Chapter 24
Jasmeet, one of Shaurya’s trusted guards, dropped them home.
The moment Akansha stepped inside, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Their home—her safe haven. But peace didn’t follow her inside.
Until now, life hadn’t been easy, but at least it had been free from chaos. She couldn’t say the same anymore. Now that Shaurya knew about his daughter, he would do everything possible to carve a place for Siya in his world. But where would that leave her?
Could she continue living in anonymity the way she had all these years? Could she bear the identity of being the Chief Minister’s ex-wife? And what about the endless complications that came with it?
Her life was already turning messier than she had ever imagined. She only hoped Shaurya would find a way to lessen the damage.
Her gaze shifted toward the picture frames in her bedroom.
Akansha gently caressed the frame holding Richa and Siya’s picture. The two looked adorable together. There was no doubt Richa loved Siya deeply, but what she had done… Akansha still couldn’t accept it completely.
If not for Richa, Shaurya would never have found out about Siya—at least not this soon. Now that she knew the truth behind his words that night, she understood why he had spoken that way in front of his mother. And yet… a part of her still wished he had remained unaware of Siya’s existence.
His knowledge had only complicated everything.
At the same time, another part of her felt relieved that her daughter would finally receive a father’s love too.
Shaurya may not have been a good husband, but Akansha truly believed he would be a wonderful father.
He had always dreamed of having children, and the way he was ready to walk away from his political career for Siya proved just how deeply he loved her.
People would kill to stand where he stood today. Yet he had been willing to let go of everything in a heartbeat. That surprised her—but she also knew he had meant every word.
After freshening up herself and Siya, Akansha settled her daughter with her toys and moved to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Her phone buzzed.
A message from Shaurya.
"I’m missing my daughter…"
Akansha stared at the screen for a moment and exhaled slowly. It hadn’t even been two hours since they returned.
Not you, Akansha, her mind reminded her sharply. He misses only his daughter.
She pushed the thought away. She had no expectations for their future—none. But sometimes, the heart that had once loved him too intensely forgot that truth.
"So?" she replied curtly.
She hadn’t wanted to respond so quickly, but she couldn’t ignore him either. Not because she was softening toward him—definitely not—but because somewhere, she felt guilty for the pain of a father kept away from his child.
If she had spoken to him that day… if she had listened… Shaurya would have been with Siya from the beginning. And maybe she wouldn’t have suffered this much either.
But she wasn’t wrong.
Even if life gave her another chance, she knew she would make the same decision again—because back then, she hadn’t been a wife. She had been a mother fighting for her child’s survival.
Her phone buzzed repeatedly.
"What is she doing?"
"How is her health now? Hope she’s alright?"
"Let me know if she needs a doctor."
"Um… Siya and I have similar body types. Not every doctor suits us. I’ll send my doctor, maybe that would help?"
"I’m sorry if that offended you. I know you can take care of her well… I’m just worried. Sorry."
Message after message flooded her screen before she could even reply. She could practically see his state of mind. He was panicking. Afraid he had upset her. Afraid she might stop him from seeing Siya.
"Siya is fine. Her fever has reduced. You were right—not every doctor suits her. But after a lot of trial and error, her current pediatrician works well for her," Akansha finally replied.
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After lunch, she fed Siya and put her to sleep. Siya wanted to talk to Shaurya, but Akansha managed to distract her for the time being.
She didn’t want her daughter getting too used to his presence so quickly. Yes, he would now remain in Siya’s life—but he wouldn’t live with them. No matter what, Siya would have to accept that her parents were separated. Akansha was only preparing her for that truth.
Her phone buzzed again.
"Can I see her?"
With a sigh, Akansha clicked a picture of Siya sleeping peacefully and sent it to him. A few minutes later, another message appeared.
"Can I talk to her once she wakes up?"
"No. You can talk to her after a few days," Akansha replied.
Shaurya stared at the message for a long time. He wanted to argue. Wanted to insist.
But fear stopped him.
What if she got upset and restricted his visits altogether? No matter what existed between them, he knew one thing for certain—Akansha would always choose what she believed was best for Siya.So if she thought distance was necessary for now… He had no option but to trust her judgment.
He never replied. He didn’t have the courage to push further. Akansha understood the silence behind his unread emotions.
And truthfully… She wasn’t enjoying the distance between father and daughter either.
But she had no choice.
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After finishing her lunch, she lay down beside Siya.
The moment Akansha settled beside her, Siya instinctively snuggled closer. The small gesture sent a sharp wave of memories crashing into her.
Akansha stepped into their room and sighed in relief when she saw her husband asleep.
At least now she didn’t have to worry about his nearness or about controlling herself around him.
It was already difficult enough to keep her emotions—and desires—in check. Whenever Shaurya took even a single step toward her, resisting him became nearly impossible.
But she had to resist. He needed to understand that she was upset.
Carefully, she climbed onto the bed, trying not to wake him. She knew how light a sleeper he was.
Yet the moment she lay down, his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him.
He buried his face into her neck.
"Where were you…? I was waiting for you," he murmured in a husky, sleep-laced voice.
She knew he wasn’t fully awake. He didn’t expect an answer. Akansha almost laughed at herself.
How foolish had she been to think she could avoid him just by coming to bed after he slept?
Even in his sleep, he sensed her. Holding her close came as naturally to him as breathing.
Akansha shook her head faintly.
After taking her migraine tablet, she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep—pushing the thoughts of her ex-husband to the farthest corner of her mind.
Shaurya could barely breathe through the day.
It had only been a few hours since his daughter left, yet it felt like an eternity. He had already missed more than four years of her life—and now, even a second without Siya felt like torture.
He couldn’t even message Akansha. He had already stretched her patience to its limit.
"Sir…"
He heard his secretary’s voice and turned toward her, only then realizing she had been calling him for a while. He had been so lost in thoughts of his daughter that he hadn’t heard a thing.
"Um… yes, Shweta?" he responded.
"Sir, the heads of all the conglomerates you mentioned are here," Shweta informed him.
"Postpone the meeting, Shweta. Call for a cabinet meeting in the evening instead," Shaurya said, catching her off guard once again.
For the first time in the past four and a half years, he was this absent-minded.
He had always been sharp—precise, attentive, fully in control. Even when he missed meetings, it was always for official reasons.
But today…
He sat there, idle, his mind blank.
He didn’t trust himself to make decisions—not when his thoughts were scattered, when his mind was clouded. He refused to risk the future of the state and its people by making choices in this condition.
The failure he felt—as a husband, as a father—had begun to creep into everything else.
Even his role as Chief Minister.
The pain his wife and daughter had endured because of him—it weighed heavily, affecting his clarity, his judgment… his very ability to function.
"Sir… you already postponed this meeting once today," Shweta reminded him gently. It had originally been scheduled for 10:00 AM, then pushed to noon.
"Please move it to another day, Shweta. This meeting is important… so not today," he said.
She nodded.
The meeting involved some of the biggest industrialists—heads of major conglomerates across India, along with foreign investors. They were not just powerful, but influential enough to subtly shift political equations.
Though Shaurya was confident about winning, maintaining the same margin required resources—funding—and these were the people who backed campaigns.
In return, they expected favors.
Shaurya wasn’t against industrial growth. In fact, under his leadership, nearly half a million jobs had been created—a record no Chief Minister had achieved before.
But there was a line. When those favors started hurting the common people—that was where he drew it.
And he could only deal with people like them when he was in complete control of his mind.
Not now. Not when his thoughts were tangled in guilt, regret, and the weight of his own mistakes.
"Anything else, sir?" Shweta asked.
"Get me a strong coffee. And I want to personally verify all the files submitted by the Department of Finance. Bring me the raw data," Shaurya said.
That surprised her. It was a tedious, mentally exhausting task.
Yes, the numbers were crucial for the cabinet meeting later that day—but this level of scrutiny wasn’t his responsibility. There were teams of experts—top chartered accountants—assigned to handle it.
Then why was he taking it on himself?
It almost felt like he wanted to exhaust himself—drain his mind so completely that it stopped thinking altogether.
"Should I call Mr. Tiwari and his team to assist you?" Shweta asked.