Chapter 45 #2
Shaurya shook his head lightly.
"Don't apologize, Mrs. Arora. Mistakes happen.
What matters is how quickly we control the damage afterward.
" His tone remained calm and reassuring.
"And please... never hesitate to reach out to me regarding issues like this.
Don't worry about whether I'm busy or not.
Managing my schedule is my problem, not yours.
Whatever challenges come, we'll face them together as a team. "
The pleasant smile on his face once again reminded everyone why people called him Mr. Cool Chief Minister. Even Akansha unconsciously found herself staring at him for a brief second before quickly composing herself.
"Thank you, sir," Mrs. Arora said gratefully.
Shaurya gave her a small nod before turning toward the projector.
"Dr. Akansha already briefed me about the broader issue. I need more technical clarity now. Could someone quickly summarize the variables considered during the tests and the constants used for calibration?"
At the same time, he bent slightly to help Mr. Khan connect the projector cables himself instead of waiting for the staff to do it. It was always the small things with Shaurya.
No matter what position he held, he behaved like part of the team instead of someone above them.
If he lacked expertise in something, he openly asked questions and learned it instead of blindly depending on others.
He believed a leader should at least understand the basics of every field operating under him.
That mindset itself had become one of his biggest strengths.
Many industrialists and entrepreneurs willingly expanded their businesses into the state because of his governance style, creating thousands of jobs.
And when certain sectors suited neighboring states better economically, Shaurya personally coordinated meetings and interstate agreements to help those governments too, prioritizing long-term collective growth for the nation over political credit.
Even the Prime Minister and central leadership had acknowledged his work repeatedly and once offered important Union ministries to MPs from his party. But Shaurya declined politely, stating that he still wanted to focus completely on his state before considering national politics in the future.
The next several hours disappeared into intense discussions, recalculations, and testing.
Eventually, with Shaurya's command over numbers, Rashid's research analytics, and Akansha's precise understanding of the testing structures, the team finally managed to identify the discrepancy and stabilize the outputs.
Relief spread across everyone's faces. After thanking Shaurya sincerely for his support, the team started leaving, but before Akansha could walk out, Shaurya stopped her.
"Dr. Akansha... stay back for a minute."
The others quietly left the room. The moment the door shut, Akansha folded her arms.
"Why did you ask me to stay back? Gone crazy?" she blasted at him.
"I need to talk to you," he answered quickly.
"Professional or personal?" she asked sternly.
"Personal... but it couldn't wait till we got home. Sorry."
Akansha sighed deeply.
"What is it?"
Shaurya hesitated for a second before speaking.
"Can we go to Kumbh? It's Mahakumbh... and it comes once in—"
"Of course I know its importance, Shaurya," she interrupted.
"I was actually planning to go. But after everything that has happened recently, I dropped the idea. I don't want to create additional trouble for Suraj and the security team."
Shaurya immediately shook his head.
"No need to cancel. I was planning to come with you and Siya. Please... let's keep our differences aside for a while and attend it together. At least for our daughter's well-being."
Akansha looked at him silently for a moment before replying.
"Okay... then let's go during Maha Shivaratri. Can we?"
Shaurya thought for a few seconds.
"The crowd will be even heavier that day. Security management could become difficult... but I'll discuss it with Suraj and let you know." Then a small relieved smile appeared on his face. "And... thanks for agreeing."
Akansha simply nodded before walking back toward her cabin.
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"What happened? Why do you look so upset?" Shaurya asked softly when Akansha leaned her head against his shoulder, looking emotionally drained.
For the past few days, she had been visibly stressed. No matter how many times he asked, she never spoke a word about what was bothering her.
Akash too remained unaware of the situation because he had temporarily shifted to one of Shaurya's friend's flats to prepare for his exams peacefully. The constant chaos at home had started affecting his studies, so Akansha herself insisted he stay away from it for a while.
Things at her house had become unbearable.
Dilip and his parents had slowly started showing their true colors, making indirect demands for expensive things that Akansha struggled to arrange.
Meanwhile, Vasant, who trusted his elder daughter completely, began doubting the alliance after hearing her concerns regarding Dilip's behavior and postponed the wedding temporarily to investigate further.
That decision worsened everything at home.
Jaya and Suman started blaming Akansha openly for every problem surrounding the wedding. Despite doing everything possible for the family all her life, hearing those accusations daily slowly broke something inside her. But through all of it, Shaurya stayed beside her like a constant shield.
For the first time in her life, Akansha found herself emotionally depending on someone, and the reason was simple — Shaurya's love never felt conditional. The slightest change in her tone was enough for him to leave everything behind and rush to her.
"Akansha? Jaan... what happened?" Shaurya asked again, pulling her gently into his arms.
"Nothing... leave me," she muttered weakly, trying to move away.
But Shaurya heard the silent plea beneath her resistance. 'Hold me tighter.' So he tightened his arms around her instead.
"I'm here... I'm always here. Don't bother about anyone or anything," he whispered against her hair before kissing it softly.
And just like every other time, his presence alone calmed her restless heart.
Akash had already told Shaurya enough about how badly Akansha was treated at home, especially by her mother and sister who only saw her as a source of money. But even he didn't know how ugly things had become recently.
Once his mock tests ended, Akash returned home and was shocked seeing the drastic change in their behavior. Earlier, at least Jaya and Suman spoke to Akansha somewhat civilly despite taking her for granted. Now they openly humiliated her without restraint.
What disturbed him more was how normal everyone else seemed to find it. Even Vasant silently admitted this had been going on for quite some time. Unable to tolerate it anymore, Akash immediately went to meet Shaurya. Shaurya listened quietly while Akash vented everything out.
"Jiju... I understand Suman di's behavior. She has always been selfish and stubborn. But mummy?" Akash said in disbelief.
"Last night she taunted di saying she's eating their salt while plotting against her own sister."
Akash's fists clenched in anger.
"Di quietly left her plate there and slept without eating anything. If someone else had spoken like that, she would've destroyed them with one reply. But this time she just stayed silent." Shaurya's jaw tightened.
"It's her money everyone in that house survives on, yet she was the one sleeping hungry. Papa told me she hasn't been eating properly these days because of all these taunts."
Akash stared blankly ahead, frustration and helplessness evident on his face.
"Our house has become hell for her, jiju. She's not sleeping properly, not eating properly... Papa is so worried. We have never seen di this broken before. Mummy and Suman di are killing her from inside."
Shaurya remained silent throughout, but the fury inside him rose dangerously with every word. Finally, he spoke.
"I'll marry Akansha and take her away from that hell."
Akash looked at him in shock.
"She has suffered enough," Shaurya added quietly, finally understanding what had been eating her alive these past few weeks. But what he didn't know then was that this very decision would become the beginning of his biggest regret.
"But... you said you didn't want marriage for a few more years," Akash said hesitantly.
Shaurya nodded once.
"I did say that. Because there are truths I'm still hiding from your sister. Once she learns them, convincing her won't take days... it'll take months. And politically too, I needed time to stabilize my position before going against my father."
"But your political career is still dependent on him right now," Akash pointed out carefully.
"What if he throws you out?"
Yes, Akash was right. His father might have sought his help to handle the scams and other issues, but if he ever felt his son had become a threat to his political career, he wouldn't think twice before disowning him.
Shaurya had enough talent, skills, and money to manage things from the backend, but politics required familiarity and influence among the people, and that still rested with his father.
"Yes I know, but for my career, I cannot let Akansha suffer in that house for years."
His voice carried dangerous determination now.
"I'll marry her and take her away. Maybe once she leaves, your family will finally realize her worth."
Akash stayed silent for a moment before asking the question that genuinely terrified him.
"What if your parents hurt her too?"
Shaurya immediately shook his head.