Chapter 18 #4
"Mamabear... I love uncuul... I want to chee(see) him... He is my best fliend(best friend)... He is so good... like thissss gooooooddd," Siya said, stretching her tiny arms wide to show just how “good” he was.
Akansha’s heart clenched.
Her daughter’s attachment to Shaurya was far deeper than she had anticipated. She didn’t have the heart to separate a father and daughter—but she had no choice. Not after everything he had said and done. Shaurya Singh Shekhawat didn’t deserve to be Siya’s father.
Akansha forced herself to push away the guilt rising inside her. She had done what was right—for herself, and for her daughter. Who knew what would have happened if she had told him about the pregnancy back then?
"Siyabear, he is very busy... he can’t play with you, baby... Mumma is here with you, right? Why do you need anyone else? You have Mamu, Richa aunty, Nanu, Nani... your friends... everyone loves you, baby... you can play with anyone," Akansha tried to reason.
But Siya was as stubborn as her father—if not more—and Akansha felt it now more than ever.
"I want chome(some) time to pay(play) with uncuul... like I pay(play) with you all... Why can’t he pay(play) with me?" Siya demanded.
"Because he is busy, babybear... and he is no one to you, darling. Why would he spend time with you? You don’t need him, Siya," Akansha said, struggling to keep her frustration in check.
This conversation was draining her—pulling apart every wall she had built over the years. Facing Shaurya was already exhausting—his presence, her emotions, her lingering feelings, her anger, her hatred—everything tangled into something she could barely control.
"Why? My fliends(friends) pay(play) with their mama and papa... so why can’t I? I love uncuul... I like pay(play)ing with him... He loves me like Ammu’s papa loves her..." Siya said, tears streaming down her face as her voice broke into sobs.
Akansha froze.
Did her daughter just compare Shaurya to a father?
Did Siya see her father in him?
Amulya—Siya’s best friend—was the reason Siya even understood what a “father” meant. Watching Ammu with her father had always left a quiet emptiness in Siya. But how... how had three meetings been enough for her to place Shaurya in that space?
Why was this happening?
Hadn’t she already suffered enough?
She had believed that living with Shaurya’s betrayal, with the damage her loved ones had caused, was the worst pain she would ever endure. That her heart turning to stone was the end of her suffering.
But she had been wrong.
Akansha stood there, unmoving—for the first time, unable to reach out even as her daughter cried uncontrollably. She didn’t know what to say, how to comfort her, or how to undo what had already taken root in Siya’s heart.
Siya’s sobs turned into hiccups, but she didn’t stop. She kept murmuring his name, insisting she wanted to see him.
Akansha felt helpless.
She pulled her into a tight embrace, trying to soothe her, but Siya refused to calm down.
Left with no choice, Akansha called Richa and asked her to come immediately.
Richa arrived within half an hour, unable to meet Akansha’s eyes when she saw Siya’s condition. A part of her knew—this was her doing. If she hadn’t taken Siya to meet Shaurya so often, the child wouldn’t have grown this attached.
Akansha’s entire body went cold as the decision formed in her mind.
She had to do this—for her daughter.
If this continued, Siya would fall sick. To the world, she was a well-mannered child who never threw tantrums—but Akansha knew better. When Siya decided on something, she would go to any extent to get it.
She had inherited every bit of her father’s stubbornness.
Once they set their minds on something, nothing could stop them.
Akansha cursed Shaurya’s genes in that moment more than ever.
"Make her talk to CM sir... First explain the situation to him, then ask him to calm her down," Akansha said quietly.
And before Richa could respond, she walked away.
She couldn’t bear to watch her daughter find comfort in Shaurya.
Even in her worst nightmares, she had never imagined needing his help for Siya. She had always wanted to do everything on her own—to protect her daughter from him, from his shadow, from his world.
She had believed Siya didn’t deserve a father like Shaurya.
And yet today—she had no choice but to turn to him.
Richa apologized to Shaurya for calling so late, then handed the phone to Siya.
He was more than willing to help. He was worried about her, and more than that, his heart ached to see the little girl—to make sure she was okay.
But for obvious reasons, he avoided making a video call from Richa’s phone.
She was a journalist, and that too openly pro-opposition.
If she wanted, she could easily use something like this against him.
So, he stayed cautious.
He didn’t trust Richa—but for Siya’s sake, he couldn’t distance himself either. He didn’t fully understand this overwhelming attachment he felt toward the child, the kind that pushed him to lengths he never imagined himself going.
Finally, after speaking to Siya for nearly thirty minutes and promising to meet her soon, she calmed down. Only then did he hang up.
Richa called Akansha back in.
Akansha made Siya sleep, but sleep stayed far from her own eyes. Richa tried speaking to her, but Akansha didn’t respond. She was completely drained—emotionally, mentally—left with nothing to give. Even her thoughts felt blocked, as if her mind had shut down to protect itself.
She didn’t push herself further.
She knew she couldn’t keep doing this.
And that’s when she made her decision—once the curriculum review was complete, she would leave the city with Akash’s help. She had to leave before Shaurya found out about Siya.
-------------
The next day, she avoided meeting Shaurya altogether. She didn’t have the strength to face him. Her emotions were in complete disarray.
If things had been different—if Shaurya hadn’t destroyed everything—she would have been happy seeing a father and daughter bond.
But now, the very thought repulsed her.
She didn’t want them to meet. Ever.
She buried herself in work, using it as a distraction, and deliberately avoided any interaction with him.
-------------
A few days later, Akansha and her team were ready with the data Shaurya had requested. They presented it in the review meeting.
Shaurya acknowledged the team’s efforts, fully aware that Akansha had played a major role in it. He appreciated her commitment—her relentless drive to give her best in everything she did.
But Akansha didn’t even offer a polite smile in return.
That didn’t go unnoticed.
The committee members exchanged glances, surprised by her indifference. She didn’t even pretend for the sake of appearances.
And Shaurya felt it.
That same cold distance.
The same one he had felt the day he saw her at the police station after five long years.
His chest tightened.
They were back to where they had started.
He had thought she had, at least slightly, grown used to his presence.
But he was wrong.
Nothing had changed.
And he realized—convincing her to even listen to him was going to be far harder than he had imagined.
-------------
Richa took a few days off from work to take care of Siya. Akansha, too, kept her home from school. She feared that seeing Amulya with her father again would trigger the same comparison—would push Siya to imagine Shaurya in that place once more.
She didn’t know how long she could keep doing this to her daughter.
But for now, it felt like the only option.
Siya’s health had already been affected by the emotional breakdown that night. Like every time she threw extreme tantrums, it ended in fever.
Akansha stayed by her side until it subsided.
But eventually, work called.
She didn’t want to leave her, not even for a moment—but Richa and her parents insisted on taking care of Siya. They even came over to stay, something Akansha was deeply grateful for.
-------------
Akash visited his niece once, spending an hour with her before rushing back to work. He was handling something critical, something that couldn’t be delayed. If it wasn’t wrapped up soon, it could spiral into a bigger issue.
With him gone, Siya missed Shaurya even more.
And with each passing day, her insistence on seeing him only grew stronger.
-------------
Siya began pestering Richa constantly, demanding to meet Shaurya.
But Richa couldn’t give in. She had given her word to Akansha—and she intended to keep it.
Yet, her refusal came at a cost.
Siya’s fever spiked again.
That day, Akansha had gone to the private wing of a government research agency with her team to finalize their findings. As per protocol, all visitors’ phones were confiscated before entry—so Richa had no way of reaching her.
Left alone to handle everything, Richa took Siya to the hospital for an injection.
Even there, the child cried relentlessly, asking for Shaurya.
This time, Akansha wasn’t there to calm her.
The doctor, observing Siya’s condition and her stubborn insistence, suggested something practical—give her what she’s asking for, at least temporarily, if it helps bring her temperature down.
Richa stood there, conflicted.
But in the end—she made a decision.
"I’m so sorry for troubling you, sir, and thank you for giving us your time. We’ll be there in half an hour. We won’t take much of your time. I hope Siya feels better after seeing you," Richa said over the phone.
"Hope so too, Ms. Upadhyay. I’ve been asking you to bring her to me for weeks now. I don’t understand why you kept delaying it," Shaurya replied.
"I’m sorry, sir," Richa said again, but didn’t explain further.
Shaurya understood she wasn’t going to reveal the real reason. He didn’t push it. He simply ended the call, though restlessness gripped him at the mention of Siya’s fever.
"Shweta, inform Akash Dikshit to meet me at my residence," Shaurya instructed before heading out, Shweta following close behind.