Chapter 43 #2
"That's true," Shaurya agreed softly. "But regardless of who her husband is, I believe every woman deserves basic respect and dignity. Unfortunately, you failed to give that to my wife."
The softness in his tone somehow made the accusation sharper. Mr. Bansal lowered his gaze guiltily while Mrs. Bansal hurried to defend herself.
"The society residents were concerned and as society president, it's his responsibility to address people's concerns—"
"Responsibility?" Shaurya repeated with a faint smile.
Something about that smile made both of them uneasy.
"You know, hearing that word reminds me of something.
This entire area suffered from severe water problems for decades.
As society president, your husband wrote one letter to the Municipal Corporation every couple of years and one complaint to the Chief Minister once in five years. That's how responsibly he handled it."
Neither of them spoke.
"I received one such complaint a few weeks after taking office," Shaurya continued evenly. "It took seven weeks, crores of government funds, multiple department meetings, and endless documentation to resolve the issue permanently. And since then, not once has this area faced a water crisis again."
Silence.
"It wasn't easy. But the moment I read that complaint, I understood it was my responsibility to solve it.
" His gaze hardened slightly. "I left my wife and child alone, believing I was serving society.
.. believing society would at least treat my family well in return. Turns out I was terribly wrong."
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bansal lowered their heads completely. Because every single word he said was true. The state had witnessed more development in five years under Shaurya than it had seen in decades before him. And despite all that, people like them had still failed his wife.
Mr. Bansal swallowed hard.
"I am sorry, sir."
"It is your wife who owes my wife a greater apology," Shaurya replied calmly. "Tell me honestly, Mrs. Bansal... would you tolerate someone speaking about your daughters the way you spoke about my wife?"
Mrs. Bansal's face lost color.
"No sir... I am very sorry."
Shaurya looked at her for a long moment before speaking again.
"I may forgive people as a leader. But I am not forgiving when it comes to my wife and daughter. Never mistake my kindness for weakness." The warning remained polite.
That somehow made it more frightening.
"You should've understood that after seeing what happened to Shekhar."
The couple visibly stiffened. Just then tiny footsteps echoed from inside.
"Daddaaa..."
Siya ran straight toward Shaurya, instantly climbing into his lap.
"My little unicorn woke up?" he asked, kissing her cheek immediately.
"Hehe... yes Dadda..." Siya giggled, wrapping herself around him comfortably.
"Acha... what is Mumma doing?"
"In the room."
"Go tell Mumma we'll eat dinner now."
Siya hugged him tighter unwilling to leave, but Shaurya gently convinced her.
"Dadda is hungry, bacha. Please go call Mumma."
The moment he mentioned being hungry, Siya jumped down and ran toward the room loudly announcing that her father needed food. Shaurya chuckled softly. The elderly couple smiled unconsciously too... until Shaurya looked back at them.
Their smiles disappeared instantly.
"My wife and daughter will shift with me for now," Shaurya informed calmly. "But this house will remain theirs. Akansha will continue paying rent, so there's no need to search for another tenant."
He had already discussed it with Akansha beforehand and asked if she was okay with him informing them on her behalf, and she had agreed.
She simply didn't want to sit through another interaction with Mrs. Bansal and watch their sudden change in behavior after learning she was the Chief Minister's wife.
Especially Mrs. Bansal's fake display of respect disgusted her.
Once the conversation ended, Shaurya stood up.
The signal was clear. The meeting was over. The couple immediately rose to their feet.
"This matter stays confidential, Mr. Bansal. I hope that's understood."
"Yes sir... absolutely. You can trust us."
Shaurya nodded once.
"And if there are any society-related issues in the future, let me know."
Mr. Bansal looked genuinely emotional now.
"You've always helped us, sir. The water problem alone changed our lives. The roads, hospitals, schools, transport... honestly everything improved because of you. I am ashamed that we failed your family despite all that."
This time, Shaurya could tell the apology was sincere. So he simply nodded. He noticed how pale both of them still looked and sighed internally. Maybe he had frightened them a little too much. But when it came to Akansha and Siya, he simply couldn't tolerate disrespect.
Then suddenly, as if remembering something, Shaurya looked at Mrs. Bansal with a faint smile.
"By the way, Mrs. Bansal... Prime Minister toh nahi hu abhi, par future mein ban sakta hu, nahi? (I'm not the Prime Minister yet... but I could become one in the future, right?)"
The woman's face turned completely white. It was the exact same taunt she had once used against Akansha. Mrs. Bansal apologized again meekly before the couple hurriedly left the house.
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Akansha kept thinking about what Shaurya had said regarding Shekhar. She had only heard that particular part because Siya had woken up just then asking for her father, forcing Akansha to step out and check if it was fine to send her outside.
What did he mean by saying he never spared anyone who offended her? And what exactly had he done to Shekhar? As far as she knew, the man had simply disappeared after that incident. She assumed he had landed in jail.
Before she could stop her daughter, Siya had already rushed toward Shaurya, so Akansha quietly returned to the bedroom and sat before her laptop to finish some work. But no matter how much she tried concentrating, Shaurya's words kept echoing in her head. What did he do to Shekhar?
"Mumma... Dadda is hungly(very hungry)... give Dadda food," Siya announced dramatically, pulling Akansha out of her thoughts.
This time, Akansha pushed everything else aside and focused on her daughter.
"Hawww... Dadda is hungry?" she gasped theatrically. "But I didn't cook for Dadda. I made food only for you and me."
Siya stared at her mother in pure disbelief.
"Mama bear... you folgot(forgot) Dadda?" she asked as if forgetting Shaurya was the most impossible crime in the world.
"Yeah. Your Dadda isn't George Bush for me to constantly remember him," Akansha muttered, rolling her eyes.
"What?" Siya blinked in confusion.
"Nothing," Akansha dismissed quickly before continuing, "Since there is no food for Dadda, what should we do? Should I give my food to him?"
She wanted to see how her daughter would react.
"No Mama bear... you also hungly na..." Siya immediately objected. "Dadda and I will shale my food."
Akansha smiled despite herself.
"No need. Mumma was joking. There's enough food for Dadda too."
"Girls... come for dinner," Shaurya called from the dining area.
With great difficulty, he stopped himself from adding "my" before girls because he knew exactly what his wife would say if he did.
Probably "Late. Shaurya" instead.
Akansha walked to the dining table and noticed all the dishes had already been reheated and arranged neatly. Without a word, Shaurya served food onto her plate first, then Siya's, before starting to feed their daughter himself.
Knowing how much he wanted to do it, Akansha quietly began eating on her own.
"Dadda... you ale hungly, eat," Siya ordered seriously while feeding him from her tiny hands.
Akansha shook her head watching the father-daughter duo with an involuntary smile. Once dinner ended, they made Siya sit on her tiny chair while Shaurya and Akansha settled across from her.
Now came the difficult part.
"Siya..." Akansha began carefully. "You wanted to stay with Mumma and Dadda together, right?"
Siya nodded so aggressively that Shaurya immediately held her head gently.
"Slowly bacha... your neck will hurt."
"So..." Akansha continued, "we are shifting to Dadda's house."
Exactly as expected, Siya frowned instantly.
"But Dadda won't come hele(here)?" she asked in confusion. "Mama bear... this is oul(our) home na? Dadda, you come hele(here)," she told him seriously.
Shaurya looked helpless immediately. Now how exactly was he supposed to refuse her?
"Siya bear..." Akansha started patiently, holding her daughter's tiny palms. "Dadda's friends also stay with him, right? Suraj uncle, Sudha aunty, and all the uncles who take care of Dadda."
Siya listened carefully.
"So if Dadda comes here, where will they all stay?"
"Hele(here)," Siya answered innocently while pointing toward the hall. "They sleep hele."
Shaurya burst out laughing while Akansha glared at both father and daughter.
"Ohhh really?" Akansha folded her arms. "So you and Dadda will sleep comfortably on the bed while everyone else sleeps on the sofa and floor?
Fine then... let's do one thing. You, Dadda and I will sleep on the floor.
Actually no... we'll sleep in the kitchen and give the hall and bedroom to them. What say?"
Siya gasped dramatically.
"Noooo Mama bear... floor? Thandi(cold)..."
She shivered exaggeratedly, making Akansha roll her eyes while Shaurya shamelessly joined his daughter's drama.
"Yeah," Akansha deadpanned. "Only you two feel cold. Everyone else has skin made of wool."
"Dadda..." Siya turned toward him helplessly.
Shaurya immediately controlled his laughter and tried explaining properly.
"Siya... you saw Dadda's study room, right? It's filled with huge files. If Dadda shifts here, all those files will come too. Then there won't be any place left for us to sleep or hear magical unicorn stories."