Chapter 19 #2
"I honestly haven’t thought about it, because my gut feeling says we’ll have a daughter first," Shaurya said, and Akansha nodded.
"Siyakriti Shaurya Singh Shekhawat," Akansha said with a wide smile.
"Uhu... Siyakriti Akansha Shaurya Singh Shekhawat," Shaurya corrected, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Our daughter and I are lucky to have you in our lives. I can’t change my official documents now and add your name to mine, but I won’t let that mistake happen with our daughter.
She will carry your name, reminding her every second how lucky she is to have you as her mother," he said, looking into her eyes.
Akansha saw nothing but honesty and pure love in them. He meant every word. At that moment, his revenge, his plans—nothing existed. Only love for Akansha Dikshit remained.
"And you as her father... You will be a wonderful father, Shaurya. Our Siya will be lucky to have you," Akansha said, pressing her lips to his.
"Are you upset that I didn’t add your surname?" Shaurya asked when she pulled away too quickly.
"What?" she laughed. "Of course not. That surname is a burden on me, Shaurya. I wanted to get rid of it myself... why would I pass it on to our daughter? Her father’s surname is enough for her," Akansha said, trying to hide the pain in her eyes.
But Shaurya saw it. And in that moment, his resolve to free her from that surname and give her his only grew stronger. He kissed her forehead gently, and as always, his love made her forget every pain.
The surname she once refused to pass on to their daughter... today, his daughter carried that very name. The thought struck Shaurya bitterly.
But only if he knew... Akansha had long stopped using her father’s surname, "Dikshit.
" She had taken her grandfather’s surname, "Dixit," and passed that on to her daughter.
He was the only man who had ever treated her right, but fate had taken him away too soon, leaving her to face her miseries alone.
"Siyu... now will you tell me who brought you here?
Was it Richa aunty?" Akash asked, but Siya remained silent, afraid he would tell Akansha. "Siyu... bache... I’ve been asking you for so long. You kept complaining earlier, and now that you’ve scolded mamu properly, please answer me," Akash coaxed gently.
"No... I’m angly... vely angly...(angry... very angry)," Siya said, folding her arms across her chest, trying to imitate her mother. Shaurya chuckled softly at her attempt—he knew Akansha did the same.
"Siyu... I know what you’re trying to do.
Answer mamu... Mamu is Siya’s superhero, right?
" Akash said, using his last weapon. He could have asked Shaurya directly or called Richa, but he wanted to hear it from Siya—to understand whether she knew her mother would be upset.
And if it turned out to be Richa... he was ready to strangle that woman for the damage she had caused.
"Yech(Yes)... but pwease(please) don’t tell Mumma," Siya said, squeezing her eyes shut in fear. Akash swallowed his anger.
"He won’t... now come, it’s time to eat. Then you need your medicine. Your fever hasn’t gone permanently... it will come back if you don’t eat," Shaurya said, lifting Siya into his arms and carrying her to the couch.
Shaurya fed her with utmost care and tenderness.
Akash clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay still at the sight before him.
For a fleeting moment, it felt right—his niece receiving a father’s love—but the man giving it was Shaurya, and what he had done to his sister was something Akash could never accept.
After Siya finished eating, Shaurya made her take her syrups, distracting her with small tricks and soft words.
Akash stood there, stunned. Siya threw relentless tantrums when it came to her medicines; she hated the syrups, and it had always been a battle.
Only Akansha managed it effortlessly, mostly because Siya feared her mother’s anger.
But watching Shaurya handle it so easily reminded Akash of a bitter truth—blood is thicker than water.
"Okay... now go to your Richa aunty and stay there," Akash said, gently pulling Siya away from Shaurya. It didn’t sit well with Shaurya at all. Siya immediately started protesting, but fell silent at Akash’s next words.
"Siyu... Mamu needs to talk to your friend. Your friend is my boss, and I have work. After that, we’ll go home.
And if you don’t want Mamu to tell Mamabear about this, you have to listen," he said. Shaurya’s jaw tightened—he wanted to thrash Akash for threatening his daughter.
"No Mamu... pwease(please)... Mamabear gets angly(angry) with hel(her) babybear if you tell her," Siya said, pouting. The fear on her face struck Shaurya hard. He immediately pulled her into his arms.
"No one is going to be angry with you, Siya bache. Your friend is here, right? Don’t be scared, okay? Go downstairs, play with Mrs. Sudha and your Licha aunty. We’ll finish our work, and then we’ll play," Shaurya said gently.
"Yayyyyy... pay... pay... pay...(play...
play... play...) hafaaa(hi-fi)!" she squealed, clapping her hand against his before kissing Akash and running out. Shaurya signaled his trusted staff to escort her downstairs safely. Every instinct in him resisted letting her go, even for a minute—but what he needed to discuss with Akash couldn’t wait.
The moment Siya was out of sight, Shaurya grabbed Akash by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "HOW DARE YOU HIDE MY DAUGHTER ALL THESE YEARS?" His eyes were bloodshot, fury coursing through him. The vein on his forehead throbbed violently, revealing the storm within.
Akash remained silent. If Shaurya expected answers about Siya, he was mistaken. Akash understood the magnitude of a father’s pain in not knowing his child existed—but compared to what his sister had endured, Shaurya’s pain didn’t matter to him.
"Sir... I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m here for official work. I won’t discuss personal matters here," Akash said, his tone cold and professional.
"AKASH... don’t play games with me now," Shaurya snapped, struggling to contain his rage.
"I am not discussing my personal life or my family, sir—let alone my sister and her daughter. If you wish, I can brief you on the purpose of my visit," Akash replied, unwavering.
Shaurya understood instantly—Akash was deliberately evading him, refusing to confirm the truth.
"Very well played, Akash... but I’m not backing down. Not until I claim my daughter... and my wife," Shaurya said, stepping back, loosening his grip.
"Looks like you’re in a bad mood, sir. We can discuss this later. Allow me to leave," Akash said politely.
Shaurya’s heartbeat spiked. If Akash walked out, Siya would go with him—and he wasn’t ready to let his daughter out of his sight. Not yet. Maybe not ever again.
"This is important. It cannot be postponed because of my mood. Let’s finish it," Shaurya said firmly.
Akash cursed him silently—but began the briefing.
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As soon as Siya reached Richa, she excitedly told her about Akash’s arrival.
The news sent a wave of dread through Richa.
Now Akash Dikshit would definitely inform his sister about this little adventure, and Richa was terrified of Akansha’s reaction.
What if she stopped allowing her to meet Siya alone?
More importantly, how would Akansha manage everything without her help?
After playing for a while, Siya insisted on going back to Shaurya. Before Richa could stop her, she ran to his office, climbed onto his lap, and snuggled into his chest.
Akash froze at the sight. Despite his presence—her maternal uncle, someone far closer to her by relation—Siya chose Shaurya, a man who, in her understanding, had no relation to her at all.
That one gesture spoke volumes about how deeply she had grown attached to him.
And for the first time, Akash felt a sharp fear—how would she cope if she was taken away from him, forever?
"Siyu... we are discussing something important. Go downstairs to Richa aunty or come to Mamu," Akash said, unable to hide the edge in his tone. Shaurya didn’t miss the jealousy in his eyes. Serves him right, he thought. Akash had stolen years that belonged to him—now it was his turn.
"No... Sholya plomised me, I will chleep in lap, you do meeting (Shaurya promised me I can sleep in his lap while he does his meeting)," Siya said, curling closer into him. Her broken words and innocence made Shaurya kiss her chubby cheeks.
"Of course, you can... tell me if you feel any pain, okay bache?" he asked softly.
"Yech... hele(yes... here)," Siya said, pointing to her head. Shaurya immediately began gently massaging her scalp.
Akash burned with jealousy, but he understood his niece’s behavior.
Whenever she was unwell, she clung to her comfort zone, and he had always known he didn’t belong to that space—not with his infrequent visits.
Only Akansha, and occasionally Richa, were part of it.
.. and now, Shaurya too. The fact that he, her own uncle, wasn’t her comfort but Shaurya was—that truth stung deeper than he expected.
Shaurya didn’t deserve this love, Akash thought bitterly. And yet, there it was, undeniable.
Shaurya resumed the discussion, one hand working on the laptop while the other continued soothing Siya. The moment he stopped, she frowned, so he didn’t dare pause. Soon, she drifted into sleep.
Akash knew Shaurya would confront Akansha, and once he did, he would make it nearly impossible for her to leave the city. So, Akash Dikshit decided it was time to play his part.
"Don’t confront my sister about this," Akash said.
"About what?" Shaurya asked, though he knew exactly what Akash meant. Still, he wanted to hear it—from him.
"About whatever happened here," Akash replied, careful not to confirm anything.
"And what exactly happened here?" Shaurya pressed.
"About whatever you have assumed about Siya," Akash said.