Chapter 58
The next day, Siya visited her Dadda after school. She had wanted to see him first thing in the morning, but Akansha strictly sent her to school, promising that Jasmeet would bring her to the hospital afterward. Though reluctant, the little girl agreed.
The moment Siya saw Shaurya, she burst into tears and clung to him tightly. Her sobs turned uncontrollable seeing the drip attached to his hand.
"Bad doctols(doctors)... All ale bad... All hurt my dadda..." she cried furiously, glaring at every nurse nearby. "Dadda, let's go home... Pwease..."
Shaurya instantly asked the nurse to remove the cannula. Hiding Siya's face against his chest, he patiently calmed her before showing his hand once it was removed.
"Bacha... look here... See? It's gone. No one is hurting Dadda now. I'm completely fine."
Siya cautiously touched his palm.
"Where is it, Dadda?" she asked with teary eyes.
"It's gone, baby. No more injections. Now stop crying."
He wiped her tears and kissed her cheeks until she finally calmed down. Akansha walked in after speaking to the doctor and instantly noticed his bare hand.
"Where is your cannula?" she asked suspiciously.
Shaurya silently gestured toward Siya, and Akansha immediately understood what had happened after seeing her daughter's puffed cheeks and tear-stained face.
She mentally sighed.
At this point, Shaurya would probably start dancing on the hospital bed just to convince Siya he was healthy.
Realizing he would continue pretending everything was normal in front of their daughter, Akansha decided it was safer to send Siya away before Shaurya exhausted himself further. She immediately called Dev and asked him to pick Siya up.
Siya was reluctant to leave.
"Dadda... I don't want to go... But mumma said I should leave with Dev uncle..." she sniffled emotionally. "You take care, okay? I'll come tomollow(tomorrow) and—"
"Tomollow nahi, tomorrow(it's tomorrow)", Akansha corrected automatically.
Siya blinked, instantly forgetting the speech she had prepared because of the interruption.
"And... and..." she frowned deeply, trying to remember before suddenly brightening. "Yes! Dadda... call me if doctols come with injection again, okay?"
Shaurya smiled softly.
"I will. But don't worry about me. Mumma is here to take care of Dadda. I want my Siya bear to enjoy with Ishaan and Ivaan properly, okay?"
"Yes Dadda... this much!" Siya stretched her tiny palms wide.
"Aha... this much?" Shaurya widened her arms even more, making her giggle loudly.
Dev and Akansha stood there watching the father-daughter duo with helpless fondness.
"Aw... she's so cute", Dev whispered dramatically. "I want this angel permanently in my house. Twenty years from now, I'll make Siya my daughter-in-law. Mark my words."
"Shut up", Akansha warned immediately. "If Shaurya hears you, he'll get another stroke, and then I'll personally kill you. Then forget about taking Siya to your place after twenty years, you won't even be able to do it now,"
"Relax, woman. I'm whispering", Dev defended himself shamelessly before continuing seriously, "Listen to my POA."
Akansha narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I'll train my sons perfectly. Cooking, cleaning, chores, earning money... everything. Siya will just sit peacefully and enjoy life."
Akansha slapped his shoulder instantly.
"I want to murder you. You and my husband would turn Siya into the ambassador of laziness."
The second those words left her mouth, Dev froze dramatically.
"My husband?" he repeated internally with wide eyes. Realizing her slip, Akansha immediately continued talking before Dev could react.
"Wait. If you want Siya to marry Ishaan, why are you training Ivaan too?"
Dev looked offended by the question.
"My princess deserves not just a good husband but also a good devar(brother-in-law). And anyway, Ivaan is backup. What if Siya rejects Ishaan after growing up?"
Another slap landed on his shoulder.
"You are such an as*h*le. Get out."
After countless hugs, kissies, and emotional goodbyes, Siya finally left with Dev after making Shaurya promise she could visit again the next day.
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Three days passed, and by now Shaurya was thoroughly irritated with Dr. Chauhan.
The old man had completely stopped communicating directly with him and instead passed every instruction through Akansha, fully aware Shaurya wouldn't dare refuse his wife.
That evening, Siya visited again and spent nearly two hours playing with her Dadda before asking the same question once more.
"Dadda... you are fine na?"
"Absolutely fine, my unicorn."
"Then why they not sending you home?" she frowned suspiciously.
Shaurya immediately thought about Dr. Chauhan and decided revenge was necessary.
"Well..." he whispered dramatically, "there's one bad doctor here who keeps scaring your mumma that I'm not fine."
Siya gasped loudly.
"Hawwwww!"
"Dadda... who that bad doctor? Tell me!"
"He'll come during rounds. I'll show you."
Right on cue, Dr. Chauhan walked in with Akansha.
The moment Siya got confirmation from Shaurya through a small nod, she turned toward the doctor angrily.
"Send my dadda home. He is fine."
Dr. Chauhan blinked in surprise at the sudden attack.
"Your Dadda is fine, beta, but he needs to stay one more day."
"No! You ale bad(you are bad)! You fooling my mumma and keeping my dadda here!" Siya argued furiously in broken sentences.
Shaurya hid his laughter shamelessly. The funniest part? Siya was making perfectly logical arguments. She touched Shaurya's forehead, cheeks, and palm one by one.
"No fever. No pain. Then why keeping him here?" she demanded.
After several more minutes of stubborn arguments, Dr. Chauhan finally surrendered.
"Fine. I will discharge your Dadda tomorrow morning."
Siya instantly looked toward Shaurya for translation. She didn't understand what 'discharge' meant.
"Doctor uncle is sending me home tomorrow morning."
Siya squealed happily and hugged him tightly while Shaurya proudly kissed her hair like his daughter had just won a courtroom battle.
Akansha, meanwhile, glared at both father and daughter.
"Doctor... are you sure?" she asked cautiously. "You earlier said discharge might happen the day after tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Dr. Akansha. He's stable. We'll run final tests tomorrow morning, but mostly he'll be discharged. Just make sure he follows every instruction afterward."
Dr. Chauhan looked pointedly at Shaurya.
"Proper sleep. No stress. Minimum five hours of sleep considering his habits. Ideally eight."
Akansha nodded seriously.
After checking Shaurya once again, the doctor turned toward Siya and pinched her cheeks affectionately.
"You argue very well. You'll become a great lawyer one day."
Siya puffed her cheeks angrily.
"I become doctol. I treat my dadda at home only."
"Yeah..." Dr. Chauhan sighed dramatically. "God save your future patients."
Akansha burst out laughing while the father-daughter duo looked personally offended.
After the doctor left, Akansha patiently explained to Siya that the doctor was actually helping her Dadda.
Meanwhile, Shaurya had already sensed danger approaching.
So the moment Dev arrived to pick Siya up, Shaurya immediately pretended to fall asleep to avoid his wife's lecture.
Unfortunately for him, Akansha knew every single one of his tactics.
"Kaash koi sharam naam ki cheez bechte(I wish someone sold something called shame)", she began coldly. "I would've bought truckloads for you."
Shaurya slowly opened one eye.
"You made your four-year-old argue with the doctor for your discharge? Shame on you. You're the Chief Minister of a state, Shaurya. Behave like a responsible adult."
"Siya made valid points", he defended weakly. "And technically, I didn't provoke her."
Akansha stared at him dangerously.
"You didn't?"
"Well... not if you see in a —"
"Shut off your politically correct brain before I dismantle it completely."
He wisely shut his mouth.
From there, Akansha continued lecturing him nonstop while he quietly listened like a punished schoolboy.
She only stopped when Dev returned after dropping Siya home.
"Siya said Shaurya is getting discharged tomorrow", Dev said excitedly. "I checked with the nurse too. But how? Dr. Chauhan earlier said maybe after two more days."
Akansha pointed at Shaurya with disbelief.
"Your best friend made his four-year-old fight his case. And guess what? she won."
"Five..." Shaurya corrected softly from the bed.
"What?" Akansha glared.
"Siya is five years old now."
The death glare Akansha gave him afterward made Dev immediately decide not to rescue his best friend this time.
Honestly?
Shaurya deserved it.
After dinner, Shaurya gradually drifted off to sleep. Later, Dev and Akansha discussed Dr. Chauhan's instructions regarding his health, and Dev assured her that he would do everything possible to keep Shaurya stress-free.
She spoke to Akash and Mr. Sharma as well, both of whom promised the same, unaware that Shaurya had plans entirely of his own.
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"Why didn't you or Dev go after Dilip Gandhi?"
Shaurya looked visibly taken aback. And instantly, Akansha understood there was a reason behind it. One she probably wouldn't like hearing.
"He was enough to destroy himself. Dev or I didn't have to work hard for that. Moreover, Dilip Gandhi successfully diverted all Aakriti's anger toward you. He made you the villain in her story, and Aakriti couldn't see beyond your betrayal.", he began
"When she slowly started realizing Dilip's manipulative games, you had already believed his words and formed a terrible opinion about her.
That vile animal turned both of you against each other while saving himself.
.. though not for long. His selfishness eventually became the reason behind his own destruction", Shaurya said.
Akansha narrowed her eyes at him.