Chapter 27 #3
But now, all he saw was a stoic woman who displayed nothing for him. Perhaps there were no emotions left in her heart for him to display anymore.
Shaurya drew a deep breath, trying to suppress the unbearable ache clawing at his chest.
“You were right...” he said softly. “I didn't deserve your forgiveness.”
He tried hard to steady his breathing.
No matter what happened, he would never let her know about his own suffering during these years. The countless near-death situations he had faced. The nightmares that haunted him almost every night. The trauma. The constant fear and uncertainty regarding her safety.
Being a Chief Minister and a public representative, he couldn’t even seek professional help frequently.
If such news leaked, the media would rip him apart.
So he endured everything alone, limiting external help as much as possible.
He never even allowed Mrs. Sudha to know the extent of his struggles.
That was also the reason he never let Dev stay over at his residence during all these years. He didn’t want his best friend witnessing the cracks in him. Because if Dev found out, he would never leave him alone even for a second.
A few months ago, when Dev had stayed overnight unexpectedly, Shaurya had mentally prepared himself. Fortunately, that night, his control held. No nightmares. No panic episodes. No visible breakdowns.
His suffering had not reached a point severe enough to destroy his physical health — though it easily could have.
Thankfully, his disciplined fitness routine and strong mental resilience helped him contain the damage to some extent.
He managed his issues carefully, ensuring they never spiraled beyond control.
But that never meant the suffering disappeared.
Akansha stared at him for a brief second.
He didn’t look fine to her.
For one fleeting moment, concern rose instinctively in her heart, but before it could surface, her mind harshly reminded her to look away... to stop caring... to ignore him.
And she listened to the rational side of herself.
By the time she looked away, Shaurya had already composed himself again.
“I think we should discuss Siya,” Akansha said, and Shaurya nodded immediately.
“Yeah... Sorry... I kind of deviated.” He rubbed his forehead lightly before continuing. “So, I think you should prepare yourself to tell Siya the truth. I’ll make sure she doesn’t mention me to anyone before I figure a proper way out of this.”
He paused for a second before adding softly, “That doesn’t mean she has to hide the fact that she now has her father in her life. She would only be hiding who her father is... and not for long either. I won’t keep my daughter waiting anymore.”
His voice carried quiet determination.
“And regarding public appearances, we can coordinate our schedules. We’ll make sure Siya is nowhere near any public place where I might be present. That way, the kind of situation you mentioned won’t happen,” Shaurya finished.
“Hm... Okay...” Akansha said slowly, still uncertain. “But I need time to prepare myself mentally before telling her. I don’t want to stress my child.”
‘Our child.’
The correction instinctively rose to his lips, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to upset her again.
“I’ll give you my schedule for the next month,” Shaurya offered gently. “I think that would help.”
“Let me first decide when to tell her,” Akansha replied, and he nodded without arguing further.
They discussed a few other things before finally walking toward Shaurya’s room to check on Siya, who was still asleep, tightly hugging the unicorn stuffed toy he had gifted her.
“Siya... Wake up, baby...” Akansha called softly, walking toward the bed.
“Maybe she could sleep a little longer,” Shaurya said quietly.
As much as he desperately wanted his daughter awake so he could spend more time with her, he didn’t have the heart to disturb her peaceful sleep.
“You’ll meet her only after two weeks, Shaurya,” Akansha reminded him softly. “So it’s better both of you spend as much time together as possible. And honestly, your bond will only make it easier for Siya to accept the truth later.”
His heart warmed hearing that.
Despite everything, she still cared about his feelings as a father. But before he could dwell on it, she shifted the topic quickly.
“Also, if her afternoon nap crosses three hours, she won’t sleep properly at night,” Akansha added practically.
Shaurya caught the silent warning in her tone. She didn’t want him acknowledging the emotional part of her concern, so he wisely let it go.
“Siya bear... Wake up? Mama bear has Siya bear’s juice ready,” Akansha said sweetly.
Shaurya frowned slightly. The juice wasn’t even prepared yet.
But within seconds, he understood her trick.
Akansha kissed Siya’s forehead before quietly leaving the room. Almost ten minutes later, she returned carrying a small glass of juice.
Right at that moment, Siya slowly stirred awake, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
That was when Shaurya realized just how deeply Akansha understood their daughter’s routine. He mentally noted another detail — it took nearly ten minutes for Siya to fully wake up after sleep.
The moment Siya properly opened her eyes, she immediately hugged Akansha, still drowsy and clingy. Akansha gently cleaned her face with baby wipes before feeding her the juice patiently.
Then she carried Siya to the washroom, washed her face properly, and changed her into a comfortable pair of shorts and a shirt.
The next moment, Siya rushed out and threw herself into Shaurya’s arms.
“Oh? You noticed Shaurya now, hm?” he teased dramatically.
He had already realized that for the first twenty to thirty minutes after waking up, Siya acknowledged no one except her mother.
Siya only giggled and hugged him tighter.
Shaurya tickled her lightly, and his smile widened hearing his daughter’s adorable laughter fill the room.
“Sholya... This is Siya and Sholya... Yayyy!” Siya squealed excitedly after spotting the framed photographs in his room. She hadn’t noticed them earlier.
“Yes... This is Siya and her Sholya,” Shaurya said softly.
Siya beamed widely. She loved seeing her pictures displayed everywhere.
“Okay now, shall we play something else? I’ve planned so many games for you,” Shaurya told her, and Siya nodded enthusiastically.
She loved every moment spent with him. He was fun, energetic, and endlessly patient with her. Every game he played only made her more attached to him.
Shaurya strongly believed children naturally gravitated toward people who blended into their world and interests, and he had understood that perfectly.
He adapted himself completely to Siya’s energy, thinking and behaving in ways she connected with effortlessly.
That compatibility made his company exciting and comforting for the little girl.
Mothers naturally carried an instinctive connection with their children, and fathers who raised their children from infancy built that bond organically too. But in Shaurya’s case, he had to nurture and develop that bond from scratch.
Still, blood had already worked its magic. Even before learning the truth, he had felt an inexplicable pull toward Siya. And now that he knew she was his daughter, he was willing to put every possible effort into building a relationship with her.
“Can we let mumma join us?” Siya asked innocently, like a child trying to include her best friend in the game.
Shaurya laughed softly at her innocence.
“Of course... Mumma can join us anytime,” he said, and Siya smiled widely, this time completely ignoring the way he addressed Akansha as ‘mumma’, leaving Akansha slightly surprised.
“No thank you... You two carry on. I still have some work left,” Akansha said.
“Mama bear... Pwease...” Siya pleaded with her puppy eyes.
“No Siya... Mumma already left her work and played with you the whole morning, right? Now you should let mumma finish her work too, shouldn’t you?” Akansha explained patiently.
Siya thought seriously for a few seconds before finally nodding at her mother’s logic, unintentionally disappointing her father, who had been secretly waiting for his wife to stay back with them.
Akansha noticed the slight disappointment on his face.
“You should actually be happy,” she whispered so only he could hear. “You’re getting alone time with your daughter without me stealing her attention. Spend time with her... create lots of memories together.”
She genuinely meant it.
Shaurya’s heart warmed at her thoughtfulness. Even if most of it came from her desire to make things easier for Siya when the truth eventually came out, he still appreciated the concern behind it.
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” he whispered back, his eyes fixed on her, “but I would rather have a few memories with you in them than countless memories without you. And honestly... Siya’s happiness wouldn’t mean much to her in your absence. It would only feel like temporary entertainment.”
The raw honesty in his eyes and voice made her step back instinctively.
Without another word, Akansha quickly walked out before his intensity affected her more than she could handle.
Shaurya Singh Shekhawat truly loved her. There was no doubt about that anymore.
But the wounds he had given her would never disappear.
No matter his reasons, he had still hurt her deeply, and that truth remained unchanged.
By now, she understood he genuinely wanted a perfect life with her... but he was five years too late.
A few hours later, after finishing her work, Akansha walked toward Shaurya’s room to check on Siya, only to freeze at the sight in front of her.
The entire room looked like a battlefield.
Pillows and cushions were scattered everywhere as if a war had taken place inside. Toys covered almost every inch of the massive room, leaving barely enough space to walk properly.