Chapter 75 #2
"I feel so bad for Shaurya! How he must be feeling.
.. His days-old sister was being killed, and he could do nothing.
.. his helplessness... Oh God! That explains why he used to spend so much time with me since childhood.
He sees his lost sister in me. You know, Rachna bhabhi.
.. my childhood pictures are full of Shaurya and Ma.
Papa said when Ma passed away, I was very young.
It was Shaurya who used to take care of me, despite all the caretakers," Aakriti said.
"Oh hello, not just Shaurya—I was there too, taking care of you. Woh kaun batayega? (Who will tell that?)" Dev said.
"Oh really? Asha taayi told me everything. You used to just stand beside Shaurya while he was the one actually taking care of me," Aakriti replied.
"That Asha taayi... huh. Traitor..." Dev murmured.
The two continued bickering while Rachna went to speak with Akansha, who was in her room.
The two women spoke about Shaurya's pain, and Rachna didn't offer blind reassurance.
Instead, she emphasized a harsh truth—Shaurya would have to live with the fact that his sister would never know she was his real sister.
Every time he looked at her, he would want to tell her the truth, but he couldn't. That was reality, and Akansha would have to be the one to help him live with it.
Shaurya came home. Mrs. Sudha wanted to talk to him, but he simply walked past her. Right now, he wanted to be with his wife—he needed her. He reached their bedroom, and Rachna quietly left when she saw him, his eyes red.
Shaurya hugged Akansha tightly, nuzzling his head into her neck, hiding his face.
She felt his tears against her skin, and her heart clenched at the pain he must be going through.
She had always known how deeply he loved his sister, and she could only imagine what it must have been like for him to stand in court and declare his living sister dead.
It must have killed him inside. He had gathered every ounce of strength to stand against his father, and the court had made it even more difficult by making the hearing public.
The intention behind it wasn't wrong, but she couldn't think of the greater good when her husband was suffering so deeply.
Shaurya felt both terrible and strangely satisfied at the same time.
He had brought the people who wanted to murder his sister to justice—but in doing so, he had to call his living sister dead.
And the fact that Aakriti would never know who she truly was was tearing him apart.
This was the choice he had made—to save his sister from the pain of being the child of people like Virendar and Shobha Shekhawat.
Making the decision had been easier than living with its consequences.
Tears streamed down his face. Akansha patted his back with one hand while gently ruffling his hair with the other. He tightened his hold on her, and she tried to console him.
"Shh... it's okay, Shaurya. You did what you had to.
So what if Aakriti doesn't know the truth?
She will always be your sister, and she will never stop loving you.
Your sister finally got justice today—the justice she was denied for years.
And all of it happened because you didn't give up.
You not only saved her life but also gave her love and belonging.
You've seen her grow up, and you made sure she received all the love she deserved—maybe even more.
This is the time to be happy, not sad. And above all, Aakriti is here, living with you, in her home—and that itself proves what you've done.
Even without knowing the truth, she has found a home here.
So don't cry as if you've lost something.
.. if anything, you've gained so much today," Akansha said, kissing his hair.
"Yes... I have gained a lot, and it's because of you.
My sister had never stayed at my place before—you made that possible.
You've made every little thing I ever dreamed of come true, and I don't even know how to thank you.
All I can do is love you more and more for the wonderful person you are, jaan.
.. and an even more wonderful wife and mother.
I would be lost without you. I love you. .." Shaurya said, cupping her face.
"Shaurya, your love is the only thing I ever wanted from you.
When I first met you again after five years, I cursed my fate.
.. but today, I feel completely different about it.
My life would have remained incomplete without you.
Siya would have never known her wonderful father—and as much as that thought troubles you, it troubles me even more.
.." Akansha began, but he shook his head.
"We met, and now we are raising our daughter together. We are together—and that is the only reality. Don't think about what could have happened. It will only cause you pain, and I can't see you like that," Shaurya said, kissing her forehead.
"Whatever happened was my fault... choosing retribution was my biggest regret. Even today, I can't accept that a part of me wanted to see you in pain. I hate that part of myself," he admitted, and she shook her head.
"I hated it too, but it doesn't exist anymore.
When I became a mother to a daughter, I realized what you must have felt when you saw your sister on the verge of death.
For you, she wasn't just your sister—she was like your daughter.
You were protective of her, just like you are with Siya.
When I met you again, I was filled with unbearable hatred for you.
All the anger I had carried for years came pouring out, and I kept hurting you—but you endured it all without a single complaint.
You never even tried to defend yourself," Akansha said.
"Jaan... there was no defense for what I did..." Shaurya began, but she cut him off.
"Shaurya! My life wasn't easy... Being a single mother to Siya all these years was hard, but my hatred for you became the fuel that kept me going.
But for you... maybe you didn't have to struggle for basic things, but you definitely struggled for peace.
Your life, your love for me, your guilt—it all suffocated you.
And as a psychologist, I can truly understand what your life must have been like all these years.
I want to tell you something... I never thought I would be able to say this to you again, but you made it possible with your love and patience," Akansha said.
Shaurya took a step back, covering his mouth, his eyes brimming with happy tears. He couldn't believe what was happening. Akansha gave him a small smile.
"So yes, Shaurya Singh Shekhawat, I am ready to restart our married life.
I want us to fill it with love and happiness.
I know there will be challenges and struggles, but we will face them together.
Let's begin our life again—not just as parents to our wonderful daughter, but as husband and wife.
Are you ready to bear my rudeness for the rest of your life?
" she asked, opening her fist to reveal a new mangalsutra—the same one he had bought a few months ago, the one he had tried to give her multiple times but never found the courage to.
Shaurya cupped his face, trying to hold back his sobs, but his tears betrayed him. His happiness was uncontrollable. He broke down, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I... I would be honored. You are my life, Akansha. I love you so much... I love you more than anything in this world, Anshu. You have no idea what you've given me. I don't need anything else in my life—just this. I love you..." he said.
She broke the hug and pulled him into a passionate kiss. It was the first time she had initiated something between them since they met again, and that gesture alone showed him how deeply she meant what she said.
She pulled away, breathless. Shaurya kissed her forehead and held her close.
"Shaurya!" Akansha called softly.
"Hmm..." he responded, his eyes closed.
"Will you make me wear this, or should I put it away and wait for you to never give it to me?" she asked, holding up the nuptial chain.
He quickly took it from her and made her wear it. He then picked up the vermilion from the shelf and filled her hairline, sealing it with a kiss on her forehead.
"I didn't give it to you because I wanted you to be ready... I was giving you time..." he said, trying to cover up, but she knew—and he knew she knew.
"Oh really? So this has nothing to do with fear?" Akansha asked, folding her arms.
"Okay... I admit it. I was scared," he confessed, gently pulling her arms down. The way she folded them didn't just scare Siya—it scared him too.
"Aren't you ashamed, Shaurya? You're a Chief Minister, and you're afraid of your wife?" Akansha asked, lightly tapping his forehead.
"What's there to be ashamed of? Real husbands are always a little afraid of their wives. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I fear you. Now the whole state knows anyway," he said, and she shot him a glare.
"Exactly. If you make another statement like that, I will kill you. Got it?" she said sternly, and he nodded frantically—at that moment, reminding her completely of Siya.
"Siya has taken entirely after you. She's your carbon copy," Akansha said, and Shaurya grinned proudly.
"My little unicorn," he said.
She cupped his face, pulled him closer, and kissed his cheek. His face lit up, and she smiled at the childlike grin spreading across it.
"You haven't aged at all. You look just the same as you did eight years ago, when I first met you," she said.
"But you've aged like fine wine—becoming more beautiful every single day," he replied, kissing her cheek. "You gave me the greatest happiness today. You gave me my love back, and I promise I will cherish it for the rest of my life," he said, and she shook her head.