Chapter 74 #2
"Thank you... Aunty... thank you so much.
.." Sneha said, and Akansha's eyes filled with tears too.
For years, she had seen how this mother and daughter endured that man—how he harassed Kavita in front of Sneha, and how this girl tried to protect her mother, yet could do nothing but beg her father to stop.
She had been a witness to their suffering, and now, seeing the relief on this teenage girl's face, Akansha, for once, felt that what Shyamlal was doing was right—though she didn't support the system entirely.
"Don't mention it... I did nothing. It's all because of the strength you and your mother showed. Stay like this always—brave and strong," Akansha said.
"Yes, Aunty. I will always be like this—brave, strong, and kind like you," Sneha said. Akansha hugged her again and kissed her forehead.
"Good luck. Call me if you need any help—anything, okay? I'm here for you," Akansha said, and after bidding goodbye to Kavita and Sneha, she left. Suraj picked her up and dropped her at the CM residence.
"How did the visit go?" She received Shaurya's text as soon as she got into the car. She glanced at Suraj, who might have informed him.
Akansha replied to him while simultaneously asking Suraj, "If you're here, who's with Shaurya? And at home?"
"Jasmeet is at home, and there are multiple other commandos with Sir, ma'am," Suraj answered, and Akansha nodded.
"Thank you, Suraj," Akansha said. Suraj understood she was thanking him for helping Shaurya with Shekhar and securing Sneha and Kavita's future, but he didn't want the driver or the other guards to catch on.
"Anytime, ma'am. Whenever you want to go out, just let me know. I'll escort you after getting the necessary clearances," he said, and she nodded.
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Days passed. Shaurya returned in the evening to spend some time with his daughter, as he had to travel to another place at night. So, he thought of making up to his daughter for his constant absence these days due to the campaigning and simultaneously holding the CM office.
"Dadda..." Siya screamed, jumping on Shaurya, who picked her up as always.
"How is my little magician?" he asked, kissing her cheeks and making Siya giggle.
"Hehe... I'm good... Let's play..." she said, and Akansha smiled at the two.
"Let Dadda have some snacks, then he will play," Akansha said, walking towards them.
"Here... Dadda have it," Siya said, as if she were sacrificing her snacks—but in reality, it was the fruit bowl she gave her father, after eating all her biscuits and chips that her mother had put on her snack plate along with the fruits.
"Wow! So generous of you, Siya... But I'll have other snacks. These are for you, so you should have them," Shaurya said.
"Dadda... Pwease," Siya pouted, requesting her father to have the fruits, but Shaurya shook his head.
He refused to loosen up when it came to her health, and her mumma—who used to give exceptions to her sometimes—had now turned strict too, in her father's company.
Siya pouted angrily, but neither of her parents were convinced, so she reluctantly had her fruits, while Mrs. Sudha brought snacks and coffee for Shaurya and Akansha.
The trio sat in the lawn—Shaurya's favorite place in the whole house after the penthouse. It was Akansha's idea to sit there, as she knew he loved it.
Siya picked up her toy water gun and started watering the plants.
Shaurya thought to teach her how to plant an actual sapling, so he got it prepared, and both father and daughter planted a sapling and changed the soil for a few other plants.
After spending some quality time together, the trio walked inside.
"Dadda... batheeee," Siya squealed.
"No, Dadda is getting late. I'll get you showered, chalo (Let's go)," Akansha said, but Siya pouted angrily.
"Dadda... You are a liar," she accused, and her cute accusation shocked her parents.
"Siya..." Akansha called her in a reprimanding tone, but Shaurya signaled her not to.
"Why do say so, bacha?" Shaurya asked.
"You say you al (are) never busy for Siya, but you all (are) always busy.
.. You don't play with me, you don't tell me stories, you don't make me sleep, you don't feed me.
.. You al (are) here now but you will again go.
.. Dadda... Siya is angly (angry)," Siya said, mispronouncing 'r' because of her anger, while sobbing, her cheeks and nose turning red.
Shaurya's eyes welled up, realizing his fault.
His daughter was terribly missing him. They thought she was okay since Harsh was there, and she was busy all day with other family members—but even with all of them, Siya missed her Dadda.
Akansha looked at her sobbing daughter and then at her husband, who was also in tears.
God! Whom does she tend to? she was left confused.
She just wanted to slap her head looking at Shaurya—who gets so sensitive about this?
Shaurya walked towards Siya, but Siya turned her face away angrily.
"Won't my magic unicorn forgive her Dadda? Dadda is so sorry," Shaurya said, but Siya folded her hands, turning her back to him. Shaurya knelt in front of his daughter, holding his ears.
"Siya bear... Dadda is really sorry... Please forgive me. I'll give you a shower... We both can play in the shower... all those games you want to play... Please, bacha... Dadda can't bear it if you don't talk to him... Please..." Shaurya pleaded, but Siya didn't turn.
Akansha sat beside Shaurya, wiped his welled up eyes, and kissed his forehead while Siya was looking the other way. That was her way of consoling him and telling him that she would handle it.
"Siya bear... Come to mumma," Akansha called softly, and Siya rushed into her mother's arms.
"Okay! If you don't want to talk to Dadda, we will send him away from here..." Akansha said, and then turned to Shaurya. "Siya ke Dadda, go, we don't want to talk to you," she said.
Shaurya kept an innocent face. Akansha mentally wanted to slap herself—this man who runs a state didn't even understand it was a strategy. He was looking at her as if she had betrayed him.
"Mamabear... No," Siya said. Akansha chuckled but sealed her lips before Siya noticed. Her daughter wanted him there—but to keep apologizing to her.
"Siya... My little unicorn, sorry bacha... Please forgive Dadda for this once," Shaurya pleaded.
"Acha... okay... Let's forget about it. Tell me one thing—what was your craft's teacher saying?" Akansha asked Siya.
Siya was excited that her mother brought up the topic of her craft teacher, who had recently started coming home to teach Siya and Harsh.
The other day, she had been telling Siya how great her father was and how she should become like him.
Siya had told Akansha everything but didn't get time to tell her Dadda.
"Haa... The teacher was saying Dadda is so good. She started her art school because of Dadda. She praised Dadda, mamabear," Siya answered, and Shaurya could sense the pride in her tone.
"Really? Did she say all that?" Akansha acted surprised.
"Yes, mamabear. She showed all the pictures of her art school... Can I go there... I will go and lealn (learn) with my friends..." Siya said.
"Okay! Ask Dadda if he will send you there," Akansha told her. Siya looked at Akansha once, then at her father—but turned back and hugged her mother instead.
Shaurya smiled at his daughter's cute antics.
"Yes, you can go—but after a few days," Shaurya said. Siya looked at him with a grin, but the next second, she turned her face away and hid it in her mother's tummy.
"Siya! Look at me," Akansha called softly. Siya looked up.
"Dadda is working so hard so that he can make you and me proud.
And you know what? You are angry with Dadda for not spending enough time with you—not playing with you or reading bedtime stories—but do you know how sad he is because he can't do all that for you?
Every day after coming home, he asks for you.
Dadda loves you a lot, baby..." Akansha said, and Siya looked at her expectantly.
"Really?" Siya asked.
"Of course I love you, Siya... I love you and mumma the most..." Shaurya said, kissing her head.
"And Dadda is helping a lot of people like your arts teacher, Siya bear... Do you want him to help them or not?" Akansha asked, and Siya nodded frantically. Shaurya held her head, as always, thinking it might hurt.
"Words, Siyabear," Akansha said.
"Yes, mamabear," Siya replied.
"And for him to help all those people, we should help him too, right?" Akansha asked, and Siya nodded again. She didn't ask how—she already understood.
"Dadda... let's play in shower... come..." Siya said, holding her father's pinky finger. It was a silent truce, and the three of them acknowledged it with their smiles.
"Okay, but give mumma a huggy and kissie before going," Akansha said, and both Shaurya and Siya hugged her and kissed each of her cheeks.
"Dadda... She is my mumma... She asked me for a huggie and a kissie..." Siya said, hands on her hips. Shaurya pinched her nose at her cute antics.
"No, this time, I asked from both of you," Akansha said, and Shaurya gave her a grin. They both left. Siya walked into the washroom while Shaurya came back, gave Akansha a tight hug, and pecked her lips. Before she could say anything, he rushed inside.
"Coward!" Akansha yelled.
"Always! When it's you on the opposite side," he yelled back, making her smile.
She smiled and walked away.
Shaurya helped Siya shower, but Siya started throwing water on him purposely, pulling him into a game. So he wrapped himself in a towel, knowing his wife would kill him if he put wet clothes in the laundry bag.
"Yay! Dadda... Dance..." Siya said, trying to make her father dance, holding his palms. Finally, Shaurya gave in, letting his daughter pull him into the shower, and both of them started dancing. In the process, Shaurya realized that she had wet her hair.