Chapter 17 #3
"I will pretend I didn’t hear any of that. Don’t show me your face again," she said coldly and walked away.
Shaurya remained standing, watching her with a foolish smile he didn’t realize he was wearing.
She no longer cared that he was an MLA.
What she did care about was that he had no right to say things like that—and worse, her body had reacted to it. The words "make you mine" echoed in her mind, stirring something she refused to name. She dismissed it as a mistake, a lapse in judgment, and firmly decided to stay away from him.
But she had no idea that his determination to win her would only grow stronger—and slowly begin to break her resistance.
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"Yes, she was a very tough woman, but your determination to destroy her made you pursue her relentlessly, huh?
" Akansha asked, this time looking directly into his eyes. He didn’t know what to feel—whether to be relieved that she had finally started expressing her hatred, or to drown in guilt for hurting the only woman he had ever loved so deeply.
"That wasn’t the determination to destroy her," Shaurya said quietly, "it was the determination to make her mine that made me pursue her relentlessly."
Akansha didn’t bother reacting to what she now considered baseless claims. She simply waited for him to sign so she could get out of there. "I loved you, Akansha. I still do," Shaurya said, holding her gaze.
His confession, spoken in that low, throaty voice, once always sent a shiver through her.
No matter the betrayal, her mind had once been forced to believe those words—and she realized that even now, it still reacted the same way.
She glared at him sharply. His confession reopened wounds she had carefully sealed, and the pain made her want to hurt him just as deeply—if not more.
"If you think you can destroy me again with these stupid claims, you’re very wrong, Mr. Shekhawat.
You are the last man I ever want to hear those words from," Akansha said coldly. "Your confession years ago left a bitter taste in my mouth that hasn’t gone away. That was the worst day of my life. I regret accepting you into my life. Every moment with you was a lie, and I was foolish enough to cherish that lie even after knowing your betrayal. I hate that I ever dated a man like you. And don’t even get me started on our marriage—it was a disaster.
I’m glad it ended. I’m glad I ran away. I’m glad I didn’t have to see your face for five long years.
You don’t know how happy I was all this time.
But it seems your determination to take away my peace was stronger.
It started ruining me again, but this time I won’t let your presence or your thoughts affect me.
My life is mine alone, and I will live it the way I choose. "
She didn’t even fully register everything she had just said, but the hurt flashing across his face felt like balm on her own wounds. She had wanted to hurt him—and she had succeeded.
She knew how much that day meant to him.
She knew he had truly loved her. Even after everything that followed, some part of her had always believed his love that day was real.
His hidden care, his unspoken concern—it all pointed to that truth.
Despite his claims of retribution, he had never tainted the memory of that confession day with bitterness.
It had remained untouched, sacred in its own way.
There had always been an unspoken rule between them—neither of them would regret that day.
But today, she claimed she did.
She knew she didn’t mean it. And he knew it too. But the words still struck him like a blade.
His eyes welled up, and he didn’t bother hiding it.
If his pain gave her peace, so be it. If his tears could ease even a fraction of her wounds, he would shed them all his life.
She mattered to him more than anything—she was his everything, Akansha Shaurya Shekhawat, the woman he loved most, and would keep loving until his last breath.
He signed the extension papers. A tear slipped from his eye and fell onto the document.
Akansha noticed it, and her heart tightened painfully.
She couldn’t bear seeing him in pain. That ache in her chest reminded her that no matter how much hatred she had built against him, a soft corner still remained.
But this time, she would guard it carefully.
She took the papers from him and walked out of his cabin without looking back.
Akansha stepped into the washroom to steady herself before returning to the education department wing.
She resumed her work, though the reactions around her did not go unnoticed.
The shocked expressions of Mrs. Arora, Samuel, and others in the committee told her everything—she had been underestimated.
It stung, but she refused to let it affect her for long. She continued working when Mr. Khanna approached and sat beside her. She offered him a small, polite smile before returning to her files.
"Great job convincing CM sir. I appreciate it," Mr. Khanna said.
Akansha smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
"Our lack of confidence in you might have upset you," he continued, "but it wasn’t about your capabilities. It was about Mr. Shekhawat’s reputation. If he makes up his mind, it’s difficult to change it.
When he kept postponing the approval, we assumed he was against the extension.
He’s a tough boss to please, especially when it comes to matters affecting future generations.
He believes in building a strong student community for a strong nation, and he usually works in that direction.
So naturally, we expected rejection. But surprisingly, you managed to convince that stubborn head. "
At the phrase stubborn head, Akansha’s expression shifted slightly in disbelief. Mr. Khanna laughed at her reaction.
"No matter how much I admire Mr. Shekhawat," he added casually, "at the end of the day, he’s still my boss. Nobody likes their boss, no matter how good they are. And Shaurya isn’t even easy to work with—he drains people."
Akansha couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She briefly wondered how Mr. Khanna would react if he ever learned he had just insulted his boss in front of his wife.
Wife.
Her thoughts stalled. She immediately looked away, mentally cursing herself. One confession from that man and her mind had started slipping again.
She forced a small smile and returned to work. After finishing, she left for the day, determined to stay away from Shaurya—and equally certain that he would stay away from her, at least for a while.
She knew how much she had hurt him today. It would take him time to process that pain, and she hoped that time would also give her space to gather her thoughts and sort out the mess inside her.
Her feelings for him had destroyed her once. She couldn’t let them destroy her again—because this time, she wasn’t alone.
What if one day Shaurya learned about Siya?
How long could she keep them apart, especially now that he knew Siya existed and had formed a bond with her?
Keeping them apart no longer felt natural. There was a growing guilt every time she thought of either of them—especially her daughter.
Did she even deserve this?
And what if Siya, one day, asked her about her father?
Technically, Shaurya had never refused responsibility. That part was only in her head. But his actions… his past… they spoke louder than anything else.
And back then, she hadn’t been in a position to let him know she was pregnant.
"Here..."
Her thoughts broke at the sound of her brother’s voice as he entered her space for the night.
He observed his sister’s distant expression throughout dinner. Her gaze kept drifting toward Siya every few seconds, and the faint moisture in her eyes gave away the emotional weight she was carrying.
"Thanks..." Akansha accepted the cup.
Akash sat beside her with his own coffee.
"You said thanks to me. That means your mood is terrible," Akash said, earning an immediate glare from his sister.
"You just don’t deserve to be treated like a human. Forgive me for forgetting that again," Akansha said.
Akash laughed lightly at her remark.
"Now tell me, what’s wrong?" he asked.
"Will Siya blame me in the future the way we blame Ma and Papa today?" Akansha asked quietly.
"Di... our case was different," Akash said. "Ma and Papa were different with me and Suman didi, but with you... they were worse. They never behaved like parents toward you. They pushed their responsibilities onto you. You are supposed to blame them, di. They deserve every bit of it. It’s your kindness that you never did. You were the best daughter they could’ve had... and the best parent Siya could ever have. There’s no comparison between you and them.
So there’s no reason Siya would ever blame you. "
Akash’s words were firm, but Akansha shook her head slowly.
"Papa was always there for us, Akash. His only fault was he could never speak against Ma. Otherwise, he was a good man. But look at us—we ignore everything good about him and only remember his mistakes. What if Siya becomes like that... and ignores everything I did and only remembers one mistake?"
"Papa was always there for us, di," Akash said softly, "but he wasn’t there for you. Maybe he was, but when it came to choosing between being a father or a husband, he conveniently chose the latter—no matter how much you needed a father…"
He paused.
"And you’re not heartless. You were just protecting yourself from people who kept hurting you.
I understand your fear... but you’re doing what’s best for Siya right now.
Don’t destroy your peace thinking about a future that hasn’t even happened yet.
Siya knows her mumma loves her. That truth will stay with her. "
He pulled her into a light side hug.