Chapter 40 #5
"He was bedridden for months", Dev continued quietly.
"And he didn't want you staying in that house with his parents while he couldn't protect you himself.
" Dev looked away briefly. "So he asked me to take you to my place instead.
He suffered alone in that hospital bed for months, Akansha.
He went through hell. Honestly, none of us thought he'd recover so quickly.
But his desperation to see you and protect you forced him back onto his feet despite those fatal injuries. "
Then Dev looked directly at her.
"What he did to you was unforgivable. His betrayal was horrible.
But he wasn't happy either, Akansha. He suffered too.
" His eyes shifted toward the reports. "You're a doctor yourself.
Read the reports. The surgery details, scans, recovery records.
.. everything is there." Then he said quietly, "If you still don't believe me after that. .. I won't force you anymore."
And with that, Dev walked away, leaving the files behind. Akansha slowly sat down and opened them with trembling fingers. Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind.
"Shaurya... what's this?"
She remembered touching something near his abdomen once.
It had felt like a deep scar.
But before she could inspect it properly, he immediately pinned her wrists above her head and distracted her with kisses until she forgot the question entirely.
After returning from that so-called business trip, he never once touched her with the lights on again. And now... she finally understood why. Akansha's hands trembled while flipping through the reports.
X-rays.
Blood reports.
Surgery details.
Post-operative notes.
Everything was real. And with every page she read... her blood turned colder.
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Dev called Richa, who picked up on the first ring.
"If you think you can destroy my friend, you're terribly mistaken, Ms. Upadhyay", Dev said coldly. "I've sent a small gift for you. Check it."
Richa's eyes widened in horror as she opened the document. It contained details of how she had once buried a story under her boss's orders after being bribed with a major project that boosted her career.
"If you even think of maligning my best friend, I'll turn this into a massive scandal and release it publicly", Dev warned.
"After that, no one will believe a single story you report.
" His tone turned sharper. "I'm the son of a media giant before being a politician.
Trust me, I know dirtier tricks than you. "
And with that, he hung up.
Richa shut her eyes in frustration.
For the first time in her career, she regretted leaving behind evidence for the only unethical thing she had ever done.
Now Dev had complete leverage over her.
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Akansha quietly slipped into the washroom because she could no longer control her tears, and she didn't want Richa seeing her in that state. The truth had shaken her completely.
Was Shaurya hiding pain just like she was? She had lost all trust in him after his betrayal, but despite all her complaints, the thought of his suffering made her heart ache painfully.
The fact that he was almost killed just because she rebelled against him and stepped out of the house made her blood run cold. What if something had really happened to him?
She was furious that he never told her anything. He knew she loved him. He knew she would've stayed beside him and taken care of him through his recovery. Yet he still chose silence.
He treated her as if she wasn't his wife, but an outsider. The thought made her blood boil. At that moment, she wanted to slap him for hiding everything from her. But at the same time... she also wanted to hug him tightly.
Just once.
Just to feel that he was alive. No, she wasn't ready to forgive him. But for one moment, she wanted to feel him close to her heart again.
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"Hello... Akansha?" Shaurya answered immediately, surprised seeing her call so early in the morning. "Is everything alright? Is Siya okay?"
"Send me the draft of the tweet you're planning to post on 'X'. I want to make a few changes. Also, give me the ID and password, I'll post it myself", she said directly.
"Akansha... my PR team handles the account", he replied carefully.
"The same PR team your father managed to buy?" she shot back instantly. "And I'm sure you've changed the password by now, so yes, send it."
Despite the situation, Shaurya found himself amused at her demand.
"Akansha... I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry about my career", he said softly.
"And yes, I know Dev must've visited you yesterday and explained the pros and cons of handling this differently, but you don't have to agree to something you don't want just because of him.
" His tone softened further. "Don't worry.
I won't let any harm come near you or Siya. Just do what your heart says."
He was convinced Dev must've emotionally manipulated her somehow because Akansha wasn't someone who got influenced easily. She was sharp, practical, and emotionally strong. Then what made her suddenly change her stance? Shaurya couldn't stop wondering.
"I want us to do what's best for Siya", Akansha replied finally. "So yes, I've decided. You'll tweet exactly what I say, understood?"
The certainty in her voice made his heartbeat quicken. She was doing this willingly.
"Alright", he answered immediately. "In fact, I'll send you the ID and password. You can post it yourself."
A small smile appeared on her face hearing the trust in his voice.
"No. My devices aren't secure enough. Someone might hack them", she said practically. "I'll type everything and send it to you. You'll post it exactly the same way. No unnecessary changes allowed."
"Yes ma'am", Shaurya replied instantly, unable to stop the grin spreading across his face.
He understood the meaning hidden behind her words. She was finally ready to stand beside him. Maybe only for Siya. Maybe only temporarily. But even that meant everything to him. At this point, he would've considered himself lucky even if he was allowed to stand beside her shadow.
Akansha Dikshit was the woman he loved the most in this world. And then came his daughter too, of course. How could he not love Siya? She was a part of both him and Akansha. She was his greatest blessing.
"Grow up, Shaurya", Akansha chided before disconnecting the call.
A minute later, she sent him the drafted tweet. His eyes softened reading it. Along with the tweet, she had also attached instructions for him.
"Simple and dignified. No unnecessary explanations. Answer the remaining questions in the press meet", she had texted below it.
Another message followed immediately.
"By the way, how is it? You can make a few changes if it doesn't match your usual political tone."
Shaurya smiled helplessly.
"This is perfect. I'll post it exactly as it is. Thank you."
"You're welcome", she replied simply.
And somehow, that simple reply affected him more than anything else. He genuinely expected her to say something distant like:
'I'm only doing this for Siya.'
But she didn't.
That simple "You're welcome" made his heart feel ridiculously light. He reached the office at his usual time, trying his best to hide the happiness on his face. And when the time finally came, he posted the tweet written by his wife.
Short.
Simple.
Dignified.
Akansha had carefully picked a few lines from his original draft, removed the self-destructive parts, refined the wording, and subtly added their support beside him.
The tweet read:
"Leadership demands sacrifices, but family remains the foundation of it all. Five years ago, I made a choice to protect what mattered most. Today, it's time to introduce the two most important people in my life, who've shaped me in ways unseen — my wife and daughter."