Chapter 47 #2
Adjusting Siya in his arms, he walked ahead. Suraj advised him not to approach the crowd directly, but Shaurya assured him with a look and only instructed him to make sure nobody recorded Siya's face clearly, even if videos were taken.
The moment people noticed him, they instinctively moved aside, certain the gates would immediately open for the Chief Minister.
"CM saab?" the watchman saluted nervously and rushed to open the gates, but Shaurya stopped him by raising his palm.
"Allow all of us in," Shaurya said politely. "We genuinely didn't know about this rule. At least proper intimation should've been given before implementing it. I understand students should be punctual, but everyone deserves one chance."
"Maaf kijiye saab(Please forgive me sir)," Raju replied helplessly.
"Madam strictly ordered me not to allow anyone inside after the assembly starts.
I will lose my job if I disobey her. The rule was always there saab, I just wasn't stopping latecomers recently. If you order, I will open the gate..."
"It's alright," Shaurya said calmly, understanding the man's fear immediately. "I understand the school policy. We will wait."
The crowd stood stunned.
For a moment, they had hoped Shaurya would sort the issue out, but instead, the Chief Minister himself quietly accepted the punishment and stepped back. Perhaps for the first time in the state's history, a sitting Chief Minister was denied entry into a school for being late.
The parents who had been loudly arguing moments ago suddenly fell silent. If the state's Chief Minister, despite having work far more important than theirs, could wait patiently outside the gates, then they had no right to create a scene.
Some parents tried approaching him, but Shaurya simply stood in an attention stance during the ongoing prayers, completely ignoring the commotion around him, and everyone got the message.
Before the national anthem began, he gently made Siya stand properly beside him.
"Stand straight bacha... Don't move until the anthem ends, okay?" he instructed softly.
Siya nodded seriously and obeyed him without fuss. The sight quietly impressed many around them. Several people secretly recorded videos, but Suraj and the security team ensured Siya's face remained hidden.
Once the assembly ended and the students dispersed to their classes, the gates were finally opened. Shaurya entered first with Siya in his arms, followed by the other parents and children.
Raju directed them all towards the disciplinary committee room where Akansha sat in the center chair, the other committee members seated on either side of her.
The moment Shaurya entered, everyone on the committee, including Akansha, stood up respectfully. Only after he took his seat among the parents did the others sit back down.
"I regret the inconvenience caused to all of you," Akansha began in her calm yet firm tone. "I understand many of you have important commitments, but discipline is equally important for your children."
She explained how the rule had existed for years but had slowly become meaningless because late entries were casually allowed. Both parents and students had started taking punctuality lightly.
"From tomorrow onwards, any latecomer without a valid reason will not be allowed into class," she continued. "The same discipline will be maintained across all sections."
She then looked around the room before adding, "Since there was no prior intimation, today will be treated as an exception.
If a child is late due to their own negligence, a remark will be added for future reference, and if it is repeated, they will be punished.
However, if the child is late because of the parent, then a fine of Rs. 500 must be submitted."
Siya immediately clutched Shaurya's hand tightly. The little girl barely understood what a remark meant, but the word punishment alone scared her.
Shaurya cleared his throat softly. He knew Akansha would murder him with her eyes for what he was about to do, but he couldn't let anyone think his daughter was at fault.
"Those willing to pay the fine, please raise your hands," Shipra, another committee member, announced. "The amount will be donated to the 'SkyEd' initiative launched by our honorable Chief Minister and Education Minister. Every donation can be tracked transparently."
Shaurya looked at Akansha for a brief second, embarrassment and pride crossing his face together.
The 'SkyEd' initiative was one of his most ambitious dreams. Through it, financially struggling students could pursue higher education with complete transparency regarding donations and fund utilization.
Through the government, he had already ensured free education till the 12th standard, but higher education was where reality changed.
Government scholarships barely covered the top 1 or 2% students, but what about the rest?
Not every talented student topped examinations.
Even an average student could achieve extraordinary things in the right field if given a fair chance.
The government alone couldn't support every dream, but people together could, and that belief gave birth to 'SkyEd'.
To prevent misuse of funds, Shaurya built a transparent model where every donor could track exactly where their contribution was going, while the beneficiary student's identity still remained protected.
Many schools had voluntarily adopted the same model for collecting fines and donations, and seeing Akansha support his vision so openly overwhelmed him more than he expected.
A notification interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at his phone.
"Visionary CM's visionary wife. What would you do now? @Shaurya", Dev texted in the group.
Akansha saw the message and rolled her eyes at his antics. Dev never spared an opportunity to irritate either her or Shaurya, though fortunately, she wasn't his primary target for now.
Akansha knew the fault entirely belonged to Siya, so technically they didn't need to pay the fine. She was just about to write a remark for her daughter when she saw her idiotic husband calmly raising his hand.
Very few people, apart from Shaurya, did the same.
Most parents preferred avoiding the embarrassment of publicly paying a fine.
A child receiving punishment or a remark was still acceptable, but as adults, admitting fault in front of everyone bruised their pride.
Only a handful were honest enough to accept responsibility, while some, like Shaurya, were willing to take the blame entirely just to protect the "reputation" of their four-year-old daughter.
The teachers and parents alike stared at him in disbelief.
Akansha genuinely wanted to cut his hand off. This man was embarrassing both of them to preserve the reputation of a child who couldn't even pronounce the word properly.
Seriously?
Shipra walked towards Shaurya with the form. The moment he opened his wallet, he froze. Not a single note. Only cards.
Immediately, he remembered how Siya had proudly emptied every currency note from his wallet two days ago to "feed" her piggy bank because its tummy looked too empty.
Slowly, he looked at his daughter.
Siya instantly lowered her head guiltily.
"Sorry Dadda..." she mumbled softly.
Shaurya then turned toward his wife.
Akansha inhaled deeply, suppressing her irritation, before walking to the desk.
She took money out of her handbag and handed it to him silently.
Shaurya accepted it with a faint sheepish smile and passed it to Shipra, who thanked him politely before moving to the next parent, trying very hard not to laugh at the amusing exchange between the state's Chief Minister, his wife, and their tiny troublemaker daughter.
A moment later, Akansha took out a few extra notes and handed them to him again.
He looked at her questioningly.
Cash.
Of course.
He still had visits scheduled to several underdeveloped areas later that evening where cash remained necessary despite the digital age.
How humiliating would it be if the state's Chief Minister walked around with empty pockets because he and his daughter were busy stuffing currency notes into a piggy bank?
Understanding her silent concern, Shaurya accepted the money while unsuccessfully trying to hide his grin.
"Aur khelo 'peppa pig and fill its tummy' with your daughter," Akansha whispered sharply near his ear.
Both father and daughter instantly looked away like caught criminals.
Another notification popped up in the group.
"?????? Poor Akansha... You wanted to teach them a lesson by fining them but look at you... You ended up paying the fine ?????? @Shaurya yaar, I'm so satisfied watching this."
Both Shaurya and Akansha instinctively looked around after reading Dev's message, only to find him standing in a corner with Ishan.
Wah.
The man had arrived so late that even the extra chairs arranged for parents were occupied by the time he reached.
"What's happening there? What fine are you talking about? Stop irritating Shaurya and Akansha and focus on your son. Because of you, Ishan got late to school. Request them to excuse him for today," Rachna texted.
Shaurya and Akansha slowly turned toward Dev.
Here he was mocking them as though he were some model parent, when in reality he was far worse than Shaurya. The man had arrived almost twenty minutes after the assembly ended.
"Woman, shut up. You don't know what to say & where ??♂???♂?", Dev shot back instantly, tagging his wife's message.
"Shut up and pay the fine idiot," Shaurya replied without missing a beat.
"Shipra ma'am," Akansha spoke calmly, though her eyes gleamed with vengeance, "please arrange a chair for Mr. Bisht... and also check if he requires a form."
Until then, most people hadn't even noticed Dev standing quietly in the corner. He had genuinely hoped to escape unnoticed, but how was that possible in the Devil's presence? he thought helplessly.