Chapter 32 #3
"I do appreciate Dr. Dixit's contributions to this project, sir.
But I was unhappy with her handling of the situation.
However, like you said, perhaps this wasn't the correct way to address it.
I should have first congratulated her exceptional work before expressing my concerns", Mrs. Arora admitted professionally.
"Good", Shaurya nodded calmly.
"I trust you ladies will resolve this among yourselves. Now let's move ahead. I've arranged a team dinner for everyone."
Immediately, smiles appeared across the team's faces at his thoughtful gesture. Soon, everyone started moving outside while Shaurya's staff guided them toward the dinner venue.
"I truly appreciate your gesture, sir, but I need to leave. My son is here to pick me up, and I shouldn't keep him waiting", Mr. Khanna said politely.
"Your son?", Shaurya asked curiously while raising an eyebrow.
"Umm... my elder son. Neil Khanna. Since I've retired completely, he has taken over the company now", Mr. Khanna explained.
"Oh... Neil?", Shaurya repeated with recognition.
"The last time I met him was two years ago during a global summit."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Please call him in, Mr. Khanna. Ask him to join us for dinner too... of course, only if he's available", Shaurya said politely. Mr. Khanna smiled warmly hearing that.
"Well... he would always make time if it's for a dinner with you. He genuinely appreciates your work a lot, sir... and you as a person too. Moreover, today I specifically asked him to come here because I wanted him to meet Dr. Akansha", Mr. Khanna said warmly.
The gentle smile that had remained on Shaurya's face until then disappeared instantly.
"I'll just call him inside", Mr. Khanna added before excusing himself.
Shaurya immediately looked toward Akansha.
She looked confused and didn't think much about it because Mr. Khanna had often mentioned how much he admired her work ethic and the way she handled situations. He had also repeatedly expressed his wish for his elder son to meet her and learn something from her.
But now, the grin on Mr. Khanna's face made Shaurya understand things very differently. It almost looked as if the man was secretly proud of playing matchmaker. And even the thought itself alarmed him.
Soon, everyone started serving themselves dinner except Shaurya and Akansha, who remained standing there waiting for Mr. Khanna and his son.
The tension on Shaurya's face was impossible to miss.
At least Akansha noticed it clearly, though she didn't immediately understand the exact reason behind it.
"You were perfectly fine until now. What suddenly happened to you?", she asked quietly, making sure only he could hear her.
"Why did Mr. Khanna want his son to meet you?", Shaurya asked directly, making absolutely no attempt to hide either his jealousy or his anxiety.
Akansha stared at him in disbelief.
"Give your stupid brain a rest, Shaurya. Mr. Khanna has always respected me as an individual and appreciated the way I deal with things. He has wanted me to meet his son for a very long time now", she clarified calmly.
Unfortunately, instead of easing his anxiety, her explanation only worsened it. What if she actually started liking Neil?
No.
No, she loved only him.
But then again... he had broken her heart brutally. Morally, she had every right to move on. Still... she was technically married to him. Even if she herself had no idea about it.
But what would happen once she found out the truth? Would she hate him even more? Would she immediately demand a divorce?
And worst of all... would he survive watching her leave him forever this time? What if she remarried someday? What if his little Siya got a stepfather? What if Siya started calling another man "Dadda"?
No.
Never.
Akansha could only ever have one husband. And that was him.
"Shaurya... wipe your forehead. You're sweating on a chilly winter night", Akansha whispered slowly while staring at him in disbelief.
"Siya wouldn't call anyone Dadda except me... Please make sure of that", he muttered anxiously.
Akansha looked at him as though he had completely lost his mind.
But the jealousy all over his face made her instantly understand exactly what was going on inside his head.
She simply shook her head internally at his ridiculous thoughts.
The truth was... he had ruined her for every other man.
Including himself. The Shaurya she had fallen in love with years ago now felt fictional to her.
And because she no longer trusted him, even the real Shaurya standing before her could never match the expectations that fictional version created in her heart.
"Say something, Akansha...", Shaurya asked quietly.
He desperately wanted her to say anything... absolutely anything... that could reassure him she wasn't considering moving on with another man. Even though he himself had given her every reason to. He knew he was a selfish ba***rd. But when it came to Akansha, he could become selfish beyond limits.
Akansha deliberately stayed silent. She could clearly see him drowning in anxiety. But why should she clear his misunderstandings? If the mere thought of her moving on suffocated him... Then let him suffer for all she cared.
"Sir... Akansha..."
Hearing Mr. Khanna's voice, both of them turned around.
The moment Shaurya saw the man standing beside Mr. Khanna, his face hardened instantly.
Internally, he cursed himself for inviting him in the first place.
Neil politely greeted Shaurya first. Shaurya responded with a controlled smile despite the storm raging inside him.
Akansha quietly looked at Neil. He was undoubtedly handsome.
But strangely, her eyes failed to admire him.
Because her heart had always remained fixated on only one man.
And compared to Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, every other man automatically appeared pale to her heart. And she hated that part of herself.
"This is my son, Neil... and this is Dr. Akansha Dixit, the person I was talking about", Mr. Khanna introduced them warmly.
"Hi... I've heard a lot about you from Dad", Neil said politely.
Akansha smiled faintly.
"All good things, I hope", she replied lightly.
Immediately, Shaurya's jealousy worsened. She never smiled at him like that when they first met. Back then, she mostly looked at him with irritation... as if she wanted to punch him.
"Yes, of course. Dad only had wonderful things to say about you, and honestly, I've been waiting to meet you, Dr. Dixit", Neil replied genuinely.
"Same here, Neil... and you can just call me Akansha", she said politely with another smile.
Shaurya felt his jealousy flare violently again.
"Excuse me", he muttered abruptly before walking away.
Akansha knew exactly what had happened to him. But honestly... she cared the least about his feelings right now. Because according to her, he deserved every bit of this discomfort. Throughout the dinner, Shaurya's gaze repeatedly shifted toward his wife.
He silently observed how comfortably Akansha laughed and interacted with Neil, Mr. Khanna, and Mr. Khan.
But what irritated him the most was the way Neil looked at Akansha.
It genuinely seemed as though the man was interested in her.
And that thought alone fueled Shaurya's anger further. Eventually, the dinner came to an end.
Shaurya delivered a short concluding speech, after which everyone thanked him and slowly started leaving. But apparently, Neil and Akansha had completely forgotten both time and the fact that everyone else had already begun departing.
Shaurya immediately walked toward them. The moment Neil noticed him approaching, he instantly stopped talking.
"Sir... thank you once again for inviting me. Honestly, it feels great to be a part of this dinner", Neil said respectfully.
Shaurya nodded politely before immediately turning toward Akansha.
"Your daughter must be waiting for you, Dr. Akansha. Suraj will drop you home", Shaurya said deliberately while emphasizing the word "daughter."
He expected Neil to react with surprise after learning about Siya. But instead, Neil took the information casually. And somehow, that irritated Shaurya even more.
Meanwhile, Mr. Khanna and Neil simply smiled, assuming Shaurya was thoughtfully taking care of one of his team members. Only Akansha understood the actual reason behind his statement.
"That's alright, sir. I'll manage", Akansha declined politely.
"I can drop her, sir. It's on my way anyway", Neil offered immediately.
Shaurya instantly narrowed his eyes at Akansha. She had shared her address with him too?
"We'll drop her. But what do you mean by 'on your way'? Aren't you coming home?", Mr. Khanna questioned his son suspiciously.
"Oh God... not again, Dad. I already told you I'll stay at my penthouse for this entire month. I can't deal with Mom taunting me every time I return home late or leave early for work", Neil complained dramatically.
Akansha smiled softly at the sweet father-son argument. Unfortunately, even that small smile managed to fuel Shaurya's jealousy further.
"Fine. If you've already decided, I won't stop you", Mr. Khanna sighed helplessly before turning toward Shaurya and Akansha.
"He has been handling a prestigious project with lately.
It's an extremely important project for the company, so he has been overworking himself because of it.
" Mr. Khanna smiled knowingly. "Well... honestly, I can't even blame this project because it is the reason he returned to India in the first place", he explained calmly to both of them.
"Yeah, you already mentioned it to me, Mr. Khanna. The project sounded extremely interesting. I would genuinely love to know more about it... of course, if you have some time", Akansha said politely, directing the latter half of the sentence toward Neil.
"Sure, Dr. Dixit... It's my pleasure. I mean... Akansha", Neil corrected himself with a smile.