Chapter 53 #2
"Take care of your health. And stop coming home this late or skipping meals. Give your workaholic self a break."
Rajnath snorted.
"Look who's talking. You pull all-nighters like sleep is optional. You're not just a workaholic, you're a devil at work. You should be the last person lecturing me."
"I'm half your age. I still can. You can't. So follow my instructions," Shaurya said sternly.
Then he looked at Aakriti.
"Call me the next time he comes home late. I'll shut down his media giant pressing false charges."
"And people will call it revenge politics," Rajnath countered instantly. "My company publishes news against your party MLAs, so you'll use power to destroy us?"
Shaurya rolled his eyes.
"I don't care. Take care of yourself... otherwise I'll personally take care of your company."
With that, he walked out carrying Siya in his arms while Akansha smiled softly at Rajnath and Aakriti before following him.
Once inside the car, Shaurya adjusted Siya carefully against his chest.
"Give me her blanket. She's shivering."
Akansha immediately took out Siya's travel blanket and covered her while Shaurya gently settled their daughter more comfortably against him, kissing her hair absentmindedly.
Anyone could see the overwhelming love he carried for his daughter. After a few moments of silence, Akansha looked at him carefully.
"So... what's troubling you?" she whispered softly, making sure not to wake Siya.
Shaurya looked at her with slightly widened eyes.
Even now, she still possessed that terrifying ability to read him effortlessly.
He could fool the entire world. Even Dev believed he was fine. But never Akansha. Never her.
"Um... nothing..." he muttered quietly. "I... I was just thinking about Siya's birthday..."
"If you want to celebrate her birthday in a certain way, you can.
I don't mind. Just tell me what you have in mind and I'll help you with the preparations.
But if this is about the four birthdays you missed.
.. then don't dwell on them now. Guilt and regret only end up ruining the happy moments people still have.
So for now, keep those feelings aside and live in the present. .. and the truth of it."
Her gaze softened slightly as it fell on Siya sleeping peacefully in his arms.
"The only truth you need to focus on right now is that your daughter is here... with you... in your arms."
Though her tone remained calm and practical, it still carried basic empathy. She had successfully hidden the pain she felt by seeing him this distressed.
He looked troubled... deeply troubled, as if something inside him was constantly consuming him from within. She knew it was regret, and she also knew he would probably never be able to free himself from it completely.
Shaurya tightened his hold around Siya unconsciously, his eyes turning moist.
"I never knew regret could hurt this much," he admitted quietly. "I feel like I'm dying every second... and the worst part is, I deserve it."
Akansha immediately turned her face toward the window, trying to control the tears gathering in her eyes. Watching him in pain had never been easy for her.
For five years, she had nurtured hatred against him with almost stubborn determination. Somewhere deep down, she had wanted him to suffer for what he did to her. But now that she knew the truth, that hatred was slowly fading away.
She still didn't defend his actions. Yes, he was wrong. His choices were wrong. His decision to deceive her was wrong.
But at the same time, one undeniable truth stood taller than everything else — he was the only person in her life who had loved her purely, without selfishness, guilt, obligation, or gratitude attached to it.
Sometimes that truth made everything else appear painfully small. And yet... her own suffering stopped her from even thinking about forgiving him completely.
She had seen affection in her father's eyes, but most of it was overshadowed by guilt for burdening her with responsibilities too early. In Akash's eyes, she had always seen gratitude and respect.
That didn't mean they didn't love her. They did. But those emotions often stood stronger than love itself. With Shaurya, however, she had only experienced love. Pure love. Nothing else.
At least until the day she discovered the truth.
Before that moment, she had never truly cried because of him. There were arguments, stubborn fights, irritation... but never pain.
Then suddenly, all the pain hit her at once.
What hurt her even more than his betrayal was believing he had tolerated her arrogance, rudeness, and flaws only because of revenge... not because he genuinely loved her.
But now that she knew he had stayed because he truly loved her, her wounds had slowly started healing.
Still... trusting him with her heart again felt far away or maybe that's what she kept forcing herself to believe.
"So tell me something," Akansha spoke after a pause, deliberately shifting the conversation toward something lighter. "You were always close to Mr. Bisht? The way his eyes filled with tears seeing you and Siya together... it's obvious how much he loves you."
Shaurya understood immediately what she was doing. She was trying to pull both of them away from these heavy emotions for a while. A small smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah... he loved me exactly like he loved Dev and Aakriti."
His expression softened with old memories.
"You know, when I was in eighth standard, he once decided to leave the country with Dev, Aakriti... and me. He was even ready to sell his media company if he couldn't manage it from the U.S." Akansha looked at him in surprise.
"But I refused to go," he continued quietly. "I was scared for Aakriti. If I had left the country with them, there was a high chance Virendar Shekhawat would've eventually found out about her."
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"That was the first time I truly realized how much he loved me... he was ready to leave behind his entire life for me."
"Why did he suddenly want to take all of you away?" Akansha asked softly.
Shaurya looked down at Siya for a moment before answering.
"I got my report card that day. I had ranked second in class... and that didn't sit well with Virendar Shekhawat."
Akansha frowned slightly.
"He had already been having a terrible day because some party MLAs defected to the opposition trying to weaken his government. I became his easiest target to vent his frustration on."
His tone remained calm, but Akansha's chest tightened hearing him narrate it so casually.
"He beat the sh*t out of me until his anger settled down." Akansha's breath hitched. "The worst part wasn't even the beating," Shaurya continued after a pause. "My biological mother stood there the entire time... more worried about calming her husband down than stopping him."
His fingers tightened slightly over Siya's blanket.
"Once he was done venting his anger, both of them walked away and left me with the servants. I passed out later and was admitted to the hospital."
Akansha stared at him silently, stunned.
"Rajnath uncle came to see me there. He was furious. He genuinely wanted to destroy the Shekhawats that day." A faint smile appeared on his lips. "But I calmed him down."
He adjusted Siya's duvet properly before continuing.
"I wanted to leave too. I wanted to get away from those people I unfortunately had to call parents... but I couldn't risk Aakriti's safety. If I had disappeared with Rajnath uncle, Virendar Shekhawat would've found her sooner or later."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"I was his political successor. My disappearance would've become his biggest weakness. And that man..." He exhaled heavily. "He was capable of doing anything to bring me back." Akansha quietly absorbed every word.
"I didn't want Rajnath uncle facing consequences because of me either. He had already done more than enough for me. I'll remain indebted to him all my life."
Akansha was still processing what she had just heard. She had never imagined Shaurya had suffered physical abuse as a child. He had never spoken about it before. And suddenly she realized... he had endured far more than she ever knew.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" she asked quietly.
"No one knew. Except Rajnath uncle," Shaurya replied. "And it only happened once. After that incident, my father never raised his hand on me again. I got injured badly that day... it took me months to recover."
"That's not what I asked, Shaurya." Her voice turned firmer this time. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Shaurya fell silent briefly.
"Situations..." he answered quietly. "We were never really in a place where I could share all this with you. And honestly..." His eyes lowered. "The guilt of hurting you always felt heavier than these memories."
Akansha sighed softly, anguish settling in her chest again.
"You and Mr. Bisht behave like father and son," she murmured after a while. "But I never heard you address him as anything. Why?"
A faint smile touched Shaurya's lips.
"He is far more than a father to me. He asked me many times to call him 'Dad', just like Dev and Aakriti do... but I never could."
"Why?"
"Because I already burdened him enough," he admitted honestly. "I didn't want to burden him emotionally too." Akansha quietly looked at him. "At the same time, I couldn't bring myself to call him 'uncle' either. So I just... avoided addressing him directly most of the time."
That single statement made Akansha understand what Rajnath had meant earlier. Shaurya truly was pure-hearted. Despite growing up surrounded by betrayal, manipulation, deceit, and cruelty... none of it managed to corrupt him.
Like a lotus blooming untouched in muddy water.
"Anyway..." Shaurya deliberately changed the topic again, glancing down at Siya. "Tell me how you want to plan her birthday. What do you think she'll enjoy?"
"Keep it simple," Akansha replied immediately. "Just close family."
Shaurya nodded thoughtfully.
"I was actually planning two separate parties."