Chapter 47
"When did you come yesterday?" Akansha asked the moment she saw him walking into the room with his mandatory morning coffee.
"M... Me?" Shaurya fumbled instantly. He knew exactly what she was asking, and he also knew she wouldn't like the answer.
"You are the only other person in this room apart from me and your daughter who is sleeping," Akansha said, glancing around dramatically before looking back at him. "Of course I'm asking you, Shaurya."
"I... I don't remember exactly," he muttered, avoiding her eyes. "Maybe around one, I guess. I know it's late... I'll try sleeping earlier."
Akansha stared at him flatly.
He had actually come to bed around three-thirty in the morning. She had been half-awake the entire night. Maybe she simply couldn't sleep... or maybe she had been waiting for him. But she refused to acknowledge that possibility even to herself.
"Sharam karlo thoda(Aren't you ashamed?)" she taunted. "A Chief Minister lying so casually? Actually, not your fault. You're a politician after all. What else can be expected from politicians other than lying?"
"Hey, I'm not a liar," Shaurya protested immediately. "And I'm not a politician. You know I only do politics during elections."
"And how many months are left for elections?" she asked, folding her arms.
That shut him up instantly.
"Fine," he sighed dramatically. "I'm a politician now... and yes, I lied. Sorry."
Akansha shook her head and walked toward Siya, deciding not to lecture him further about his horrible sleep schedule. She didn't want him thinking she was genuinely acting like his wife instead of merely being tied to him on paper. Or worse, that she still cared.
"Siya... wake up baby, you're getting late for school," Akansha said softly while trying to wake her daughter.
"Mama... no sskool(school)... ninnee(I am sleepy)," Siya mumbled sleepily, clutching her unicorn duvet tightly.
"No Siya, you can't skip school. That's exactly why I told you to sleep early," Akansha reminded her patiently. "You promised me you would wake up without tantrums, so I allowed you to stay awake till Dadda came."
Meanwhile, Shaurya stood there completely lost in the scene before him. His wife trying to wake their sleepy daughter.
He had imagined moments like this countless times over the years.
These ordinary domestic scenes were once nothing more than impossible dreams that kept him alive during his darkest phases.
The hope of finding Akansha again, earning her forgiveness, building a family with her.
.. and now standing here watching their daughter behave exactly like her mother overwhelmed him quietly.
He was grinning foolishly at the sight of his annoyed wife and whining daughter.
"Shaurya."
Akansha's stern voice snapped him out of his dreamland.
"Haan? What happened?" he asked quickly.
Without answering, Akansha shoved Siya's towel and clothes into his hands.
"Since you were the reason she slept late, it's your responsibility to wake her up, get her ready, and drop her at school," she declared. "I will leave on my time."
"I... Akansha... maybe she can skip school for today?" Shaurya suggested carefully.
Akansha simply glared at him.
Understood.
"I'll get her ready," he surrendered immediately. "But don't leave. I'll drop both of you on my way to office."
"I will leave on time, with or without you and your daughter," Akansha replied before walking away toward the kitchen to pack their lunch boxes.
These days, Shaurya had also started carrying lunch because Akansha silently packed tiffins for all three of them together. And he treasured every single morsel she prepared. Earlier, he hated carrying home-packed food to work, but now if it came from her hands, he practically worshipped it.
Shaurya sighed and turned toward his real battlefield for the morning, waking up Siya.
"Siya... bacha, please wake up. Otherwise Mama will get angry at both of us," he tried softly.
Siya ignored him completely.
"Dadda... go... go... let me sleep," she whined, pushing his arm away.
"Hawww..." Shaurya gasped dramatically. "Akansha... it's okay. Siya definitely isn't pushing me away..."
The trick worked instantly.
Siya woke up with a jerk while Shaurya burst into laughter. The little girl glared at him angrily after realizing he had tricked her using her fear of her mother.
Let's just say the next one hour became revenge time for Siya. She made getting ready nearly impossible for him.
"Siya... it won't be good if you miss the assembly. Please let Dadda help you wear your socks," Shaurya pleaded patiently.
He had already made her wear the socks five times, and every single time she removed them dramatically and threw them away.
"Dadda is sorry, bacha..." he finally surrendered.
Only then did Siya smile victoriously.
"You are also at fault for not waking up on time, right?" Shaurya asked gently while helping her with the socks again. "So what should you say now?"
"Sorry Dadda..." Siya mumbled before kissing his cheek.
"It's okay, my bacha," he smiled, kissing her forehead. "But from tomorrow, no getting late. And Dadda will be busy for a few days, so don't stay awake waiting for me, okay? We'll spend time together in the mornings."
Siya pouted immediately.
Shaurya copied her expression exactly, making the same puppy face she usually used against him whenever she wanted something.
Unfortunately for them both, Akansha was immune to these antics.
He genuinely didn't understand how.
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Downstairs, Akansha noticed Mr. Sharma and Shweta repeatedly glancing toward the staircase anxiously. Clearly, they were waiting for Shaurya.
"Aunty, please go and tell them their boss will take some time to come downstairs since he is currently on duty," Akansha said casually to Mrs. Sudha.
The older woman looked at Akansha suspiciously before noticing the mischievous smirk on her face.
"What did he do now?" Mrs. Sudha asked, suppressing her laughter.
"He was looking at me as though I was torturing his daughter when all I did was trying to wake her up," Akansha scoffed while packing tiffins. "So I gave him the job instead."
Mrs. Sudha laughed openly this time, followed shortly by Akansha herself.
"I'll go inform them," Mrs. Sudha said.
"Yeah, and if it's urgent, I'll go handle Siya and send him downstairs. Usually she gets ready quickly, but today she must be cranky because of less sleep. I'm sure she's giving her Dadda a hard time for waking her up."
"You stay here," Mrs. Sudha said knowingly. "Let him handle Siya. He should also understand that raising a child isn't easy."
Akansha looked at her in surprise. Mrs. Sudha almost always supported Shaurya no matter what. But the older woman's expression softened.
"No matter how much Shaurya suffered, your pain breaks my heart more, Akansha," she said gently, caressing her cheek. "I can only imagine what you went through to give birth to Siya and raise her all alone."
The words hit Akansha unexpectedly.
After a very long time, someone had acknowledged her suffering instead of only Shaurya's. And that someone was Mrs. Sudha, the same woman who had quietly given her motherly affection during her difficult days in the Shekhawat mansion.
Akansha quickly composed herself again, hiding behind her usual tough facade.
"I'll go tell them," Mrs. Sudha said softly, sensing her discomfort and walking away.
She knew Akansha hated appearing vulnerable before anyone. Shaurya had always been the only exception.
After waiting another half an hour, Akansha finally lost patience. She finished breakfast and left for school deliberately, deciding to teach the father-daughter duo a lesson. The moment she stepped out, Jasmeet immediately opened the car door for her.
She had repeatedly told him not to do that, but none of Shaurya's men ever listened to her instructions. Eventually, she gave up and decided she would complain directly to Shaurya instead.
Politely thanking Jasmeet, she got inside the car. The moment they reached school, Akansha called the watchman strictly.
"Raju, I've been noticing that you allow late students inside even after assembly starts," she said firmly.
"From today onward, no one enters after the second bell.
Make the students stand outside with their parents until assembly ends.
Only after proper disciplinary action will they be allowed inside. "
Raju nodded respectfully. As the head of the disciplinary committee, she absolutely had the authority to implement such rules.
"After the first bell, students will assemble for prayer," Akansha continued. "After the second bell, the gates will be shut. You will not allow anyone inside after that. Anyone."
She stressed the last word deliberately. Poor Raju nodded again, completely unaware that those instructions would soon apply even to the Chief Minister of the state himself.
Today, Akansha fully intended to teach her husband and his overpampered daughter a lesson for life.
Jasmeet stayed back as Suraj informed him that they too would be heading to the school, so he could directly leave for the Secretariat with his team later instead of returning to the CM residence.
The assembly started, and as per Akansha's strict instructions, the school gates were shut. Just then, Shaurya's convoy reached the entrance. He stepped out with Siya in his arms, her bag and bottle hanging from his shoulders. His brows furrowed at the crowd gathered outside the gates.
Several students and parents stood there anxiously, arguing with the watchman about the sudden implementation of the rule without prior intimation. Many parents were already getting late for work.
Jasmeet walked up to Shaurya and quietly informed him about Akansha's orders to the watchman. Shaurya cursed himself internally. One look at the locked gates and he understood his wife was fully in punishment mode.