Chapter 18 #2
Soon, it was time for the meeting. Akansha and her team finalized the setup, preparing themselves for every possible question he might throw at them.
Shaurya walked into the education department wing, removing his shades.
Everyone stood up in respect—but no one could take their eyes off him. Not even Akansha.
He looked like he had stepped straight out of the front page of the NYT.
His sharp cheekbones, the clean-shaven look she had always admired, his thick brows, long lashes, and glowing skin—it was as if he had returned not from election campaigning, but from a month-long retreat.
His neatly styled hair, polished black formal shoes, and perfectly tailored outfit—everything about him exuded perfection.
But more than anything, it was the blue striped shirt that held her gaze.
He looked like he belonged to her.
Everything about his appearance today seemed to whisper one word—hers.
She hated that thought.
And yet, she couldn’t look away.
She knew exactly why he looked like this today—and that realization did something unsettling to her already fragile heart.
"Damn... I didn’t know he could look this hot in a striped shirt," Mrs. Arora muttered beside her.
The comment snapped Akansha out of her trance.
She turned to look at her in disbelief. Did this middle-aged, strict woman just say that about the Chief Minister?
Mrs. Arora immediately realized what she had blurted out. "Forget I said anything," she said, straightening herself.
Akansha nodded politely—but if she was honest, she didn’t like that comment. Not one bit.
Still, she pushed the thought away.
He was no one to her.
And she needed to remember that.
She cursed herself for ignoring all the firm decisions she had taken over the past month to avoid Shaurya—and the unnecessary sensations his presence stirred within her.
One look at him, and everything came crashing down.
She wanted to smash his head for these ridiculous attempts of his.
No matter how her body reacted, her mind and heart were finally aligned—to stay away from this man.
And she would follow that, no matter what.
Shaurya, on the other hand, was extremely satisfied with the reaction he had drawn from his wife. But as he walked towards her, he saw her demeanor change. He immediately understood—she had snapped out of that brief trance of undeniable attraction between them. And he cursed his fate.
"Let's get started, Soumya?" Shaurya said, still half-immersed in thoughts of his wife.
Mrs. Arora quickly nodded. Akansha frowned at how casually he addressed her by her first name.
She didn’t like it—for reasons she didn’t want to acknowledge.
And Mrs. Arora’s earlier admiration for him only made it worse.
She wanted to kick herself for feeling jealous over a man who had done nothing but ruin her life.
Shaurya, however, realized his mistake almost instantly when he caught the fury in Akansha’s eyes.
Had he just said "Soumya" instead of "Mrs. Arora"? Damn. He hadn’t even noticed. He had been too distracted—by his wife’s presence, by her scent that somehow reached him even across the room, by the fleeting appreciation he had seen in her eyes. And in all that, he had slipped.
His heartbeat spiked. He was in deep trouble.
"This way, sir..." Mrs. Arora said, a faint blush creeping onto her face.
Akansha’s expression turned cold. Shaurya’s face, on the other hand, went pale. He quickly pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat forming on his forehead and temples. Akansha noticed it. She knew exactly why he was nervous.
So, he was still afraid of her?
That thought gave her a strange sense of satisfaction—but only for a moment. She immediately scolded herself. No matter the circumstances, Shaurya Singh Shekhawat always managed to disturb her thoughts with his presence. But not this time. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction again.
Everyone settled into their seats except Mrs. Arora. Being the head of the committee, she began the presentation.
"I would like to start by thanking you, sir, for granting the extension for Phase 1. It proved to be a great help to us. So, starting with the progress we have made so far..."
She briefly explained the progress.
"The further course of action will be detailed by Dr. Dixit, followed by Dr. Khan, who will present the research findings till now," Mrs. Arora concluded.
"Sure," Shaurya nodded. "I was thoroughly impressed with Dr. Dixit's clarity regarding this extension.
She addressed every query of mine with patience and offered clear solutions to the concerns raised.
I can see the teamwork behind every explanation she presented, so I appreciate the entire team for that.
Let's continue. And no need to rush. I want to clearly understand the progress you’ve made over this past month.
The curriculum revision is one of the most prestigious projects of our government—I want no room for error.
So yes, take your time and explain everything in detail.
If required, Shweta can push some of my meetings to the second half. "
He glanced at his assistant, who nodded—though unwillingly. He had several important meetings lined up with VVIPs in the first half, and rescheduling them would not be easy. But she didn’t dare object.
The committee members silently cursed their luck. They had expected him to spare barely ten minutes, maybe just enough to check in and leave. But he had shattered all their assumptions. Thankfully, they had Akansha—someone who understood Shaurya better than anyone else in that room.
"Sure, sir. In that case, I'll give you a detailed overview of the project so far," Akansha said.
She opened another presentation—one filled with intricate details of their progress, including the research findings they had considered, those they had rejected, and the reasons behind those decisions.
The team members were visibly impressed by her level of preparation.
Shaurya, meanwhile, watched her with quiet pride—a look that did not go unnoticed by Shweta. She couldn’t help but think about how deeply he admired his wife. What she didn’t understand was why two people who clearly loved each other so much were still living apart.
Akansha continued with her presentation, and Shaurya listened carefully—though her face distracted him more than he would admit. Still, thanks to his sharp focus, he managed to absorb everything she said.
At one point, she paused, allowing space for questions—but Shaurya gestured for her to continue.
He didn’t want to break her flow. He knew she hated interruptions during presentations.
She preferred addressing all questions at the end.
Though she maintained professionalism in front of him, he knew her habits well.
So instead, he noted down his questions in the small pocket diary he carried.
Once she finished, he began addressing his queries. Some she answered immediately; others required more work.
"We will work on those and get back to you, sir," Mr. Khanna responded on behalf of the team.
"I expect solutions to these concerns by the next review meeting—which, I believe, is next week?" Shaurya asked, glancing at Shweta.
"Yes, sir. Next week, Tuesday, 10 AM," she confirmed after checking her tablet.
"Great. That should be enough time, I hope?" Shaurya said, his gaze settling directly on Akansha.
Akansha felt like banging his head against the table. Her brother was right—he was a nightmare boss. The concerns he had raised were significant and required time, yet he expected solutions within a week. But she couldn’t say that to him.
Shweta, watching this, felt a hint of sympathy for the team.
Even though Shaurya was clearly smitten with his wife, he didn’t give her any professional advantage.
His discipline impressed her—but if she were in Akansha’s place, she would have definitely hoped for some leniency.
Then again, theirs wasn’t a normal relationship. That much was obvious.
"Yes, sir. We'll try our best to get back to you with all the necessary data," Akansha replied.
"Not try, Dr. Dixit. I need results," Shaurya said firmly. "I would have liked to give you more time, but due to the Phase 1 extension, the schedule has already shifted. To stay on track, you'll need to speed things up."
"The solutions you are asking for are interdependent on data we receive from multiple agencies. First, we have to update our requirements to them, and then they have to get back to us with the necessary data. We need to consolidate everything before making the required updates to the current model we are using, sir. All this takes time. And like you mentioned, this is one of the most prestigious projects your government is handling—we wouldn’t want to rush it, right? " Akansha countered politely.
Shaurya proposed a few alternative ways to speed up the process, and soon the discussion turned into a heated argument between them.
Watching the two of them, and the way they debated in front of everyone, Shweta couldn’t help but imagine what their arguments must have looked like behind closed doors—as husband and wife.
Shaurya had sufficient knowledge on all the subjects, given his qualifications, but he lacked the innate expertise and in-depth technical understanding that Akansha and the committee members possessed.
Mr. Khanna and the others who reported directly to Shaurya were stunned.
They had never seen anyone argue with him this boldly.
While they had engaged in healthy discussions with him before—thanks to his growth mindset and willingness to listen—there had always been a boundary.
The awareness that he was their boss never faded.
But Akansha seemed to have forgotten that line entirely.