Chapter 27 #2
“I’m not sacrificing anything. I’m doing this for my daughter.
Siya should have at least one parent she can completely trust and rely on, and that should always be you.
So it’s better if she believes I alone am responsible for her growing up without a father.
Let her think her father was too busy with politics to even look at her.
That’s how it should remain... at least until she grows old enough to understand why you hid the truth from me,” Shaurya finished calmly.
Akansha looked at him quietly.
She knew exactly why he was doing this.
And deep down, she knew it was the right thing for now.
Siya deserved at least one parent she would never resent.
“Siya will be upset with you,” Akansha said softly.
“I know,” Shaurya replied quietly, already imagining his daughter’s hurt face.
“It won’t be easy to convince her if she gets seriously upset over something, Shaurya. Think about this again,” Akansha cautioned him honestly.
“There’s nothing to think about, Akansha. I would rather have Siya angry with me than with you,” he replied without hesitation.
The sincerity in his voice warmed her heart despite herself.
“So... when are you telling her?” he asked again, trying hard to hide the excitement in his voice.
But she knew him too well.
Shaurya frowned seeing the hesitation still lingering on her face.
“Y... you don’t want to tell her?” he asked slowly.
Did she hate him so much that even the thought of introducing him as her father to their daughter disgusted her?
“I don’t. But that’s not why I’m hesitating,” Akansha replied immediately, irritated.
“Then what is it?” he pressed impatiently.
“Siya is only four years old, Shaurya. She doesn’t understand boundaries,” Akansha explained finally.
“If I tell her you are her father, then for her, you will be her father everywhere... not just at home or in front of selected people. My daughter is too young to understand secrecy or maintain this act. If she sees you in her school someday, she will run toward you calling you ‘Papa’ in front of everyone without caring about the crowd. What happens then?”
She finally voiced the fear that had been haunting her.
“I don’t know what would happen to the crowd,” Shaurya replied honestly, “but I would be damn happy. Consequences be damned.”
Akansha stared at him as though he had completely lost his mind.
“You are the Chief Minister, Shaurya... I don’t know what would happen to your career or how you would handle it, but my daughter’s and my life would be wrecked,” she said.
“Do you really think I would let any inconvenience come your way?” he asked, and she rolled her eyes at his confidence.
“You are a public figure, Shaurya... Even the smallest detail about your personal life would explode into headlines. People believe you are a bachelor. Half the girls in this state, maybe even the country, think you are available and dream about becoming your life partner. Do you honestly think all of them would calmly accept your rational explanation?” she lashed out.
He was surprised she knew about his female following, but he wouldn’t dare bring that up in the middle of such a serious conversation.
“None of them can deny the truth that we were married years ago. Siya is my daughter, and they will have to accept it. I know how to make people accept the truth,” Shaurya said firmly.
“You still don’t understand, Shaurya... People would call our daughter illegitimate, which—”
“Siya is legitimate,” Shaurya cut her off sharply, his voice turning cold. “She is my daughter. My blood. If anyone dares to say otherwise, I will drag them to court if necessary. I wouldn’t think twice before destroying them.”
The sheer conviction in his eyes startled her.
“But this still isn’t the right way for Siya to publicly claim you as her father.
Not until you find a proper solution. Once she knows the truth, I won’t be able to stop her from saying it openly.
And I understand you are occupied with election campaigning right now, which is why I decided to tell her only after the elections,” Akansha said.
“After elections?” Shaurya frowned instantly. “No way. That’s too long. I cannot wait that much.”
He leaned back, trying to suppress his impatience.
“And who told you I am too occupied? Yes, campaigning is going on, but I can manage both. I cannot keep my daughter waiting until I sort out my political career. That’s not how I function.”
His tone softened automatically when he spoke about Siya.
“She is my priority now. If I ever have to choose between the two, I will always choose Siya. So there is no point delaying this till elections.”
Akansha remained silent.
“But yes,” he continued more calmly, “you are right about one thing. It won’t be good if Siya publicly claims me as her father before I officially reveal it myself.
If that happens, people will assume I am acknowledging her publicly only because of some mishap, which is not the case.
The opposition and their paid media would stoop to any level to defame me, but I won’t let them drag either of you into it. Don’t worry.”
A humorless chuckle escaped him suddenly.
“Though one relief is that Richa is your best friend, so she would never defame you or Siya. Honestly, that removes one of my biggest concerns. She was one of the strongest weapons in the opposition media. That woman relentlessly worked to tarnish my party’s image and target my government despite Dev trying his best to contain the damage. ”
“How exactly are you planning to stop Siya then?” Akansha asked, deliberately ignoring the topic of Richa even though she badly wanted to comment on it.
Yes, Richa had done all of that, but she never spread lies. She only exposed the corrupt ministers in his cabinet whom he kept protecting for the sake of his party’s reputation.
“We won’t really run into each other publicly. And moreover, Siya won’t have to wait that long. I’ll find a solution before elections,” Shaurya said confidently.
“Before elections?” Akansha frowned. “I may not know much about politics, but even I understand this could drastically affect the results.”
She tried hard to hide the concern in her voice.
He was a fool if he thought risking his political career like this was wise. He could reveal everything after the elections too, so why was he rushing so desperately?
Was he truly so desperate to hear his daughter call him ‘Papa’ that he was willing to risk everything for it?
“I’ll try to minimize the damage, but yes, there will be some impact... especially with the way I am choosing to twist the truth,” Shaurya said.
“What do you mean?” Akansha asked with a frown.
“Nothing you should worry about. I know you have completely lost trust in me, but please trust me this once. I won’t let any harm come near you or Siya. I’ll do everything to protect both of you,” Shaurya promised.
“What about you? You would be saving yourself too, right?” Akansha asked curiously.
“Why? Do you care about me?” he asked deliberately, hoping she would drop the topic, and she did exactly that.
“Like hell I do,” she snorted, while he quietly stifled his smile.
He still knew her too well, just like she knew him. The difference was, she no longer trusted the knowledge she once had of him.
The moment she noticed the smile he was trying to suppress, she realized he had diverted the topic intentionally, making her fume in irritation.
“What about Meera Pathak? How is she going to take this news?” she asked.
The playfulness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by guilt and regret.
“I don’t want your crazy exes or jealous female admirers troubling my daughter or me,” she added quickly so he wouldn’t mistake her concern for jealousy.
Shaurya could clearly see the pain hidden behind her calm expression. Regardless of his circumstances or intentions, he had given his wife innumerable wounds by denying her the identity she once longed for. And now, she wanted nothing to do with him.
“I am sorry,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
“For what?” she asked neutrally.
That single question knocked the air out of his lungs.
Yes... he had committed endless mistakes. So many that even listing them felt impossible. Yet he was willing to apologize for every single one of them. Once. Twice. A million times if needed, until she forgave him.
“For what happened that day when Meera visited my ancestral home years ago,” he said quietly. “For silently standing there while my father called you a caretaker.”
His voice carried raw shame and pain. Even if he had remained silent to protect her, it still did not erase the humiliation and hurt she had suffered because of him.
What tormented him further was the fact that he hadn’t stayed silent afterward. That very night, he had confronted his father and—
But he stopped himself there.
He should have explained his actions back then.
He should have justified himself at least once.
But he didn’t... or rather, he couldn’t at that time.
And now, there was no point explaining anything anymore because he knew she wouldn’t believe him.
So, he let her continue believing that he had remained silent because he hated her.
“Don’t be,” Akansha dismissed casually. “I’m actually glad the world never knew me as your wife. It made my life easier after I left you.”
Her indifferent tone pierced through him mercilessly.
Every time she spoke with such coldness, a part of him went numb.
He was desperately searching for his wife — the woman he had fallen madly in love with. The fierce, lively, outspoken woman who laughed loudly, pranked him shamelessly, challenged him boldly, and most importantly, loved him openly without holding herself back.
Even after marriage, even after learning about his betrayal, she had still tried to make their relationship work because somewhere she believed his love for her was real.