Chapter 23 #2
It was getting harder for him to control his tone—the anger simmering beneath the surface—but he still held himself back. He had never liked raising his voice at her… especially now, knowing how much she despised it.
"Akash is my brother. He did what any brother would do," she defended firmly.
"I was angry at him for taking you away from me," Shaurya admitted, his voice dropping. "But the rage you see now… it’s because he tried to take my daughter away from me. That—I will not forgive."
He held her gaze, unflinching.
"He is your brother. It’s natural for him to protect you. But this…" he exhaled sharply, "this is unacceptable."
"I’m glad my brother didn’t choose revenge for his sister’s pain," Akansha shot back, her eyes blazing. "Unlike someone who destroyed my life."
Shaurya let out a slow breath.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Because your brother never saw his sister in the condition that someone else saw his sister in."
His gaze darkened, pain flickering through it.
"I’m glad he didn’t," he continued. "And I know Akash’s sister is strong. But mine… she wasn’t."
His voice lowered further.
"He never had to lose control to the point of doing something that goes against everything he believes in… something his own heart would reject."
He paused, his eyes softening as they locked with hers.
"I’m glad he never had to face that kind of situation."
A faint, almost broken smile touched his lips.
"Because you, my jaan… are the strongest."
For a brief moment, Akansha forgot everything.
The years.
The pain.
The anger.
All of it blurred when she heard those words—my jaan—from him after so long.
And just like that, she lost herself in his eyes.
Until her brother’s voice pulled her back to reality.
"Di…" Akash rushed toward Akansha, gripping her shoulders.
"I’m fine, Akash," she said, trying to reassure him.
"I’m sorry, Di… I’m extremely sorry," Akash apologized, his heart heavy with the crushing feeling of having failed as a brother.
"Don’t be. You tried your best," Akansha replied gently. "Anyway, we’ll talk about it later. You both continue… I’ll leave now."
She walked away.
Akash stood there, stunned.
His sister—calm, composed—in Shaurya’s presence, in his house… as if she had already accepted the reality.
His gaze snapped toward Shaurya.
Did he force her to stay?
"Why is she behaving like this?" Akash demanded. "Did you blackmail her again?"
"How dare you, Akash Dikshit?" Shaurya’s voice turned ice-cold. There was no trace of emotion—only raw, controlled rage.
Akash didn’t back down.
"I’ve done nothing wrong. Protecting my sister is my responsibility—which you never let me fulfill."
"By snatching my daughter away from me?" Shaurya shot back. "If that’s what you call responsibility, then I’ll make sure you never get to fulfill it again. Get that imprinted in your thick skull, Akash."
"Your daughter?" Akash scoffed. "You think you deserve Siya?"
"You’re no one to judge that," Shaurya said, his tone steady but lethal. "Akansha and I will deal with our issues. You are her brother—you have rights where she is concerned, as long as she allows it. But you don’t have that right when it comes to my daughter."
He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering.
"Take this as a warning—or a caution. I don’t care. But if you even think of pulling something like this again… I will leave you incapable of taking care of yourself—let alone my wife or daughter."
Akash caught the seriousness in his tone.
"I’ve heard you," he said, his voice equally firm. "Now listen to me carefully, Sir… When it comes to my sister, I don’t care about consequences. If you hurt her—or my niece—again, I won’t hesitate to do what I did earlier. This time… I’ll make sure I succeed."
With that, he turned and stormed out of the study, leaving Shaurya standing there, lost in thought.
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Shaurya walked into his room.
Akansha was pulling the blanket off Siya.
"What are you doing?" he asked immediately, moving forward to tuck the duvet back over his daughter.
Without waiting for a response, he gently took Akansha by the wrist and led her to the balcony, sliding the glass door shut behind them so their voices wouldn’t disturb Siya.
"Akash is waiting downstairs. I’m taking Siya home," Akansha said.
"Stay tonight. We still have a lot to talk about," Shaurya replied.
"I’ve already told you what I want," she countered.
"And I’m not agreeing to any of it," he said firmly. "I’m not walking away from my daughter. You can tell her the truth at your own pace—but from now on, I need access to her."
His voice hardened.
"I want to meet her once every week. We’ll discuss the rest of the terms later—for now, this is non-negotiable."
"Shaurya… this is a mess," Akansha said, frustration creeping in. "Elections are coming up. Focus on that. Leave us alone at least until then."
"Elections are still more than half a year away," he replied. "I can’t stay away from my daughter even for a day. And despite that, I’m asking for just one day a week—for your comfort."
He held her gaze.
"Think about it, Akansha. I’m not asking for too much."
She exhaled slowly.
"You have the whole night, Shaurya," she said finally. "Convince me."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked away—to call Akash and ask him to pick them up the next morning.
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Akansha sat on the staircase, her mind spiraling through possibilities.
She was stuck.
Now that Shaurya knew about his daughter, she didn’t know how to keep him away anymore.
She had seen the determination in his eyes.
He would do anything to be a part of Siya’s life—as her father.
She had understood that the moment he was ready to walk away from his political career for his daughter.
And Siya…
Siya deserved a father.
If Shaurya was ready to give that love to her… was it right for her to keep them apart?
Yes, he had hurt her.
Deeply.
And that pain was enough to never give him another chance—as a husband.
But as a father…
He had never harmed their child.
She had believed he would—but that had been her misunderstanding.
Now that the truth was out… could she at least allow him into Siya’s life?
Maybe.
But with limits.
Strict limits.
Because she would never let him build dreams in her daughter’s heart that he might not be able to fulfill.
"Why are you sitting here?" she heard Shaurya ask from behind.
"Just thinking… Anyway, if you’re done with your work, let’s talk. I need to feed Siya dinner as well," Akansha said, getting up and walking toward him.
"Let’s talk after dinner. Feed Siya first," he replied.
She nodded and walked toward the kitchen. He followed her quietly, wanting to see how she prepared Siya’s meals.
Akansha began working while Mrs. Sudha assisted her. Shaurya stood there, watching his wife—the same woman who once fumbled through the simplest kitchen chores, now moving with ease and confidence.
"Siya is four years old now, right, beta?" Mrs. Sudha asked.
"Ji," Akansha replied, stirring the boiling mixture.
"But you’re still feeding her cereal? What about supplements and other nutrients? Now that she’s four, you can start giving her solid food. She can chew properly," Mrs. Sudha advised.
Akansha smiled faintly. "Oh no, aunty… this isn’t store-bought cereal.
I make it at home—with nuts and grains, all ground together to give her proper nutrition.
And don’t worry, I feed her regular food and fruits as well.
It’s just that at this hour, she eats better in her semi-sleep state, so cereal works best."
"That’s nice," Mrs. Sudha said, peering into the bowl. "What all did you add?"
Akansha explained the ingredients and the process—how she made it both nutritious and tasty.
Shaurya listened closely, silently taking in every detail—just in case he needed it someday.
Once she finished, Akansha arranged everything on a plate. With one last glance, she walked toward the room.
Shaurya turned to Mrs. Sudha. "Please prepare dinner for two and send it to my room."
He entered the room to find Akansha trying to lift Siya into a semi-seated position so she could feed her properly.
Without a word, he stepped forward to help.
Siya instinctively leaned into him, her eyes still closed, drifting deeper into sleep.
Akansha gently pulled her back, settling her into her arms. Siya snuggled closer, finding comfort in her warmth, while Akansha slowly fed her the cereal.
"Do you need any help?" Shaurya asked quietly.
"No, I’ll manage," she replied.
But to him, it sounded like I always have.
The guilt settled heavier in his chest.
Once Akansha finished feeding her and cleaned her up, Shaurya helped lay Siya down, gently patting her back until she burped before tucking her in properly.
A few moments later, Mrs. Sudha brought their dinner and quietly left, giving them space.
"Let’s have dinner," Shaurya said.
The simple words pulled Akansha back to a time when she had been his wife.
"I’m not hungry," she replied.
"You haven’t eaten anything since morning. Come, eat," he said softly.
"I don’t eat at random people’s places. So no, thank you," Akansha said coldly.
"Random people? Akansha… please—"
"I was poisoned by your mother, Shaurya," she cut him off. "That experience is more than enough to make me afraid of even drinking water in your house."
Shaurya didn’t argue.
He walked to the bed with the food tray and sat in front of her.
"That was my ancestral home. My mother had control there," he said calmly. "But this place is mine. I’ve never allowed her to step inside—not even once. She has never entered my kitchen. Only Mrs. Sudha does."
He picked up his plate and began eating.
Akansha watched him, surprised—he continued eating without hesitation, as if her suspicion didn’t bother him at all.
After a few minutes, he looked at her.