Chapter 72 #3
"Thank you, Harsh..." Shaurya said, kissing the boy's forehead and giving him a fist bump—his usual gesture to greet him.
Shaurya sat down, and the others followed. He started unwrapping the gift while everyone looked at him with a smile, and the kids watched with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
"See them and learn... They are kids, yet they brought me a gift. What did you bring?" Shaurya taunted Dev.
"Huh! Coming to your place and jumping your building walls is enough of a gift for you," Dev shot back. Shaurya rolled his eyes at his dramatic best friend and continued opening the gift. He smiled widely, looking at what lay inside the box.
It was a small, lovingly put-together gift box that felt completely 'Siya'—innocent, colorful, and full of heart.
Inside was a handmade greeting card decorated with crafts and little unicorns, slightly uneven but full of effort and excitement.
Along with it was a simple animated-style book titled "My Dadda is the best because.
..", filled with adorable, childlike reasons written in her own words—some sweet, some funny, all deeply personal.
It wasn't a polished gift, but that was exactly what made it special; every part of it carried her love, her tiny thoughts, and the pure joy of wanting to make her father smile.
"Awe... This is so beautiful... Look at this..." Shaurya proudly showed everyone what his daughter had written.
'becuz he play with me even when he is bizy'
'he is my bestest frend'
'becuz he hug me tight tight'
'he is super hero'
'he bring me toys and suprise'
'he got me Pogo'
'becuz he makes me laf'
Everyone read it and appreciated Siya's thoughts and effort, and of course, the beautiful and colorful gift. But there were two people who were more focused on the spelling. No prizes for guessing.
"You are teaching her these days, right? It's clear looking at this," Dev said, pointing toward the spelling mistakes.
"Shut up..." Akansha said.
"Wait! What is this last sentence? 'Because he makes me... laf'?" Dev wondered.
"It's laugh, idiot," Akansha said.
"Of course, only you will understand this," Dev mocked, and Akansha glared at him...
"Siyabear... from tomorrow, we will start school an hour early," Akansha said.
Siya and Harsh pouted, but Akansha didn't budge.
She had started homeschooling both the kids for two hours every day so they wouldn't resist the idea of school or learning later, when the security concerns were gone and they could attend school.
"Okay... since the cake cutting is over, and you also gave your gift to Dadda and he absolutely loved it, why don't you go and sleep?
" Akansha suggested. The kids protested, but Shaurya and Akansha convinced them.
Shaurya did it by singing praises of the gift they had made, and the kids finally agreed and walked to their room, leaving the elders to talk.
"I'm so proud of my little Siya... Did you see what all she has written? She called me the 'best'... And Harsh... He is so lovely, my buddy..." Shaurya said, and everyone held their heads.
"Yaar Shaurya, bas kar... (Shaurya... it's enough...) I know you adore your kids, but that doesn't mean you keep singing their praises all night. I'm already jealous that I don't have a daughter like Siya... now you're making me more upset," Dev said.
"What's wrong with Ishaan and Ivaan? They are the best," Akansha defended Dev's boys.
"Exactly, my sons are the best," Rachna added.
"One of the many things that are wrong with them is that you are their teacher," Dev said.
"Shut up, such a nonsense speaker you are," Akansha said.
"I agree with that one. You now understand why I made him a politician instead of handing him my business empire?" Rajnath said.
"???? Because he is a nonsense speaker?" Aakriti asked, laughing at Dev, and Akansha followed.
"Well, both your sons are in politics. Does that mean both are nonsense speakers?" Aakriti asked.
"No, Shaurya is doing a good job. I'm proud of him, though sometimes his brain goes for a toss and it requires my very capable daughter-in-law Akansha to set it right," Rajnath answered, looking at the camera.
Suman was recording all this on a video camera.
"Though I'm a little bit disappointed with my sons, my intelligent daughters-in-law have filled that loss," Rajnath added, and Suman diverted the camera to Dev and Shaurya, who were glaring at Rajnath.
"Woah woah... if your roasting session is over, can we get down to business?" Dev said.
"What business? I think we're done here... You already ate your cake, there's nothing much left," Shaurya said, and Dev glared at him.
"I'm talking about giving you gifts, idiot..." Dev answered. Akansha slammed her forehead.
"You brought gifts for me? Then why didn't you tell me when I was bashing you for coming empty-handed?" Shaurya asked, getting excited...
"Don't get so excited, kid. I got that remote car you asked for," Dev mocked Shaurya for getting excited, though he was happy internally seeing his best friend this excited and happy while celebrating his birthday after many years.
Shaurya glared at him... "Your wife said we should give you gifts in the evening when we gather for your birthday dinner, but since we are already sitting here, why not do the gift section now? " Dev said.
"We can do it in the evening as well. Anyways, it's midnight. I think we all should sleep," Shaurya said, and everyone laughed.
"Phattu..." Dev muttered.
"Yeah! Now the whole world knows you have to sleep, but today you can stay awake and accept our gifts... Don't worry, your four hours of mandatory sleep will be fulfilled," Rachna teased Shaurya.
"Rachna... The internet is already roasting me enough. Tu mat shuru hoja abb (You don't get started now)," Shaurya said, making Rachna laugh.
They all started the gift section, one by one giving Shaurya his presents. Dev handed over keys to Shaurya's favorite bike, while Akansha kept glaring at him.
"And where would he use this bike? To get vegetables and groceries?" Akansha taunted Dev for gifting a bike when Shaurya barely even had time to drive a car on his own due to his busy schedule.
"Yeah! If you ask, he would do that too..." he shot back.
"Okay, here is my gift for you," Aakriti said, cutting through Dev and Akansha's verbal sparring.
Aakriti gifted Shaurya his favorite book, while Rajnath gave him some shares in his news channel.
Shaurya protested, but Rajnath used his authority as a father figure in Shaurya's life.
Shaurya respected him deeply, treated him like his own father, and couldn't refuse.
Rachna gave him a photo frame with Siya, Akansha, and himself.
The frame held deep significance. Four years ago, when Shaurya had gone to Dev's house, his steps had halted near the staircase where a similar frame was hung.
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Shaurya had smiled looking at the beautiful family his friend had—a family he thought he might never have.
"We took this photograph when we went on a trip last month," Rachna said from behind.
"It's beautiful," Shaurya said, looking at the family photo full of smiles, but Rachna could see the pain behind his eyes. He was trying hard to hide it.
"You'll find Akansha soon, and you'll have a beautiful family with her, Shaurya," Rachna said.
"I don't know if I ever will... I've been trying to trace her for over two years now.
I'm terrified to even think how she's doing.
I just want to know if she's fine... I just want to find her.
I'm ready to beg for her forgiveness my whole life.
.. I just want her to be safe," Shaurya said, finally letting out the fear he had buried for so long.
Looking at that family photo, for a brief moment, he let himself imagine a life like that with Akansha—only for reality to hit him hard.
The possibility of ever having that family felt almost nonexistent, and the weight of that thought, along with the fear for her safety, pushed him to voice what he had kept hidden even from his closest friend.
"You'll find her soon, and she will forgive you too. And trust me, you'll have a beautiful family. One day, I'll gift you a picture in an even more beautiful frame," Rachna said.
Shaurya gave her a small smile and then walked away to talk to Dev.
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"You remembered?" Shaurya asked Rachna, his voice carrying a tearful smile.
"I did," Rachna said softly, smiling as she wiped his eyes. He pulled her into a side hug.
"Hello guys... tell us the context, we'll also get emotional," Dev said.
"You don't need to know," Shaurya and Rachna replied in unison.
Akansha looked at Rachna and gestured a silent question. Rachna signaled that she would explain later.
Suman and Akansha's parents gifted Shaurya a gold ring and clothes.
"Papa... there's no need for all this... why?" Shaurya began, but Vasant cut him off.
"This is your right, beta. We were supposed to give this to you at your wedding, but circumstances were different, and we couldn't give you a proper gift. We'd be very happy if you accept it now," Vasant said.
Shaurya looked at Akansha, and she blinked at him. He accepted the clothes reluctantly but refused the ring.
"Papa... iski koi zarurat nahi hai (there's no need for this)," he said, handing the gold ring back.
Vasant, Jaya, and Suman insisted, but Shaurya stood firm.
"Okay, I'm accepting it... and now I'm giving it to Harsh. Save it for him," Shaurya said.
Akansha smiled at her husband. He had never taken a single rupee from her parents—or from anyone. He treated her parents as his own and cared for them just the same.