Chapter 50 #2
Without bitterness. Without anger. And though Shaurya knew this peace might not last forever, he still cherished it silently.
After a while, he left to freshen up while Akansha completed the remaining chores. She arranged all of Siya's matching accessories — unicorn clips, unicorn hair ties, unicorn bands. Honestly, where did this man even find so much unicorn-themed stuff?
Akansha had no idea that her utterly obsessed husband had literally invested in a children's accessories manufacturing company after realizing how much Siya loved unicorns. He had even sent rough design ideas himself.
Not because he was some professional designer. But because, according to him, at least he could explain properly what his daughter liked. Dev, of course, had mocked him endlessly for it saying
'Once a busy Chief Minister has now become a terrible hairclip designer.'
Shaurya walked out of the closet wearing a crisp blue formal shirt tucked neatly into formal trousers. Akansha hated how effortlessly attractive he looked.
The slight stubble. Perfectly set hair. The sharpness in his features. No wonder women still went crazy over him despite everyone now knowing he was married.
Shaurya looked like every woman's dream. Good-looking, caring, responsible, gentle, powerful, wealthy. And most importantly—a provider.
Something she felt was becoming increasingly rare these days.
Akansha had watched many women around her struggle while balancing careers, household responsibilities, emotional labor, and marriages where men wanted modern equality only while splitting bills, not while sharing responsibilities.
But Shaurya—
Sometimes he honestly felt unrealistic.
He was the Chief Minister of an entire state, yet he still cooked breakfast and packed lunches for his wife and daughter regularly.
If he got too busy in the mornings, he'd compensate during dinner. He always made sure he contributed somehow. And maybe that was what made everything harder for her. Because despite all his goodness, the heartbreak he caused her still remained unbearable.
Yes, he regretted everything.
Yes, he was trying. Yes, he loved her. But none of that erased the pain he gave her.
That one night—
The one night he intentionally allowed her to believe he was marrying her for revenge—had destroyed something fundamental inside her forever.
"Wake Siya up. I'll finish getting ready. Send her inside when I call."
Akansha quickly looked away from him while speaking because honestly, staring at him too long still affected her stupid heart.
"You freshen up. I'll get Siya ready in the other room. Just... make her braid later. I still can't do it properly no matter how much I try."
The way he spoke proudly about his daughter's hairstyle made her want to smile.
"It's okay, Shaurya. You can't be perfect at everything", she taunted before entering the washroom.
A direct attack on the perfectionist named Shaurya Singh Shekhawat. He simply shook his head helplessly.
A few minutes later, Shaurya woke Siya up and started getting her ready. As expected, the moment she saw her unicorn clips and matching hair ties, the little girl got excited instantly.
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"Does he know you'll be here?" Shaurya asked softly as they almost reached Akansha's parents' house.
"Yes. I asked Akash to inform him, and he did", Akansha replied.
No matter how calm she tried to appear, Shaurya could sense her nervousness clearly. Her thoughts were spiraling endlessly.
How would her father look now?
Would he look weak?
Could he even walk properly?
Akash had said he used a walker now.
Could she bear seeing him like that?
Would he be happy to see her, or would guilt consume him again?
The anticipation was suffocating her.
Shaurya quietly took her palm into his and rubbed slow circles against her skin, trying to soothe her silently. He didn't have the courage to say everything would be fine because he himself was one of the reasons she stayed away from her father for all these years.
Akansha's biggest complaint against Vasant had always been that he agreed to her marriage without even asking her once. She blamed him for the miserable life she lived afterwards.
But, her father had only wanted to protect her from the everyday torture her mother subjected her to by forcing her to marry a man who didn't deserve her, who would have treated her like sh*t. He saw Shaurya as a better man, someone who would love her and keep her happy.
Yes, he was wrong for not asking her before taking such a huge decision. But hadn't she punished him too harshly for that one mistake? Maybe she had.
She also knew Vasant must have blamed himself endlessly after learning from Akash that Shaurya had supposedly married her for revenge. Which was exactly why she had come today. To tell him the truth. To tell him that Shaurya hadn't married her for revenge.
She knew half of her father's deteriorating health stemmed from guilt.
Finally, they reached her father's house, bringing her endless thoughts to a halt.
Thanks to Suraj, very few people knew about Shaurya's visit to the city. Otherwise, the entire area would've turned chaotic within minutes.
The fleet of cars stopped outside the house, and Suraj handed Siya back to Shaurya.
Over time, Siya and Suraj had become surprisingly attached. Whenever Shaurya and Akansha needed privacy to talk, Siya automatically ended up sitting in the front seat beside Suraj.
"Dadda... we leached... reached Nanu's house?" Siya asked excitedly.
Shaurya kissed her forehead immediately, appreciating the correct pronunciation.
"Yes, we reached."
Akansha and Shaurya stepped out from opposite sides and walked towards the house together while Shaurya carried Siya in his arms.
Inside—
Vasant had been waiting restlessly ever since Akash informed him that Akansha was coming along with his granddaughter.
The very first thing he did was warn Jaya and Suman not to step outside in front of Akansha.
Akash had specifically told him that she was coming only to meet her father. Not them.
The moment Akansha stepped inside the house, Vasant stood up abruptly with the help of his walker.
After more than five years— His daughter was finally standing in front of him again. His hands trembled so violently that his grip on the walker slipped multiple times. Akansha rushed towards him immediately and hugged him tightly.
She had mentally prepared herself not to cry. But the moment she felt how weak her father had become, all her control shattered. Akash was right. Her father wasn't truly living anymore. He was merely breathing.
"Papa... relax. We'll sit and talk properly, okay?" she whispered while trying to steady him as he broke down in her arms.
"I don't deserve this... I'm so sorry, Akansha..." Vasant sobbed weakly. "I thought I would die without seeing you one last time."
Her heart cracked seeing him like this. Even during his earlier health issues, Vasant had never looked this broken mentally.
But now—he looked defeated by life itself.
"Dadda... why is Nanu crying?" Siya asked innocently while holding her father's hand.
Only then did Vasant realize the little girl's presence. He wiped his tears quickly before gently wiping Akansha's too and finally looked at Siya properly.
A smile slowly spread across his face. She was beautiful. A perfect blend of both her parents, though she resembled Shaurya more strongly. Even a blind person could identify whose daughter she was.
"Because Nanu missed your mumma very much", Shaurya answered softly while fixing Siya's hair that had gotten messy during her nap in the car.
And then—
Vasant's eyes landed properly on Shaurya. The warmth disappeared instantly. Rage replaced it. This man had destroyed his daughter's life. And now he dared to stand there as if nothing happened? Chief Minister or not, Vasant couldn't tolerate his presence inside his house.
"Get out", Vasant snapped furiously. "You don't have the right to enter my house after what you did to my daughter."
Shaurya lowered his eyes slightly. He couldn't even defend himself. Now that he himself had become a father to a daughter, he understood Vasant's pain far more deeply.
No, he hadn't married Akansha for revenge. But he had hurt her terribly. And that guilt would remain forever.
Respectfully nodding once, Shaurya turned and walked out quietly. Siya, however, had seen and heard everything. Her tiny face scrunched up angrily. She walked back towards her father, who was now standing near the gate outside.
"I don't like you", she told Vasant bluntly.
Both Akansha and Vasant froze.
"Siya bacha... you shouldn't say that", Shaurya corrected her softly. "He's your grandfather. Go to him."
Then he looked at Akansha.
"I'll wait downstairs."
Before Akansha could respond, Siya tightly grabbed Shaurya's hand.
"Dadda... he gandha(he is bad)", she whispered while pointing towards Vasant.
The old man looked stunned. Akansha immediately intervened.
"Siya, he's my Papa and your Nanu. You cannot talk like that."
"But he is my Dadda", Siya argued stubbornly while clutching Shaurya's hand tighter.
Shaurya's eyes welled up instantly.
For the first time in his life—someone stood up for him openly. And it was his daughter. Against the mother she was usually scared of.
"Siya... my magic unicorn", Shaurya knelt in front of her patiently. "Nanu wasn't scolding Dadda. It was just a game between big people. Dadda will explain later, okay?"
"Game?" Siya asked suspiciously.
"Yes."
He answered confidently enough for her to believe him.
The little girl pouted.
"I don't like this game, Dadda."
Then she hugged him tightly and rubbed the back of his head as if comforting him.
Shaurya's heart melted completely. Akansha rolled her eyes helplessly.
Of course Siya hated any game where she or her Dadda lost or looked sad.
The child behaved as though the entire world was bullying the most innocent man alive.