Chapter 45 #4
"Yes. I can ask Suraj to show you the reports if you don't believe me—"
"Shaurya, shut up," she snapped instantly.
"What is wrong with you? I'm worried something might happen to you."
He stared at her silently, countless emotions flashing through his eyes. She trusts him.
"You want me safe?" he asked softly.
He already knew the answer. Still, he wanted to hear it from her.
"Of course I want you safe, Shaurya," Akansha answered immediately.
"Despite everything between us, you're the father of my child. I will always want you safe."
"Not just the father of your child," he corrected quietly.
"Your husband too. I know you don't like acknowledging that fact, but facts don't change because we avoid them." He paused before continuing. "You and Siya are my responsibility. I won't let anything happen to myself."
"Oh really?" she asked, folding her arms and staring at him sternly. "And how exactly are you planning to do that?"
"I've already alerted multiple security teams. Everyone did their job properly—"
"Then why are there still attacks and security lapses happening?" she demanded angrily.
Shaurya stayed silent for a moment before answering softly.
"They did their jobs right. The fault was mine, Akansha."
She frowned slightly.
"I underestimated my father," he admitted quietly. "I thought he still needed me politically, so he wouldn't go this far. I had my men monitoring him... but only regarding your and Siya's safety."
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
"I never expected him to target me directly. At least not now. I thought I was still useful to him... useful enough for him to keep alive." He resumed eating slowly. "But don't worry. I've alerted the teams properly this time. This won't happen again."
Akansha fell silent. Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably. How did it feel... knowing your own parents wanted to harm you? Shaurya had literally taken a knife for her once. And even then, he never blamed her.
That attack happened because she rebelled against him and walked out of his ancestral palace despite the risks.
Any other man would've at least held some resentment after nearly dying.
But Shaurya never did. Instead, he hid the severity of his injuries from her.
Why? Because he knew she would rush back to take care of him despite hating him at that time.
And he believed he didn't deserve her care. So rather than letting her know the truth, he made her hate him even more.
He told her he didn't trust her around his parents and sent her to Dev's house. But in reality, he didn't trust his parents around her.
He chose her safety over everything else.
Even while bedridden for months. Even while suffering alone. No wife beside him. No trusted family near him. No emotional support. Just doctors, nurses, and silence.
Akansha suddenly felt suffocated imagining it.
Because during Siya's birth complications, she herself had experienced loneliness in a hospital room for just a few weeks. And even then, Richa and her parents had been there for her.
Shaurya had endured far worse. And he endured it willingly for her safety.
"Akansha... are you okay?" Shaurya asked softly, lightly tapping her palm.
She looked shaken. Deeply lost in thought.
"Ca... can you show me your scars?" she asked suddenly. Shaurya froze. Realizing what she had just asked, Akansha immediately looked away. "Finish your dinner and come sleep," she said quickly while getting up.
But he instinctively held her wrist. She glared at him immediately, and he quickly released her hand. "Sorry... Please sit till I finish eating," he requested softly.
After a few seconds, she silently sat back down.
"I'm really sorry I missed today's award ceremony," he said quietly.
"It genuinely wasn't intentional." He looked at her carefully before continuing. "So... did they decide another date? I'll clear my schedule completely for it this time. I promise this won't happen again."
A faint smile finally appeared on Akansha's lips seeing how sincerely he was trying to make up for something that wasn't entirely his fault in the first place.
"Leave it now. Mrs. Arora has clubbed it with the award ceremonies of all the other departments in the Secretariat," Akansha said, glaring at him.
Shaurya nearly choked on his food hearing that. He looked at her apologetically.
"I honestly didn't expect this. Oh no... this really shouldn't have happened," he muttered, shaking his head lightly.
He knew exactly why she was upset.
Earlier, only one department would've known about her receiving the award. Now the entire Secretariat staff would be present. And once people connected the dots about who she was, the gossip and discussions would spread like wildfire.
Looking at the deadly glare on his wife's face, Shaurya silently prayed she would spare his life at least until the ceremony was over.
At the moment, he wasn't very confident about his survival.
"You should've rejected the nomination list," Akansha started again, but he answered calmly.
"I actually spoke to Mrs. Arora about it.
Not after the list was finalized... before that itself," he explained.
"She discussed nominating you because of the value you add to the team.
I asked her not to proceed." Akansha frowned slightly.
"Not because you don't deserve it," he clarified quickly.
"But because I knew the complications and controversy it could create. "
A helpless smile appeared on his lips.
"But that woman very bravely told me she would handle whatever backlash the media or opposition might create.
She said she'd fight for deserving talent to be recognized under her leadership.
" He looked at her meaningfully. "If she could gather that much courage, would it look nice if I backed out fearing controversy? "
He paused dramatically.
"Well... even if I backed out, it would've actually been because I fear you, but obviously I can't tell them that, right?"
Akansha glared at him harder.
"I mean, it wouldn't sound nice," he continued innocently.
"And honestly, Mrs. Arora inspired me. If she can fight for the right talent to get proper recognition, I should do that too. And you deserve that recognition."
He resumed eating peacefully.
"And regarding people... talking is their full-time job anyway. Let them talk."
"Stop these stupid speeches," Akansha snapped immediately.
"You might impress voters with them, not me. Finish your dinner soon, I'm sleepy."
Her words instantly brought back an old memory, and a small smile appeared on Shaurya's face.
"Finish your dinner soon, I'm sleepy," Shaurya complained to a painfully slow-eating Akansha years ago.
"Let me eat peacefully, Shaurya. I'm enjoying my food. If you're sleepy, go sleep," Akansha replied casually.
"I can't sleep without you, you know that," he grumbled dramatically.
"And I know exactly why you're eating so slowly, dirty-minded woman. I just want to sleep cuddling you. Please come soon."
Akansha glared at him instantly.
"You said the same thing yesterday."
"I didn't mean it yesterday," he defended shamelessly.
"I'll finish eating, and by then Akash will come pick me up. I'll go home," she threatened.
Shaurya stared at her in disbelief.
"I'll see how you escape after marriage," he warned.
"I'm not scared," she replied confidently.
"My one 'No' is enough to stop you. In fact, even slight hesitation in my eyes would do the job. I loved a man, so I don't fear him."
Shaurya quietly kissed her forehead.
"You deserve better," he whispered. "But I'm too selfish to let you go."
Akansha shook her head immediately.
"That should be my dialogue. You're too good for me, but I don't complain. I clearly got the lion's share in this deal."
Shaurya laughed softly.
"Let me feed you. You're wasting time," he muttered before taking her plate and feeding her himself.
They had been so happy back then. But fate... And his own decisions...ruined everything.
Shaurya quickly finished dinner, and both of them returned to their room before lying down on either side of their daughter.
The moment Siya sensed her mother's warmth, she instinctively snuggled closer to her.
Akansha gently removed her dupatta covering Siya and placed it aside.
No matter how much she tried, she could never get her daughter out of the habit of sleeping while holding either her, her saree, or her dupatta because of her scent. She honestly didn't know where Siya got that strange habit from.
Actually... she did know.
Akansha sighed deeply when she saw Shaurya quietly picking up the dupatta she had just moved aside. He closed his eyes and held it close to his face peacefully. Siya had inherited almost every habit from her father.
His genes were dangerously strong.
"Instead of helping your daughter get over this weird habit, you yourself are worse than her," Akansha whispered irritably, trying to snatch the dupatta away.
But Shaurya held it tightly.
"I'll help her get over it eventually," he whispered back while shamelessly snuggling deeper into the dupatta. "But I'm definitely not getting over this anytime soon... maybe never."
"I'm never touching that dupatta again," Akansha threatened.
"Thank you, then I'll keep it," Shaurya replied instantly. "Remind me to buy you a new one. I know this is your favorite suit." Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Actually... how does this still fit you after seven years?"
"Excuse me?" Akansha whispered dangerously.
"Yes, I mean—"
Before he could finish, Siya whined softly in her sleep, instantly silencing both of them.
Otherwise, knowing their history, they would've continued bickering until sunrise. Shaurya smiled softly before closing his eyes.
If God allowed him to spend the rest of his life beside his wife and daughter, he would consider himself the luckiest man alive.
Even if all he got was the right to silently protect them. Serve them. Guard them from afar. It would still be enough for him. Because all he truly wanted... was to stay with them.