Chapter 32 #2
Just then, Akansha's phone buzzed. Seeing Richa's mother's name on the screen, she instantly understood it was Siya calling again. She quickly answered the call.
"Mumma... Dadda come home or not?(Will Dadda come home today or not?)", Siya asked immediately.
Richa's parents only knew that Siya's father had returned into her life. But they still had absolutely no idea who he actually was.
"No, baby... Not today. Dadda is busy. Some other day", Akansha replied softly.
Instantly, Siya started throwing tiny tantrums from the other side.
"Siyabear, calm down... If you become a good girl now, Mumma will show you a video of your Dadda which you'll enjoy a lot", Akansha proposed immediately.
The moment Siya heard the word "video", her entire mood changed instantly. Anything related to her father excited her beyond limits. So naturally, she accepted the deal immediately.
After speaking to her daughter for another minute, Akansha slowly lowered her phone and gave Shaurya one final lingering look before quietly walking back inside the building.
Meanwhile, after the football game ended, Shaurya deliberately conducted his remaining meetings on the open ground itself.
After such a long time, he was finally experiencing a strange sense of peace. His wife was only a few meters away from him. And his daughter was just one phone call away.
"Sir...", Suraj approached quietly while extending Shaurya's personal phone toward him.
A small smile instantly appeared on Shaurya's face.
Just moments ago, he had been thinking about his daughter.
And now she was calling him. Sometimes, he genuinely wondered whether the magical power stories he told Siya were actually true.
Because there truly seemed to be some invisible magical connection between him and his little Siya.
Shaurya excused himself from the meeting and walked a few steps away before accepting the call.
"Daddaaaa!", Siya squealed loudly in excitement the very moment he answered.
"Ohooo... What made my Siyu this happy?", Shaurya asked with a wide smile spreading across his face instantly.
His daughter genuinely possessed magical powers. One single word from her and he immediately forgot every stress in the world.
"Mumma said suppise(surprise)... Your video...", Siya explained excitedly in her adorable gibberish language. Yet somehow, Shaurya understood every single word perfectly.
"Yayyy... I'm exchiited(excited)", Siya squealed loudly again from the other side of the call.
Shaurya immediately understood that Akansha recorded his video only to show it to their daughter... not for him. Yes, that realization stung. But he had already accepted that this was the reality now.
After brutally shattering her heart and leaving her with years of pain, he had no right to expect love from her anymore.
In fact, even expecting her to speak gently with him felt like a sin.
He was prepared to bear her hatred, resentment, anger, and every harsh emotion she threw at him for the rest of his life.
But sometimes, he genuinely wondered... Could anything he did ever truly make her feel better again?
"Dadda, you come here today?(Will you come here today?)", Siya asked hopefully from the other side of the call.
Shaurya's heart clenched instantly. How was he supposed to answer that when he himself didn't know what Akansha wanted? He never wanted his presence to overwhelm or burden her.
"Siya... did you ask your Mumma about this?", Shaurya asked softly.
"Yes, Dadda... Mumma said you ale busy", Siya replied innocently, unknowingly giving him his answer.
Shaurya closed his eyes briefly.
"Umm... yes... Actually Dadda is very busy. My unicorn will understand her Dadda, right? I'll come see you very soon, baby... and once I reach home, I'll video call you, okay?", Shaurya said gently.
His chest tightened painfully while saying those words. Because the truth was... he was never too busy for his wife or daughter. But if Akansha had told Siya he was busy, then he would silently accept that boundary.
"Okay, Dadda... Bye...", Siya replied sadly before disconnecting the call.
Shaurya could clearly sense her disappointment. Still, he couldn't go near Akansha or Siya without Akansha's permission. He would simply have to find another way to cheer up his daughter.
After wrapping up his meetings with the DEOs and the Education Department officials, Shaurya was about to leave the campus when he found out the CR team was still inside the projection room.
Wanting to personally appreciate them for the successful presentation before heading to his office, he walked toward the room along with Mr. Sharma, Shweta, Suraj, and the rest of his immediate staff.
But the moment he neared the room, a voice halted his footsteps.
"When you already knew you were the presenter, how could you be this irresponsible?
This was such a major event. Politicians, scholars, and business leaders from across the country attended it.
More importantly, our Honourable Chief Minister trusted us with this responsibility, and this is how you repay that trust?
Why were you late for the demonstration, Dr. Dixit? ", Mrs. Arora questioned sharply.
Her tone was anything but polite. And unfortunately.
.. or perhaps fortunately... Shaurya heard every single word clearly.
His fists tightened instantly. Fury burned through his veins.
But he controlled himself with immense difficulty.
He couldn't afford to lose his temper here.
If he did, it would become unnecessary gossip, and worse.
.. his wife would never forgive him for it.
Technically, Mrs. Arora had the right to question Akansha.
The event was indeed important. But Shaurya also knew Akansha was an extremely responsible person.
She would never casually delay something this significant.
And more importantly... she wasn't even late.
She simply wasn't early like the others.
Mrs. Arora had absolutely no right to speak to her in that tone.
"If you remember correctly, Mrs. Arora, I was hired by the state government on a contractual basis for this project. I am still a full-time employee at a school, and it is my responsibility to manage both commitments simultaneously. I was simply trying to balance both responsibilities."
Akansha's calm yet firm response stunned the entire room.
"And let me clarify two things here. First and foremost, I never hid any details regarding my full-time employment. I clearly informed everyone that I would continue fulfilling my responsibilities there as well."
She looked directly at Mrs. Arora.
"Second, I was never late for the demo in the first place. So honestly, I don't think this conversation even has a place here."
Her confident response completely shocked the team, including Mr. Khanna himself. Not even he usually dared to speak to Mrs. Arora like that. She was considered one of the most knowledgeable and respected people in the team.
But perhaps it was finally time for her to understand that Akansha was not someone who could be controlled or dominated.
"You are right. You did mention it clearly.
But when you are expected at two places simultaneously, you need to prioritize properly.
You are not God to be omnipresent, and honestly, I didn't think you were foolish enough to prioritize things incorrectly.
.. but I guess I made a mistake there", Mrs. Arora replied coldly.
That was it. That was Shaurya's limit.
Shweta, Suraj, and Mr. Sharma visibly stiffened after hearing Mrs. Arora's tone and words directed toward the Chief Minister's wife.
And the very next second, Shaurya walked inside the room. Everyone, including Somya and Akansha, immediately turned toward him in shock. They all thought he had already left.
"Is this how you speak to your colleagues, Mrs. Arora?", Shaurya asked calmly.
But beneath that calmness, his anger was boiling violently.
"Sir... the meeting was important, and the least Dr. Dixit could have done was inform us beforehand...", Somya tried defending herself.
"Yes, the meeting was important. And Dr. Akansha was on time", Shaurya corrected calmly.
"And regarding informing beforehand... she informed me."
The entire room fell silent. Somya looked visibly stunned at that revelation. Normally, no one directly informed the Chief Minister about minor matters like arriving late. But Akansha personally informing him immediately raised several silent questions.
"Why are you surprised, Mrs. Arora? I'm her boss. She reports to me just like all of you do."
His tone remained soft. Yet every word carried unmistakable displeasure.
"To be honest... you disappointed me today."
The room fell even quieter.
"This is definitely not the way to speak to your colleagues. Especially not to high-performing colleagues like Dr. Dixit."
Shaurya slowly looked around the room.
"I came here today to congratulate all of you for this success... to celebrate this achievement together. I wanted to appreciate the team's efforts, especially Dr. Akansha, Mr. Khan, and Mr. Khanna for their extraordinary hard work and contribution toward making this event such a huge success."
His gaze shifted back toward Mrs. Arora.
"And I expected you would be doing the same. But looks like... I made a mistake there."
The moment he repeated her own dialogue back at her, Mrs. Arora's face visibly paled. Meanwhile, Shweta, Suraj, and Mr. Sharma immediately understood exactly what Shaurya was doing.
He was politely taking revenge. His tone remained calm and composed throughout. Yet his disappointment and displeasure were impossible to miss.