Chapter 35 #3
Did that mean his so-called retribution against her still hadn't ended? One thought after another stormed through her head. And honestly, why wouldn't she doubt him? Shaurya Singh Shekhawat had never given her enough reasons to trust him again.
Meanwhile, Shaurya cautiously glanced toward his wife before immediately looking away after seeing the deadly glare she was giving him. Almost everyone in the room noticed that tiny reaction because at that moment, every single person's attention was fixed entirely on them.
Finally, Shaurya spoke.
"Siyakriti is my daughter, and Akansha is my wife. But I would like this information to stay within this room until I announce it publicly myself."
His tone remained soft, but there was enough authority in it that nobody even dared to interrupt or question him.
"Suraj... get everyone's signatures on an NDA", Shaurya instructed immediately.
"Yes sir. I've already informed the legal team. The documents will be ready shortly", Suraj replied professionally.
Shaurya nodded once.
"Everyone, get back to work", Mr. Sharma instructed calmly. "Suraj will collect your signatures within a few hours. Until then, your phones will remain with security."
Nobody argued. They didn't really have a choice.
Meanwhile, Akansha glared at Shaurya so intensely that he visibly gulped before carefully walking toward her.
"I... I'm sorry. I couldn't inform you about my schedule because..." Shaurya trailed off.
He couldn't reveal the truth about the attack threat against him. At that moment, Akansha genuinely wanted to slap him. But somehow, she controlled herself. Now she was completely convinced he had planned all of this deliberately.
Because if he hadn't, then why hadn't he informed her that he had returned to the city? To her, the answer was obvious. He wanted this revelation. He wanted people to know Siya was his daughter. And she was the woman connected to him.
"My mistake..." Akansha said quietly, her voice filled with disappointment. "I trusted you again. And once again, you broke it."
After giving him one final hurt-filled look, she walked toward the daycare room, picked Siya up, and left for the day without another word. Shaurya closed his eyes painfully. He knew he had disappointed his wife again.
But what he didn't know was that her pain wasn't because he failed to inform her about his return or because of the accidental revelation. It was because she genuinely believed he had orchestrated all of this intentionally.
Meanwhile, Shaurya walked back toward his office, already thinking about how he could possibly explain everything to her and apologize properly. He had promised himself he would never hurt her again. Yet somehow, he still did.
Maybe he should've informed her regardless of Suraj's advice.
At least then she wouldn't have looked this hurt.
He didn't blame Suraj. The man was only doing his duty and prioritizing the CM's safety.
But who would explain to his CSO that Shaurya would rather get physically injured himself than emotionally hurt his wife again?
He had already hurt her enough in the past to carry that guilt for the rest of his life. That night, Shaurya went directly to Akansha's house. He wanted to explain everything. He wanted to apologize properly. But she hadn't answered a single one of his calls.
The moment he entered the house, he instinctively expected Siya to run toward him happily. Instead, he found only Akansha sitting there.
"Is Siya sleeping?", he asked cautiously.
He could clearly sense the coldness radiating from her, but he was honestly too afraid to address it directly. Shaurya wasn't ashamed to admit one thing. He was genuinely afraid of his wife.
"Siya is staying at Richa's place tonight", Akansha replied coldly, instantly shocking him.
He hadn't expected that at all. Akansha couldn't stay away from Siya even for a single night, so why would she suddenly send her away? As if reading his thoughts, Akansha looked straight into his eyes and answered.
"I knew you would come here tonight... and I don't want even your shadow falling on my daughter anymore."
Shaurya's heartbeat instantly turned uneven hearing those words. What was she implying?
Did she mean she wouldn't let him meet Siya anymore?
No... Akansha couldn't possibly do that to him. Right?
"What... what does that even mean, Akansha?", Shaurya asked, trying to steady his uneven breathing.
"The exact thing your brain already understood", she shot back. "What did you think? You would pull something this cheap and I wouldn't find out?"
"What are you talking about? Please be clear", he pleaded.
"You were the one leaking hints on those Facebook and Instagram pages about your love life, weren't you? You were planning to reveal everything about your personal life... about me and Siya... without even consulting me?" Her voice rose in fury. "How dare you?"
Though he had told her earlier that he would eventually disclose the truth before the elections, what enraged her was that he never discussed this entire social media circus with her beforehand.
"You're right... but at least listen to me once", he tried to explain.
But before he could continue, Akansha stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. The slap itself didn't shock him. But the hatred behind it did.
"Shut up", she snapped. "I don't want to hear your nonsense anymore. And I know what happened today was also part of your plan. You found out Siya was with me at the Secretariat and purposely returned there. You planned all of this." Her eyes burned with anger.
"What did you think? That I wouldn't understand?"
She grabbed his collar harshly.
"You are a bast**d, Shaurya. I don't know why I ever trusted you with my daughter's life."
Shaurya shut his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Her words hurt more than the slap. But he couldn't even blame her. As far as Akansha was concerned, all he had ever done was betray her trust, destroy her peace, and hurt her in the name of retribution.
"Yes, I planned the disclosure through social media", he admitted honestly. "I was trying to prepare people for the truth gradually so the impact would lessen when everything came out publicly." He paused before continuing softly.
"And yes, I was wrong for not discussing it with you first. But I was scared you would never agree."
Akansha looked away bitterly.
"This was important, Akansha. Before someone else exposed the truth in the worst possible way, I needed to act first. If I hadn't done this now, the revelation would've been far uglier, and Siya would've suffered the most because of it." His voice softened further.
"I was trying to protect her. I didn't want society judging her because she has a father like me."
Then he looked at her directly.
"I'm truly sorry for starting all this without your consent."
But her expression remained cold and unmoved.
Shaurya deliberately avoided mentioning the actual reason behind his sudden return to the Secretariat earlier that day. He didn't want her worrying about the attack threat or becoming fearful for Siya's safety.
"You won't meet Siya from now onward", Akansha said firmly. Though her voice remained controlled, the anger beneath it was unmistakable.
"I know this will hurt Siya too, but it's better to stop this now before things get worse."
Shaurya immediately understood that she was speaking in anger. Akansha often made impulsive decisions when furious.
But this...? This wasn't impulsive.
This was cruel. Was she really thinking about separating him from his daughter forever?
"Akansha... that's not possible", he said firmly, his own tone hardening for the first time. "I am never leaving Siya's life. I thought I already made that clear to you."
His words only fueled her anger further.
"You have to", she spat furiously. "My daughter is unfortunate enough to have a father like you, but I won't let that ruin her future too." Her grip on his collar tightened.
"You are the worst father in the world, Shaurya... and you always will be."
"Don't say things you don't mean, please", he pleaded softly, his eyes silently begging her to notice the vulnerability behind them.
But Akansha had endured enough pain because of him to care about his hurt anymore. And Shaurya understood that. He deserved her hatred. He deserved every accusation regarding himself. But when it came to his daughter, he couldn't bear her harsh judgments.
"I mean every word", she snapped. "You know, even I believed you would at least become a responsible father if not a responsible husband. But you, Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, are a spineless creature. Forget being my daughter's father, you don't even deserve to be called a human."
Her grip on his collar tightened further.
"Tell me, why shouldn't I keep you away from my daughter? You even dragged your own child into your filthy games?" she asked, referring to the afternoon incident.
Shaurya shut his eyes briefly. He couldn't take the blame for something he genuinely hadn't done. For a moment, he wanted to reveal everything, but he stopped himself. He couldn't risk her safety. Still, at the very least, he could explain the afternoon incident properly.
"I know I've made countless mistakes. You're right to think the worst of me", he admitted quietly. "But trust me, I had no hand in what happened this afternoon. I didn't know you had brought Siya to the Secretariat. If I had known, I would've never gone there."
"Don't waste my time. Get out", Akansha said calmly, though there was nothing calm about her.
"Just listen to me once, and then I'll leave", Shaurya requested.
After a long sigh, she finally nodded.
"I couldn't inform you about my return because there was an attack planned on me during campaigning", Shaurya began.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.