Chapter 15 #3
"You are my boss Siya bache... because I do whatever you say, and that's what anyone would do when they obey their boss", Shaurya clarified, making Siya laugh.
"So orders, boss", Shaurya added, delighted to hear her giggles.
"Okay... so heal(hear) me... I want to chee(see) you", Siya said, and Shaurya laughed at her pronunciation.
"Okay boss, will find a way and let you know", Shaurya said.
"No, I want to chee(see) you now", Siya said adamantly, and Shaurya sighed looking at the pile of papers in front of him.
"Okay... I'll talk to your Richa aunty... give her the phone, bache...", Shaurya said.
"Thankuuuuu", Siya screamed and ran towards Richa, shoving the phone into her palm, urging her to talk without even telling who was on the other side. Richa already guessed it from Siya's excitement.
"Hi sir... my sincere apologies if Siya is troubling you too much", Richa started.
"She is anything but troubling Ms. Upadhyay... anyway, coming to the point, can I have Siya at my place just for an hour ? You can accompany her...", Shaurya asked politely.
"Um... can I confirm you in 10 minutes, sir ?", Richa asked in the same tone.
"Sure", Shaurya said and hung up.
Richa then spoke to Siya and tried to convince her not to go, as she felt it wasn't right to send her there.
Once she even doubted Shaurya's intentions and checked Siya if she was fine.
But seeing the child's happiness after meeting him, she understood he wasn't harming her.
Still, Richa always made sure to check what Siya ate at his place.
Once, she even asked Siya not to eat anything there, and Siya agreed.
That day, Richa later saw Mrs. Sudha returning to the kitchen with a full plate of snacks and chocolate shake meant for Siya.
That made Richa realize Shaurya wasn't feeding her anything harmful or inappropriate.
He genuinely cared for the child, and Siya responded to that affection in the same way.
Richa knew Shaurya wasn't that kind of man, but he was the Chief Minister—anything could be possible.
It was still surprising that someone as busy as him was taking out time for Siya.
Naturally, doubts existed. And she was just relieved that her trust in his character ultimately prevailed over her suspicions.
Siya was adamant to go meet him, so Richa had to give in. She called Shaurya and told him they were coming, but he insisted they drop Siya at the Secretariat instead. Richa tried to avoid it, but he said he was extremely busy and couldn't leave the office.
Left with no choice, Richa agreed. She knew Akansha was still at school, and by the time she reached the Secretariat, they would already be gone.
Richa entered with Siya, showing her media card. She knew it would raise eyebrows if she said that the state's Chief Minister had invited them simply because he was friends with a four-year-old who happened to be her niece and wanted to play with her.
Richa had proposed this idea herself, and Shaurya had agreed.
She, however, had her own motive behind it.
She had told him she would come there under the pretense of taking his interview, and Shaurya knew that if she arrived in that capacity, he would have no option but to allocate some time for the interview.
It wasn’t a perfectly calculated move by Richa.
She would never intentionally use Siya to gain an exclusive bite with the Chief Minister, but when the opportunity presented itself, she did not want to let it go.
That was how she justified it to herself.
Still, only God knew what Akansha would do if she ever found out.
Shaurya, however, was never intimidated by media reporters or their uncomfortable questions. In his approximately five years in office, he had conducted multiple press conferences and interviews, something his predecessor had largely failed to do.
Freedom of press was one of his many election promises, and on the very first day of his tenure, he fulfilled it by lifting all bans that restricted the press.
But he always made his stance clear—reminding them from time to time that freedom had to be exercised responsibly, in favour of the public and not against it. He had also tactfully introduced regulations that limited the misuse of so-called “free press”.
After clearance from the security personnel, Shaurya’s personal staff, and the Principal Secretary, Richa finally entered the CM’s office with Siya.
“Uncuul…” Siya jumped onto Shaurya, and he immediately picked her up with affection. It was the first time Richa was witnessing this exchange between them.
“Siya bache…” Shaurya said softly, as Siya giggled, hugging his face and kissing his cheeks.
Richa looked at them with widened eyes. She knew Shaurya to be calm and composed, but she had never seen him cross his usual boundaries of restraint the way other politicians often did during campaigning—some even going to the extent of kissing elderly women on their foreheads as part of so-called “vote bank politics.”
Seeing him this affectionate with Siya surprised her.
Even Shaurya’s father had believed that displaying public affection during campaigns helped political outcomes.
But Shaurya had always believed otherwise.
During his election campaigns, he maintained a dignified distance.
He never touched people unnecessarily to display affection; instead, he focused on engaging them through conversation—understanding their problems and discussing the changes they expected from governance.
Because of this approach, the then ruling party assumed he could not connect with the masses, most of whom were below the poverty line, and believed only “fake affection” could win such voters.
They dismissed his style as “untouchability” and even labelled him as “racist” and an “upper caste elitist” disconnected from the poor.
They believed he had no chance of forming the government.
But he won with a record majority, shocking the ruling party and completely unseating them from power.
That was when they realised that the man they had dismissed as an educated fool who did not understand power dynamics or public sentiment had, in fact, outperformed decades-old experienced politicians. The truth was simple—they were the ones who had miscalculated him.
Shaurya was among the first to recognise that people were moving away from empty promises and caste-based politics. What they wanted now was hope—and that was what he gave them.
His victory was described as a “calculated miracle” not only in state media but also in national and international circles. The world-famous “New*ork T**es” magazine featured him on its cover with the title “Young Hope”, highlighting his entire campaign strategy and historic win.
It was the first time an Indian state politician had appeared on that magazine’s cover. Only a handful of prime ministers and national-level leaders had ever been featured there, making it a significant milestone. Yet Shaurya himself did not pay much attention to it.
“Thanks for bringing Siya, Ms. Upadhyay. Why don’t you wait in the other room?” Shaurya asked politely, gesturing toward the outer cabin of his office. “Shweta will take you there,” he added, looking at his secretary, who nodded and guided Richa.
“Sir… about my interview?” Richa asked.
“Mail the questions. I will send all the answers,” Shaurya said in a polite yet decisive tone. He would have answered them verbally, but he did not want to waste even a single minute away from Siya.
“Sure…” Richa replied hesitantly and glanced at Siya, who was so absorbed in playing with Shaurya’s hair and beard that she did not even look at her.
Richa already knew how attached Siya was to him, but seeing it in person felt different. She smiled faintly.
“Siya… take care,” she said.
Siya waved without looking, still busy trying to figure out how to braid Shaurya’s hair. Richa smiled and walked out with Shweta.
The moment they left, Siya resumed grabbing Shaurya’s hair in her tiny fists, experimenting with every hairstyle she could imagine.
Shaurya watched her with quiet amusement. She was only four, yet she instinctively understood how to behave differently in front of others and when alone. She seemed aware that he was a respected public figure and that she shouldn’t play freely in front of outsiders.
“Your mumma is so blessed to have you, Siya,” Shaurya said, kissing her forehead, his eyes soft with affection.
Siya did not respond, fully focused on her task. Since her hands were too small to hold a hairband properly, she struggled with her attempts. Shaurya chuckled at her failed efforts.
Siya pouted, visibly disappointed.
“You can do this some other time, maybe when we are at my home, hm? This is my workplace. People will laugh at me if they see me with a braid here,” Shaurya said gently.
Siya immediately smiled.
“Okay… I’ll make it when we ale at youl home,” she said.
Shaurya nodded.
Siya then moved to the couch and started drawing. Shaurya wrapped up his work and joined her there. She initially wanted to sit at his work table, but he gently refused, explaining that it was against work ethics.
Before she arrived, he had already secured all important files in his drawer.
Even though Siya was a child and he trusted her completely, he did not extend that same assumption to everyone else around.
Richa Upadhyay or anyone else could unintentionally expose sensitive information, and in his position, even a small risk was unacceptable.
He was aware that his mind often went into worst-case scenario thinking, but given his responsibility toward the state, he could not afford otherwise.
When Siya got bored of colouring, both of them settled into conversation.
"Uncuul (uncle)... how is that Aunty?" Siya suddenly asked, remembering Shaurya had mentioned a beautiful girl the last time she met him. "Did you chay (say) chorry (sorry) to her?" Siya asked.