Chapter 26 #4
Shaurya immediately lifted her into his arms and spun her around, Siya’s infectious laughter filling the entire space and bringing wide smiles to both her parents’ faces.
“I missed you so much,” father and daughter spoke at the exact same time before bursting into laughter.
Shaurya kissed his daughter’s hair lovingly before turning toward Akansha.
She was staring at them with a soft smile on her face.
But the moment she noticed him looking at her, the smile disappeared instantly, reminding him once again of the bitterness she still carried toward him.
“Take a seat,” he said softly to Akansha.
He hated treating her like a guest in her own house, but that was exactly how she preferred things between them now.
“Thanks, Suraj,” Shaurya said to his CSO.
Suraj nodded politely before leaving quietly.
A few moments later, Mrs. Sudha walked out carrying coffee for Akansha and a milkshake for Siya.
Shaurya took the tray from her himself and helped Siya drink the milkshake while still carrying her in his arms.
“She can drink it herself. Put her down,” Akansha said the moment she noticed him roaming around with Siya in his arms continuously.
Siya had always loved being carried.
Ever since she was a toddler, she would throw endless tantrums whenever someone left her on the floor or in her cradle instead of carrying her.
With immense difficulty, Akansha had managed to break that habit over the years.
And now, Shaurya was unknowingly bringing it back again.
“I know she can, but I want to do it,” Shaurya said softly.
Akansha did not argue further. For now, she let him do things his way, deciding she would speak to him later once Siya went for her afternoon nap.
“Breakfast is ready, let me serve it,” Mrs. Sudha offered warmly, but Akansha stopped her politely.
“I already had breakfast, thank you, Aunty,” Akansha replied, taking a sip of her coffee.
Shaurya frowned immediately at her words.
He gently made Siya sit beside him on the sofa before turning toward her.
“Siya... I got your favorite toys. There are unicorns too. Wanna see?” Shaurya asked excitedly.
“Yayyy! Yesss!” Siya squealed in happiness.
Before the little girl could spill the milkshake in excitement, Akansha quickly took the glass from her hands, glaring at both father and daughter.
“Easy, little girl...” Shaurya said softly.
“Finish your shake. Till then Mumma and I will bring your toys,” he added, earning another glare from Akansha.
She gave him a pointed look that clearly asked, Why me?
“Um... actually, there are a lot of toys, so I need your help,” he explained.
Akansha wanted to point out that he could have easily asked one of the servants for help. Or better, he could have simply taken Siya upstairs himself and shown her the toys.
But she stayed silent.
She knew perfectly well he was merely making excuses to talk to her alone.
Akansha got up after instructing Siya to finish the milkshake without spilling it, which the little girl obediently did.
Shaurya could not help feeling astonished seeing how beautifully Akansha had raised their daughter with such good manners.
Akansha followed him upstairs.
The moment they entered his room, Shaurya shut the door behind them, making her frown.
“What’s with you? Why didn’t you come for breakfast? I know you hate me, but this is too much,” Shaurya asked quietly.
Akansha sighed tiredly.
“Look... this has nothing to do with you,” she replied because she did not want to reveal the real reason.
“Akansha... you don’t have to hide it. I know you hate me too much to even have meals with me or at my place, but—”
“Shut up,” she cut him off sharply. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t have had the coffee, but I did, didn’t I? You act like the smartest man alive when it comes to the state, but in matters like this, you are unbelievably stupid.”
Her rude tone did not bother him anymore. He had long grown used to it.
“I—”
“Don’t say a word,” she interrupted again. “I had breakfast because I cannot delay it. I have to take my medicine after eating every day, so I had no choice.”
“Medicine?”
His eyes widened instantly.
“Wh... what happened to you? Why are you taking medicine?” he asked anxiously, cupping her face without even realizing it.
Fear completely overtook him.
The dread was visible all over his face as horrifying possibilities flooded his mind.
For the past five years, he had lived with recurring nightmares of something terrible happening to her.
Every single day he worried about her safety.
That was exactly why, when he had first seen her at the police station after years, his heart had nearly stopped from fear. At that moment, nothing else mattered—not public image, not politics, not even the possibility of people discovering their relationship.
All he had felt was her pain and the terror of losing her.
“It was just blood pressure. I developed it after delivering Siya... postpartum complications again,” Akansha answered quietly.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have explained herself, but his condition genuinely looked alarming. He appeared as though he might faint if she did not calm him immediately.
Standing so close to him, she could literally feel his uneven breathing and the violent pounding of his heart.
“BP? Y-You developed blood pressure issues? Was it difficult... the pregnancy?” he asked shakily.
It felt as though mountains were crushing him alive.
The guilt and regret he already carried were unbearable enough, and every new detail about her suffering only multiplied that burden further.
“Let’s take the toys downstairs,” Akansha said, trying to divert the topic.
“Can’t you answer me, please? It’s about my daughter’s birth. I deserve to know,” he insisted desperately.
For a moment, he genuinely believed invoking his right as Siya’s father might soften her enough to tell him about her pregnancy and those difficult days.
But he was wrong.
“You don’t need to know about my pregnancy for that,” she replied curtly. “I’ll tell you everything from the day Siya was born... but only when Siya accepts you as her father and when you prove yourself worthy of being called her father.”
Her words hit him painfully.
She was willing to tell him about his daughter’s life after birth.
But what about her?
How would he ever know what she had endured alone?
“For that, you have to tell her the truth. Have you decided when you’ll tell her?” he asked carefully.
But Akansha ignored the question completely and bent down to pick up a few toys.
He stopped her immediately.
“I’ll bring Siya here. I got train tracks arranged in the balcony for her train toys,” he explained.
Akansha glared at him instantly, understanding that he had brought her upstairs solely to continue this conversation.
Without another word, she stormed out of the room.
Mrs. Sudha had prepared South Indian breakfast, and Akansha fed Siya idly.
Earlier at home, she had already given her daughter some cereal while ignoring the little girl’s endless questions about why they had not brought the toys downstairs.
Thankfully, Shaurya answered her instead, calming the curious child.
After breakfast, Shaurya took Siya to his room, and Akansha followed them upstairs.
Shaurya and Siya settled in the balcony, sorting through the toys.
Siya became wildly excited seeing the huge collection.
Akansha did not mind it. She knew no matter how many toys her daughter received, Siya would never become spoiled, and even if she ever crossed limits, Akansha knew exactly how to bring her back in line.
Moreover, Shaurya deserved to pamper his daughter.
Especially after everything, Siya deserved all this love and indulgence.
“Mumma, come hele... join us,” Siya called out excitedly.
“Here,” Shaurya and Akansha corrected together, making the little girl burst into giggles.
“Hele...” she repeated stubbornly.
“Siya, you both carry on. Mumma has some work, I’ll go,” Akansha said.
“Going where?” Shaurya asked immediately, panic flashing across his face.
For a second, he thought she was leaving for her place already. Siya was supposed to stay with him till night, and somewhere deep inside, he had assumed Akansha would stay too.
“To the other room. I brought my laptop, I need to work,” Akansha clarified, calming him instantly.
“Mumma pwease...” Siya pleaded with her puppy eyes.
“Say ‘please’ properly first, then I’ll stay,” Akansha challenged.
“Of course she will,” Shaurya assured confidently.
Siya had only pronounced the word correctly a handful of times so far, and every successful attempt had taken a lot of patience and practice. Shaurya honestly doubted his impatient wife would wait long enough for them to achieve the impossible standard she set for their daughter.
“P... le... ase... Please,” Shaurya broke the word into syllables patiently.
To his luck, Siya managed to pronounce it correctly after barely ten attempts.
Both parents looked victorious while Siya clapped for herself happily.
Akansha sighed in defeat and stayed back as promised.
Shaurya and Siya sat on one side of the train tracks while Akansha settled opposite them. Siya had surrounded herself with stuffed toys and kept several more in her lap, refusing to part with any of them even while playing with the train set.
Shaurya helped Siya connect the train bogies while Akansha filled them with dummy coal blocks and parcel toys. Siya carefully placed tiny human figurines inside one of the train compartments.
Akansha immediately laughed at her daughter’s innocent logic.
Shaurya, however, looked offended.
“Siya... you boarded people in a goods train? Very nice,” Akansha teased.
The little girl, completely unaware of her mother’s sarcasm, giggled proudly at earning her mother’s smile.
But Shaurya got defensive instantly.
“She is just four years old. Stop teasing her and help her,” he said seriously.