Chapter 46 #5
She couldn't understand him anymore. Was this how he planned to take revenge on her?
That night, Akansha eventually fell asleep waiting for him to return from the study. Shaurya came back long past midnight and silently settled beside her on the bed.
Shaurya stared at his sleeping wife, his chest tightening with every passing second. A thousand words clawed at his throat, but not one could be spoken aloud.
'I will never forgive myself for delaying the truth about why I married you. I thought I would tell you everything on our wedding night... clear every misunderstanding between us and begin our marriage honestly. But I didn't know fate wouldn't even give me that chance.
I know my behavior is hurting you. God, it's killing me too.
Every second beside you feels like punishment because I cannot love you the way I truly want to.
I brought you into this hell thinking I was saving you from your selfish mother and sister, but at least they never tried to physically harm you. My parents are monsters, Akansha.
Today, I saw them murder a man with their own hands... brutally stab him to death. And not just him, they killed Raj Gopal ji too. A selfless leader, respected by the entire state, all so they could launch me into politics through the by-elections.
And I don't even know how many more lives they have destroyed.'
Shaurya shut his eyes for a moment, his breathing turning uneven.
'I have to uncover every crime they committed. I have to make them pay for all of it. But until I gain enough power to control them and destroy their game completely, I cannot tell you anything. I cannot even love you openly.
I can bear your hatred, Akansha. But I cannot bear even the possibility of harm reaching you.
I'm sorry... for every pain I already caused and for every pain I may still cause in the future. Just thinking about it tears me apart, but I have no choice. I need to become stronger. Emotionally stronger.
I thought I was clever. I thought if I could effortlessly run a billion-dollar multinational company, I could easily outplay my father and his filthy politics. But I was wrong... terribly wrong.
I wasn't clever. I was a fool. A fool who underestimated how dangerous his own parents were. And I cannot afford to repeat that mistake again.'
His fingers curled unconsciously around the bedsheet as he stared at her sleeping face.
'I can fight the entire world without fear, but hurting you destroys me piece by piece. Still... I promise I will try my best not to hurt you. Please stay strong, Jaan.
My silence is going to wound you deeply, but it's my only option now. I cannot keep throwing cruel words at you just to maintain this act. So please... find my love in my actions because I can no longer express it openly.
Sometimes I feel like I'm losing myself completely. But then I look at you, and somehow I find strength again. I need to win this battle. For you. For us.
And I will win.
Till then... please stay patient, love.
You don't know how badly I wanted to hold you tonight and tell you everything.
How desperately I wanted to apologize, sort out every misunderstanding between us, seek an explanation regarding my sister and begin this marriage happily.
Compared to the danger surrounding us now, all our earlier fights and arguments feel meaningless.
Tonight, when you asked us to mend things despite my betrayal, I realized just how deeply you love me. You said you would fulfill your responsibilities as my wife despite everything I had done to you.
God... how do I deserve a woman like you?
I love you, Akansha. I will love you till my last breath. Just... don't erase me completely from your heart. Keep a small place for your Shaurya there... so maybe one day, you can forgive him.'
Shaurya swallowed hard and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Tomorrow is a big day. I need strength... and I want to draw it from you," he whispered softly, pulling her carefully into his arms. "Please stay strong."
"Shaurya..." Akansha murmured sleepily.
"Shh... sleep," he whispered against her hair before pressing soft kisses there until she settled back into deep sleep.
From the very next day, Shaurya maintained a cold demeanor around her.
But despite the distance he created emotionally, he never failed in taking care of her.
He ensured she had timely meals, monitored her health constantly, and quietly stationed his most loyal men around her protection.
Every few hours, he took updates about her.
He instructed Mrs. Sudha to look after Akansha carefully and inform him immediately if anything felt wrong.
A few days after their marriage, Shaurya's parents shifted to the capital city to stay in the Chief Minister's residence for the elections.
But just like Shaurya had predicted, their party suffered a disastrous defeat.
Virendar lost both the seats he contested from, something unprecedented in the state's political history.
For the very first time, a ruling party leader and Chief Ministerial candidate had lost both constituencies.
The humiliation shook the party internally, and soon voices demanding a leadership change began rising.
By then, Shaurya had already gained immense popularity among party workers, MLAs, MPs, and most importantly, the people.
He contested from two constituencies, one from his native region and the other from the seat previously held by Raj Gopal ji, the leader murdered by his own parents.
Despite the party's miserable performance, Shaurya won both seats comfortably.
He retained his home constituency and vacated the other, forcing a by-election there. During those elections, he personally ensured Raj Gopal ji's son received the party ticket. Then he campaigned tirelessly for him, eventually securing his victory despite the man's lack of political experience.
It was Shaurya's first attempt at repenting for his parents' sins.
He couldn't bring Raj Gopal ji back, but at the very least, he could restore his family's political legacy that had existed for decades.
Gradually, Shaurya earned genuine popularity for his development projects and welfare initiatives. The more he distanced himself publicly from his father, the more people began separating him from the corruption scandals surrounding Virendar.
Virendar hated losing his hold over the party, but even he knew it was better for leadership to remain within the family than pass into an outsider's hands. Eventually, Shaurya's parents shifted back to the ancestral mansion after Virendar lost the election.
This time, however, Shaurya was prepared.
During the months they stayed away, he got the entire mansion inspected thoroughly under the excuse of maintenance and cleaning. And exactly as he feared, several hidden microphones were discovered inside his room alone.
There were no cameras, thankfully, but the microphones disgusted him enough already.
He wanted to destroy them immediately, but doing so openly would alert his father.
So instead, he damaged them carefully, just enough to reduce their efficiency while ensuring they still appeared functional.
Most importantly, he made sure that neither his nor Akansha's privacy could be violated anymore.
Shaurya felt utterly disgusted to call Virendar his father.
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"Mama bear..." Siya hugged her mother the moment Akansha stepped inside.
"My Siyabear..." Akansha cooed, immediately picking her daughter up into her arms.
"Dadda?" Siya asked hopefully, peeking behind Akansha in search of her father.
"He'll be late, bacha. Dadda has work, but he'll be back before dinner," Akansha said softly, making the little girl pout.
Siya adored her father's company and wanted him around all the time. But with elections approaching rapidly, Shaurya was trying to finish as much state work as possible before campaigning consumed his entire schedule in the coming months.
After freshening up, Akansha spent time with Siya helping her paint. While searching through her colors, Siya suddenly found one of the paintings she had made with her father and immediately got a mischievous idea.
"Mama bear... Ide... Idea..." Siya whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "I will scarree Dadda when he comes... Shh... This is seclet"
Akansha bit back a smile and nodded seriously, playing along with her daughter.
"Mama bear, will you tell me when Dadda comes home? I will scare him," Siya asked excitedly.
"Okay baby, I will. But first, finish your fruits," Akansha said, making her daughter eat the boiled apple pieces.
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"Mr. Sharma, tell everyone I need these reports today. No one leaves until this issue is resolved. Arrange transport for all female employees and make sure you get confirmation once they safely reach home," Shaurya instructed while going through files.
"Okay sir. Should I also inform your home that you'll be late?" Mr. Sharma asked.
That was usually the routine whenever Shaurya made his staff stay back. He himself stayed with them till late, and Mr. Sharma would inform Mrs. Sudha beforehand.
"No, leave it. I'll inform my wife," Shaurya said casually.
But internally, the words felt ridiculously good to him.
My wife.
He knew he couldn't openly enjoy this phase for long, so he secretly indulged in every small right he still had over that relationship.
"Okay sir," Mr. Sharma nodded before walking away.
Shaurya immediately called Akansha to inform her that he would be late, but the moment she picked up, she didn't even let him speak.
"Shaurya, when will you come home? Your daughter is planning to scare you, and minute by minute you're ruining her excitement. Come fast or else I will kick you for disappointing Siya," Akansha warned.
Every explanation he had prepared vanished instantly. How was he supposed to make his daughter wait now?
"Yes... leaving office right now. I'll be home soon. Sorry," he said quickly.
Akansha wanted to scold him for still being in office till now, but stopped herself. He wasn't some random employee with fixed work hours. He was the Chief Minister of the state and was probably drowning in responsibilities even now. Despite that, he still tried prioritizing them.
Maybe she could try being a little more understanding, too.
"Okay..." she replied more calmly before disconnecting the call.
The second the call ended, Shaurya began packing his things hurriedly while dialing Mr. Sharma again.
"Mr. Sharma, I'll connect from home. Whoever has secured access can work remotely too.
Those without access will have to stay back, but arrange a comp-off for them.
Also arrange dinner and transport for everyone staying late.
And don't bother Mrs. Gupta, I'll drop her home on my way," Shaurya instructed.
"Okay sir, I'll ask someone else to drop Shweta. You seem to be in a hurry," Mr. Sharma offered, knowing Shweta's house was in the opposite direction.
"Yeah, that would help. Thank you. Let me know once she reaches home safely," Shaurya said before quickly leaving for home.
The moment Siya heard the sound of her father's convoy outside, she immediately ran and hid behind the entrance door wearing the monkey mask her uncle had recently bought for her.
Shaurya walked towards the entrance while Suraj and the security team followed behind him.
"Bhooooooo!" Siya jumped out dramatically from her hiding place.
"Ahhh!" Shaurya acted terrified instantly, making Siya burst into loud laughter.
But her laughter paused midway when she noticed Suraj and the others standing unfazed. Shaurya immediately shot them a look. Understanding instantly, all of them pretended to panic dramatically.
Siya giggled even harder now, completely convinced by their acting.
"Dadda... hehehe... you got scaled! It's me... Siya!" she laughed while removing the mask. "Sulaj uncle... Jachmeet uncle... don't be scared. I am Dadda's good unicon(unicorn)."
"Acha? So this good unicorn decided to scare Dadda?" Shaurya narrowed his eyes playfully. "Let's see what Dadda does now."
He immediately chased after her while Siya squealed and ran around the hall. Finally, he caught her and lifted her into his arms, tickling her until she laughed breathlessly.
Akansha quietly recorded the entire scene on her phone.
These little father-daughter moments had become a daily ritual now. Somewhere deep inside, she had already decided she would compile all these videos someday and gift them to Siya when she grew older.
Though honestly, it would mean more to Shaurya than Siya. The man constantly complained about how quickly their daughter was growing up.
After freshening up quickly, Shaurya spent time with Siya till she finally fell asleep. Only then did he return to work again.
When Akansha earlier asked whether he was busy while she called, he had casually denied it as though nothing important was happening. But now she could clearly see the reality. His phone hadn't stopped ringing since he entered the house. He was obviously dealing with something major.
Maybe he originally called to explain that, but she never even gave him the chance to speak.
Yet not once did he behave like an overworked Chief Minister carrying the burden of an entire state. He never used his workload for sympathy or acted important because of his position. He handled things casually, almost effortlessly, and somehow still prioritized his family in between the chaos.
And that was something Akansha genuinely admired about him.
Shaurya never believed in glorifying exhaustion or showing off how much he worked. For him, only efforts and results mattered. Even while promoting his staff, he followed the same principle.