Chapter 37
Dev entered Shaurya's ancestral property through the back entrance to take Akansha with him, exactly as Shaurya had instructed. He would need months to recover completely, and he didn't want Akansha staying alone with his vile parents during that period.
If his mother found out Shaurya wouldn't be returning home for months, she would cross every limit in troubling Akansha. And his father would keep searching for opportunities to hurt her. Shaurya couldn't allow his wife to suffer through that torture.
"Dev... what the hell are you doing here? And why did you enter from the back side?" Akansha asked in shock after spotting him standing in the balcony of their bedroom.
"Obviously because I can't walk in through the front entrance, Akansha", Dev replied dryly, making her sigh.
No one knew Dev and Shaurya were best friends except her. Even now, she couldn't understand why Shaurya trusted her with that secret when he didn't even trust his own parents with it.
"You shouldn't be here, especially in Shaurya's absence. Leave", Akansha said firmly.
Despite everything, she held immense respect for Dev.
Even though he was blindly loyal to Shaurya, he had indirectly warned her multiple times about Shaurya's intentions.
At that time, she had misunderstood him and assumed he simply didn't want his best friend involved with someone like her.
She had shut him down harshly every single time, sometimes even shouting at him.
But after learning the truth behind Shaurya's actions, her respect for Dev had multiplied. He had tried to save her from the betrayal, even while prioritizing his best friend.
"Shaurya sent me here", Dev finally said. "He wants you to stay at my place for a few months."
Akansha's eyes widened instantly.
"Are you insane?" she snapped. "How can I stay at your house? Leave before I slap you. And how dare he? That bl**dy monster now wants me to suffer like this too?"
Dev shut his eyes briefly, controlling his temper. He hated hearing her speak about Shaurya that way, especially when that man was lying half-dead because of her, for her.
But she didn't know that.
"Listen to me, Akansha", Dev said carefully. "Shaurya had to go abroad for important work and won't return for a few months. He wanted you to stay at my place so you don't create problems for his parents."
Then he added quickly,
"If you want, talk to him yourself."
"What did you just say?" Akansha's voice cracked slightly before hardening again. "I am not going anywhere. Get that into your thick skull and your best friend's too."
Dev sighed and immediately dialed Shaurya.
A second later, Akansha's phone rang.
She rejected the call once. Then twice.
But Dev clearly had no intention of leaving without her, so eventually she picked up, fully prepared to blast her husband.
Instead, his words hurt her deeply.
"Go with Dev", Shaurya said coldly. "I don't want my parents' BP shooting up for the next few months because of you. So do me a favor and leave with him."
Akansha froze.
"I already told Ma that you'll be traveling with me", he continued. "According to her, you'll be meeting me at the airport, so nobody will question anything. Pack your things and meet Dev at the junction near the front circle."
"Shaurya... you are such a—"
She stopped abruptly after hearing a nurse's voice in the background.
"Sir, need to change the IV."
Akansha frowned instantly.
"What happened? You're in a hospital?" she asked immediately, all her anger disappearing for the moment. "Are you okay?"
"Yes", Shaurya answered quickly. "A friend here in the US met with an accident, so I'm handling things here."
"But you resigned as the CFO already, right?" she questioned suspiciously.
At the same moment, Shaurya noticed the doctor entering the room. Panic flashed across his face.
"I can't explain now, Akansha", he said hurriedly. "Just go with Dev. Don't stay at my parents' place."
And before she could ask anything else, he disconnected the call.
Akansha silently controlled her tears. She refused to look weak in front of Dev.
"Get out", she told him angrily, though Dev already understood she had agreed.
"Meet me near the front junction", he said softly. "I'll take you from there. And if you're uncomfortable, I can stay at a nearby hotel for these few months."
"No, Dev", she replied quietly this time. "It's your house. You don't have to leave. I'll adjust."
Dev nodded once and quietly left.
Over the next few months, Dev and Akansha slowly grew close.
Not exactly like she was with Akash...
But close enough.
And throughout those months, Dev protected her fiercely and took care of her in ways she would never forget.
"Papa! This is Cutie's mommy!"
Little Ishaan's excited voice pulled both Dev and Akansha out of their memories.
Dev smiled faintly hearing his younger son.
"Cutie" was Siya. Ishaan adored her despite being in a different class and often visited her during breaks just to spend time with her.
After Shaurya once told him during a video call to "always protect Siya", the child had taken the responsibility very seriously and declared himself her bodyguard.
"Teacher... my papa", Ishaan said proudly.
Akansha smiled softly at the little boy before turning toward Dev, but before she could speak, Bharti rushed toward them.
"Mr. Bisht... please come this way, sir", Bharti said nervously.
Luckily, Ishaan interrupted first.
"Papa, won't you meet Cutie?" he pouted.
"Of course I will, champ", Dev replied, lifting him into his arms. Then he looked at Akansha. "Ms. Akansha won't mind showing me the way to Siya's class, right?"
Bharti held her breath, fully expecting Akansha to refuse.
Instead, Akansha simply nodded.
She walked ahead while Dev followed carrying Ishaan.
Akansha badly wanted to take Ishaan into her arms and shower him with kisses. She guessed this was Dev's younger son because he hadn't even been born when she was living with Shaurya. Back then, she had only met Ivaan, who was just a toddler.
The memory pulled her back to the first time she met Rachna.
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Akansha had entered Dev's house nervously when a huge family photograph immediately caught her attention — Dev, his wife, and a toddler smiling between them.
"So this is your wife..." Akansha had said softly, surprising Dev.
"You knew I was married?" he asked, genuinely shocked. He never expected Shaurya to tell her that much.
"Yes", Akansha replied quietly. "I know it's surprising that he trusted me with this secret when he didn't even trust his own parents with it. Honestly... I'm surprised too."
"Shaurya trusts you", Dev had said carefully. "A lot."
Akansha had laughed bitterly.
"His trust is exactly why I am standing in your house today, Dev."
The pain in her eyes had forced Dev to look away.
If he wanted, he could've told her the entire truth and erased her hatred toward Shaurya instantly. But Shaurya had chosen her safety over his own happiness. So Dev stayed silent.
"Hi! Hi Akansha... we finally meet!" Rachna walked in with her toddler.
"Rachna... my wife", Dev introduced.
Rachna immediately hugged Akansha warmly.
"I've been asking Dev for years to bring you and Shaurya home", she complained dramatically. "But these two and their secret friendship are impossible to deal with. Honestly, I'm tired of both of them."
Then she looked at Akansha sympathetically.
"Especially Shaurya and his stubbornness. How are you tolerating him?"
"Rachna..." Dev sighed helplessly. "At least let her settle first before starting your complaints."
Rachna laughed immediately.
"Oh God, sorry. Come, I already prepared your room. I'm genuinely happy you're staying with us."
And surprisingly...
Akansha had liked her instantly.
She liked Ivaan too.
And slowly, though unwillingly, she even grew comfortable around Dev.
When Rachna later left for her parents' house because of her mother's illness, Dev ended up taking care of everything alone.
Including Akansha.
And despite being forced into the arrangement initially, the two of them gradually formed an unexpected comfort around each other.
And Akansha and Dev barely fought during those months.
Barely.
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One evening, Dev was cooking dinner because Shaurya had already warned him beforehand about Akansha's almost nonexistent cooking skills.
Dev had dismissed most of his staff after bringing her home, keeping only two trusted people around. Since Rachna was away too, he ended up handling most household work himself.
Akansha felt guilty watching him manage everything alone, so she walked toward the kitchen to help.
But before entering, she overheard Dev talking to Shaurya on call.
"Seriously? You think I'm a broker?" Dev groaned. "No, Shaurya. I am not doing this."
"What broker?" Shaurya sounded offended. "I just asked you to send one saree or dupatta of my wife so I can sleep peacefully. I'm bedridden here, at least show some humanity."
Dev rolled his eyes.
"This emotional blackmail won't work on me. By the way, if you love your wife this much, why don't you openly show it to her?"
"You know the reason", Shaurya answered quietly. "And honestly, how can I be happy with her without first clearing everything that ruined our relationship? I still want to know why she did all that to Aakriti."
Dev sighed heavily.
"Maybe you're the only man on this planet capable of loving his wife this much while staying angry at her with the same intensity."
Akansha quietly stepped away before Dev could notice her presence.
Shaurya and his retribution had destroyed everything between them.
Yes, Aakriti suffered because of her.
But Shaurya never once cared enough to ask why she had done what she did.
He only confirmed whether she did it or not.
Never the reason behind it.
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen—