Chapter 20 #4
Even his core loyal officers were confused. They followed his orders without question, but none of them knew the real reason behind this urgency.
Shaurya considered sending Akansha’s picture to his team so they could intercept the vehicle, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to create speculation that could turn into a scandal and harm either her or his daughter. He had to handle this carefully.
That’s when Dev mentioned something—he had sent a gift to Siya through Richa’s parents, and Siya had loved it. There was a strong chance Siya had carried it along.
Shaurya immediately thought of tracking it.
But then doubt hit him—Akansha had left at midnight. Siya must have been asleep by then. The chances were slim.
Still, they tried.
And it worked.
The tracker showed a moving vehicle on the highway. The direction... the speed... everything matched.
Shaurya knew instantly—it was them.
Akansha had assumed the doll was from Richa, sent through her parents since she had restricted Richa from meeting Siya. That was exactly what Dev had made Richa’s parents believe as well.
Richa hadn’t been home for the past few days—she had told everyone she was on a work trip and her phone would be unreachable. Dev knew this.
Using that information, he had carefully sent the doll in her name.
More importantly, Dev used the secured identification system Richa relied on for deliveries. Being a political journalist, she had received threats before, so she only accepted verified, secure deliveries—and had trained her parents to follow the same protocol.
Dev ensured every detail aligned with that system.
The doll passed through all security checks without raising suspicion.
And inside it... was a tracking device.
Now, that one decision had given Shaurya exactly what he needed.
A way to reach his daughter.
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"What happened?" Akansha asked when she saw hundreds of cars, trucks, lorries, and other vehicles come to a complete standstill at the state border. As they neared it, her heartbeat rose, and she silently prayed they would cross without any trouble.
"It’s a border checkpoint, ma’am. I think an inspection is going on... that might be the reason for this roadblock," Anil replied.
"Sir... I’ve coordinated with Ashwini’s staff, and according to them, this is the vehicle number ma’am is traveling in..." Suraj said, walking up to Shaurya, who was in a brief discussion with the officers there.
They were positioned on the other side of the border, in the neighboring state, which gave Shaurya access to the details of every vehicle undergoing inspection.
"Clear all other vehicles—but not before checking them thoroughly. They can switch vehicles at any moment. Don’t take chances. Mix our men into the security team and let them handle the rest," Shaurya instructed.
"It will take a few hours, sir... there are hundreds of vehicles," Suraj pointed out.
"Two hours is all I can give you, Suraj. Separate the vehicles that have already cleared initial checks. Have our team recheck them before letting them go. If anyone creates an issue, inform me. I’ve already spoken to the concerned state officials—there shouldn’t be any complications," Shaurya said.
Suraj nodded and left immediately.
Shaurya’s suspicion proved right when Akansha and Siya swiftly shifted to another vehicle. But luckily, Suraj spotted Akansha at the right moment and isolated that vehicle from the rest.
Akansha’s anxiety spiked when she noticed that every other vehicle was being cleared—except theirs. This was a less frequently used route, so traffic thinned out quickly. Within minutes, she couldn’t see any vehicles on her side.
Only four black SUVs stood on the other side of the border.
Apart from them... there was no one.
"Ma’am... please step out," a man who appeared to be a high-ranking officer said, tapping on the window.
Sweat gathered on her forehead.
The only thing that gave her some confidence was the driver her brother had sent. He was now hidden behind the bushes, holding his gun—ready to shoot if anyone tried to harm her. He had slipped into hiding right after helping her switch vehicles.
He had already verified the identities of the officers present, and they seemed genuine. That’s why he didn’t suspect an immediate threat.
But then... why was the vehicle stopped?
Was it because of her?
Or because of the vehicle owner who had generously agreed to give them a lift?
Clutching Siya tightly in her arms, Akansha stepped out. The officer then signaled the car owner to leave—and he drove off immediately, likely cursing her under his breath, assuming she was some kind of criminal.
He dropped her bag on the road as he left.
Akansha shut her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
This has to be a bad dream.
She immediately suspected Shaurya. But Akash had promised he would divert him—then how did this happen?
Had her brother failed?
Yes.
By the time Akash reached Shaurya’s residence to keep him occupied, Shaurya had already left—to find her and Siya.
"I don’t know why you’ve stopped me, but I’m not doing anything illegal," Akansha said firmly.
"We never said you were, ma’am. With all due respect... we request your presence there," the officer said, gesturing toward one of the vehicles.
Akansha glared at him. How was she supposed to get into a random car just because they asked her to? This was absurd.
"Look, sir—" she began, but her words died in her throat the moment she heard his voice.
"Mr. Singh... I’ll take it from here."
Shaurya Singh Shekhawat’s voice cut through the air, cold and commanding.
He stepped out of his vehicle and walked toward her—crossing the border.
Akansha’s breath hitched.
How the hell did he reach the other state before her?
The officer nodded, saluted him, and stepped back.
Akansha tightened her hold on Siya, and Shaurya’s gaze fell on his daughter... then briefly lifted to the blazing sun above.
He reached out, placing his hand over Akansha’s, intending to take Siya from her so he could care for her—but Akansha’s grip tightened instantly, her eyes filling with tears.
"No... she is mine. She is my daughter. You can’t take her away," Akansha said, her voice trembling.
Siya squirmed slightly in her sleep, but Akansha didn’t notice—her fear had completely taken over.
Shaurya’s eyes softened. In that moment, nothing else mattered. His anger, his sense of betrayal—everything faded. All that remained was the urge to comfort her... and his love for her.
"I’m not snatching her away from you, Akansha... I will never do that. She is yours more than anything. It’s hot—I just want to put her somewhere comfortable so she can sleep peacefully while her mother and father sort a few things out," Shaurya said.
Her eyes widened. So did the officers around them.
Before she could react further, Shaurya gently took Siya into his arms. Akansha instinctively tried to resist, but she knew she wouldn’t win this—not here. Reluctantly, she let go, following him closely.
"Suraj... please collect the luggage," Shaurya instructed.
But before Suraj could move, Akansha picked it up herself.
Suraj opened the door of Shaurya’s vehicle. Fortunately, no civilians were present—only high-ranking officials and officers fiercely loyal to him.
Shaurya kissed his daughter’s forehead and carefully placed her in the back seat. He covered her with his shawl, and Siya instinctively clutched it, settling into its warmth.
Akansha’s eyes flashed with surprise. Siya had only ever done that with her saree or dupatta before.
Shaurya shut the door gently and turned to face her.
"So... do you want to discuss this here, or at my place?" he asked, his tone shifting—cold, controlled, purely professional.
Akansha swallowed. The softness from moments ago had vanished.
She knew—legally, not telling him about the pregnancy might not hold much ground, but morally... ethically... this was complicated. And if things escalated, he could even fight for custody.
Despite his earlier words, fear tightened its grip around her heart.
"As much as I despise talking about this with you, I don’t have a choice, Mr. Shekhawat. So yes, we’ll talk—but not here," she said, her voice steady.
For a moment, he simply looked at her—admiring her strength, her composure.
And in that moment, he fell for her again.
But the anger remained.
And this time, he wasn’t willing to forgive her.