Chapter 42 #2
"However," the host continued, "they are present here today not as public figures, but simply as parents.
On behalf of the school, we request everyone to respect their privacy and refrain from approaching them unnecessarily.
Like every parent here, they too deserve to spend a peaceful time with their children.
They have dedicated 364 days of their lives to public service.
It's only fair they receive one day for their families. "
The crowd broke into applause, agreeing immediately.
"You included my name too?" Dev whispered dramatically to Shaurya. "Damn, yaar... are you trying to make me emotional?"
Akansha giggled hearing him.
"Shut up, idiot," Shaurya muttered irritably. "We're in public. Cameras are everywhere. One stupid expression from you and everything will be exposed."
"Ji haan, Shaurya ji... you're absolutely right," Dev replied loudly on purpose.
Shaurya looked ready to strangle him. Akansha and Rachna struggled to hold back their laughter.
"You said you wanted to meet and play with my daughter. Forget it now," Shaurya whispered threateningly.
Dev's smug expression vanished instantly.
"Akansha... do you support this injustice?" he whispered dramatically.
Shaurya immediately looked at Akansha, silently asking her to side with him. Instead, she shook her head. Dev's grin returned immediately while Rachna smacked his arm lightly.
"Stop irritating him," she warned her husband.
Thankfully for Shaurya, the performances finally began. The host stepped forward again.
"Everyone talks about a mother's sacrifices, her love, her selflessness.
There are songs, movies, and poetry celebrating mothers everywhere.
.. and rightly so. But today, we celebrate another silent pillar of the family.
A man whose sacrifices often go unnoticed despite dedicating his entire life to keeping his family safe, secure, and happy.
Today, we celebrate the Iron Man in every child's life. "
She smiled toward the backstage area.
"I welcome the students of Pre-KG and KG to perform for their fathers."
"Siya is performing," Akansha whispered softly.
An excited gleam instantly appeared in Shaurya's eyes. He quickly pulled out his phone and started recording.
As the teachers helped the tiny children take their positions on stage, Shaurya suddenly remembered the first time he had ever seen his daughter — during another school performance.
Even now, the memory sent goosebumps across his skin.
Akansha took the mobile from his hand. "I'll record the video... You just enjoy your daughter's performance," she said, making him smile instantly.
"Thanks," he murmured before turning all his attention toward Siya, clapping enthusiastically for her.
The moment Siya spotted her father in the audience, her face lit up brightly. After that, she performed the entire dance looking only at him. The smile on Shaurya's face didn't fade even for a second. Pride swelled inside him watching his little girl.
Midway through the performance, Siya excitedly gestured for her father to come closer. Without thinking twice, Shaurya immediately got up from his seat and walked toward the stage.
The dance neared its end. The final step required all the children to jump in place, spread their arms wide, and pretend they were hugging their fathers.
But Siya didn't follow the choreography. Instead of jumping upward like the teachers had taught them, she leapt straight toward the front... toward her father.
Akansha, Dev, Rachna, and even the teachers froze in fear, terrified she would fall and hurt herself. But before panic could properly settle, Shaurya caught her securely in his arms.
All three adults exhaled in relief while the teachers stared at Siya in shock. The little girl had improvised the entire step on her own.
Shaurya laughed softly, kissing Siya's cheeks repeatedly before lifting her high into the air and catching her again carefully. Loud giggles erupted from Siya as he rubbed his bearded face against her neck, tickling her deliberately.
"Daddaaa..." Siya squealed between uncontrollable laughter, trying to push his face away.
Akansha and Dev recorded the moment silently, both with tears in their eyes.
Dev, however, controlled himself quickly. He couldn't afford to openly express how emotional he felt watching his best friend like this. It had been years since he had seen Shaurya this genuinely happy.
The last time was during the days when he had fallen in love with Akansha... back when she still didn't know about his hidden motives. Those days had been beautiful for both of them before everything shattered.
Even the audience sat mesmerized by the scene unfolding in front of them.
Shaurya no longer looked like the Chief Minister standing there. He looked like any ordinary father hopelessly in love with his child. People admired how naturally he walked toward the stage the moment his daughter called him, without caring about cameras, status, or public image.
When he noticed the teachers gathering the children to take them backstage for costume changes, he turned toward Akansha silently for confirmation. She nodded once.
"Siya... go with your teacher. Dadda will come meet you again soon," Shaurya said gently.
"Nooo Dadda..." Siya protested immediately, tightening her hold around his neck.
Still, he carefully made her stand back on the stage.
"Siya is Dadda's magical unicorn, right?" he asked softly.
"Yessss..." Siya nodded proudly before showing him the unicorn necklace around her neck. "See this Dadda..."
Shaurya's eyes softened instantly. He silently thanked Akansha for making Siya wear the necklace he had gifted her, especially on such an important day.
"Very pretty," he praised warmly. "Now listen to Dadda carefully. Go with your teacher. Mumma will bring you back soon, okay?"
Siya pouted dramatically but finally agreed. After handing her over to the teacher with one last reluctant hug from his daughter, Shaurya returned to his seat.
The moment he sat down, Akansha, Dev, and Rachna glared at him together. Shaurya immediately understood why. Looks like the three of them were taking advantage of the dim lighting a little too much to attack him freely.
"I couldn't refuse Siya," he defended himself instantly in a low voice.
"What if she had gotten hurt while jumping?" Akansha hissed at him.
"I would've never let her fall," Shaurya argued quickly. "That's exactly why I went closer to the stage. Everything happened within seconds, Akansha. Before I could even process it properly, she jumped and I caught her."
He kept throwing whatever explanations came to his mind nervously. With anyone else, Shaurya Singh Shekhawat never stumbled over words. But one stern look from Akansha and the Chief Minister forgot how to defend himself properly.
Dev and Rachna eventually calmed down seeing the guilty kitten-like expression on his face.
"I'll talk to both you and your daughter properly once we get home," Akansha warned coldly.
Shaurya immediately feared for both himself and Siya. At that moment, he sincerely prayed neither of them would make any more mistakes that day, otherwise he would definitely witness his wife's Mahakali roop.
After a few more activities, the students were finally asked to sit beside their families. Siya and Ishaan came running toward them hand-in-hand.
"Awww..." Dev whispered dramatically. "Fast forward twenty years and these two will probably run toward their wedding stage exactly like this."
Shaurya turned toward him with a deadly glare. Meanwhile, Akansha and Rachna sighed seeing their husbands behave worse than children.
"If you don't stop imagining nonsense," Shaurya warned under his breath, "I'll make my daughter stop talking to your son."
"Both of you shut up," Akansha whisper-yelled immediately.
She silently thanked the loud music and their isolated seating arrangement because otherwise videos of these two political leaders fighting like stray dogs would've already gone viral online.
Siya immediately climbed into Akansha's lap while Ishaan surprisingly rushed toward Shaurya instead and hugged him tightly, shocking a few people seated nearby.
"Uncle... I missed you," Ishaan said happily.
Akansha and Rachna instantly tensed, but Dev and Shaurya remained unusually calm.
"Ishaan... come here beta. Don't trouble Shaurya uncle," Dev said formally.
"It's alright, Dev ji... let him stay," Shaurya replied casually before pulling Ishaan into his lap comfortably.
"I'm sorry, Shaurya ji," Dev continued politely for the audience around them. "Both my sons, Ishaan and Ivaan, became very fond of you after you visited our farmhouse for lunch. They've been pestering me to invite you again ever since. I must say, you're genuinely very good with children."
"Thank you once again for the lunch invitation," Shaurya replied just as formally. "But next time, lunch will be at my place. I would be honored if you visit us with your family."
Akansha mentally rolled her eyes. 'These two had truly mastered this act after performing it for years.' she muttered and Shaurya heard her.
"Akansha... invite them properly," Shaurya added smoothly, dragging her into their drama too.
She wanted to strangle him. But she had no choice.
"Yes... please visit us with the kids sometime, Dev ji, Rachna ji," Akansha said politely. "Siya and Ishaan have become good friends. It'll be nice for them to have a play date."
She deliberately stressed the words "play date." Instantly, Shaurya's jaw tightened.
"What play date?" he muttered near her ear irritably. "Can't you call it something else?"
Akansha smirked seeing his frustration.
"Of course, we'll come," Dev agreed immediately, enjoying Shaurya's suffering far too much. "Play date sounds like a wonderful idea. Right, Rachna?"
Rachna, who had now become equally skilled at their public performance, smiled sweetly.
"Definitely. We can't reject CM saab's invitation."