden her qualifications just to stay away from him. Still, he hoped he was wrong.
He called his secretary and asked her to block his schedule for the next day for a meeting with DC Akash Dixit. Shweta did as instructed and informed Akash, who immediately cursed his fate, wondering what Shaurya wanted this time.
His question was answered the next day.
Shaurya laid out his plan—to bring Akansha onto the Curriculum Review Committee for primary education. He spoke as if it were purely a professional decision, but Akash was no fool. He understood exactly what his ex-brother-in-law was trying to do.
"I don’t think di will agree to this. She has her own work," Akash blurted out.
"Okay, so she works? Where? Is she practicing as a child psychologist?" Shaurya asked immediately.
Akash cursed himself internally for walking into his trap.
"Sir, please—" he started, but Shaurya cut him off.
"I have already recommended her name to the committee. They will conduct a background check. She will only be selected if she can dedicate time to it, Akash," Shaurya said.
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone firm but controlled.
"And don’t worry. I will not access any personal details or employer information. I will stick to my word. But that remains only if you don’t back out from yours."
Akash understood the silent warning.
"I will talk to di, but I can’t guarantee she will agree," he said finally.
"I am willing to take that chance. This is about children’s future," Shaurya replied. "I have seen her ideas and her passion for building a better curriculum that develops creativity and intellect in children. This committee needs her contribution."
Akash could see the sincerity in his eyes. Shaurya had motives, yes—but his commitment to service often outweighed everything else.
"Talk to her as soon as possible, Akash. The work will begin soon. I’ve already given clear instructions to the committee head. I want this completed before the elections. I don’t know if we’ll return to power again, and I don’t want the children’s future to be left uncertain," Shaurya said.
The thought of Siya briefly crossed his mind. He wanted a better future for her—and for every child like her.
"You don’t need to think like that, sir. Your government will return to power. You have nearly 70% public confidence—it’s a record," Akash said, genuinely impressed.
"Nothing can be taken for granted, Akash. Especially not this chair. It’s the most unstable position there is," Shaurya replied.
He knew very well how quickly power shifted. The political opposition was always ready to pull him down at the slightest opportunity. And if they ever discovered the truth about his marriage and Akansha, things would get worse.
He was not only worried about his position—he was more concerned about her. That was another reason he stayed away from her. He could not afford to put her life in danger because of his choices.
"You’ve done good for the people, sir. Why would you think you’ll lose?" Akash asked.
"I don’t think I will. But I don’t take chances," Shaurya said. "And you shouldn’t either. If things go wrong, the opposition will target everyone close to me—and you’re at the top of that list."
"I don’t think Mr. Bisht would go that far," Akash said, referring to Dev.
"Bisht may not. But he is not alone in that party. He might spare you—but others won’t. It’s good to be optimistic, but it’s better to be prepared," Shaurya said firmly.
Akash nodded, accepting the warning, though he still believed Shaurya would retain power with a strong majority.
"I’ll talk to my sister and let you know," Akash said finally.
Shaurya nodded.
"Akash… what about the progress there?" Shaurya asked.
Akash immediately understood what he meant. The seriousness in his tone made that clear.
"The situation is complicated, sir. The recent leak to the media has created problems. We had to divert attention and temporarily halt operations to avoid suspicion. We’re planning to restart soon," Akash explained.
"Then let’s pause this for now. We’ll focus on it again after the elections. Put proper cover on Akash—no one should find out anything until we have the complete evidence in our hands," Shaurya instructed.