Chapter 48 #4
Soon, the trio left for the Prime Minister's cottage after receiving information that he was available to meet them. Shaurya greeted him respectfully with a "Namaste", while the honourable Prime Minister warmly hugged him and patted his shoulder affectionately.
The Prime Minister genuinely admired Shaurya — his vision, intellect, and the innovative approach he had towards governance. Though he sometimes regretted Shaurya not belonging to his party, he was at least thankful the man wasn't sitting in the opposition either.
Akansha folded her hands politely in greeting, which he warmly reciprocated. Then both Shaurya and Akansha asked Siya to seek blessings.
The little girl obediently touched his feet, making the Prime Minister smile fondly before lifting her into his arms and kissing her chubby cheeks affectionately.
The atmosphere quickly turned comfortable.
They discussed general matters initially before the Prime Minister expressed concern regarding the attack on Shaurya earlier that morning. He assured full support in investigating the matter, and Shaurya thanked him respectfully.
Soon, the conversation shifted towards governance and development. And somewhere in between, Shaurya started proudly talking about Akansha.
He briefed the Prime Minister about the education model and curriculum revision she had been working on, speaking about her efforts with so much pride that Akansha genuinely started feeling embarrassed.
The irony wasn't lost on her.
Shaurya spoke more proudly about her intellect and work than he ever spoke about his own achievements despite handling responsibilities far bigger than hers.
The Prime Minister listened attentively before turning towards Akansha with visible appreciation.
"Excellent work", he praised sincerely. "I'll closely monitor the model once it's implemented in the state. And if the results meet expectations, I'd like to form a committee to implement it nationally as well." Akansha looked stunned. "And I would want you to work on it too", he added.
For a moment, Akansha genuinely didn't know how to react. It was a massive honour. After some more discussions and the mandatory photographs, they finally took their leave.
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The national as well as state media extensively covered Shaurya's visit to Prayagraj with his family.
As the most followed Chief Minister in the country, Shaurya's popularity wasn't restricted to just his state anymore. His influence had crossed borders, making media attention around him significantly more intense than usual.
And the fact that he had visited Prayagraj on the same day as the Prime Minister only fueled political discussions further.
News channels and political enthusiasts immediately started speculating about a possible alliance in the upcoming elections.
However, Shaurya's party firmly denied all such claims.
Miles away from all this noise, Vasant Dikshit sat on the sofa, absentmindedly changing television channels. Nothing interested him anymore.
Even living had started feeling burdensome ever since his elder daughter walked away from him after her marriage. She was never truly the same with him after that night. The night Shaurya Shekhawat had come asking for Akansha's hand in marriage.
Initially, Vasant hadn't even understood what was happening. It was Akash who later explained everything — how Shaurya and Akansha had been in a relationship for quite some time.
And honestly, it didn't take Vasant long to notice the love and respect Shaurya held for his daughter. So he agreed quickly.
That decision eventually became his greatest mistake.
At that time, his wife had been relentlessly pressuring Akansha to marry a man nearly ten years older than her — a man Vasant knew was completely undeserving of his daughter.
Every single day, he watched Akansha slowly give up pieces of herself before her mother's emotional pressure. She had stopped fighting eventually, and that frightened him more than anything else.
Without even asking Akansha properly, he agreed to the marriage, thinking he was saving her. Instead, he unknowingly helped Shaurya destroy her.
That night, Akansha had a terrible fight with him for agreeing to the marriage without her consent. And afterwards, she changed completely. She stopped coming to him. Stopped depending on him.
Stopped calling him unless absolutely necessary.
Only much later did Vasant understand the depth of the betrayal she faced. She felt abandoned by him too.
The television suddenly flashed with breaking coverage from Prayagraj. And there she was. His Akansha.
"Jaya... Jaya... JAYA", Vasant shouted loudly.
Jaya hurried out immediately, startled by his tone. The moment her eyes landed on the television screen, she froze. Akansha stood there beside her husband — the Chief Minister — while a little girl stood between them.
Their daughter.
Akansha had a daughter.
Jaya's eyes instantly welled up after seeing her child properly after more than five years.
And despite wanting to suppress the memories, old conversations forced themselves back into her mind.
"Marry him. What's wrong with him? He has his own shop and house. What more do you want?", Jaya had asked angrily.
"A fancy shop and twelve people stuffed inside a three-bedroom house", Akash muttered sarcastically.
"You shut up", Jaya snapped immediately. "At least they're financially better than us. We can't afford a better match for her."
"Are you serious, Ma? Di is doing her PhD. Once she completes it, she'll earn three to five times more than him", Akash argued.
"And when exactly will that happen?", Jaya mocked.
"When you stop putting the entire world's responsibilities on her head", Akash shot back.
"Akash, enough. Don't interfere in matters that don't concern you."
"Ma, I will interfere. That man is not suitable for Di. Just look at her. She's pretty, intelligent, educated, and young, while that man is ten years older than her. He's only tenth pass, Ma. And it's not just about education, I don't think he's a good man either. Di deserves better."
"Nothing is wrong with age gaps. Your father and I also have an eight-year age difference", Jaya argued before turning towards Akansha sternly. "Tell me clearly. Will you marry him or not?"
Akansha tried controlling her emotions while Shaurya's face repeatedly flashed in her mind.
"No, Ma. He isn't the right match for me."
"What?", Jaya asked sharply.
"I won't marry him", Akansha said firmly this time. "I deserve better."
Jaya stared at her in disbelief.
"Better? How much better? What exactly do you think of yourself?"
"He's simply not the right match for me, Ma. That's all."
Jaya laughed bitterly.
"Yeah right. As if some Chief Minister will come marry you.
Stop behaving like some princess. We're middle-class people, Akansha.
We don't have money for huge dowries." Her voice turned harsher.
"We already sold everything for Suman's wedding.
We don't have choices left. And what's even wrong with that man? He's decent."
"No need to rush my marriage. I'll marry when we have enough money", Akansha replied quietly.
"And when will that happen? By then you'll be in your thirties. Who will marry you after that?"
"Ma, I'll call Papa. You can't force Di like this", Akash said angrily while moving towards the bedroom.
"Akash, no. Let him rest. Stress isn't good for his health", Akansha stopped him before turning back towards her mother. "Ma... I can marry at the wrong time. But I can never marry the wrong man."
At this point, her mother's words didn't even surprise her anymore.
"Till then you want society to taunt us because the younger daughter got married before the elder one? It'll affect your sister too", Jaya argued.
Akansha silently looked away. It hurt watching her own mother discriminate between her daughters so openly, but she had grown used to swallowing that pain quietly.
Every man in the world felt wrong for her except Shaurya. But the timing with him was wrong too. She couldn't marry him while still bleeding from his betrayal. She wanted to forgive him first.
Only then could she truly become his wife. Which was exactly why she had strictly warned Akash never to tell Shaurya about their mother's pressure.
Because she knew one thing with certainty. The moment Shaurya learnt about this, he would marry her immediately. And that's exactly what happened later.
When Shaurya formally came asking for Akansha's hand, Jaya immediately rejected the proposal outright, shocking both Vasant and Akash.
That day, both men finally realized something ugly. Jaya didn't just want Akansha married. She also carried a deep inferiority complex and false pride.
She was ready to marry her daughter off to a man completely unsuitable for her, but she wasn't ready to accept a man who genuinely loved her daughter simply because he was wealthy and influential.
She feared society would call them gold diggers. Shaurya had been furious that day. Furious at a mother who couldn't think beyond her own ego even once for her daughter.
"Sir... is she your second wife by any chance? Is Akansha her stepdaughter?", Shaurya had asked bluntly, unable to control his anger.
"MLA saab, how can you say something like that?", Jaya had asked in outrage.
"Why shouldn't I? The way you've treated Akansha says enough."
Then calming himself with visible effort, Shaurya had turned towards Vasant and formally asked for Akansha's hand in marriage. And Vasant agreed.
Because deep inside, he only wanted one thing.
To send his daughter away from that house before she completely broke there.
Later, Vasant understood the real reason behind his wife's insistence on marrying Akansha to that shopkeeper.
Jaya had already made an arrangement with that family.
Even after marriage, Akansha would continue financially supporting the Dikshit family through her income, and they had agreed to it.