Chapter 15 #4
"I did, but she wasn't ready to hear me. But your plan worked. I'll now meet her every other day..." Shaurya said, explaining everything to her in a way the little girl could understand.
"Oh... now she works fol (for) you like chweta (Shweta) aunty?" Siya asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. Shaurya chuckled at her cute pronunciation and nodded.
"Okay then... give her these... she will get happy and forgive you," Siya said, pointing at the flowers in a vase. Shaurya chuckled again, nodding at her.
"I wish it was that easy, bache..." Shaurya said, hugging Siya and making her sit on his lap.
"Uncuul... I want to tell you a shecret (secret)," Siya said suddenly, her tone turning serious.
"What is it, bache?" Shaurya asked, noticing the change in her mood.
"I want to chee (see) my papa... I want him..." Siya said, her eyes welling up suddenly.
Shaurya's heart sank seeing the little girl in pain. He did not understand what that statement fully meant in that moment, because Siya had never spoken about her father to anyone except Akansha.
"Siya bache..." Shaurya trailed off, unsure how to respond.
"Was he handchome (handsome) like you? Does he have big hair like you? Did he love me like you do?" she asked, looking at him with hopeful but sad eyes.
"Bache? You haven't seen papa's picture?" Shaurya asked, hoping that wasn't true.
Siya shook her head, and it broke something inside him.
Shaurya did not know what to say. It felt like anything he said might make her cry more. And he did not even have answers, which made it worse.
Why did Siya's mother hide this from her? Did the father betray them? Was it a failed marriage? Was she even married? Questions rose in his mind one after another.
"I asked mumma many times, but she said she didn't have papa's photo..." Siya said sadly, tears slipping from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them before Shaurya could notice.
"Mumma clied (cried) when I clied (cry) for papa, so I plomised (promised) God I won't cly for papa again... so I won't cly (cry)," Siya said.
Shaurya pulled her closer and hugged her tightly, not knowing what to say to a child who was so small yet so emotionally aware.
"Uncuul (uncle), Mamabear said papa is vely (very) kind. He always helped evelyone (everyone)," Siya added softly, holding onto whatever little identity of her father she had been given.
No one knew Akansha had spoken to Siya about her father, not even Richa or Akash.
Everyone assumed Siya did not understand the concept yet or had never asked.
And even if she did, they believed Akansha would have avoided the topic or diverted her attention.
But the truth was different. Akansha encouraged Siya to talk about her father whenever she felt like it, but she had also asked her not to discuss him with others.
It was a silent understanding between mother and daughter.
"And you are also very kind, Siya bache... I'm sure your papa must be very lucky to have you..." Shaurya said gently, making the little girl smile again.
"ThankUU (thank you) uncle... don't share this checret (secret) with anyone, plomise (promise)?" Siya asked, extending her small palm.
Shaurya nodded and promised her.
They continued talking for a while longer about her father. Siya kept repeating the few vague things her mother had told her, and Shaurya felt a deep ache in his chest. She did not deserve this emptiness.
He silently cursed the father in his mind, unaware that in doing so, he was unknowingly cursing himself.
Suddenly, he hiccupped slightly, and Siya immediately stopped talking. She picked up a glass nearby and made him drink water, patting his head gently with her tiny hands. Shaurya chuckled softly at her actions, certain she was imitating her mother.
If she was raising the child this well, she must be a wonderful woman. Which man in his right mind would leave someone like that? Or maybe there was more to the story. He pushed the thought aside, refusing to judge without knowing the truth.
They were still talking when Richa knocked and, without waiting long after hearing Shaurya’s "come in," she rushed inside with Shweta following her.
"Siya... we need to leave... it's urgent..." Richa said, out of breath.
She had called Akansha casually, only to find out that Akansha had already reached the secretariat for her presentation and had requested the meeting be preponed. Shockingly, the Chief Minister had agreed.
"Is everything alright, Ms. Upadhyay?" Shaurya asked, noticing Richa's pale expression.
"Yes sir... I'm sorry, we need to leave immediately..." Richa replied.
"No... Licha aunty... pwease... I want to stay..." Siya said.
"Siyu... Sir has another meeting lined up... we have to leave. You can't disturb anyone's work, that's what mumma says, right?" Richa said calmly, though her anxiety was visible.
But Siya shook her head and quickly hid behind Shaurya, holding onto his shirt tightly.
Shaurya frowned, trying to understand how Richa already knew about the meeting.
Yes, he had approved the preponement of Akansha’s session, and yes, he had thought it would be a good moment for Siya to meet her too.
Siya had been repeatedly asking him about the “pretty aunty,” and he had even considered letting that happen today.
He brushed the doubt aside almost immediately. Shweta must have informed her.
"You look worried. Is everything alright, Ms. Upadhyay?" Shaurya asked again, his tone steady but observant.
"Yes sir. Actually, Siya's mother will be home soon, and she wanted her back before that," Richa replied, deliberately looking at Siya, trying to trigger a sense of urgency in the child.
It worked.
Siya’s expression changed instantly. She gave Shaurya a quick hug, pressed a tight kiss to his cheek, and whispered an “I love you” and “I miss you” before quickly running toward Richa.
"Licha aunty... let's go... pwease..." Siya said, her voice now anxious, completely different from moments ago.
Shaurya watched the sudden shift with a slight frown. It unsettled him more than he expected.
"Thanks for having us here, sir... we'll take your leave now," Richa said politely.
Shaurya nodded, but his eyes stayed on them, still trying to piece together what had just happened.
Normally, no one behaved this informally with a Chief Minister. But then again, this was Richa Upadhyay—unpredictable, blunt, and openly dismissive of political decorum. He dismissed it, though a trace of suspicion lingered.
Still, something about her urgency felt off.
Without showing it, he instructed his immediate staff to keep an eye on Richa’s movement for the time being.
Richa and Siya hurried out.
But the moment they turned the corner, Richa froze.
Akansha was walking straight toward them.
Time seemed to slow.
Richa’s mind panicked instantly, while Siya’s presence beside her suddenly felt heavier than anything she had ever carried.
And when Akansha’s eyes landed on them—on Siya, on Richa, on where they were coming from—she stopped in her tracks.
For a moment, everything in her froze.
Then the shock settled. And right after that, fury followed.