Chapter 72 #4
He took Vasant's blessings and reluctantly Jaya's as well.
He still couldn't forget that she was once the woman who tried to get Akansha married to someone ten years older, along with many other hurtful actions.
But she had changed now, and that was the only reason he tolerated her presence.
More than anything, his wife's happiness mattered—Jaya was genuinely trying to atone for her past, bonding with Siya and making every effort to earn forgiveness.
"Okay... it's your turn, bhabhi," Aakriti said.
Shaurya was about to say that Akansha didn't need to give him anything since they were one, but she surprised him.
"Here..." Akansha handed him a neatly wrapped present that looked like a book.
His curiosity got the better of him. He opened it and found a children's storybook with a beautiful cover—a magical unicorn.
As he turned the pages, his eyes landed on the author section—and he froze.
He was the author. But when?
"Every night, you create stories about unicorns to make Siya sleep.
I recorded you narrating them, then drafted and edited them in my free time.
This is your collection of bedtime stories, Shaurya.
I even had them reviewed by well-known children's authors without revealing your name—and they praised it.
This is just the first copy. If you like it, we can share these stories with many parents," Akansha said.
Her gift shook him to the core. She had preserved those quiet, intimate moments of him as a father and turned them into something lasting.
She recorded him, drafted the stories, edited them—and every page reflected that effort.
The illustrations matched his narration perfectly.
It was AI-generated, but the prompts required deep understanding, and she had put in that effort entirely for him. Her love overwhelmed him.
"This is the best gift. Thank you," Shaurya said, pulling her into a hug.
Suman, Aakriti, and Rachna cheered at the moment. Akansha, after enjoying the hug briefly, became conscious when she realized everyone was watching. She quickly stepped back, but Shaurya gently held her in a side hug.
"Thank you so much, jaan..." Shaurya said, kissing her forehead.
He flipped through the book again, studying it carefully. From the cover to the contents, the illustrations to the language—everything reflected precision and thought.
He chuckled as he read through the stories, remembering how he used to narrate them to Siya and how Akansha had enhanced them beautifully.
"Give it to me," Rajnath said, and Shaurya handed it over.
"Wow! I didn't know you were this good at storytelling. Good!" Rajnath praised after reading the first story.
"Thank God! From now on Dev won't narrate horror or thriller stories to my kids—he'll read this instead," Rachna said, teasing her husband.
"I did it once, and you've been roasting me for years," Dev replied.
"Your son had a fever for a week because of your idiocy. I'm not roasting you for that—I'm roasting your permanently underdeveloped brain," Rachna shot back, making Akansha chuckle.
"Hehe... rude woman. Normally you don't smile at anyone, but when someone targets me, you show all your 32," Dev teased Akansha.
"If you call my wife 'rude' one more time, I'll—" Shaurya started, but Dev cut him off.
"You'll what? Beat me? Thrash me? I've seen worse from you. I'm not afraid," Dev replied.
"I'll write another book, now that I know my worth. Then I'll leave this state and its responsibilities to you—your 'at least three vacations a year' policy will be gone forever," Shaurya said.
Dev immediately frowned.
"Fine! I won't call her rude anymore," Dev said, as if surrendering.
"This is good stuff, Shaurya. You should really consider publishing this book for other parents—like Dev, who clearly needs help," Aakriti said.
Dev threw a pillow at her, but she dodged it.
"I think so too, but it'll be his decision," Akansha said. "I already sent the draft to a few publishing houses known for children's books, and some liked it. I didn't reveal the author's identity—I thought Shaurya wouldn't want that."
"Yeah, I don't mind publishing it if you think we should—but I don't want my name revealed," Shaurya said.
"Yay!!!!!!! To Shaurya and his upcoming children's book," Aakriti stood up, raising her water glass in a toast, and everyone followed her cue.
No one in the family drank except Dev and Rajnath, and with Rajnath having quit after Shaurya's constant nagging about his health, Dev was now the only one left who still did.
Rachna, however, was determined to make him quit as well.
After some more conversation, everyone headed to their rooms to sleep.
"Ja ja, go and complete your four hours of mandatory sleep," Dev teased.
Shaurya grabbed a cushion and threw it at him, but Dev shut his door just in time, and the cushion hit the door instead.
"What's wrong with you three siblings? Cushions aren't weapons. If you want to throw something, throw something else—don't spoil these," Akansha said walking to pick the cushion but Shaurya got there first.
"Sorry... sorry... won't do it again," he said, dusting it off and placing it neatly on the couch before walking to their room with her. She smiled and nodded at him.
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The next day, Shaurya celebrated his birthday with party workers, giving them the confidence they had lost due to the recent chaos within the party leadership. He addressed their concerns carefully, and his approach—combined with the press meet—helped restore faith among the grassroots workers.
His image began to recover. People stopped questioning his decisions and instead started questioning the senior leaders who had been denied party tickets and whose actions had forced Shaurya to take such steps.
Shaurya consistently urged people to question their leaders—their accountability and responsibility—and slowly, people began to understand. That shift made Shaurya the happiest.
He was also questioned for not taking action all these years.
He acknowledged his mistake without hesitation, apologized, and explained what he would do to ensure such situations would not repeat.
In doing so, he stood apart from other leaders who only defended themselves, blamed others, and made false accusations against him for things he had never done.
The situation gradually turned in Shaurya's favor, thanks to his press conference, his outreach programs, and most importantly, his consistent interaction with party activists and grassroots workers.
They finally understood him, and their trust in him deepened.
From that day onward, they worked tirelessly to spread awareness about what Shaurya's government had accomplished over the past five years.
Later, on the request of the press, Shaurya organized another press conference.
It was nearing the end when reporters received crucial information released by the Election Commission.
Dev's eyes widened in shock the moment he learned what had been released.
He was already on his way to Shaurya's residence.
Meanwhile, Akansha was teaching the kids in the living room when Dev entered through the back door.
She frowned as soon as she saw his expression—it wasn't unexpected, but it was serious.
He had already told her he was coming to discuss the ongoing strategy with her, Aakriti, Mr. Subramanian, and his role in all of it.
Still, seeing the worry on his face, she sent the kids off to play with Pogo, and they happily ran away.
"What's the matter with you?" Akansha asked.
"Let's go to Shaurya's study," Dev said, heading upstairs. Akansha followed.
"I don't know why the Election Commission released this, but it's going to put Shaurya in a very difficult position," Dev said, opening the files.
"Candidates were supposed to declare their assets and dependents—you know that, right?" Dev asked.
"Of course, Dev. Get to the point," Akansha said, clearly getting impatient.
"Patience, woman! I'm getting there... Shaurya declared everything, and the Election Commission made it public—and they..." Dev began, but Akansha cut him off.
"Now people are using his wealth to call him corrupt? Don't worry—Shaurya already prepared for this. He has proof that everything is hard-earned, and he has paid taxes on it," Akansha said.
"Do you think I don't know that? I wouldn't be worried if that was the issue—we both chose to declare everything honestly. I'm more concerned about what the EC released recently..." Dev said.
"Have a look at this..." he added, showing her his phone.
Akansha's eyes widened at what she saw.