Chapter 60
"Dadda... where is nail paint?", Siya asked, holding her father's large palm between her tiny hands.
"Hm... nail paint?", Shaurya struggled to answer seeing the upset look on his daughter's face.
"I worked super hard to make your fingers sparky... it was bootiful. Why did you take it off?", Siya asked, leaving her father in deeper trouble.
Handling ministers, officers, and dangerous people was easier for Shaurya than handling his own daughter.
"They weren't bootiful.", Akansha mocked her daughter, making her puff her cheeks.
"You painted not just your Dadda's nails but his entire hand.
People were laughing at him, you know? That's why I cleaned it off.
And next time, don't put nail paint on his nails.
Boys don't wear nail paint", Akansha explained.
"Who laughed at my Dadda?", Siya asked seriously, placing her hands on her hips.
Everyone around them chuckled at her protective tone, but Akansha knew very well how possessive Siya was about her parents. The little girl genuinely wouldn't spare anyone who laughed at either her mother or father.
"Well... there is one aunty. I'll show you when she comes home", Akansha replied casually.
Shaurya immediately looked at her in amusement.
"Yes, mamabear. Show me. I will see that aunty", Siya declared angrily.
"Okay, now go help Sudha aunty set the table. We'll come", Akansha said.
Siya nodded and walked inside.
"We weren't even sure whether Meera would visit our home or not, but looks like you've already prepared our daughter for war. Hm... so this was your actual reason behind inviting her home?", Shaurya teased.
Earlier, Akansha had casually mentioned that the lawn looked beautiful in the evening, so Shaurya arranged tea outside for them. But by the time he got free from work, it was nearly dinner time.
Still, since everything had already been arranged, Akansha decided they could at least sit there for some fresh air.
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?", Akansha asked while folding her hands.
That alone was enough to terrify him.
"No. Why would I have a problem? Absolutely not", Shaurya answered immediately.
Akansha stifled her smile seeing his nervousness. After a brief silence, she looked at him again.
"Why are you afraid of me, Shaurya?"
"Because I love you", he answered instantly.
She stilled for a second before quickly composing herself. Realizing how quickly he blurted that out, Shaurya cleared his throat softly. Not that she didn't already know it. Still, he tried giving his words a broader meaning.
"A woman never fears the man she loves because love gives her comfort and security. But a man fears the woman he loves."
His gaze softened.
"He fears hurting her... losing her because of his own mistakes."
Though he framed it generally, Akansha knew he was speaking about them.
"I gave you a lot of pain, Akansha", he admitted quietly.
"The thought of you surviving alone in this cruel world with our daughter for five years..." He paused briefly. "It hurts me every single day. No amount of remorse from me can erase your pain. And maybe I'll carry this regret my entire life. Perhaps that's my punishment."
But the very next second, he shook his head lightly. He didn't want to burden her further with his emotions. She was already worried about his health, and he didn't want to add more stress to it.
"Shaurya...", she began softly before clearing the heaviness in her throat.
"I was never afraid of you. You were always my comfort. Even when you couldn't express things through words, you tried making up for it through your actions. But I also can't forget the vulnerable days I spent alone in your house."
Her voice remained calm, but the pain underneath was unmistakable.
"Still... I'm trying to move past it. And lately, I can actually feel that happening. And about those five years alone with Siya... emotionally, my hatred toward you helped me survive."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Besides, struggling for basic needs never really gave me enough time to dwell on emotions. I had Siya to take care of. Every minute, I was busy trying to provide her with not the best... but at least enough."
"I know you're strong. Very strong", Shaurya said quietly.
"But I also know how difficult it must have been for you..."
His unfinished sentence carried enough regret on its own.
"Let's go inside. It's time for dinner, and after that, you need to take your medicines", Akansha interrupted gently.
She didn't want him drowning in guilt again. Getting up from her seat, she started walking inside.
"Can we sit here a little longer?", Shaurya asked hopefully.
He missed moments like these with her. Peaceful silences beneath the night sky.
Years ago, when they were dating, they used to spend hours sitting together quietly under the stars. Those moments had been their peace. Their problems disappeared whenever they were together.
He wanted that intimacy back. Not physical intimacy.
This.
The quiet comfort. The emotional closeness. He wanted to become her peace again. But before Akansha could answer, Siya came running toward them announcing that dinner was ready.
Shaurya immediately rushed toward his daughter and picked her up before she could trip.
"Siya, did you forget your promise to Dadda? You said you wouldn't run like this. You'll fall and get hurt, bacha", he scolded anxiously.
"I'm fine, Dadda", Siya replied before kissing his cheek.
Shaurya instantly kissed her back.
"Let's go", Akansha said while walking inside.
Shaurya glanced once at the now-empty wooden chairs before following his wife with Siya in his arms, silently hoping he'd get another peaceful moment alone with Akansha soon.
During dinner, Akansha fed Siya while simultaneously finishing her own meal. Shaurya wanted to feed their daughter himself, but Akansha firmly refused.
If he started feeding Siya, dinner would stretch endlessly because he would patiently narrate every unicorn story known to mankind while Siya slowly chewed each bite.
His stories would end eventually. Her food wouldn't.
Shaurya definitely had that level of patience, but right now his health needed proper sleep more than unicorn storytelling sessions.
After dinner, Shaurya carried Siya to the bedroom because she insisted that since her mumma fed her, her Dadda should make her sleep. Naturally, Shaurya agreed immediately. Akansha gave him exactly thirty minutes.
Mostly because she knew the father-daughter duo would start playing stupid games instead of sleeping if left unsupervised longer.
Exactly half an hour later, Akansha entered the room and gave an approving nod seeing Siya asleep while Shaurya gently ruffled her hair.
Noticing his wife, Shaurya carefully tucked Siya in properly before walking toward Akansha.
"So, what's the plan now?", he asked. Akansha frowned in confusion. "I mean... your plan now", he corrected quickly.
"There's some pending work. I'll finish it and sleep. That's my plan." Then she narrowed her eyes at him. "And coming to your plan, you'll quietly sleep beside your daughter without another word."
Honestly, he badly wanted to obey her when she used that tone. Unfortunately, work had piled up badly, and unless he finished it, he wouldn't get any sleep anyway.
"Just two hours, please. There are important things pending that need to be finalized", he requested. Akansha sighed before finally nodding. "I need to discuss phase 2 as well. And if possible, explain phase 3 to me in detail along with your team's tentative timeline", Shaurya added.
"Sure. I'm already working on it anyway. I'll walk you through everything together. Maybe you could suggest some changes that speed up the process", Akansha replied.
Together, they walked toward Shaurya's study.
After discussing phase 2 for some time, Shaurya signed the file and handed it back to her. Then they briefly discussed the next phase before quietly focusing on their respective work.
At some point, Shaurya remembered the hospital bill.
Usually, either he or Dev cleared such things through one of their joint business accounts where profits and payouts from their investments were deposited. But with elections approaching, both of them generally kept those accounts inactive.
Which meant Dev likely paid from his personal account. Shaurya immediately texted him asking for the bill amount. He hated depending on anyone financially. In fact, he rarely allowed anyone to pay for him.
Dev used to get irritated by this habit initially, but over time, he simply got used to it.
"Okay, I'm done. I need you in the room within twenty minutes, Shaurya. It's already been an hour. Your two hours are over", Akansha reminded him before walking out after receiving a reluctant nod from him.
Shaurya put his phone aside and quickly resumed finishing the pending task. After wrapping it up, he checked his phone again and frowned seeing no reply from Dev.
Looks like his best friend was still angry.
Shaurya called him instead.
"I don't want to talk to you properly on the phone right now. I'm already on my way to your place. Dad and Aakriti will reach too. We'll talk then", Dev said the moment he picked up.
"Fine. But at least answer one thing. How much did you pay at the hospital?", Shaurya asked.
"I didn't pay the bill. Your wife did", Dev answered casually.
Shaurya froze.
"Akansha paid the bill? My wife, Akansha?", he repeated in disbelief.
It wasn't the payment itself that shocked him. It was the meaning behind it. Something about it felt deeply personal. Like something had shifted between them. And within the next few seconds, that feeling only strengthened.
"How many people do you know with that name? Honestly, one storm in our lives is already enough", Dev teased while entering Shaurya's residence through the back entrance.
"Shut up. We are the storm in her life, not the other way around", Shaurya corrected immediately.