Chapter 27

Ria held her hair back as she threw up the remains of her hurriedly eaten breakfast from morning. Her stomach didn’t sit well with her rising anxiety and she kept dry heaving till her eyes watered. She splashed the cold water on her face and as she looked into the mirror, she saw her tear stained eyes even as the tears flew freely mingling with the water on her face. She wiped her face with the tissues kept there and emerged from the washroom only to almost collide with Keith who held her arm to stabilize her.

“What is it Ria…? Are… you …Ok…?” He asked softly with concern filled voice and that only made her breakdown further. He pulled her towards him as she cried into his chest and he patted her head. “…Shhh… Its alright Ria… you have all the right to vent out…”

After a minute she stood apart with folded hands still sniffling. “…Keith…I… I am so confused… and No… I don’t believe Swara because I know she is lying through her teeth…”

“…then what is t Ria…?”

“…Keith are you serious…? What was all that…? I mean …I know nothing about that man…” Ria said in an exasperated tone.

“…Ria… look I get it from your perspective… but I have known Gaurav sir for years and trust me… he isn’t what he is portrayed to be… I wont tell you to believe me but just go with your gut instinct OK…?”

“…Keith I don’t know what to believe and what not to believe anymore….”

“…Just… Just… don’t hate him Ria… I know he hasn’t been open with you as yet…”

“…Why should he open up to me Keith…? I am just an employee…” Her voice cracked on the last word.

“…You are a lot more than that Ria… and you know that as well… nonetheless… I only have to say… Think with a cool mind…its going to be tough out there. That prosecutor has dug deep… he is caught everything with his tight claws… Just… remember when I say, Gaurav sir may not admit it… but he needs us more than anything…for being there for him…he needs you Ria… he needs you to trust him… Its far-fetched to expect that now, but I can only try…” saying that he left and entered the courtroom.

Ria stood right there taking in deep breaths and going towards the railing glanced down at the ever- swelling sea of reporters. Gaurav was kind of haunted by them… they had already pronounced him guilty via media trial in two days. Her heart went out for him and she remembered the times she had spent with him after the accident. He had been nothing but honest with her… He was a closed- up man never revealing his emotions… she had expected too much. She wiped her cheeks and decided, come what may she was going to see this trial through and… stepped into the court room with the new found determination. She walked in to see the despicable Swara still shedding tears which made her angrier. The prosecutor must have just finished leading Swara on completing some sob story she had built up. Ria wondered how the woman could so blatantly lie about something so important and put her own reputation at stake not to mention.

As she sat on her seat, Gaurav turned back and looked at her frowning his face full of tight concern enhanced further by the light beard… and she nodded to him. His shoulders suddenly drooped as the expressions on his handsome face changed from the concern to confusion–anger combination to relief. She understood what Keith meant and was now firm in her resolve. She didn’t know about his past but she would stick to the truth about the present.

The prosecutor continued his tirade with Swara. “…So Ms. Sawant, what do you have to say about your so-called affair with the defendant…?”

“…OBJECTION …your honour…” Khatiyal sprang up from his seat.

“…Overruled… Ms. Sawant, please continue…” the judge sternly looked at Khatiyal and then softened her expressions at Swara.

Swara sniffed into her dupatta covering her head and spoke with a heavy voice. “… Actually, it began about three years ago and went on for two long years… you can’t call it an affair though… He would always use me… I had to be at his disposal whenever he needed me… In the hospital, it was impossible before a lot of people but he would… he would… barge into my home late hours which is close to Karma… and have his way with me… and then leave immediately… I couldn’t help it…” Swara cried into the cloth and said, “…I…just couldn’t do anything because I needed the job… and the extra money he often paid me… and then one day about a year ago…I…I drew courage and ended…everything… threatening him to leave my job… and he relented thankfully….I thought… he was done and I was free… but I was wrong… He once called me to his cabin on my birthday recently when Karuna wasn’t there… and tried…to have his way with me again… and when I pushed him away, he threatened to throw me out… I just ran out of the cabin…and just a few days later, was the party night… and I told you what happened…”

The prosecutor spoke to the judge. “Your honour, as you see the rich and the powerful always take undue advantage of the situation. Our Dr. Chopra here is not new to offenses… right from adolescence he has got away with everything… rather got bailed out by his powerful parents and probably the same happened in Dubai as well… of which we have no details… Nonetheless this time he went too far and even the board of directors and close relatives have washed their hands off… probably they had enough of his antics as well. It is an open and a shut case actually your honour and I demand the strictest punishment for Dr. Chopra under section 375 and 376A and also to add on sexual harassment of women at workplace act 2013. It will be a deterrent for those privileged who think they are above the law and can do as they please…”

He gave a snicker and went back to his seat as Khatiyal stood rubbing his reading glasses. Ria could sense the man had something up his sleeve. She waited with bated breath as Katiyal took the floor before Swara. “…well…well…looks like the prosecutor is in a hurry to finish the proceedings…Anyways, so are we. Your honour with your permission I would like to cross question the complainant…”

The judge nodded and Khatiyal began. “…So, Ms Sawant, you just said you were forced by Dr. Garav and still you continued with your job at the hospital for over two years… isn’t that too much…? You are qualified enough to get a job as a receptionist in any organisation with pay at par with this, so why didn’t you complain then? or why didn’t you leave the job…?”

“Objection your honour…” this time it was Khandagale. “…The complainant has already informed the court that she was in dire need of the job for the money it offered… how many times does she have to answer the same question…?”

“…your honour, all that I am trying to say that it seems far fetched that she would bear the so-called atrocities for such a long period… I have some evidences to prove otherwise, which I would like some clarifications from Ms. Sawant…”

“…Objection overruled… Proceed Mr. Khatiyal.” Rias thumping heart slowed in ace as she heard the judge.

“Ok…Ms. Sawant, you said you were in the job for the money, but I have proof of some of the purchases you have made in the last few months…er.. about last 8 months to be precise and I have not only receipts but also CCTV footage from the stores and they are mind you… very clear. The shop owners too can be brought here for identification if need be… so here is the list of the purchases…” Khatiyal took three sheets of paper and gave one to the judge and another one to Khandagale. Holding his copy up he added, “…As the list suggests your honour, Ms. Sawant is fond of diamond jewellery and especially visits the Joyalukas store at the Tiara mall from where she has purchased tiny pieces of diamond jewellery worth lakhs… uh… to be precise about 8 lakhs… all paid in cash…. And don’t you deny it Ms. Sawant, we have the receipts with the dates…. All paper trial can’t be hidden Ms. Sawant…” Khatiyal looked at Swara who appeared stunned, as he continued. “… your honour, She has also purchased High end electronic music system for her home having awesome features like …Multi Channels and sound output, with 1000w power output and a Subwoofer with two tall boy rear speakers… amazing taste Ms. Sawant… and the total cost for this purchase was about forty-five thousand… the list doesn’t end here your honour… Ms. Sawant has very recently invested in a plot in partnership with her boyfriend who goes by the name Monty… on the outskirts of Talegaon, which they got for a throw away price, yet the cost was 25lakhs. There was a loan taken for fifteen… so that means she arranged for the remaining ten lakhs. Monty as we have found is an unemployed youth who takes up contracts for the banks as a recovery agent…and heaviky into betting…so he has zero saving… ” Looking back at Swara he said. “…and Monty thought you were a sales executive…working for a corporate firm and doing well… Surprising he didn’t know anything about the alleged affair or the rape… isn’t it…Ms. Sawant…?”

“Your honour where does the boyfriend feature in all this… for all you know the defence has made him up…” Khandagale was hanging by a thin thread…

“…your honour, we have the coffee shop’s and a Phoenix mall footage for the last month where the lovey -dovely couple can be seen walking hand in hand and setting couple goals… I can arrange for the witnesses as well… frequent customers aren’t forgotten… though I have to say she was careful enough not to use her phone… but then we have records of Monty receiving calls from public booths and given the paucity of such booths in today’s times it wasn’t difficult to find them… So anything else… you need Mr. Khandagale…?”

Khandagale sat with an angry thud and Ria didn’t realise she was holding her breath till then as she straightened on her seat.

 Khatiyal paused as the judge skimmed through the list and then he continued. “… Well Ms. Sawant, if you continued to bear the torture meted out at the hands of Dr, Gaurav which you said you did for the money… but your salary was barely twenty-five thousand in hand… so where did you get this kind of money to splurge on diamonds and plots…?”

Swara stood in stoic silence wringing her fingers in the dupatta…

Khandagale who was staring daggers at Swara stood up and spoke. “…your honour a lot of the purchases mentioned by Mr. Khatiyal were in cash… so the money could be what she received… from Dr, Gaurav for the favours…”

Khatiyal struck again. “… I wonder if you are even listening to yourself Mr. Khandagale… your honour, if she was in dire need of money to continue working inspite of the injustice meted out to her then why would she spend on luxuries…? Ms. Sawant… do you have anything to say…?” Swara didn’t say anything.

“…your honour…” Khatiyal continued. “… Mr. Khandagale spoke about the statements given to the local police by the hospital staff about the rumoured affair… but he probably didn’t read the details of all the transcripts submitted…. There were few who spoke how Ms. Sawant boasted about Dr. Gaurav’s prowess in bed… her explicit innuendos where she spoke about how he pleasured her and even on an occasion compared him to Eros and at times mentioned he was Sex on legs…”

“…OBJECTION YOUR HONOUR… Mr, Khatiyal has outraged the modesty of the complainant…” Khandagale was panting hard.

“…No, your honour…these were the words apparently spoken by the complainant herself…as per the transcripts submitted by the local police… None of it is my creation…” Khatiyal replied coolly and Ria now knew why he charged such a high retainer. Her eyes had widened out of their sockets when she had heard about the amount but realised, he was worth every penny. He had changed the course of the case. She shot a look at Gaurav who was still expressionless….

Khatiyal continued and this time his body language was different. He stood tall with an expanded chest as he spoke. “…If Ms. Sawant was “oppressed” why did she appreciate Dr. Gaurav’s sexual attributes…publicly…? Why did she use the money for luxuries…assuming the money came from Dr. Gaurav…or… were there others Ms.Sawant…?”

“OBJESCTION YOUR HONOUR…” Khandagake bellowed startling Ria.

“… Sustained…Mr. Khatiyal… language… stick to the point…” the judge warned

“…Sorry your honour, but this is what the prosecutor did to my client by raking up his past which had nothing to do with this case… and tarnished his image. As you see… Ms. Sawant here has blatantly lied to the court about the so-called affair… haven’t you Ms. Sawant…”

“…N..n..no… I have not… he had forced himself on me many times…” Swara spoke meekly.

“…Well did he have sex with you on all those occasions…?”

“OBJECTION…your honour…” Khandagale screamed.

“…Just give me a minute your honour…I promise you this is very relevant…” Khatiyal pleaded.

“…Overruled… Mr. Khatiyal this better be good…” The judge looked annoyed as well.

“So, answer the question Ms. Sawant, did Dr. Gaurav have sex with you every time he apparently visited you and forced himself on you…?” Khatiyal asked again.

Swara nodded… her fingers tightly entangled in the cloth she was holding and Ria could sense the tension and right then she felt eyes on her and looked to see Gaurav was staring at her unmoving… Why was he looking at her…? He should focus on the proceedings shouldn’t he…? It felt as if he was trying to convey something to Ria… but his expression was somber… somehow, she knew he was aware of what was coming up next and wanted to see her reaction… God help her… what else was there…?

“…two last questions Ms. Sawant. First one, did he penetrate the very first time you had sex…?”

Swara looked pleadingly at the judge who was now waiting for the answer, so was Ria… Khatiyal spoke again. “…please answer the question Ms. Sawant… did he penetrate the first time you had sex…? Yes or no…?”

Swara nodded and looked at her hands. “Yes…”

“…And now the last question…When was the first time you had sex…was it three years ago as you said…?” Silence…  “…ANSWER the question Ms. Sawant…” Khatiyal turned up his intensity…

“…YES… YES HE DID… EVERY SINGLE TIME HE FORCED HIMSELF ON ME IN THE TWO YEARS THAT HE FUCKED ME….ARE YOU HAPPY NOW…?” Swara screamed and gripped the bars of the witness box and started to sob.

“What the hell was all this your honour…?” Khandagale stood and spoke spreading his hands.

“…Mr. Khatiyal… we are waiting…” the judge adjusted her glasses as she stared at him.

“…for that I hereby submit Dr. Gaurav’s medical report your honour, this is from the renowned sexologist Dr. Sriram Tyagi from whom Dr. Gaurav has been taking treatment for five years now….” He placed the folder before the judge. “… Actually, your honour Dr. Gaurav had an… accident over five years ago after which he developed severe erectile dysfunction as a result of his heavy medications for anxiety disorder. The reports have all been attached. The doctor has issued a signed report stating Dr. Gaurav’s condition had shown considerable…er… sustainable improvement only in the last one year after he was weaned off the drugs… then in such a case how could he have penetrative sex your honour…?” The judge reverted back to the reports as Khatiyal spoke. “… So, as you see in this case your honour, the allegations of the affair as told by Ms. Sawant are baseless and just a means to unduly frame my client who is innocent. He has always been respectful towards all the womenfolk in the hospital as mentioned in the very same transcripts… and just because he has a certain past it shouldn’t prejudiced against him for what he is today…”

The judge went through the reports in silence and looked at Khandagale.

“Your honour… even if we assume that the affair allegations are baseless what about the strong circumstantial evidence of rape that happened on 29^th July…? Medical evidence does prove rape and we have evidence of Dr. Chopra in Ms. Sawant’s flat…” Khandagale appeared to make one last ditch attempt to save his face.

“…Your honour, while I do not deny the occurrence of rape, it was not committed by Dr. Chopra…” Khatiyal spoke calmly. “…to prove that I will present my last set of evidence and the material witness whose testimony will change the tide of this case.”

The judge lifted up her eyes from the documents before her. “…We are done for today. The next hearing will be tomorrow and I hope we can come to a conclusion and finish this trial. Mr. Khatiyal, you may present the evidences and your witness tomorrow at 9.30AM sharp…And Mr. Khandagale you will have a chance to counter question and present your side of the story if any…” The judge banged the grovel once and stood up before turning around and leaving the court room.

Immediately the lady constables and the lady accompanying Swara came over and took Swara out of the court room followed by Khandagale and his assistant. Ria heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at Gaurav who was in deep conversation with Manek and Khatiyal. Keith came up to her, “…are you OK…? We will leave from the back door and Manek will come with Gaurav sir later… we have to escape that storm downstairs…. Come on… lets go…” Ria nodded and covered her head and Keith held her hand as they left the courtroom. While steeping outside she turned around only to see Gaurav pause in his conversation and look up to stare deep into her eyes… those beautiful blacks were tormented but something told her it was not just this case…

Ria reached the safe house and went straight to her bedroom. Keith had struggled and brought her out of the back gates safely to an auto stand from where they had hired an auto to reach home. She was exhausted both physically and mentally and after having a hot cup of coffee offered by Keith, she settled on the couch to check the news.

‘…In the fresh updates coming in, there has been a major turn of events in the rape case involving the important element of the Chopra group of hospitals, Dr. Gaurav Chopra, where in it was proved that the case of alleged affair was all made up… the medical details which nailed the apparent lie of the survivor has been thoroughly classified… the trial continues tomorrow as the defense is all set to prove Dr. Chopra’s innocence in the rape case as well…’ The reporter blabbered on the different IPCs and how they would matter to the case if the balance tilted on either side.

The bottom line was, her testimony mattered the most to swing it in their favour and she knew she had to remain strong…considering the way Khandagale acted with the other witnesses today, she was sure she was stepping in to the tiger’s lair… and Khandagale was indeed a hungry tiger.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 26

Squashing the evidence…? oh God…yet another step backwards and now Ria was scared… She felt her confidence faltering as the Judge dismissed the CCTV evidence which was extremely grainy and proved nothing. As she kept looking at Gaurav, she couldn’t help but feel for him. He had been still all this while with absolutely no reaction but from his muscle tightness which she could feel even few metres away… she knew he was suffering.

“…I object your honour… Just because there is no eye witness, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen… Dr. Chopra treated himself…those marks in the photographs presented as evidence were from Tuesday and not 29^th July, Friday…and the CCTV footage was an attempt to show just that… I am sure its Ms. Sawant in the footage…” Khatiyal looked fatigued as he spoke. It appeared the man hadn’t slept for days.

“..thats exactly what I want to say about what happened to the complainant. There is compelling circumstantial evidence including a nearby shop owner’s CCTV capture of the accused walking into the complainant’s building in an inebriated state on the night of 29^th July, wading through the ankle-deep water. Though it isn’t a clear vision because of the heavy rain. We couldn’t get the exit time because the camera conked off…. “ Khandagale spewed the words ina single breath and stared at Khatiyal panting and if there was a start=ing match between the two it was equally poised.

The judge cleared her throat. “I do not allow this evidence. Its grainy anyways and it can’t be concluded that it’s the complainant. Besides Mr. Sequiera’s testimony doesn’t prove anything accept that he found the accused in a drunk stupor… Proceed please…”

Khandagale smiled wickedly and spoke. “I would now call upon the accused Dr. Gaurav Chopra on the stand for questioning.”

As if out of a trance Gaurav stood and started to move towards the witness box. “…excuse me Dr. Chopra, you are the accused… your place is here…” Khandagale snickered as he spoke and Ria’s heart fell watching Gaurav walk towards the stand for the accused. He showed no emotion on his face whatsoever and nodded at the judge slightly before Khandagale walked upto him.

“…So Dr. Chopra, lets get to the start. Those rumors about your alleged affair with the complainant… what do you have to say about that…?” His tone dripped of sarcasm and disparagement.

“…Those are just rumors that’s all… there isn’t an iota of truth in them…” Gaurav spoke in a calm voice. Ria realised she was holding her breath as she released it.

“…Come on Dr. Chopra, if there was a talk for two years… there has to be something…isn’t it…?”

“…OBJECTION YOUR HONOUR… the prosecutor is beating around the bushes. There is no proof whatsoever pointing towards any affair…”

The judge straightened her glasses. “…Sustained…Mr. Khandagale, please stick to the facts…”

Khandagale raised his hands in mock surrender. “..OK..OK… well… Dr. Chopra, getting back to the Tuesday that you are so particularly talking about… I have a few questions because your story. doesn’t make sense at all… Why did you relieve the other waiters except one who is now reportedly missing…?”

“… There was no crowd baring a couple and I thought if the waiters get adequate rest during the week days they could be fresh for the weekend crowd…”

“…Why did you drink so much… I am told by witnesses that drinking heavily was a regular part of your regime in that bar of yours… You even had a brawl sometime back with your customers… Is that right…?”

“…OBJECTION YOUR HONOUR…”

“…Overruled… please continue Mr Khandagale…” The judge calmly retorted and Khandagale gave Khatiyal a victory smile chilling Ria to the bone.

“…Thank you, your honour… I have a couple of witnesses whom I would like to call upon with your permission who can vindicate my current stand…”

The judge nodded and Khandagale called upon two young men one after the other. It was all a blank for her as Ria only looked at Gaurav who was pensive as he heard the witnesses. She got to know they were the waiters at Karma and gave the statements about Gaurav drinking heavily quite a few of the days when he visited and also confirmed his fight with the customer…As for the absconding waiter Ram Singh they only had good things to tell… about how sincere and an ardent worker he was and no one had any clue about his whereabouts. They looked at Gaurav and Manek apologetically as they were led out by the constables.

Khatiyal stood up and spoke. “…What is the point behind making the waiters testify…? So what if Dr. Gaurav drank… it’s a bar for God’s sake…”

“…Your honour, the point is Dr. Chopra is a hopeless drunk. Probably drank right out of his senses on Tuesday night and used that as an excuse to escape the clutches of the law…. It was easy to erase the CCTV footage. Sending the other waiters early was itself very convenient…. What do you have to say Dr. Chopra…?”

Gaurav looked at her, his eyes filled with the same unfathomable emotion that clenched her heart. “No… your honour… I don’t deny that I have been drinking off late… last couple of years to be precise… but I had abstained from alcohol… for a long time and even this was under control…” he didn’t let go the eye contact as if he was talking to her and not the prosecutor.

“…that’s enough Dr. Chopra… But there is something else your honour… We have in our possession a little something from Dr. Chopra’s past…” Khandagale was at his ruthless best but Ria was only held her chest tightly to calm her thumping heart as Gaurav looked away back to the wall.

Khandagale submitted a folder to the judge. “Why don’t you summarize this for me Mr. Khandagale…?” the judge said. Ria saw Gaurav’s grip on the stand had tightened his knuckles turning white as he stared straight ahead…

That was probably what Khandagale wanted. “…Okay… so, Dr. Chopra here isn’t a stranger to the bottle. The first few sheets are a testimony to his antics with the bottle as a young adult… he had almost run over a coupe of pedestrians as he drank and drove and bashed up his vehicle… Fortunately no one was dead and the complaint withdrawn after they were well compensated… following which our Dr. Chopra here spent a year in rehab, with a hope to clean up his act … but it looks like old habits die hard… do they Dr. Chopra…?”

Ria watched in stunned silence tears welling up blurring Gaurav’s stone like image as he merely stood silent. She was now worried… really worried…this wasn’t going as she had thought…in fact it was only getting murkier.

Khandagale continued. “…well the next few pages are what we could retrieve given the jurisdiction constraints. Dr. Chopra’s frolicking romps don’t end here your honour… he had a very colourful past in Dubai five years ago…”

What? Dubai…? What else was there in his closet…? Ria was in a complete emotional mess and didn’t know what to do then.

“…Our Dr. Chopra was charged with double murder five years ago by the Dubai court and eventually was acquitted for want of evidence… and of course his familial clout in the country… the details of the deceased and other trial details however are highly classified and we were bound by legalities to obtain them…”

“…OBJECTION your honour…. My client’s past has no connection whatsoever with the ongoing case… this is just a way to malign him and his family…” Khatiyal objected. But by now Ria had shut her eyes tightly to prevent the flow of tears and block whatever else was been said. But she couldn’t hold it anymore… she opened her eyelids and as the dam broke clearing her vision, she looked straight into the black orbs which were looking at her with a penetrating fury. She was torn inside, not knowing what to believe and whom to trust anymore. Her life was a mess… she sniffed back tears and looked away. This was a huge revelation… Drunk she understood… but murder…? Goddamn double murder…? It was difficult for her to believe he was the same guy who took cared for her more than anyone else in her life. She… couldn’t sit there anymore. She walked out of the court and stood in the permissible area of the heavily guarded corridor outside and as she glanced below, she saw the sea of reporters had swelled.

Did Gaurav really do all the good work at Parijath as a cover up or to put a band-aid over his feeling of guilt…? No… her heart wasn’t willing to accept it. But her brain said a different story and she was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. She took in a deep breath and decided she would definitely give the testimony but only to side with the truth. Then she would tender her resignation at the hospital, first thing after the verdict, whatever it was and get away from this place… from all the toxic relationships she was surrounded with… She had enough. And this was the last straw…

She wiped her eyes and felt calmer at her resolve though her heart had broken into a million pieces. She was just another charity case for the bossman… like the other women in Parijath… and would be nothing more than that for him, however caring he was towards her. She didn’t even know if she felt wounded or relieved. She had to be strong through this trial… she could pick up the broken fragments of her heart later. There would be lot of time for her after that to wallow in self-pity… She walked back inside only to see the court had broken for a recess. They had half an hour before the trial resumed and they were not allowed to leave the premises or contact anyone. She got back into her seat looking down at the floor as Keith came to sit next to her.

“You…Ok…?” He asked her as she sniffed back tears not lifting up her eyes.

“…Keith… if you are worried about my testimony… don’t… I am definitely going to side with the truth… I am not … going anywhere before I do…”

“…So… you believe all that crap that Khandagale just said…?”

“…What does it matter Keith…? Its not my concern… who…who am I…? Just an employee whom he cared for… that’s it… So, I am going to do my duty… don’t worry… I am right here…”

“…Ria…”

“…Let it go Keith… I don’t want to talk to anyone…please leave me alone…”

Keith stood-up and walked ahead while she kept looking down tears blurring her vision, folding her arms even as she felt the pair of eyes on her. The eyes which held an ocean of secrets and she feared she would drown in them… with no shore in sight.

The court resumed on time and Khandagale stood up. “Your honour I call upon the complainant Swara Sawant in the witness box…”

Ria watched as Swara clad in a crisp cotton salwar kameez a far cry from the clothes she wore after changing from the hospital uniform. Her head was covered completely as she stood on the witness box. Swara looked around her eyes lingering for a while on Gaurav who showed no emotion as usual and then she looked up making eye contact with Ria. Swara frowned in surprise and looked away…

“…Ms. Sawant, I know this is difficult but could you please give an account of the events that transpired on the night of 29^th of July…?”

“Swara looked down at her clasped hands and spoke. “…uh… actually that night there was a party for the office folks… but I didn’t go… I was unwell… I have the doctor’s prescription to prove… And … I left early from work as well… I was sleeping at home around 9PM or so when Gaurav sir rang the doorbell… It was pouring heavily and I wondered who it was… But when I opened the door he barged inside and demanded a drink… saying he was stranded in the flood… I was unwell… feeling very week and didn’t know what to do…I had a bottle at home which I gave him and retired to bed telling him to shut the door on his way out… I slept in my room and the next thing I know he had broken open the lock and he was all over me… I… I fought and almost lost consciousness… as … as he did the deed and collapsed on me… I pushed him aside and decided to teach him a lesson… So…I..I clicked his pictures and saved the condom he had used… Its been terrible for me to go back to work after that and …I waited for a few days to recover physically and then filed the complaint…” Swara was sobbing by now…

All Ria wanted to do was rush to the nearest washroom and throw up as a heavy bout of nausea claimed her…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 25

The first day of the Trial involved opening statements of both, the prosecutor and Khatiyal. Fortunately, it was a closed-door trial considering the sensitivity of the case. Swara was seated in the front row with another young woman and she had covered her face. Ria tried to catch a glance of the woman responsible for the entire ordeal but couldn’t. Their judge was a stern looking woman in her fifties and just by looking at her Ria wasn’t able to guess whose side she favoured prima facie. From their side they had Khatiyal and his assistant, Guarav, Keith, Manek and Ria.

The Prosecutor in his opening statement gave a gist of Swara’s impoverished background for which she had to struggle to make ends meet and her job at the hospital was extremely important. She tolerated Gaurav’s advances towards her whenever he called her to his cabin on pretext of work but couldn’t retaliate as she needed to keep up her job. Finally, he dropped a bomb. “Your honour, here is something which will throw light on the accusations a little more.  The complainant was in a physical relationship with the accused for about two years before she broke-up with him. In spite of that, the accused harassed her at work for months before forcing himself on her on the night of 29^th July. The evidences have been produced. We hereby demand the harshest of punishment for the heinous crime. That’s all your honour…”

Ria was stunned the topic had come up in this manner but Preeti had told her about it on Swara’s birthday celebration at work and Swara had looked upset too… Oh God… But still, it was difficult to believe. She herself spent most evenings the last month before her accident, waiting for his summons to his cabin but she had never seen Swara at all… Ria then focussed on what Khatiyal spoke.

“…Your honour, there is no proof of the said harassment or any kind of relationship between my client and the complainant. My client is an upright law-abiding citizen. I here have signed statements of the staff from the Chopra group of hospitals, Pune branch, regarding his character… which is being unduly shredded. He had been nothing but a reasonable boss. I also have as witness his secretary Karuna who kept tabs on everyone visiting him in the cabin… As presented earlier we have a witnesses to corroborate our stand. Hence the very accusation is baseless and we hereby plead not guilty….”

Ria couldn’t help but look at Gaurav whose forlorn expressions gave away his turmoil. Khatiyal was good but so was the prosecutor… It was scary.

The judge granted permission to call in Karuna and she was brought in by another woman. When did she come? Ria wondered…

Karuna stood in the witness box as she was asked to give a general detail about the people coming into Gaurav’s cabin and in case of women if she noticed any changes in their demeanours.  Karuna luckily only had positive to speak about Gaurav and that was calming enough for Ria’s nerves. Till now it was Khatiyal who was questioning Karuna and all seemed fine. Soon it was the turn of the prosecutor for cross questioning.

“So… Mrs. Karuna Sobti… since when have you been working for Dr. Chopra… or rather Chopra Group of hospitals…?” The stern looking prosecutor she now knew as Jagadish Khandagale, asked Karuna in a very casual tone.  And as Karuna spoke about her journey of fifteen years with the Chopra Group and Mr. Khandagale just smiled and kept urging her to continue, Ria somehow felt it was the lull before the storm… and she was right. Once Karuna finished talking about her journey, the judge appeared bored as well.

“So… Mrs. Karuna, you have been a witness to all that happened outside Dr. Gaurav’s cabin… is it right?”

“…Yes… that’s correct. I handle his appointments and meetings and chat up with whoever has to wait before he summons them inside. At times I even walk-in during meetings to get a file or important signature… uh… Gaurav sir has given me complete liberty to do so…” Karuna spoke with an air of pride and Ria couldn’t help but smile.

“…Ok. Then Mrs. Sobti, have you seen Ms. Sawant… Swara Sawant visit Dr. Gaurav’s cabin in the last three years…?”

“…Yes, the receptionists are also in charge of sorting the mail and categorising them before getting them upstairs. Same with couriers. At times we have deliveries which come up and in the supervisor’s absence the receptionist brings the receipts for the signatures. So just like the other two, Swara would also visit the cabin…” Karuna looked a little shaken as she glanced at Gaurav. Gaurav held a stoic expression all throughout staring at the floor.

“Well… is there a possibility that he met Swara after work hours…?”

“OBJECTION YOUR HONOUR… the prosecutor is leading the witness…” Khatiyal stood startling Ria.

The judge spoke in a stern voice. “Mr. Khandagale kindly do not stray from the course of the topic…Objection sustained…”

Mr. Khandagale shook his head as a grey lock fell over his forehead, smiling as he continued. “…ok Mrs. Sobti. How many phones does Dr. Gaurav keep…?”

“Two… One for personal use which is a private number and the other is for office use…” Ria could see Karuna clasp her palms.

“Does he keep the office phone with him or does he keep it back… before he leaves the hospital…?”

“He takes the phone with him because at time there are work related calls which he has to take…especially regarding supplies or some medical emergency in the hospital…”

“What about on 29^th July… did he take the phone with him…?”

Karuna looked at Gaurav.

“Look here Mrs. Sobti…” Mr. Khandagale’s voice was stern. “…It’s a question of laying down the facts… Just tell the court if he took the phone with him on 29^th of July… the day of the party…?”

“…I…I am not sure… he should have actually…”

“Did he… or did he not…?”

“…I don’t think so… he was looking for it when he got back to work on Tuesday… I couldn’t reach him as well…” Karuna’s voice cracked and she looked nervous.

“…Your Honour…” Mr. Khandagale looked at the judge. “… I doubt Mrs. Sobti here is telling the facts… she is just saying what was fed to her by the accused…”

“OBJECTION…” Khatiyal screamed

“…overruled…. Mr. Khandagale, please proceed…” the judge gave a stern look to Khatiyal who sat down like a meek puppy. Ria’s heart skipped a beat. What the hell was happening…?

Mr. Khandagale smiled a cunning one and said. “…the truth is in the phone records submitted your honour. The phone was found on the crime scene. The accused was stone drunk and didn’t realise his phone was missing till he was back in office… As for meeting the complainant, the accused visited his bar which he handles in partnership with his friend… the complainant lives close to the venue so it was easy for him to pay her a visit…”

“Objection your honour, these are baseless allegations with no proof whatsoever. The phone could have been placed… by vested interests…” Khatiyal stood and spoke.

“…Oh, is that so Mr. Khatiyal…?” Mr. Khandagale turned to Khatiyal. “…What about the other evidences…presented to the court… and as for signed statements from employees…I have some signed statements too…”

Khandagale presented a sheet of paper to the judge. “…Your honour this is the result of the questioning done by the local police in the hospital. More than fifty percent of the employees said they had a doubt about the complainant’s affair with their bossman. Two years to be precise…” He looked at Gaurav with a lopsided grin and Ria couldn’t hate him more. She saw a pensive Gaurav continue to drill holes on the floor and not move. “…Your honour… there is no smoke without fire… isn’t there…?”

“…Your honour, Ms Swara Sawant has had a dubious reputation where she has been linked with every second man at work… even in her previous workplaces… so linking is common knowledge here…. There is no evidence of any kind of harassment at work. No evidence at all… either from Ms. Sawant or anyone else….” Khatiyal looked to be in form.

“…your honour, the defense lawyer is outraging the modesty of the complainant…”

“…So is he your honour… all set to humiliate my client for no fault of his…”

The judge ordered. “APPROACH the bench…” Both the lawyers went close but Ria could hear everything that was happening since it was a small room. She saw the proceedings were being recorded as well.

The judge removed her reading glasses and spoke. “Mr. Khatiyal, and Mr. Khandagale we have very pressing circumstantial evidences against the accused and also the data gathered by the local police. I am not here to do a character analysis… Medical evidence indicates rape… so cut to the chase. I don’t care how many boyfriends the survivor had or whatever… I want to know if the accused had committed the crime or not…I need to know if he was at that place at that time…so stop bickering like amateur lawyers and strap it up… I hope you know the seriousness of this case…”

Both the lawyers nodded and went back to their positions. And Kahtiyal returned with a pendrive.

“Your honour I would like to present to the court, the cleared CCTV footage of the bar for last Tuesday… the footage is extremely grainy yet and we have reasons to believe the woman in the footage is Ms. Swara Sawant… once you view it, I would call upon Mr. Keith Sequiera…” Khatiyal handed over the pen drive to the judge and both the lawyers and the judge viewed the footage. Following this Keith was ordered to come forward.

“Mr. Sequiera… What happened on the night of last Tuesday in that bar…?” Khatiyal asked him.

“… Your honour, I was waiting for Gaurav sir in the vehicle like always and that particular night it was extremely late which looked a little unusual, considering he had to get back to work next morning at the hospital. So, I went to check in and found the place completely dark and him lying on the floor… I sprinkled water to bring him up and helped his get to the washroom and in that light, I saw marks on his neck …some on the face… exactly like the pictures submitted. His pant… his fly was open and it looked like… he was… I mean…” Keith looked away and rubbed his face. Oh God what had happened…? Gaurav was framed and Ria was more and more confident now.

“Well Mr. Sequiera, why don’t you tell the court what you think happened…?” Khatiyal asked him.

“…From the looks of it, Gaurav sir was drugged and he had collapsed… not knowing what had transpired… it was like he was in a fudge state… One of our waiters Ram Singh who as the only one on duty has been missing… and we are trying to locate him. His phone is switched off too… The only CCTV footage we could extract was grainy and our technical guy worked and tried to clear it… this was the best we could have…”

Khatiyal gestured to Khandagale and sat back in his place. Ria looked at Gaurav but he was still staring daggers at the floor. Absolutely no reaction… she wanted to shake him up… rattle him…

“So… Mr. Sequiera, or is it Bablu Bhai…?” Khandaglale snickered. Ria was stunned to even react… Keith looked stone faced but she knew he was angry. What was this alais… anything to do with his past?

“OBJECTION your honour…” Khatiyal stood up again.

“…Mr. Khandagale, no name calling. Stick to the facts…” The judge reprimanded him and he chuckled holding his hands up.

“…Sorry your honour… sometimes the past doesn’t leave the person… ok… so Mr. Sequiera, pray tell me when all this happened last Tuesday… why was a police complaint not filed…?”

“…Uh… Your honour… Gaurav Sir didn’t want to involve the police…. the reputation of the bar would have been at stake…”

“…Oh Come one Mr. Sequiera, here his life and reputation are on line and all that you thought was the bar’s reputation…? Are we kids here…? The CCTV recordings which you finally managed to retrieve are exactly the part where you find the complainant…nothing before or after that… that too not clear…. Do you expect us to believe the crap you just spoke…? As for the marks… now your honour…” Kandagale looked at the judge even as Ria’s anxiety spiked through the roof. What was going on? “…Your honour I would once again like to call upon Mrs. Sobti on the witness stand…”

Keith left and Karuna came up again… this time she was visibly disturbed. “So Mrs. Sobti, we have signed statements from everyone who attended the party that night that Dr. Chopra was not present at the venue… However, I want to know if you saw the marks on his neck and arms when he came back to work on Monday…”

“…Uh… I am not sure…” Karuna looked pleadingly at Gaurav but he didn’t look up… as though he had turned into a statue.

“…Mrs. Sobti… is it a yes or no…” Khandagale’s voice was stern.

“…I don’t know…OK? He was… dressed completely… like he always does… arms are covered… his suit extends to the neck completely… so…I don’t really…know…anything…” Karuna was almost in tears. Ria’s heart went out for her. She then also realised Gaurav always dressed completely covering his arms and neck… She had only seen him a couple of times without that cover and both times it had been dark… What did that have anything to do with the case…?

“that’s all your honour… Mrs. Sobti you may go… So, as you see your honour, Dr. Chopra knew to hide his scars too well and attended work on Monday and Tuesday in a way that apart from his secretary no one saw him at work… how very convenient… and then this fabricated story of the bar night for which there are no witnesses for the exact events. Your honour, the other waiters were sent away early that evening… again indicating towards a deeper sinister planning by the accused. Then, he didn’t attend the hospital at all till he was arrested on Friday… so that his story would be corroborated. For all we know Dr. Chopra had got drunk and fell asleep in the same stupor….” He then looked at Gaurav with a side smile and walked towards him as he said,

“… Your honour I request you to squash the evidence…”

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 24

Ria woke up late afternoon on Wednesday after about five hours of sleep. That morning as soon as the foreman had come Gaurav had rushed back with her to the main building and they had quickly taken to stairs to the third floor. Though she was exhausted she didn’t want anyone to see her in a bathrobe and blankets giving them ideas or fodder for gossip. The foreman did give her the looks but a stare from Gaurav had set him straight back on track and he had gotten busy with work. After reaching the rooms, Gaurav had helped her open the door with the spare key with him. She had royally forgotten hers in her zeal to go after him… He had then set her a hot bath and also got her a couple of tablets to prevent common cold from setting in, before retiring to his room. He had barely spoken few words to her ever since their last encounter outside Shiva’s stable.

The next three days flew in a jiffy. She rarely saw Gaurav unless he was out talking to ground staff or once in a while when she had been to the children’s wing where he was interacting with children teaching them something on the laptop. From what she realized he was in his room probably preparing for the trial coming up on Monday. She immediately felt the nerves setting in. How would the trial actually be…? Would it be synonymous like those shown in films? Would the prosecutor ask her awkward questions? Was she doing the right thing by speaking the truth? She then remembered her thatha (grandfather) always said, ‘stick to the truth even if it kills you…’  her grandfather was a staunch devotee of the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Baba and often mentioned Swami’s sayings…. ‘when you stick to the path of truth and righteousness, pain and poverty will haunt you… but they are just the dark clouds before the splendour of the Sun…’ Of course, she was right… she felt it.

Nonetheless her anxiety on the impending trial kept rearing its head at regular intervals. She kept herself occupied all over Parijath. She supervised the women in the factory, spoke to them as they worked and even landed up counselling a couple of very young women who were apparently having some trouble with their in-laws. She visited the local school to volunteer to teach a couple of classes and even spent an hour in the night school accompanied by Kalyani. During the evenings she helped in the kitchen right from chopping vegetables to serving food to the children. She was in awe at the systematic execution of duties in Parijath without being constantly monitored or needing repeated instructions. One of the days when it was bright and sunny, she also visited the stables and offered carrots to Shiva. She had developed a soft corner for the stallion… She wondered if it was because he seemed like the animal version of Gaurav… just like him… strong from the outside but held up a storm of emotions within that needed to be unleashed. The foreman was very cordial to her and even helped her pat Shiva… She left the stables in tears… thinking about how much she would miss this place…

Soon it was Sunday and time to leave. Gaurav had met her the earlier evening just to tell her to be ready by 10AM. On Sunday morning as she packed her bag, Kalyani walked into her room shutting the door behind her. The woman and she had developed a close bond… closer than Ria had with her sister or Preeti. She gave her a tiny Ganesha carved into wood… “Didi this is for you… He is the Vighnaharta… He will remove all the obstacles in your path… mark my words. Tomorrow is a very important day… the start of the fight for justice…” She spoke with tears in her eyes. Ria didn’t know how much Kalyani knew about the case but she was very touched by the gesture. She hugged her.

“Kalyani… I don’t know how you…”

“…Actually didi… I am the only one who knows details. Dada had taken me into confidence… er… he said he didn’t know when he would be … back… didi, I hope you believe in him… he can never do something dastardly like what he has been accused of…” tears flew uninhibited as Kalyani choked.

Ria wiped her eyes and smiled. “…Kalyani… I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in him… and thank you for this wonderful gift I am sure He would bless us and be with us… and don’t worry… your dada will be back for sure…”

Kalyani nodded and they heard a knock at the door. As Kalyani opened it, Ria saw a grim Gaurav stand outside speaking to someone on his phone. He gestured her to come downstairs and left … Pradhan stood there holding Gaurav’s bag and Kalyani handed over Ria’s bag to him as he left too. Kalyani hugged Ria once again and sighed. “…Didi…um… may I say something…?”

“…Of course, Kalyani, you don’t have to ask…”

“…The trial… um… I have heard that… these are tough on the women involved… and since you are the prime witness it may be tough on you as well… but… but… promise me you wont give up on him didi… please…” Kalyani held her hands tightly with a pleading look in her tear filled eyes. “…Didi… Parijath is Dada’s baby literally… and he is the soul of this place. We have a life and hope because of him… If anything were to happen to him…” her voice broke.

“…Hey… Kalyani… just listen to me… Ok? I would be lying if I say I am not afraid… I am… but trust me when I say I will do whatever is possible… travel the extra mile to see that sir gets out unscathed… and I am confident he will… he has all your wishes with him, doesn’t he…?”

Kalyani nodded as they moved towards the stairs.

As they drove towards Pune, the rumbling noise of the car the only icebreaker in the silent moments as they were both lost in thought, Ria watched the passing scenery. This was such a beautiful place, she wished she didn’t have to go back… these last four days were the most beautiful and fulfilling days of her life and she wished the dream wouldn’t end. Her anxiety was killing her in the mute zone in the car. “Um…sir… all OK back home…?”

Gaurav didn’t even look her side his eyes focused on the road and she looked away annoyed. What the hell… after all that had transpired, he had closed up again… He had barely spoken a few words ever since that night in the stables.

“…All is good… Ria… I have been speaking to Keith… We are going to this place close to the court premises… Its easy to walk it up from the back side and change our routes every time… car will be conspicuous. Keith will be staying with us…I…I hope its fine by you…” he still didn’t give her a glance.

“…I am OK sir… whatever you decide…” She said softly folding her hands and blinked back tears as she stared outside. She failed to understand what she had done to offend him… why didn’t he talk to her…? Something was happening out there but he wasn’t sharing. She was in the dark too, scared out of her wits and staring at an uncertain future. Suddenly the car came to a halt on the side of the road. She looked around but there was no hotel or public toilet just a road for miles ahead… why did he stop?

He looked at her and rubbed a hand over his face. “Ria… I am sorry…Ok? I know I haven’t been… I mean… you have been doing so much… but I… Ria…I… I am scared too… and I am worried that I will drag you down with me… in whichever hell I am destined to go…” he looked away.

She kept her hand on his which was on the gear and he immediately turned his palm up interlocking his fingers with hers. “look at me sir…” when he did, she continued. “…For the last time… I am not doing you a favour… I am only siding with the truth. As for you, sir… you are going to get out of this mess… I can feel it in my heart… and yes… I am scared. But… when you are around… I feel confident…and that is the best preparation… dont you think so…?”

He kept looking at her as his eyes well up and he looked away. He took his hand way from her and drove it through his hair. “Thank you, Ria… I just … hope things go well… for your sake, more than mine.”

He started the car and they continued their journey… In the next two hours they had arrived at a small flat in a crowded low- income locality and Keith was already in the flat as Gaurav and she rang the doorbell. They had to park the car outside the lane as it was too tiny and the car would have called for attention. Since it was afternoon and it was raining, there were barely any people outside. Their flat was in one of the few buildings in the lane. Rest were all tiny houses clustered around in groups of four. She was told this was a colony of daily wagers who worked across the tracks mostly on contract for the railways. The strong stench of garbage littered by the rain made her cringe and she had to cover her nose…to avoid throwing up. Fortunately, the house was in a cleaner area on the fourth floor and the building was sans an elevator. Gaurav had held both their bags throughout till they reached the designated house. Keith welcomed them and Ria was immediately shown to her room. There was a single bathroom for their usage near the drawing room and Ria took it up first. God bless Keith… he had cooked up a simple meal of potato stir fry with khichidi and she relished every bite before going into her room to rest… Gaurav had asked her to meet them outside at 4PM to discuss the case and Khatiyal was to visit them. She had only nodded. There was no TV and her burner didnt have any kind of internet connection… she had no clue about any news that was going on here…

Later that evening Khatiyal met up with them. “Look Ms. Narsimhan, it’s going to be nasty…I hope you are up to the challenge…” the bulky lawyer looked worn out… the case was taking a toll on him as well. She nodded wringing her fingers on her lap.

“Khatiyal….” Gaurav spoke in a stern voice. “…If there is any question or comment threatening her modesty, I want you to object immediately…”

“But Sir… I can’t object for every point and the prosecution…”

“TO HELL WITH THE PROSECUTION… I CARE A DAMN… SHE IS NOT TO BE MADE UNCOMFORTABLE AND YOU WILL SEE TO IT …” Gaurav bellowed and Khatiyal sank further in his seat.    

“Sir… may I have a word with you… in private…please…” Ria pleaded.

Gaurav nodded and they walked into the kitchen as an amused Keith looked on. “Sir… we have to see this case through… I am fine with whatever is thrown my way… I really am… its important for you to be exonerated… we can lick our wounds later…” She spoke at a stretch as the two pairs of eyes looked at her as if she was an alien. She had the window she needed and continued. “… By the way, if you keep scaring the lawyer, he won’t be able to fight out there. So, I am going to go out there and tell him to do his job and not hold back on my account…” He was about to say something when she held up her hand. “…And I meant every word I said…” She turned around and got back to Khatiyal. “Mr. Khatiyal… I request you to do your job in ways you deem fine… I am ok with anything coming my way… I am ready to take it… don’t worry about me… I will be fine…”

Khatiyal looked at her wide eyed and then looked at Gaurav and Keith who had walked behind her but she didn’t bother to look and went into her room. Later after dinner which she had in her room, Keith knocked at her door and gave her a set of probable questions she was likely to face whenever her turn came up. Ria read through them late into the night… most of them were bearable but there were questions which were outright character-shaming and she only hoped she could see this through. She switched off the lights but couldn’t sleep as her anxiety kept the insomnia button on and when she checked the time it was 1AM. They had to reach the hearing at 9.30AM tomorrow and she had kept the alarm for 6AM…

She heard some sound in the eerily quiet dark and sat up straining her ears to check if it was just her paranoia getting the better of her… no there was some sound in the drawing room… She walked to her door and twisting the knob slowly, opened the door… though the sound was minuscule it was loud enough to distract Gaurav who was exercising in the dim night light. What was with this man and nocturnal workouts…? And God help her he was topless… He turned around and immediately dragged his T shirt wearing it and looking at her with annoyance evident in his eyes. “…What the hell Ria…? Its… goddamn 1AM…” he was still panting with the after effects of some workout that he was busy with.

“…Sorry… I heard something…so came to check…didn’t mean to startle you…” Ria fumbled as the image of his topless front though not very clear in the heavily dimmed light, refused to leave her mind and her insides had turned mush at the perfection she could sense… She turned around and shut the door, leaning her forehead against it… She had to rein it in… God help her. She heard him for the next hour or so and then it was quiet again. She didn’t have to check to realise he had gone back to his room he was sharing with Keith. She tried her best to sleep but it stubbornly eluded her and she hoped she woke up fresh enough for the trial next day…. She just hoped everything worked out for the best!

Next morning at about 8.30AM they left the house on foot. Keith walked ahead and Gaurav held her hand as they walked through the stinky narrow lane. She had worn a simple cotton salwar -kameez and had wrapped her dupatta around her head covering her face. Her anxiety was at its peak and she was grateful for Guarav holding her hand his warmth seeping in to help her calm down. Gaurav had worn a hoodie covering his head totally and after about forty-five minutes of walking round about they reached the court. Ria was exhausted by the time they reached a chamber assigned to them and she had a bottle of water and some fruits.

Ria peeped out of the window and understood why they had to do all that walking when she saw the swarm of reporters buzzing at the entrance and the police had a tough time preventing them from entering the cordoned area. What was going to transpire…?

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 23

She was in love…

The feeling of being light headed… with the rise of her heartbeats accompanied by a smile plastered on her face… without even her realizing that, was something Ria was not accustomed to. She remembered one of her favourite songs… ‘Chaahe tum kuch naa kaho maine sun liye… ke saathi pyaar ka maine chun liya…’

Ria felt she was on the seventh heaven and in a dreamland from where she didn’t want to return. After what seemed like ages and sleep miles away, she got off the bed and went to the window. She didn’t fancy AC and opened the sliding windows letting the cool night breeze on her face along with a few drops of drizzle. She loved to inhale the fresh fragrance of the mud and the overall aroma of simplicity and lessons in humility she had just been taught tonight. She heard some sound and looked down to the open little garden where she had seen children play during her last visit. She saw Gaurav doing his running… he was in a sleeveless vest and running shots, not caring about the mild rain as he ran in rounds only stopping to catch his breath. He then emerged out of the garden and ran towards the road going outside. He wouldn’t go outside the premises at this hour… at 1AM. There was only one place she could think of… the equestrian farm.

She didn’t know what got into her, she couldn’t sleep anymore after what she had just discovered earlier. She knew he felt something for her as well… but now was not the time for her to talk to him. Nonetheless, she changed into her jeans and T shirt, and walked downstairs hoping not to make sound enough to wake someone up. She left from the main entrance and started to walk towards the road he had taken. She kept walking and suddenly felt the drizzle increase. There was no tree lining the road and she was a little scared to stand in the adjoining bushes in the dark. Though the couple of street lights were on, they weren’t bright enough and the rain started to affect the visibility. Should she go back… she wondered. But her heart said otherwise and she kept walking…. Somehow only wanting a glimpse of him. Was he OK? Given all that had transpired…That was her only thought at that moment. By the time she reached the farm gates she was drenched and was shivering because of the cold. She opened the gate and walked in. Though the illumination was not all that appreciable she could make out the light around what looked like barns at the corner of the stud farm. The ground was soft with rain and made a splash-like sound as her feet fell on it and she was scared for a moment wondering if she made a mistake and what if she got stuck in the mud… there would be no one to hear her… even if she screamed the now pouring rain would mute her cries. Fortunately, she made it to the end of the slushy ground uneventfully and reached the cemented land. She was shivering as she got further drenched but her single minded determination to see Gaurav pushed her to go further.

She stepped into the stable’s area which had a little roof outside the stables too so she rushed in immediately. She came across the first table and peeped in and her heart caught… It was a beautiful sight to see a mare with her foal. The mare was resting and the foal which looked like a few days old was struggling to stand. In spite of the cold Ria felt better and chuckled at the foal’s meek attempt to balance itself on its thin legs. She moved further but was caught in her steps as she felt sudden rush of hot breath blow on her face… It sounded like a loud burp… and it scared her as she took a few quick steps backwards not seeing the unevenly cemented land before she fell on her back screaming in fright. She stood up and looked down at her clothes plastered to her body now muddy as well… She laughed at her condition and looked up to see the head of a huge brown horse looking down at her. He was stunning though… she stood there as he produced some sound…like a nicker…a soft huh-huh-huh– sound. She went a little closer and given her height she had to crane her neck to look at him. “Hey handsome… not sleepy as well…?” As if the horse understood, he blew on her again and this time it was ticklish making her laugh as well.

“…He is a flirt… just expecting something from you… don’t go by his looks…”

She was startled and turned around to see Gaurav standing right behind her. He had worn his tracksuit and had a bunch of carrots in his hands. “…Here…” He handed them over to her. “… give it to the bugger… by the way he is Shiva…” She looked wide eyed at the large juicy carrots fear seeping into her at the prospect of putting them in the large beast’s… mouth!

“…Um… sir… I…I…” Shiva silenced her by blowing yet again and she couldn’t help but laugh. It was then she saw Gaurav was smiling too… for the first time ever since she had seen him, he was actually smiling. He drew his hands in his hair and looked away…. Oh God the bossman blushed too!!! He turned back to her. “…Ria… do you want to stay in these clothes here all night…? Else give them to him and we can get going…”

“…I…I am sca…scared, sir…”

“…here let me help you….” He held her hand and raised it towards the brumby stallion and before she could realise the effect of his touch the greedy animal sucked the carrots out of her hand and he left the hold. “…see…? that wasn’t difficult at all…” he said as she looked at him watching the horse with pride filled eyes.

Suddenly he turned to look at her in all seriousness. “Ria… what are you doing here… its almost 2PM…”

“…I …I couldn’t sleep… and then I was at the window and I saw you run this side… I was kind of worried so came to…um… check…”

He sighed and held his hands on his hips. Was he going to reprimand her now…? Well she deserved it for her stupidity… she shouldn’t have come. “…I…I am sorry sir… I shouldn’t… I will… g..g..go back…” As she turned, he held her hand and pulled her back towards him. She banged against his hard chest as he looked into her eyes. “That’s the…wrong direction… you will fall in the ankle- deep water gathered there and hurt yourself… the land…is… uneven…” He almost whispered, his warm breath a welcome intrusion on her face with the cold breeze ruthlessly drying her wet skin. Not to mention his voice making her insides quiver… All she wanted to do was just hug him as she was reminded of that early morning moment in the old hospital building… His hard-muscular body against hers as he had held her… She gasped and looked away as he released her hand slowly. She nodded not able to look into his eyes… he indicated her to follow him as he took another direction. She didn’t dare to look anywhere except watch her steps on the uneven cement floor of the stables. He went to a little house. House …? He opened the door and she followed him to the beautiful drawing room…just like she had seen in those cow-boy movies. She watched in awe at the sparsely furnished room, beautifully decorated shelves full of medical books and books on …of course…horses.  She saw a showcase filled with medals and trophies… were they his…? Finally, she saw a young Gaurav with a medal on a horse in a beautiful sandalwood photo frame… the photograph was taken in a horse show.  He looked so carefree… a far cry from the omnipresent worry and frown wrinkling his handsome face today. She heard him come back to the room from wherever he had disappeared to holding a towel and a bathrobe in his hand.

“Here…take this… uh… there is a tiny bathroom… not much though and the water is cold… I…uh… actually there is no heating facility. Just get out of those…clothes… you will be sick by morning… The foreman will be here by 4AM. I…uh… have texted him to come ASAP… and bring the jeep along…. We can then leave quickly… Till then… uh… make do… with this… and… there are blankets…”

“…Its… alright …sir… I am fie… I will manage… Thank you…” Why was he nervous, she wondered as she took the towels and robe and went in. Right ahead was the bathroom… and as he had mentioned it was tiny… tinier than the one she had back at home. Home… As she took off her ruined clothes, she remembered her folks with a pang of sadness as her eyes filled… surprisingly she missed them. Would Appa have taken his BP medication? Would Amma be rubbing her soles with that awfully smelling ayurvedic oil that she had ordered last month?  Would Pooja be chatting up late into the night with her beau? And… would they be remembering her as well…? She splashed chilled water on her face to send those thoughts to the back of her mind… she had to live in the moment and her moments all sucked big time. She couldn’t even talk two straight words without fumbling when he was around… how would she reveal her feelings to him? He had closed himself shut with tough walls erected around him… any emotion would find it difficult to penetrate. But it was important for her to know what he felt for her. She knew in her heart he did feel something… but was it enough…? She had compromised all her life and had acquired her independence with great difficulty. She couldn’t lose it all for someone who didn’t reciprocate her feelings… she thought, as her heart fell. She would move the heavens for him…he had to know that by now but if she had to give up everything, she had to know about his feelings first hand. And there was that aura of mystery surrounding him… she always wondered why… why a man who was so caring and selfless, good looking, well qualified and not to mention loaded… yet to settle in life. He was the perfect marriage material then why was he still single?

She finished washing herself the cold water relaxing her and suddenly sleep came rushing with a vengeance. She came to the drawing room in a daze, wearing the robe which was just touching her knees and Gaurav who was staring at the dark world outside the window turned around. The drawing room was lit up by the tiny LEDs locate in different sockets in wooden panels along the walls and though it wasn’t strong enough she couldn’t miss the molten look in his eyes as he stared at her. All sleep gone her heart raced as she felt self-conscious and tugged at her robe. He walked slowly towards her, his eyes not leaving eye contact as they stared intently into hers. Oh Heaven Almighty… what was he doing…? Her heart threatened to race out of her thoracic cavity as he came close towering over her almost touching her. He raised his hand and moved it towards her face and she closed her eyes shut. She could feel her breath catch in her throat. But after a couple of seconds she felt him move away and opened her eyes… he held a blanket in front of her. He cleared his throat… “…Uh…Ria… I had kept this for you. This place doesn’t have a bedroom so you will have to make do with the couch. Besides it just a couple of hours before the foreman arrives. See if you can catch a few winks….” He looked away and back into her eyes yet again as if he wanted to say something more. But he turned around and walked away.

Ria was confused and as she wrapped the blanket around her, she looked at his back facing the window. Sleep was just not possible now… She sat on the only couch; legs tucked in as she stared at the photo frame. She moved to a corner of the leather and picked up the frame. She felt the other end dip as he sat and she kept the photo away… “…Um…Sorry sir… I… it was just… cute kid…” She looked back at the picture. Was she stoned? What was she talking?

“…Oh, that was taken after I won the first ever equestrian race… I won about five state level tournaments… those trophies are from those victories…” He pointed at the shelf as she looked in wonder. Wow… this was something else.

“…Um…your love for horses is evident by what you do here… how many do you have…?”

He looked at the window again as if in thought and said. “…at the moment we have 8 of them… they come and go… I don’t own anyone except Shiva…. The stallion was useless after his days at the derby and … Destiny got us together…” He looked at Ria, turning towards her his hand on the backrest almost touching her. She must have had some strange expression on her face. “…Uh…I mean… Shiva was going to be put down but as fate had it, I got him out and its two years that he is here… flirting around with every female… horse or otherwise…”

She laughed and saw him smile as well and wished this moment could never end. “So… who are these other horses…I saw that mare in the first one with her foal…”

He stood up and held his hand out. “Come on since sleep sounds remotely possible you as well can meet them…” She looked into his eyes looking at her like an expectant kid wanting to show his new toy… and her heart soared. God, she loved him so much… she placed her palm in his and stood up carefully holding the blanket around her. He found her a pair of shoes large for her feet but that had to do. They walked towards the first stable where she had seen the mother and the foal.

“…that’s Sonia… and her foal, Prince, is two weeks old. Don’t go by the appearance… he can actually run quite a bit, better than average. His father was a high category derby king… He has good genes to make it big one day… Belongs to a collector. They will be gone next month…” As if acknowledging him the mare snorted and the foal took a few awkward steps back and forth and tried to nudge his mother. Both Ria and Gaurav chuckled at its antics to seek attention.

They next moved to Shiva who was present with eagerness written all over. “Later boy…” Gaurav rubbed his nose and they moved to the next stall. There were two young horses, one sat and the other stood as if he didn’t care they were there. He was making some kind of a strange sound as he stood in all elegance chewing a sugarcane.

“Why is he making that noise… is he hurt…?” Ria asked.

“…No…not hurt. He is actually cribbing…” at her surprised look he explained. “… actually, horses who have been confined to small areas like these can develop a peculiar habit of cribbing or wind-sucking in order to get a “high.” They put their teeth on something firm like a board or this hard sugarcane then suck in air. It makes a really weird burp noise…”

Wow he knew so much about them. He told her some more stuff and she saw his demeanor had changed totally and he was extremely relaxed… a far cry from the perennially tensed ambiguous man. She let him talk as he explained how horses were actually silent animals and communicated in silence amongst themselves. He spoke on how they were disciplined and the importance of a herd in disciplining the younger colts.

He then explained the business as he showed the three other stables with horses. “…We actually help maintain the horses for their owners. We take care of them in every way and then whenever the owners are ready, they take them away. There is a huge equestrian farm up ahead near Chinchwad… sometimes when they run full house, they send across some this side… couple of months ago there were 15 of them… it was tough and we had to hire extra hands… but it was fun as well…”

“…so all this land spread here is used for these horses…?”

“…Yea…” he drawled with hand sin his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels. “…We also hold equestrian sports and camps for the underprivileged children. This is a beautiful sport with teaches a lot about the dynamics of the human-animal relations… and how trust goes either way…” He had a faraway look in his eyes.

“… why…um…why did you give up racing…?” Now where did that question come from… she didn’t know herself. Would he clam up now?

“…Racing was just a hobby… I wanted to be a doctor … a surgeon… But I love them… the horses….” He looked at the horses as they walked towards Shiva’s stable. “… They help us understand Growth… That…Growth is not something to be quantified. It is not a number you key into your book of accounts or a numerical you flaunt… Growth is a plethora of emotions that you imbibe in you as you go about your mundane tasks…”

Wow that was intense. He made a lot of sense metaphorically speaking… the passion in his work was evident in his voice.

“…A horse teaches us how to overcome obstacles and carry ourselves in the face of adversity…” He drawled on. “…they are the most perceptive beings…”

They reached Shiva’s stable and he opened the gate, letting the mighty tall stallion out and he was… limping slightly… Gaurav rubbed his hands over the animal’s mane and Shiva seemed to like it from the way he tried to nozzle his head towards Gaurav. “…come Ria… touch him… don’t be scared… he is gentle…all bark and no bite… right big man…?” As if answering Shiva gave a gentle breathy squeal and she moved towards it smiling tentatively. “…Just relax Ria… horses sense our body language and emotions… they are far more intelligent than we give them credit for…” She touched Shiva’s mane and his squeal grew weak… she was surprised but Gaurav joked that was because Shiva liked her touching him!!

“…Ok Big man… time to rest… we have to exercise that leg tomorrow right…?” Gaurav patted Shiva and turned him around back into his stable.

As he came towards her again she asked… “What happened to his leg…?”

“…In his last match about two and half years ago he was hurt as he fell… the owners lost a lot of money betting on him and they gave him away to some center… There was no proper care for the injury and the contractures developed causing permanent damage…Do you know Ria…? They were to put him down. My friend who is a vet was called to euthanize him… But when he called me, I went there along and one look at Shiva… and I knew he had to be saved. I brought him form the center… but by then he had quietened beyond repair…”

She looked at him astonished as if he were describing an abandoned human. He looked at her with the same intense eyes and strong facial expression. “… the most important form of communication among horses is awareness… Horses are extremely sensitive to some humans they trust…But if the human is not receptive, the horses will very likely quit talking and may also lose some of the trust and respect they might have had for that individual…” His face relaxed as he sighed. “…That’s what happened with Shiva… he was emotionally broken… the individuals with whom he had placed his trust… his owners, his jockey… they all deserted him…kind of stabbed him in the back…” Ria didn’t know now if Gaurav was talking about Shiva or himself.

“…Sir… Shiva is lucky to have found you… you gave him a new lease of life…” She tried to make things lighter.

“…That’s because he deserved it Ria…Not just to live but… a Chance to love… everyone Ria… just Goddamn everyone deserves a chance to love…to be loved…” He spoke abruptly and a little louder, looking at her with a strange emotion shining in his eyes.

Suddenly…as if out of a trance he looked away… turned and walked back to the house. As she stood there holding the blanket breathing in the fragrance of the rains mixed with the mixture of the stables’ smells like grass, hay, weeds, peppery leather, greens… it was intoxicating and she wished she could just stay here and savor every moment….

She looked towards the house and realised that the dynamics of their relationship…if one could call it… had just changed…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 22

Gaurav stood up with a firm resolve… those bastards had ruined his life years ago and he had been paying the price even today. He had resigned himself to his fate hoping to atone for his sins in the past. But this was now getting out of hand… and if they hurt Ria…? No… not on his watch. “Keith, contact one of those guys from your old garage where you are now a partner, and arrange for a vehicle… an inconspicuous one. I am taking Ria to Parijath… I also want a couple of untraceable burners. I will come back a on Sunday and prepare for the trial right there…”

“On it… sir… I will remain back here to look over the place…” Keith rushed to his room in the pent house to make the necessary arrangements. Gaurav nodded and looked at a pensive Manek looking over Naren furiously typing away on his laptop. He rubbed his face… frustration rearing its ugly head up… again. He just hoped Naren could trace something and link up something from his past and the present fiasco. He looked at the bespectacled lanky guy who ran a huge security firm. He had given the seed capital to twenty-two-year-old Naren three years ago and today the guy was the most sought-after security expert in Pune and even across India. He had over hundred employees but whenever Gaurav needed him Naren personally attended. He thanked the Almighty for these blessings here and another one back in the pad over Karma. He sincerely hoped there wasn’t any connection of the past and the present but within his hearts he knew the truth. As he walked towards the window of his 11^th floor penthouse, usually his favourite place in the house, today he was anything but calm.

Manek walked up to him and touched his shoulder. “Gaurav…” As he turned to his friend, he said, “… nothing… Gaurav there is nothing indicating any kind of movement of documents or any kind of petition filed… nothing at all. This is something different…” Manek sighed. “…Gaurav… I had hoped to find something… you know it would have been easier to deal with a known entity. But… this is… sinister enough… what do you think…? Who it must be…?”

“…I wish… I knew… Till now I thought someone in Dubai must have mobilised things here… But there are no records… means its someone on the sly… someone very powerful… and Manek…I… I think this case is definitely linked… any news about this woman…Swara?”

“…Gaurav, she is in an undisclosed location…surprising considering her poor financial condition and also difficult to find out but I am personally tracking her background… But so far there is nothing at all… neighbours have spoken about a boyfriend… but no more information… Still… I am probing more… Khatiyal has sought to obtain her bank details… that should be out hopefully….”

Gaurav nodded and Keith came with the news of a car waiting for him downstairs. Gaurav picked up his clothes and other necessary stuff for the upcoming four days and before leaving he looked at both Keith and Manek. “Ria will be kept out of this… she is already involved in the mess and I don’t want her getting dragged further down…” They both nodded in agreement.

He left the place with Keith. Manek stayed back to secure the house electronically and work things further with Naren.

************************************************************************

Where the hell were, they? Ria wondered for the nth time as she paced the confines of the drawing room. There was sporadic information on the news channels, about the Chopra Group of hospitals’ member also involved in a rape case, finding his prized possession vandalised. A shudder had gone through her body seeing the pictures of the damage caused to the garage and the car. There was no mention of anything else though. Some reporters were talking about some personal vendetta because of the bail hearing outcome on Monday. She had tried calling Keith and though his phone kept ringing he didn’t answer it. She had texted him and then given up. She couldn’t even eat the lunch she had prepared from where Keith had started off in the morning. A simple dish of Kadhi Chawal… apparently their equivalent to her comfort food…curd rice. But her appetite was all gone.

Just as she was about to call Keith again, the door lock clicked open and Keith and Gaurav entered carrying a couple of bags. She stood rooted to the floor with arms folded as anger began to take over the pangs of anxiety that had gripped her since morning after that phone call. Keith and Gaurav stopped in their tracks as they saw her expressions and Keith gave her an apologetic look as he rushed to the kitchen talking something about cleaning up… Gaurav kept the bags down and walked towards her. Ria blinked back hot angry tears even as she continued to stare at the tall man, fatigue evident on his face and body language. She instantly felt for him and relaxed her stance turning around to go back to her room.

“Ria… wait…please…” He spoke softly making her stop and turn around. “…Uh… are you annoyed…? I mean…”

“…Sir…I was… I was worried all morning and afternoon… not knowing anything about you all… especially when I saw those images on the news channels… I didn’t know… whom…whom… to call… Keith wasn’t answering… I was shit scared…” She went on rambling even as tears began their journey leaving hot trails down her cheeks.

He walked forwards and wiped her cheeks with his thumbs and it was then she realised, she was actually crying. She held his hands, and dropped her forehead on their joint palms… He tightened his hold on her palms. “…Ri…Ria… Hey… I apologise Alright? It was all my fault… I had to settle things and we got delayed… Don’t worry everything is taken care of…”

Something told her he wasn’t telling her the truth but she had no energy left to ask anything else. She nodded and let go of his hands…immediately missing the comfort they had provided her with.

“…Uh… Ria… pack up your stuff again… we are going away to Parijath till Sunday… I …Uh…I need a calm head to prepare for the hearing…”

Thank God… she was losing her nuts here. She longed to catch up with Kalyani and others and this would give her a good opportunity. She nodded and went back to her room to pack her stuff. Soon they were on the road and darkness was just setting in as they made the turning for the main gates of Parijath. She was here a little over a week ago and she didn’t realise how much she had wanted to get back, before now. As soon as she reached the entrance a boisterous Kalyani came up to her grinning from ear to ear and they hugged each other.

“Welcome back Didi… we are so happy you are here… come… lets go inside…I will introduce you to the others…” Ria looked at Gaurav who was staring at her with a strange expression on his face. She had seen that when she was hurt that night and he had been taking care of her and though something fluttered in her tummy she didn’t know what it meant. He nodded his agreement and asked the supervisor to arrange to take their bags upstairs.

Ria lost count of time as she mingled with the other women in Parijath and also visited their little factory they called it. There was a huge hall divided into many units with two feet partitions and so many of them were involved in developing something creative. Right from beautiful sweaters to wall paintings, to ceramic paintings, they did it all… They were winding up for the day when Ria and Kalyani had steeped in and waved at Ria proudly displaying their creations. Wow they were a bunch of talented women. Kalyani told her they also conducted classes for the children in their care after school hours. There was a tiny manufacturing unit right behind the main building which she hadn’t seen last time. She heard the murmurs before she saw, they embroidered saris and dress materials. Some fabrics were been painted with designs. She was told they worked in shifts and this shift had just commenced. She was told they supplied to retailers across the state and even some outside and were falling short of time. She could see the women were very happy doing what they loved. There were some women from the local village too who came in the day shift, Kalyani told her.

 As they walked along the little lane of the premises, in the dark with the ubiquitous streetlights being the only source of illumination in the large stretch of the road, Kalyani told her the stories of the women she had met. Most of them were victims to trafficking including Kalyani herself who was a child bride. She was brought to Mumbai by her in-laws who sold her off to a brothel madam because she couldn’t provide the family heir. However, she was repeatedly raped by the customers and had become pregnant four times which made her doubt if the problem with being childless had been her husband… However, four terminations of pregnancies by a quack in a local clinic in the red-light area, ensured she could never conceive again… One day Kalyani and some of the other young girls all of them barely eighteen, escaped from a weak back door and ran catching a state transport bus, which brought them to Talegaon. Someone directed them to Parijath where they were welcomed with open arms. Kalyani was in tears as she told Ria how since last four years, they were healing both from the physical scars as well as the emotional ones thrown at them by their own. Similarly, Kalyani told her about some others who were victims of ill-treatment for dowry and some had barely escaped death… She also told Ria about a couple of them who were acid attack victims. Some of them were still being protected here by giving them anonymity and it was then Ria understood why Gaurav didn’t want to involve Parijath… The man had been the epitome of humility and selflessness. She had never heard of anyone who cared for other humans like Gaurav did.  Ria looked around with tears of her own as she saw the place Parijath…which like it’s namesake had spread the fragrance of optimism and self-respect in these women. She suddenly felt guilty of complaining about her life… just like the last time she was here. She had good education and a job…Her resolve to be independent from her parents’ shackles became even stronger. She then went with Kalyani to the kitchen were many of them were involved in various stages of cooking. The aroma was something that caused her stomach to growl and since she hadn’t eaten lunch, she was terribly hungry. Kalyani laughed and gave her a plate of Upma they had prepared for the evening snacks which she relished…  Kalyani told her they would meet the children after dinner and Ria really looked forward to it.

Though they told her to go to her room the same one where she was put-up during her last visit and they would get her dinner there for her… she staunchly refused. Cooking was always therapeutic for her and she got involved with whatever process was left of making dinner and in the next half an hour or so she felt she was one of them. She also got into the grove as a professional speaking to build up confidence in a couple of women talking to her. One had left her abusive husband of twenty years and missed her children. Gaurav was helping her fight for custody but she had very little chance. The other woman in her fifties was thrown out of the house by her brother-in-law after her husband died and since she wasn’t educated, she had blindly put her thumb impression on the documents handing over all her money to the relative.  She was now a student of the women’s night school started by Gaurav which also included women from the village and seeing its success the headman had requested Gaurav to start one for the men too, which was still in the pipeline. Ria was in awe of these women who were trying to build up the broken pieces of their lives and felt it was she who was learning from them.

Ria’s respect for Gaurav rose notches higher so did the feelings she had tried to repress… After dinner which was an elaborate affair which was systematically conducted, she accompanied Kalyani to the children’s wing on the first floor. She first saw the little kids, some as young as four months who were taken care of very well by the assigned staff. She chuckled as some of the curious ones were trying to glance at her from their respective cribs. She tried mixing around with the toddlers. Some came to her easily while some were shy and hid behind Kalyani. Kalyani told her these children were all up for adoption, some were already taken, and they were here till the legalities were completed. “You know didi…? It’s the most painful moment for us when these children leave with their adoptive parents but we also are happy with the fact that they are getting permanent and loving homes…” Ria smiled somberly at Kalyani who looking lovingly at the children as if they were her own and she hoped that some day Kalyani who was barely 22 years old, could find happiness of her own as well…

They then went to the little wing of children who needed round the clock supervision. The wing housed children of all ages but most of them were vegetative. Kalyani said, most of them were abandoned by their own parents and some were abandoned after their parents passed. Ria’s heart went out to them as she saw they were oblivious to their surroundings and only cried in pain or if they were unable to express hunger or thirst… Why God why…? But she also saw the women who were diligently involved in taking care of these angels. Kalyani said Gaurav got in doctors and therapists for these children regularly so that they wouldn’t be in pain for the number of years they live. Ria blinked back tears while all she wanted to do was give Gaurav a hug telling him what a beautiful soul, he was…

Finally, the last stop for the day was when they reached the wing of older children… the oldest was twelve. Ria was dead on her legs but still wanted to meet the kiddos. She heard some commotion and as they stepped in the common hall, her heart did a somersault as she saw a Gaurav clad in blue jeans and shirt, sitting on the floor surrounded by all the children as they watched the movie, ‘Finding Nemo…’  She couldn’t take her eyes off the scene as they all burst into laughter and she had never seen such carefree expressions play on his face before. A little girl who seemed disinterested came up to him as he picked her up and played with her, she took out some tiny trinket like toys and put them on his palm even as he laughed and posed for her. He then whispered something into her ears and she burst out laughing leaning into Gaurav as he protectively hugged her even as her eyes drooped with sleep, while they continued to enjoy the movie.

Kalyani whispered. “… I think Didi… we should come back tomorrow before they leave for school… Now that their Dada is here, they wont care for anyone else…especially Pari, he is her favourite person in the world…” Kalyani chuckled and they both left the hall. Ria went upstairs to her room and as she lay eyes closed on the bed after freshening up and changing into comfortable pajamas, the vision of Gaurav surrounded by children and playing with Pari flashed before her eyes…She sat up on the bed with a start as realisation set in. She didn’t know the exact reasons though but it had to do with the man who’s soul was pure, the man who was kind hearted going miles for people who were practically strangers, including her… the man who was ready to give himself up to protect these same people, her inclusive… the man who only gave selflessly expecting nothing in return. She knew there was something that held him back from accepting appreciation in return… she just didn’t know why…but she was now omnipotently aware of one fact.

She was undoubtedly, deeply in love with Gaurav…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 21

Ria was up on Tuesday early morning after a good night’s sleep and as she entered the drawing room, she was greeted by the strong aroma of her favourite filter coffee… Keith was busy preparing breakfast… OMG idli-sambhar… her all time favourite. Take a girl away from south India, but you couldn’t take south India away from the girl!!! It didn’t matter, she had almost the same breakfast for years at home, she loved it every time it was served. Her mother made the best sambhar on earth the aroma of the assorted spices always waking her up early morning. Her mom used special combination of select lentils, green gram and spices while making the sambhar powder which had come down to her traditionally. Ria too helped her in the elaborate process but she had never come even close to her mother in texture and taste. Her eyes welled up remembering her mom… the lady was always sandwiched between customs, traditions and her love for her daughter… at least that’s what Ria wanted to think. She just wished her mother could stand up to her father especially when he hurled insults on her as well. She would be his verbal punching bag for releasing his frustrations. Her mother always believed that the head of the family made the decisions considering the well being of all the family members and she had no right to question him. Ria shook her head of the thoughts and walked towards the kitchen even as Keith dished out the fresh batch of idlis in the moulds.  There was one kept for cooling and as she sipped her coffee offered by Keith, she started to unlodge the soft idlis from the moulds into a bowl taking care not to break them.

“Hey Keith… is sir still sleeping…?” She asked. She hadn’t seen him after she had left his room last afternoon and then she had retired to bed early after the days of exhaustion took their toll. She had reheated her lunch and had a quick dinner. Keith had just been back and had been arranging groceries when she had gone to her room.

“…Uh… Yes… Actually, he was up late last night doing something on his laptop… I think he was doing his little research… He then had dinner and was still working when I retired to bed… So, must have slept late… By the way he loved the pulav… and the kheer too…”

She blushed and looked away.

“Ria…” Keith called out to her and she stopped her work to look at him. “…Ria…I … haven’t still told you… well… thank you for all what you did… We had lost hope… and by the time we would have come up with something to counter the allegations it would have been quite late… God knows how much more he would have had to endure in that lock-up…” Keith’s expressions were somber and she was glad Gaurav had people in his support.

“…Siding with the truth isn’t something great Keith… we should all do that… As for what I did, Keith, he saved my life without caring a damn… trusted me with Parijath just to take care of me. I can never forget that as long as I live…” She blinked back tears.

Ria and Keith had breakfast as they watched the news on TV, where there was only speculation about what was the latest development in the case. As she had her second cup of coffee, she heard Gaurav open the door of his room and step out fresh out of sleep, his hair tousled and yawning as he came to the table to take the hot cup of coffee held out by Keith. He sat next to them, making her heartbeat soar even as she helped Keith serve him breakfast. Keith left to the kitchen to start preparations for lunch while Gaurav was glued to the news. She only wanted to stare at the range of expressions crossing his face, lined by the day’s old stubble, as he reacted to the howling anchor… She wondered how he could bear the blatant character assassination taking place without getting angry while she was losing her cool. As she stood up to collect the plates the landline phone rang jarring her out of her thoughts. Keith walked out form the kitchen to answer the call as Gaurav muted the TV.

Keith was silently listening to the speaker on the line but if looks were any indication, he was furious.

“I will be there in an hour…” He banged the receiver and looked at them.

“What is it Keith…?” Gaurav asked.

“…Uh…Sir… it was the security guy from the garage…uh…the other one…” Keith rubbed a hand over his face and looked away.

“Out with-it Keith…” Gaurav sounded impatient.

“…Sir… the Benz has been vandalized…”

Gaurav walked towards Keith… towering over the bulky man by a good two inches. “…What was the guard doing then while all this happened…? Why the fuck do we pay him a bomb? Any idea who did it…?”

“…No sir… he had apparently gone to take a leak when this happened… and… the police are on the scene… I will go there right away and check the house…on the way back. Will call Manek as well…”

“…I am coming along Keith and don’t have to call Manek for this one… The guy needs to spend time with his wife and needs his rest too… Let’s go…”

“…But sir… it won’t be advisable for you to go…not safe…”

“…KEITH…. Let it go… come on… You know what that Benz means to me… meant…” The lethal tone did it and Keith didn’t argue.

He only nodded and as Ria looked on, they left in the next ten minutes. What the hell was happening…? Did it have something to do with the case? If so, were her folks in danger too…? Ria was suddenly worried… But at the same time her name wasn’t released in the media. So maybe till then her folks were fine for sure… She started to breathe easy. She worried for Gaurav too… the man was suffering because of the case and now this…? She hoped to God the two were not related. She had heard about people taking out their anger by personal attacks, like attack the captain’s home when the cricket team doesn’t do well… who knew… someone wasn’t happy that Gaurav had made bail…

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Gaurav’s head pounded as he sat on the passenger seat of the Ascent. Keith was silent and focused on the road ahead as he drove beyond the speed limit but trying not to kill anyone… Who the hell could have done this? His Benz was his only memory of his grandmother, besides Parijath. Girija Devi had been more than a grandmother… she had literally brought him up when his parents had been too busy to care for an overactive toddler or a meddlesome teenager. She had nursed his little crapped knees and even his broken heart when his parents forgot his birthday or school events. She had been the only stability in his growing up years. But like everyone else in his life he had disappointed her as well. She had suffered her first heart attack when he had been caught for driving under influence. He had never felt so guilty in his life before and even later when he had been through hell in Dubai, he had seen to it that she hadn’t known. She had anyways been heartbroken when he had left India for good… but in a way it was a blessing in disguise that she was ignorant of his life; she wouldn’t have been able to take it. She had died a little before he had come back to India and had left him Parijath… then a little building and the Benz. Her memory and the guilt of not being there when she had breathed her last had forced him to work hard towards Parijath and in five years he had built it up in a way that would make his grandmother proud. He had poured every ounce of his income from the Hospital group into it and Karma had off late started to yield results most of which he pumped into the development projects in Parijath. He had more than enough money to live life and for him… money had lost its luster ages ago when he had realised the damage it could do. …

The loud honking of a passing vehicle jolted him out of his reverie and he rubbed his face. Who on earth knew the location of the Benz? The car wasn’t running since ages but he had kept it in his grandmother’s memory, in a garage belonging to a friend who didn’t stay in the country. Only he had the access to the place… in fact baring Keith, Manek, his parents and a few close relatives, no one knew about the Benz. He knew this wasn’t a random act… it was personal… was it…? No… it couldn’t be…. NO…NO… NO…GOD NO…  His breathing accelerated and he had to clutch his chest to calm down so that Keith didn’t panic.

Soon they reached the location swarmed by curious onlookers taking pictures and the local police. They had cordoned off the area around the garage… well what remained of the damaged unit. He moved on shaky legs towards the vehicle… if one could call it that… A piercing unmistakable odor of toluene indicated the use of the chemical to mar the beauty of the classic. The front headlights were broken and the seats ripped off… The police officer in charge came up to them and spoke. “…So Dr. Chopra… know anyone who likes you so much to leave you a gift like this…? Maybe this can help you think of something…” He held up a piece of paper in a zip-lock labelled ‘evidence’. “… We found this tucked into the wiper…. And no fingerprints…”

Gaurav looked at the plastic and his heart skipped a beat.

قاتل الزوجة

He tried his best to contain himself… This wasn’t possible. “…I have… no clue inspector… Don’t recognize it. Please update me whatever else you… find…”

The inspector squinted at Gaurav and went back to his crew. Keith and Gaurav moved to the open space behind the garage which was clear of people.

“Sir… who is it…? I know you recognised that… but it was written in …Urdu…?”

“…No…Arabic…” He completed with a worn-out voice. “…Keith look at it…” Gaurav showed him the picture of the evidence the police had allowed him to take. “…Keith, we have to rush to the penthouse and check there as well…”

Keith drove like a maniac and in the next hour they were at his home where a few reporters were stationed eager to get bytes. But Keith and another security guard kept them at bay as Gaurav made his way to the elevator. They entered the house and ran a check through all the rooms. Nothing seemed out of place but Gaurav knew that this wasn’t it… there had to be something and then his eyes fell on the security guard holding a parcel.  It was addressed to him and was apparently left at the gate today morning. But because the guard didn’t have the contact number for the apartment above Karma, he couldn’t call him. Gaurav knew it would be futile but asked the guard to recover the security footage of the CCTV camera at the entrance lobby.

Keith returned with a box of his ‘tools’ and plugging something into the electrical socket ran a scan in the area. There was no beep. “It all safe sir… No trackers or any surveillance pieces here… I have texted Manek. He will be here soon with Naren… I feel its high time we involve Naren’s services…”

Gaurav nodded and with trembling hands he opened the light weight parcel. It contained a fresh baby diaper and a milk bottle… there was another piece of paper written in Arabic as well.

قاتل الاطفال

Gaurav sat on the sofa with a thud. Keith got him water as Manek reached the house with another man in tow. As Gaurav sipped the cold liquid feeling the bout of nausea pass, he held his head threatening to pound its way out of his skull. Keith updated Manek and Naren with what transpired in the garage and then all three sets of eyes looked at him… waiting for him to say something.

“Sir, what does it mean… the writings…?” Keith looked confused.

“… the garage one… its… qatal alzawja…  one of the few things I recognize… actually sight read because I had seen lots of it in Dubai… particularly for me… and this one in the parcel is…. qatal al’atfal…”

“So… what is it…?” Manek asked.

“The first one means…wife killer… and the second one means ba…ba…baby killer…” His voice cracked and taking in a deep breath he continued. “…Manek…Keith… they are back… I can feel it….”

“…FUCK… Gaurav this is messed up man… I am sure this case is linked too…” Manek sounded grim.

“Talk of dredging the past…” Gaurav spoke with a poignant ache setting in his heart.

“We need to get the hell out of this place and check on Ria… Naren… mobilise your guards with immediate effect and start your investigation…everything… this ongoing case inclusive, even after we are done with it…” Manek blurted orders while Keith ran inside to pack a bag.

As Keith, Manek and Naren rambled Gaurav blocked them out. The flashes of the jail with the torture he had endured which often shined in his nightmares… came back to haunt him again, tightening his muscles to painful levels. The only rational thought in his mind was… Ria… Was she safe in getting involved in his mess?

His past was back… and this time it was back with a vengeance…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 20

Ria had come…. She cared about him…. Gaurav’s heart was doing the flip flops and his eyes well up remembering how Ria had reacted. The last time he was in worse situation yet no one had actually cried for him…not even his mother. This time none of them even stood for him before the media and spoke anything positive or gave any bytes… If he didn’t have a stake in the Chopra group, he would have quit the family conglomerate ages ago. The income funded Parijath besides the reserve left by his maternal grandmother. He could now provide the children good education as well as the SME he had set up for those women had made them independent and they in turn gave back to the society by helping other women in and around the villages. He smiled proudly thinking about the outreach medical program he had started two years ago and his old classmates form MS days pooled in once in a while… he paid them of course but the entire stretch of the village was now having access to quality medical care. He tried to stay out of limelight as much as possible though and luckily considering the bind he was in now, he was glad. At least all that work didn’t stop… Parijath depended on it.

He knew he was in a soup legally but in spite of being in physical pain, he was a happy man. His doe eyed beauty… his warrior princess had come for him. He didn’t want her to… he knew the possible repercussions she would face in the outside world. No wonder his family had stayed clear. In fact, his parents were holidaying in the Bahamas according to Khatiyal and they didn’t want to be reached on phone as well. In a way it was good and he deserved it for what he had put them through twice before… The first time for his alcoholism he was revolting, his young blood pumping up too many emotional upheavals. The second time though he wasn’t at fault and they knew it as well… And they had gone miles to clear him. He had started a new life here and now this after years… good Lord what was His problem with him? He only wanted to be left alone… and now Ria was getting dragged in this mess. She barely knew him or his past but staunchly believed in him to want to fight for him. Her thoughts were the only thing that kept his sanity intact in that filthy place.

Manek and Keith were loyal as always and they knew him for a long time now. Manek and he virtually grew up together. They were classmates in school and Manek was the son of the local electrician and had slogged his way to study after his father had passed when they were barely fifteen. Gaurav’s parents were only too happy to help fund the young boy’s education as he also kept Gaurav in check. Manek was fiercely loyal and that’s what earned him a partnership at Karma. He never gave up on Gaurav even after he had returned to India five years ago totally broken in mind and spirit… and had encouraged him to try out work at the hospital. Manek had been married two years ago and was now on the family way. Gaurav at times envied the man for his simple and settled life… Would he ever get that…? With Ria…? Keith belonged to the wrong side of the town. But years ago, when Gaurav was a medical student, Manek and he had got together for a night cap and were dining out when they had accepted a burly man who had come to rob them, into their fold. They funded his late education and helped him get a job, but he chose to work for Gaurav instead, for that he was now grateful. Keith was now his right-hand man. He was married too and had a young son in school but they stayed at his village in Gulbarga while he was chaperoning Gaurav.

Gaurav’s close relatives were just bearing his existence since he was a workaholic and that helped their social lives. He stayed late, or came in early or took over their duties for them at various locales so they didn’t have to worry about work suffering because of a family function or a vacation. He was not invited to any of their family events for the last five years and he didn’t mind one bit. He wouldn’t know what to converse with the high society crowd anyways. He was wallowing in his own shell before Ria came along like a ray of sunshine three years ago. And today she had given him the brightest hope…  He didn’t have anyone genuinely looking out for him unconditionally… until now… until Ria. Her beautiful eyes shone with concern and care. They were honest and selfless.

He didn’t know who was after him because he lived such a low-profile life the last five years. Did his past…? No that wasn’t possible. He hoped Ria didn’t regret her decision because this looked murky… She was a beautiful soul and he wouldn’t taint that. Anyone in his radar would be affected and he didn’t want that for anyone and definitely not for Ria…

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Ria looked around the apartment where she was housed for the trial duration… if any or at least till the FIR was squashed, that’s what Khatiyal and team along with Manek were aiming at. She had gone home from the police station to pack her bag and as expected her father had been furious and banged the door behind her back, telling her not to return home. Yet she had been concerned about their safety in the wake of the case going to trial and Manek had assured her round the clock security without them knowing. She had then signed the needed documents as a material witness for the defendant and immediately gone with Manek along with 2 police constables and  a forensic expert from the government hospital, to the old hospital building. She was glad influence still worked in some places. The demolition of the old building had been stalled because of the heavy rain and the landslide which had occurred a few days ago. They had a tough time coughing their way up to the third floor and the place got back memories of that night giving her the chills and she immediately worried for Gaurav. Her resolve not weakening she showed Manek and the forensics guy the dried blood in the washroom area as well as the examination room which had the blood traces and the medical kit which lay shut near the table even as the constables looked over with amusement. The sleeping bag too was lying there untouched after they had used it over a week ago. The forensic guy took the video of the entire narrative Ria summed up right from the time she fell to the time she left with Keith. He then gathered all the samples needed and by the time he had got the place sealed, and Manek had dropped her to the apartment it had been late and Karma was up and running because of the weekend. She had had dinner prepared by Keith though she didn’t have the appetite even looking at the lovely curd rice. Was Gaurav getting anything…? Did someone tend to his wounds…? Manek had assured her he was in talks for the same but she wasn’t really sure and worried sick about Gaurav…

Both Manek and Keith had thought it was better she didn’t visit Gaurav so that media didn’t get whiff of her. So, she reluctantly stayed back in this barely done apartment. She had prepared lunch for Gaurav on Sunday morning… wanting to be useful besides worrying herself to an ulcer. She had neatly packed Aalu paratha… which she got to know was his favourite and Keith had prepared Chana masala… she only hoped Gaurav could have them and feel better. She knew she couldn’t direct the winds but she could try to adjust the sails… And when later the tiffin box came back empty with a smiling Keith, she was happy to no end. He also told her Gaurav had been attended to and Manek was staying right outside the station to sneak in every time there was a chance…. courtesy Paranjape. Manek had also arranged dinner for Gaurav which he apparently ate without making a fuss. Manek called her on Sunday night to brief her about the bail hearing on Monday and also thanked her again to infuse life into the case. Meanwhile, the reporters were bored and had thinned. But this would increase coming Monday in anticipation of new juice bytes.

Though Ria had barely slept she couldn’t sleep on Sunday night with worry. Keith gave her company late into the night as they watched TV till, she forced him to retire to bed. She stayed up most of the time with a few winks on the sofa. Next morning, she waited with bated breath with her new phone in hand to hear about what had transpired. The News channel suddenly came on with the information she had been waiting for…

‘… as the reports come in at the special court proceedings today for the Chopra case bail hearing… It is noted that Dr. Chopra who was arrested on Friday with rape charges has now secured bail after a sudden development in the case. The defense has reportedly produced signed affidavit by a material witness who claims to have been with Dr. Chopra on the night this heinous crime was reported to have occurred. The victim or the prosecution are however yet to comment. The case goes to trial in a week from today and it remains to be seen if justice prevails. With the new development coming up the defendant now has a chance to fight and if the inner circles of the police are to be believed they have been rattled. There have also been counter charges by Dr. Gaurav Chopra, of third-degree torture in custody. What will the final outcome of the case be only remains to be seen. The country now awaits with great interest as the case takes a detour….’

Ria heaved a sigh of relief as she sobbed into the throw pillow. Finally, he was out of the hellhole and God willing if things fell in place then he wouldn’t have to set foot there again. Keith texted her that they were getting Gaurav to Karma since there was media parked outside his home. She immediately got busy preparing lunch for all of them and in the next hour she had prepared vegetable pulav and boondi raita, as she waited for them to arrive. She knew Gaurav had a sweet tooth and had prepared the traditional rawa payasam, her mother’s trademark recipe.

Soon the doorbell buzzed and she opened the door to a fatigued Gaurav, still in his torn clothes and a little dried blood on his face. He squinted to look at her supporting himself on the side wall and she moved as Keith and Manek helped him shuffle inside. He plonked himself on the sofa and putting his head on the back rest, he shut his eyes, his, throat wobbling indicating of the effort he took to contain his emotions. Manek nodded and left for his home promising to call later. Keith had to stock the groceries and he left as well… She was left standing alone with Gaurav, her heart breaking to see him so… broken. She saw he had fresh bruises on his arm visible from the torn shirt sleeve and some more burn marks compared to when she had last seen him. He had held his hands in a tight fist… she saw a tear escape the corner of his non swollen eye. That was it… she couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed to the tiny kitchen and took a bowl of water adding antiseptic into it and a clean wash cloth.  She approached him cautiously and keeping the bowl on the center table she sat at his foot trying to remove his shoes. She thought he would resist but to her surprise he gave in and it was then she saw bruises on his sole… oh God… she hated Swara with all her heart. His hands were still fisted tightly and she could see his knuckles had grown white. She placed her hands on them and gently made him release them. He held her hands tightly as if his life depended on them, his eyes till closed but he was breathing heavily.

“Sir… look at me… please…” she spoke softly. He took a moment and opened his eyes as he looked at her tears shining in his beautiful blacks. He blinked them away. “…Sir… its over… we will fight this through… You won’t go back… there… it’s a promise….” He just stared at her with a neutral face and she left his hand to take the wash cloth dipped in water and squeezed it. She took it close to his forehead where there was a tiny wound which had started to heal but there was dried blood around it. She touched it carefully as he inhaled an audible breath. She couldn’t control her tears as he shut his eyes again and she tried to wipe away the crusted blood around his wound taking care not to hurt him any more… By the time she wiped his face clean it had taken over fifteen minutes and his eyes were still shut. But he looked better than when he had just entered. She changed the water and attended to his hands. Luckily there were no open wounds… As she tried to wipe his feet, he suddenly withdrew them from her hands. “…No… NO Ria… NO… please don’t…” He stood up balancing himself on the sofa headrest as he tilted and she immediately went upto him.

“…Sir why don’t you take a bath… I will have the lunch ready… You… um… you need the strength… don’t you…?” She tried to use a chirpy voice trying to brighten his mood. He nodded as he shuffled his way to one of the two little bedrooms. She was put up in the other. She rushed behind him and searched for the bath towel and fixed it on his bathroom door handle. She then went back to the kitchen and reheated the lunch for him. She knew things would have been worse if she hadn’t intervened here and thanked God for helping her make the right decision. She waited in the drawing room for over half an hour but there was no sign of him. She walked tentatively towards his room and knocked but there was no answer. Worried she turned the knob and opened the door only to find him fast asleep wearing only the bath towel around his hip. He snored softly and looked at ease and she had no heart to disturb him. He looked like a small kid who had just got back home after a school picnic and had slept off. Speaking of picnics, she remembered her mother rubbing coconut oil to her soles when she would return from school outings saying it was a good pain reliever. Would it help here too? She wanted to try and rushing to the kitchen she got oil and sat at the foot of the bed. She took a little oil in her palm, rubbed her palm and started to rub the oil on his sole…. He stirred but she kept at it. Eventually he slept off oblivious to the other foot getting the rub too. As she covered him with the comforter kept on the side, she just hoped he would get the relief and looked at his serene face before she left shutting the door behind her.

Gaurav let his breath out when he heard the door click. He was a total goner. If only life were that simple, he would never have let Ria go… No one in his miserable life did so much for him like what she had done. She had tried to heal him… his heart needed healing and she was the right medicine. She had been the rock they all needed. He had seen the change in Manek and Keith’s demeanor too ever since she had come forward to become the witness… For all his bravado, he was failing miserably at tolerating the torture meted out to him and he didn’t know why, as yet. He had lost all hope and had thought he was doomed having no interest in fighting back when Ria had appeared and pumped him up… Starting tomorrow he would get headlong into the case. He would see to it that the truth saw the light of the day.

He was forever indebted to Ria for saving from that pathetic place and only hoped he wouldn’t have to go back. He saw Ria looking at him with feelings pouring out of her beautiful eyes. He wondered if Ria would still feel the same for him if she got o know about his rotten past which was worse that what she had just witnessed… He had seen she was shaken and hoped she wouldn’t totally break… not on his conscience…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.