Chapter 14 #3
After a detailed discussion on the case, including Akansha’s matter and Shekhar’s involvement, Shaurya dismissed Akash and returned to work. Akash left with one certainty—Shaurya would not spare Shekhar. And he was right.
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"Where is my bail, you idiot?" Shekhar shouted at his lawyer in frustration.
"Sir… the case is very strong. DC Akash has ensured you don’t get bail," the lawyer replied cautiously.
"Why the hell am I paying you if you can’t handle a DC?" Shekhar snapped.
"Sir… it’s not just DC Akash. The CM himself is monitoring the case. He is in constant touch with the DGP and putting pressure on the system. Ankit has already been suspended, and the disciplinary committee is being extremely strict with him," the lawyer said in a low voice.
Shekhar cursed under his breath. He thought things couldn’t get worse. Only if he knew the truth—he had slapped the Chief Minister’s wife. If he believed Shaurya would let that go, he was in for a far harsher reality.
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"Have you lost your mind, Akash?" Akansha snapped at her brother.
"Di… you will get a call from the committee soon. It’s better if you attend the interview.
Think of it this way—if you go willingly, he won’t dig into your background.
And you’ll also get a chance to do what you’ve always wanted for children.
You’ve always had strong ideas about curriculum development.
Think about Siya. This is for her future.
There’s nothing to lose here. But if you refuse, he might try other ways—he could trace your employment details through the system.
And if that happens, he’ll know you worked at NPS school.
It won’t take him long to connect the dots about you and Siya," Akash explained urgently.
Akansha shot him a deadly glare.
"Done barking nonsense? Now get out," she said coldly.
"Di… just think about it," Akash insisted.
That glare alone was enough to shut him up.
"I’ll meet Siya and leave," he added quickly.
"No need. Siya went out with Richa. And I don’t have the patience for introductions today. So just leave before I throw you out," she said flatly.
Richa and Akash had never met, and knowing Richa’s nature and the questions she would ask, it was better that Akash left. Akansha was in no mood to answer anything.
This time, Akash didn’t argue. He left immediately, knowing she meant it.
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That night, Akansha barely slept.
Yes, she had always wanted to reform primary education. She had the research, the ideas—even part of her Ph.D. thesis was dedicated to improving children’s cognitive and emotional development through curriculum design.
Under normal circumstances, she would have accepted the committee role without hesitation.
But it came from him.
And that changed everything.
She wanted to reject it outright, but one thought stopped her—Siya.
Akash wasn’t entirely wrong. If she refused, Shaurya might find indirect ways to bring her in, and that risked exposing her daughter’s identity. That was a risk she wasn’t ready to take.
She didn’t fully trust Shaurya’s promise either.
But so far, he had kept his word. If he hadn’t, he would already know about Siya—and he would have been at her doorstep by now.
She knew him well enough to understand that.
The calm public image everyone saw was only one side of him.
The other side—especially when it came to his family—was unpredictable.
Fiercely impulsive. Dangerous when provoked.
She had seen enough of that side already.
Was Akash right?
Should she take this opportunity and do something meaningful for children?
There was another angle too. If she stayed professionally connected to him, maybe he would stay away from her personal life. After all, he was the Chief Minister. They wouldn’t need to meet often—once or twice a month at most for reviews. It wouldn’t be constant exposure.
He wouldn’t be her boss, strictly speaking… right?
That thought helped her breathe a little.
Enduring him occasionally felt better than risking her entire life being exposed.
She made her decision.
She decided she would attend the interview if she received a call. After all, getting selected wouldn’t be easy anyway. Still, she prepared herself for the worst—because with him involved, the worst had always found a way to happen, even in the safest situations.
That night, sleep never came.
The next morning at school, she was summoned by Principal Mr. Joshi.
And the reason left her completely stunned.
"Akansha… I’ll come straight to the point. You might have heard about the Curriculum Review Committee started four years ago by the Chief Minister of our state," Mr. Joshi began.
Akansha’s posture stiffened instantly.
Did Shaurya start reaching out through her school, thinking she wouldn’t agree? Had he found out she worked here? Did he break his promise?
In those few seconds, she cursed him a hundred times over.
"Akansha?" the principal called, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, sir. Yes, I’ve heard of it," she replied quickly.
But the principal gave her a strange look. She realized he had said more while she was lost in her thoughts.
"Sorry… I zoned out," she apologized immediately.
"If you keep doing this, how are you going to handle such a big responsibility?" he asked sternly.
A big responsibility?
Damn Shaurya Singh Shekhawat.
She cursed him again but forced herself to stay focused this time.
"Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again. What were you saying?" she asked.
"I was saying—the committee head, Mrs. Arora, has sent a mail to our school along with other reputed schools. They’ve asked each institution to nominate a well-qualified and knowledgeable teacher.
The selected candidates will be interviewed before being inducted into the committee.
I recommended your name to the chairman, and he agreed immediately.
You have the qualifications and the expertise.
I’m sure you will clear the interview. It would be an honor for the school to have one of our teachers on the committee," Mr. Joshi said.
Akansha froze.
So Shaurya didn’t know?
This was a standard process initiated by the committee head. But if she went through the school nomination, it wouldn’t take long for Shaurya to find out that she worked at NPS school.
Now she would have to appear for the interview twice—as a child psychologist and as a teacher from an international school? How was one person supposed to carry two identities like this?
She was trapped.
She couldn’t allow the committee to know that the Chief Minister’s recommended candidate was also a teacher at NPS school. That would expose everything.
And she could not afford that.
Her only option was Mr. Joshi.
He already knew her qualifications and had kept them confidential at her request. She could trust him—at least to some extent. If she got selected as a child psychologist, she could explain later. If not, there was no need to complicate things.
For now, she had to avoid it.
"Sir, I hope you haven’t sent the response to the committee yet," she asked cautiously.
"No, I haven’t. I wanted to confirm with you first. But I’m sure you won’t reject such a valuable opportunity," he added, his tone carrying a subtle expectation.
A silent pressure hung in his words.
Still, she had no choice.
"I don’t think I can do this, sir. I hope you understand," she said firmly.
"What? Are you serious, Akansha? I can’t believe this," Mr. Joshi said, clearly stunned.
"You are rejecting an opportunity to work with the government? You do know the Education Minister chairs this committee, right? How can you turn down something like this?" he pressed.
"Sir, I already have multiple responsibilities assigned to me. Right now, I don’t have the bandwidth. Please understand," she replied.
"All of those will be reassigned. You don’t have to worry about them," he immediately countered.
"I can’t let them go, sir. I’ve already invested my time and effort. I won’t hand them over to someone else now," she insisted.
Mr. Joshi exhaled deeply.
"Is that the only reason?" he asked carefully.
He was strict, but not unaware. He knew her well enough to sense there was more behind her refusal.
Akansha also knew that beneath his strict exterior, he was a supportive and understanding mentor. If she cleared the interview and got selected, she would inform him then.
"For now… yes, sir," she said.
"Alright then. I’ll recommend someone else," he replied after a pause. "You may go."
Akansha nodded and left quickly, heading straight to her classroom—her little students were waiting.
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Within the next week, the committee conducted interviews for shortlisted candidates. After thorough screening, eight teachers were selected from seventy-six schools.
Much to Mr. Joshi’s disappointment—and Akansha’s quiet relief—the candidate representing NPS International did not qualify.
Akansha let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. At least now, she wouldn’t have to face her colleague if she got selected as the child psychologist assisting the committee.
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After completing the selection process, Shaurya formally recommended Akansha’s name to the committee. Akash forwarded her official email ID to Shweta, who then shared it with the committee.
Soon after, Akansha received the email and call for the interview.
She took a half-day leave from work and appeared before the panel.
The interview committee was initially taken aback upon learning that she was not actively practicing as a psychologist. However, out of respect for the Chief Minister’s recommendation, they decided to proceed, though several of them were mentally prepared to reject her.
Akansha, however, surprised them all.