Chapter 25 #2
"I will listen—but later. Tonight is about us. Let's not talk about work, please," he said, almost pleading.
He wanted time with her—just her.
But the determined look on her face made him give in.
"Fine... anything you want," he said.
Her face lit up instantly.
She got up from her seat and moved beside him, pulling out his pocket diary and pen from his suit jacket, as if it was second nature. She began explaining her plan.
His heart warmed at the ease with which she knew him—his habits, his things... everything.
"Shaurya?"
A woman's surprised voice cut through her words.
Shaurya's body stiffened beside her.
That was all it took for unease to creep into Akansha.
"Meera? Hi..." Shaurya stood up, extending his hand.
So this was Meera.
"Hi... What is the youth leader doing in a place like this?" Meera asked lightly. "As far as I know, you prefer being among people most of the time—and the rest, working for them."
Akansha's expression hardened.
The way Meera was looking at him...
She didn't like it.
Not one bit.
She knew her boyfriend was an attractive man—impossible to ignore—but that didn't give every woman the right to look at him as if they could consume him whole.
Akansha waited—expecting him to introduce her as his girlfriend, just so she could watch the color drain from the woman's face.
Until now, Shaurya had always acted as if he wouldn't hesitate to claim her openly.
It was only because of her reservations about her family that he had held back from making things official.
So, at the very least, she expected him to tell this woman who she was to him.
"And that's what I am doing... working for public welfare," Shaurya said, turning toward Akansha.
"Akansha... meet Meera Pathak, my friend.
And Meera, this is Akansha Dikshit, pursuing a Ph.D.
in child psychology. She has an excellent plan for revising the existing curriculum for primary and secondary education, which is outdated and not aligned with current trends. We were discussing that," Shaurya said.
Akansha's face paled at his words.
Meera's, on the other hand, brightened.
"God, you and your workaholic self, Shaurya. Seeing you here with this woman, I thought you were on a date with this beautiful lady," Meera said, almost relieved that she was wrong. "And here you are... discussing work in a place like this," she added, glancing around appreciatively.
"That's exactly why I'm here—for privacy. If I were seen anywhere else, people would assume the same thing you just did," Shaurya replied, maintaining a pleasant smile.
Meera laughed.
That sound only added fuel to the fire already raging inside Akansha.
"Um... looks like you both have a lot to catch up on. Why don't you continue? I'll leave... anyway, we are done here," Akansha said, the last part directed at Shaurya.
He understood immediately.
Her anger.
Her hurt.
His chest tightened.
"That's very kind of you, Akansha... but I still have a few things to discuss with you, and they cannot be postponed," Shaurya said, cutting in before Meera could agree.
He knew Meera Pathak.
He knew her interest in him.
Being the only daughter of millionaire Vanraj Pathak, she had grown up with privilege, but instead of relying on it, she had carved her own identity. Her confidence, however, often bordered on overconfidence.
She had achieved almost everything she had set her eyes on.
Except him.
She had confessed her feelings during their graduation days, and he had declined politely.
They had stayed in touch afterward, though Shaurya kept their interactions limited to formal exchanges.
Even that changed when he returned to India, leaving behind a top position in a London-based fintech firm to enter politics.
Meera's father had soon approached his family with a marriage proposal, offering to fund his political journey. The deal had appealed to his parents—but Shaurya had refused outright.
And from that point, he had distanced himself from Meera as well.
He wanted to introduce Akansha as his girlfriend... the woman he intended to marry.
But he couldn't.
He didn't trust Meera.
She was capable of going to any extent, and with Akansha already trying to keep their relationship hidden from her family, he couldn't risk exposing her.
And above all—
With his retribution still hanging over everything...
How could he openly declare his love for the very woman he had once blamed for his sister's suffering?
"Oh Shaurya... breaking my heart has become a habit for you now," Meera said, a hint of seriousness beneath her light tone.
He noticed it.
But chose not to react.
He had already hurt Akansha enough.
"Bye, Meera," Shaurya said curtly.
"You're not getting away that easily, Mr. Youth Leader. Finish your meeting and drop me home. My car is out for servicing—Dad was supposed to pick me up, but I'll cancel on him since you're here. Till then, I'll continue with my work," she said casually.
"Work?" Shaurya asked, suspicion evident in his tone.
He knew her well enough to question that claim.
"Oh, this time it's real," she laughed, noticing the suspicion in his eyes.
"You see, this building belongs to our company.
The first three floors are rented to this restaurant, while the rest are leased to different vendors.
Dad and I are planning to restructure the arrangement, so I'm here to discuss it with the clients," she added.
"Hm... carry on with your work and let me know when you're done. My driver will drop you home safely. I have to drop Ms. Dixit—I promised her, and that's why she's out late with me. Hope you understand," Shaurya said, politely declining.
Akansha noticed it.
He didn't abandon her for his friend.
He didn't even offer to drop Meera afterward.
If he had, she would have left in a cab. Even a minute more around this woman would have brought out her indignant side—and she didn't want that.
"No, thanks. I'll ask Dad to pick me up on his way. See you later," Meera said. Then turning to Akansha, she added with a polite smile, "Nice meeting you, Akansha."
"Pleasure is all mine, Ms. Pathak," Akansha replied with an equally composed smile. She could act too.
Meera walked away.
The moment she was out of sight, Akansha grabbed her bag and stormed out. Shaurya hurried behind her, trying to stop her.
"Akansha... stop. At least slow down, baby... you'll lose your balance," he said, concerned.
"Baby?" she snapped without stopping. "Don't address me like that. What if Meera hears? She would know, right?"
"Akansha... please stop and listen to me. I don't care about Meera or anyone else—I care about you," he said, still following her.
He quickly settled the bill and rushed after her when she didn't stop, his panic rising as she walked past his car.
"Akansha... please, stop. Let's talk," he pleaded.
"Don't follow me. What if someone sees us together and finds out about me? What will happen to your reputation then?" she taunted.
"Listen to me, Akansha... I didn't tell Meera because that woman isn't right. She wanted to marry me—and she still does," he said.
That only made her angrier.
"Then you should have definitely told her about us," Akansha shot back.
"And let her plan our separation?" he countered immediately.
"She's capable of it. My parents listen to her, they trust her.
.. and she can stoop to any level to create problems for you.
I hid our relationship because of all that—not because I didn't want to tell the world who I belong to. God knows how badly I want that."
His words came out in a rush.
This time, her steps slowed.
She could see the truth in his eyes.
It calmed her... but not completely.
She understood his reasons—but the anger remained. It didn't make sense, she knew that. He had done everything keeping her safety in mind. Still, the hurt stayed.
For days, she didn't let it go.
And he bore it all.
Silently.
He kept persuading her, apologizing, never defending himself. He stopped justifying and instead chose patience. He knew she wasn't just angry—she was hurt. And hurt needed healing, not explanations.
So he gave her love.
More love.
He endured her anger, her outbursts, her silence—without complaint.
And eventually...
She softened.
She forgave him.
But when the truth about his retribution came out, everything changed.
Akansha believed he had never revealed their relationship because it had all been an act.
That thought poisoned these memories, leaving behind nothing but bitterness.
And it wasn't just that.
The second time she saw Meera was at Shaurya's ancestral palace.
Meera hadn't seen her face then—only her back.
When she had asked Shaurya about her, it wasn't him who answered.
It was his father.
"She's the new caretaker," Virender Singh Shekhawat had said casually.
The words hadn't surprised her.
They hadn't even hurt her.
But Shaurya's silence...
That had shattered her.
"Get a coffee for me," Meera had ordered carelessly.
Akansha had walked away without turning back.
Shaurya had stood there, his chest tightening—hurt for his wife, anger at Meera's arrogance. He wanted to lash out, to demand respect for Akansha.
But the words died before they could leave his mouth.
Because he knew—
One wrong move and...
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"Um… sure… I’ll wait here," Meera said, masking her displeasure at Shaurya’s absurd request.
Akansha briefly explained the matter to Shaurya and handed him the file for approval.
"This needs a detailed review, Akansha. I can’t just sign it off. Either explain everything properly or let me go through the brief report before I approve it," Shaurya said.
Akansha knew better than to argue with him. Besides, she wasn’t in the mood for one.
"Sure, Sir… Then I’ll collect the file tomorrow morning after you review it," she proposed, hoping it would give him enough time to go through everything carefully.