Chapter 49 #4
That was the only time he openly expressed his love, and those moments had kept her alive through everything else. He always ensured she ate on time, constantly checked on her and cared for her quietly.
Those little things gave her hope that maybe he still loved her deeply and maybe their marriage could survive.
Then Meera Pathak entered their lives. The way Shaurya silently watched his father address her as a caretaker in front of Meera had broken her.
At least that was what Akansha had believed until recently.
Tears slowly gathered in her eyes as memories of his ancestral house resurfaced. That place had never felt less than hell to her.
The trauma. The loneliness. The pain his indifference caused.
And now, after learning the truth behind everything he did, she genuinely didn't know what to feel anymore.
No, she hadn't forgiven him. But she had started understanding him. Shaurya slowly pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
A part of her wanted to push him away. But another part of her... the exhausted, wounded part... just wanted peace for one night. So instead of resisting, she tightly wrapped her arms around his waist and held him.
Shaurya lifted her gently and made her sit in his lap facing him. He stroked her hair slowly, calming her while she cried against him.
His chest physically hurt seeing her this vulnerable, especially knowing he was the reason behind it.
He kept whispering apologies into her hair. Eventually, Akansha's sobs softened.
The lighter she felt with each sob, the heavier his guilt became.
"I hate you", she whispered weakly.
"You are right to", he replied softly.
"You said I deserved your betrayal..."
Her sobs returned again.
"No, you didn't", he whispered immediately. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have stopped with one slap, Jaan."
"You loved me for revenge", she accused again.
"I approached you with revenge in my mind", he admitted honestly. "But I loved you because I couldn't stop myself from loving you." His hold around her tightened slightly.
"I stayed not because of revenge, but because I wanted only you in my life. No other woman." His forehead rested against hers. "Despite your anger, arrogance and all your efforts to push me away, I stayed because I loved you. If it was only revenge, I would've left much sooner."
His voice softened further.
"I stayed because of you, Akansha."
Tears slipped silently from her eyes again.
"I know I made horrible mistakes, but please don't punish yourself for them. My feelings for you were never fake or manipulative. They were always genuine."
Those words soothed wounds she had carried for years.
"I can't trust you again", she whispered, though even she knew it wasn't entirely true anymore.
"I don't deserve your trust", he admitted calmly. "But I'll spend my entire life trying to earn it back."
He cupped her face gently.
"Don't suppress yourself anymore. If you feel like slapping me, do it. If you feel like kissing me the next moment, do that too."
A faint smile appeared through her tears.
"Don't keep punishing yourself trying to control your feelings. If someone deserves punishment here, it's me." His voice turned quiet. "You deserve happiness now, Akansha. You deserve the world."
Then he looked at her almost helplessly.
"Please let me stay in your life. Even if it's just as someone who helps you quietly. I promise I won't pressure you to forgive me." His eyes filled slightly. "But please let me heal you, to help you. Maybe... just as your servant?"
Akansha immediately glared at him.
"Don't say such things." Her voice turned firm. "If I choose to keep you in my life, it will happen respectfully. You deserve my anger and hatred, but not disrespect."
Shaurya gave a helpless smile.
"I don't need respect from you. I just need you and Siya."
"No—"
"Okay", he interrupted softly before she could argue again. "Whatever you say." He gently started massaging her scalp. "But let's not talk anymore tonight. Your migraine will worsen."
Akansha slowly rested her head against his chest, finally feeling some peace after years. After a long silence, she spoke quietly.
"Shaurya... can we go meet Papa?" He looked down at her immediately. "I need to tell him the real reason behind our marriage", she whispered. "I can't let him suffer like this anymore."
"Yes, we'll go. We'll take Siya too", Shaurya agreed immediately.
Akansha hummed softly.
"He had angioplasty... How could I not be there for him? He...", she trailed off emotionally.
Shaurya gently reassured her.
"One of the best surgeons in the country performed it. Your father is fine now. Nothing that regular checkups and medicines can't manage, and he's following everything properly. Don't worry."
Akansha looked at him in surprise.
"How do you know?"
"Akash told me", he lied smoothly.
But Akansha immediately understood the truth hidden behind those words.
She knew her brother well enough. After everything Shaurya had done to her, Akash would've never approached him for help regarding personal matters.
Which meant only one thing. Shaurya had never truly left her family alone. Somewhere behind the scenes, he had quietly continued helping them all these years. The realization softened something inside her, even if she didn't want to admit it openly.
"Sleep now", he said softly, ruffling her hair.
"Lay down", she replied quietly.
Understanding what she wanted, Shaurya slowly laid down on the floor while Akansha settled against him, her head resting in the crook of his neck and his arms carefully wrapped around her.
He gently massaged her scalp. Soon, exhaustion overpowered her, and she drifted into deep sleep. The pin-drop silence around them made Shaurya fully realize what had just happened. Akansha was sleeping in his arms.
After years.
His eyes welled up instantly, and uncontrollable tears slid down silently. He knew this moment was temporary. Maybe just for one night. Still, it warmed his heart in a way he couldn't explain.
The ache inside him felt bittersweet. Her pain was tearing him apart, yet having her this close again gave him enough strength to survive the rest of his life if needed.
Even if she never forgave him completely, he knew he would hold onto the memory of this night forever. Maybe that was why God gave him this moment.
The entire night, Shaurya barely slept.
He simply stared at his wife sleeping peacefully against his chest while gently massaging her scalp and stroking her hair. He knew all the crying would've worsened her migraine. And every small sign of discomfort on her face filled him with guilt again.
Early in the morning, Shaurya carefully got up while carrying her in his arms. The movement disturbed her sleep slightly as he placed her gently on the bed.
"Shaurya... what...", Akansha mumbled sleepily.
"Sorry... sleep peacefully", he whispered, kissing her forehead softly. "Take a day off today."
She hummed weakly in agreement.
Her mind was overloaded after everything she had learnt the previous night. Too many truths, too many shattered perceptions.
Right now, she didn't even want to process any of it. She just wanted silence.
Afterwards, Shaurya quietly got Siya ready for school, prepared breakfast and fed her himself.
He also cooked lunch for Akansha, carefully making her favorite dishes, hoping it would make her feel slightly better.
Before leaving, he instructed Mrs. Sudha to serve Akansha's lunch hot, though Mrs. Sudha already knew perfectly well how Akansha preferred her food.
Shaurya quickly finished all his pending morning work because he absolutely didn't want to get late again. Not after the lecture his wife had given him the last time.
He dropped Siya off at school on time before leaving for his office from there.
He still remembered how she had scolded him for three straight days about how embarrassing it looked that the head of the disciplinary committee herself had a husband and daughter who were always late, despite one of them being a responsible Chief Minister.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Sudha called Shaurya to inform him that Akansha had finally woken up, just as he had instructed.
He immediately called her.
"How are you feeling now?", Shaurya asked after the initial greetings and conversation about Siya.
"Much better now", Akansha replied softly. "Karela bahut tasty bana hai(bitter gourd curry is very tasty). Thank you." Then she added casually, "But Bhindi was clearly made according to your daughter's taste."
Shaurya blinked in surprise.
"You had lunch already?", he asked, trying not to sound too happy.
From the moment Akansha and Siya started living with him, he had cooked countless times for them. She always knew he cooked but had never once acknowledged it openly. This was the first time. And that tiny appreciation alone had him floating on cloud nine.
"Having it now", she corrected.
"Oh..."
He suddenly didn't know what to say.
Akansha understood immediately that he simply wanted to continue talking but had run out of words.
And honestly, even she no longer knew how to behave around him after learning the entire truth. Earlier, hurting him with her words hadn't bothered her much because she believed he deserved every ounce of her hatred.
Now things weren't that simple anymore. So the silence between them turned awkward. Akansha decided to break it.
"Dono baap beti karele ke naam se hi door bhagte ho huh?(Father and daughter run away hearing bitter gourd's name?)"
Shaurya straightened immediately. Damn.
She figured out he had cooked bitter gourd only for her while making okra for himself and Siya.
"No... it's just that there were already okras in the refrigerator. I thought they would get spoiled otherwise. You know Mrs. Sudha bought them four days ago."
He mentally prayed she would believe him. Akansha snorted softly.
"Don't pretend to be thrifty when you're clearly not. And yes, you definitely made okra for yourselves, not because of whatever nonsense you just said." Then she added calmly, "Tomorrow I'm making karela for both father and daughter."
Shaurya looked horrified.
"No... that's not needed. I packed bitter gourd in mine and Siya's lunch today too. Bhindi is only for you."
Unfortunately for him, his daughter immediately destroyed his lie.
"Dadda! Bhindi is soooo tasty! Umm... yummy!"
Siya shouted excitedly while running towards her father after returning from school, dropping her bag and water bottle midway.
Suraj quietly picked them up, and Shaurya awkwardly thanked him while taking them from his hand. Suraj left with a silent nod.
"I... I think I forgot to pack karela in Siya's box. But I packed it in mine", Shaurya tried recovering desperately.
"Video call me", Akansha ordered in a no-nonsense tone.
Since Siya's school timings ended in the afternoon, parents usually packed lunch boxes that the school staff fed to children before sending them home.
"Already ate my lunch," Shaurya lied again.
"Shaurya..."
Just the slight change in her tone was enough. She knew he wouldn't have lunch without making sure she had eaten hers, so she instantly understood he was lying.
"Calling right away," he surrendered immediately.
After disconnecting, he looked dramatically at his daughter.
"Siya bacha... you got both yourself and Dadda into danger." Siya blinked at him in confusion.
"Get ready to eat karela tomorrow."
"Nooo... Dadda no... Yuckkk...", Siya whined dramatically, cupping her face in horror.
Shaurya chuckled despite himself before muttering under his breath,
"Now where exactly do I bring bitter gourd curry from when I never packed it? There are fifteen hundred employees here... surely one of them must've brought karela." He sighed miserably. "But how do I ask for it? What if she recognizes it isn't mine?"
Before he could think further, Akansha video-called him. Shaurya picked up mentally preparing for his downfall.
"Show me your tiffin", she ordered.
He gulped before turning on the back camera.
Akansha instantly saw Siya happily eating okra from his lunch box while enjoying every bite, completely unaware that her father was currently being grilled because of her.
"Siya bacha... chew properly", Shaurya said weakly.
"Yes. Exactly how both of you will chew karela tomorrow", Akansha replied sternly.
"Kalela...", Siya repeated with a disgusted expression.
Akansha didn't need to see Shaurya's face to know he was making the exact same one.
"Siya, let Dadda have his lunch. Go and color in your paint book," Akansha said.
Siya nodded. Shaurya turned the camera in a way that only his face was visible to Akansha, then quietly started feeding Siya from his lunch box while the little girl happily ate, making all sorts of sounds.
"Siyabear..." Akansha called softly, but the slight edge in her tone was enough to send Siya running to the side. She quickly settled on the couch and slowly pulled out her drawing book.
Shaurya chuckled at Siya's cute antics and at how scared she was of her mother.
The moment Siya settled on the couch quietly coloring, Akansha shifted the call to voice mode.
The husband and wife continued talking while having lunch together over the call.
At one point, Akansha asked whether he wanted her to pick Siya up later, but Shaurya refused and told her to take the day for herself.
She eventually agreed.
Ever since Shaurya learnt about Siya, he had taken over a huge part of parenting responsibilities naturally. It wasn't that Akansha wanted breaks from her daughter, but earlier she never truly had mental space for herself either.
Yes, Richa or her parents used to babysit her. But she never felt peaceful leaving Siya with anyone. She used to call every couple of hours to check on her.
With Shaurya, she never felt that anxiety.
Especially now.
He had become a complete pro at being a father. There was a brief comfortable silence before Akansha suddenly asked quietly,
"Shaurya... how is Aakriti?"
Shaurya went still for a second. Then he understood. It was finally time to address the biggest wound between them.