Chapter 65
He walked in to find his wife and daughter watching Siya's favourite show on TV.
"Mumma, when will Dadda come? Call him," Siya whined, yawning.
"Siya bear... close your eyes if you're so sleepy. Dadda will come soon. You can see him in the morning," Akansha said.
"No... Mama bear... you don't know. Dadda bhaag jayegi," Siya said, making Akansha laugh at her daughter's mixed-up gender.
Shaurya laughed too.
"I'll hold your Dadda tightly. If needed, I'll tie him up till you wake up. Now go to sleep, baby," Akansha said softly.
Siya shook her head stubbornly, making Akansha sigh.
Shaurya quickly walked towards them, ending his silent watching session. One more minute, and his wife would have blasted their little one.
"Dadda!" Siya screamed, jumping onto him.
He picked her up and sat beside Akansha. Siya immediately started narrating her day, and Shaurya listened with full attention.
"Haw... did Rohit actually say that?" Shaurya asked, widening his eyes as if this was the most fascinating news in the world.
"Yes, Dadda... and you know what I told him?" Siya asked.
Shaurya shook his head.
"That's because I didn't tell you," she teased, giggling.
Shaurya pouted, making Siya kiss his cheek.
"Hehe, sorry, Dadda. I'll tell you," she said and continued her blabbering. Akansha shook her head at the father-daughter duo.
"Now that you've seen your Dadda and complained about Rohit, go and sleep. And you, freshen up and have dinner," Akansha said in a no-nonsense tone, the latter statement to Shaurya.
Neither father nor daughter dared to argue.
Shaurya carried Siya to their room and tucked her into bed. Akansha joined them and stayed back to put her to sleep while Shaurya freshened up.
When he headed to the dining hall for dinner, Akansha followed him downstairs. He smiled, thinking she was joining him for company, but she surprised him by serving the food as well.
"That's okay, I'll do it, Akansha," he said softly. He didn't like seeing her do chores, especially the ones she was conscious about.
"It's okay, Shaurya. You had a long day. Let me," she replied in the same gentle tone, warming his heart.
Dinner passed quietly, filled with casual conversation.
They discussed the ongoing arrests, and Shaurya explained the precautions Akansha needed to take to avoid any untoward incidents.
His concern didn't surprise her it had always been there, even when he tried his hardest to pretend otherwise.
The difference now was trust. Earlier, he had taken her safety entirely into his own hands, protecting her without her knowledge and creating misunderstandings in the process.
He had chosen her safety over their relationship.
Now, he trusted her with it too. He spoke to her as an equal, ensuring she knew how to protect herself and Siya.
That trust, once missing, felt like a quiet relief.
Akansha saw it as a significant, welcome shift in their relationship.
After dinner, she asked him to rest while she cleaned up, reminding him of how long his day had been.
He stayed back and helped anyway, as he always did.
Not work, not responsibilities, not friends had ever stopped him from caring for her or giving her his time.
That much hadn't changed over the years—and Akansha knew it.
Once everything was done, they walked back to their room to get some sleep.
The next morning started much earlier for Shaurya, with chaos brewing both inside and outside his party.
He knew he had to act fast if he didn't want things to turn messier.
Giving people time to react could prove deadlier.
He called his immediate team and instructed them to prepone their plans while ensuring law and order across the state.
Akansha and Siya walked downstairs at their usual time, but seeing Shaurya in a rush with the state DGP Mr. Pathak, Mr. Sharma, and other officers, all looking tense, Akansha immediately sensed that things had gone wrong in the past few hours.
"Shaurya? What's going on?" she asked. Everything had been fine the previous night; she couldn't understand what had suddenly changed.
"You and Siya are not stepping out until this is sorted," Shaurya said softly.
He didn't ask—he stated. The fear and concern beneath his calm tone were unmistakable.
This was rare. He usually requested, pleaded, or convinced her, never imposed.
The firmness surprised her. It wasn't pleasant, but this time she didn't argue. She understood.
"Okay. But what happened?" she asked, sending Siya back to their room with Mrs. Sudha. The little one went happily, thinking she would get to stay home with her Dadda all day.
"Someone leaked news about the probable arrest of ex-CM Virendar Shekhawat in the next few days. The unrest that was supposed to begin later has started now," Shaurya said, rubbing his forehead.
Akansha knew why he was worried. They were prepared, but Shaurya didn't want any casualties. Yes, he wanted to destroy his father and put him behind bars for life but never at the cost of people's lives. Even a single life lost would feel like a failure to him, something he would carry forever.
Her father's words echoed in her mind good people suffer the most, but only to make them stronger. She believed that, because life had done exactly that to her. Situations had made her stronger, tougher.
Shaurya, however, was different. Despite everything he had faced, he had managed to preserve his softness.
He grew stronger every day, but his calmness, kindness, and empathy remained intact.
He appeared unbreakable to the world, but she knew how gentle he was beneath it all and how deeply everything affected him.
"So, now what?" she asked after he finished instructing the DGP.
"Preponing the plan," he said.
That stunned her. Arresting Virendar Shekhawat today meant every other plan would have to be pushed forward as well, including the party restructuring. Even thinking about it gave her a headache.
Dev couldn't help directly, even if he wanted to. And though Shaurya had loyalists, he didn't trust them completely especially when people's lives were involved. Loyalties shifted easily when power was at stake.
One thing worked in his favor: Shaurya's approval ratings were the highest any Chief Minister had seen in the state till date. Still, he wasn't someone who relied on numbers alone. He never took chances when lives were involved.
"I'll be working from home. Let me know if I can be of any help," Akansha told him softly.
She didn't want to stay there and disturb his focus.
From the determination on his face, she knew he had already devised a plan to deal with the crisis.
All he needed now were efficient hands to execute it and an undisturbed space to concentrate.
"Don't inform anyone about your plans, and don't let anyone know you're working. Do not pick up any calls, including your family's," he said, making her eyes widen.
Was the situation really that bad? Why would she avoid her family's calls too? Was he worried that Virendar Shekhawat's supporters might try to reach her through them? If that was the case, then not just she or Siya, but her entire family was in danger.
Shaurya understood her worry and responded before she could voice it.
"Your family is already on their way here. They'll reach soon. I coordinated with Akash—everything is running smoothly. Relax," he said.
"Papa's health..." she trailed off.
"The doctor is already here. He'll check Papa as soon as he arrives.
They're traveling by air, and the doctor has already spoken to Suman and instructed her on everything.
Before boarding, I had Papa examined, he was fit to fly, and his condition is stable now.
So calm down... everything will be alright.
Trust me, please. I won't mess up this time," he whispered the last line.
She didn't know why, but those words caused a dull ache in her heart.
He sounded as though he didn't trust himself to be trusted.
There had been reasons, things that had once shaken her faith in him.
But now, after knowing the truth, only pain remained.
No complaints. No bitterness. She understood his situation.
And with the way things were slowly changing between them, she believed even that pain would fade.
He deserved her trust. No matter the circumstances, he had always kept her and her family safe.
"I trust you, Shaurya," she said, holding his palm and giving it a brief, reassuring press before letting go.
"Take care. I'll handle Siya and the CR committee. You focus on things here," she added with a small smile.
The trust in her eyes filled him with unwavering confidence. He knew he would win this war. He would succeed in punishing his parents for every offense they had committed against his wife, his daughter, and his sister.
"Thank you," he said with a smile.
She nodded and walked back to their room.
By the time Akansha returned to the room, Siya was already back in her pajamas, her school bag tossed aside, and her toys and puzzles neatly arranged on the bed, with Siya sitting in the center, waiting eagerly for her father to join her.
Akansha laughed at how efficiently her daughter had prepared everything in such a short span.
"She's very quick," Mrs. Sudha commented with a smile. "And very organized too, just like Shaurya. I was amazed at how swiftly she pulled out all the necessary toys and puzzles and put the others back in place. You raised her very well," she added.
"Thank you, Mrs. Sudha. But her father's genes helped at every step, I suppose. I should give him the credit," Akansha replied with a smile.
"I couldn't see any bitterness in your eyes now. Have you learned to hide it, or is it simply gone?" Mrs. Sudha asked.