Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-22 : Bondita's Decision

The priest apologized to me saying that, he had lied due to the fear of losing his job. When I confirmed that I don't have any hard feelings for him, he placed his hand on my head and blessed me to have a long successful life. The entire crowd dispersed leaving our premises with the much needed silence. Bondita rushed to me without wasting a second and started to caress my wounds. Her eyes shed big fat tears which I wanted to collect and preserve as the most precious gems. I brushed her hair gently while slowly shaking my head from left to right, asking her not to cry anymore and that I was perfectly fine. With the least amount of strength remaining within me, I carried myself inside the house while Subbu went to call a doctor.

An hour later, after the doctor left, Subbu, who was carefully applying medicine on my wounds, while I lay flat on the bed with my bare back exposed to him, asked me in a concerned tone, "What is all this, Anirudh?".

"Results of going against the tide and trying to change the narrow mindset of the society.", I replied quickly.

"I understand that, but how did this Murugesan got offended in the process?", he asked.

"You must have known what kind of a person he is by this time, don't you?", I questioned him in return.

"I do know. Yet, I would like to learn about it more elaborately.", he emphasized on his desire to know the whole story in detail.

"Few days back, I made an untouchable drink water from the well of the upper castes. He was the father of Chennimalai, who is currently in the police custody. On that day, Chenni and his old father came to clean the roads and houses in this area, along with some other members employed for that work. After cleaning Murugesan's house and the area around, Chenni's father suddenly started to choke and asked Murugesan for some water, to which he out rightly refused saying that he cannot give water to an untouchable. The well that was common for the members of this colony was just opposite to his house. So, Chenni requested Murugesan to allow his father to drink water from that well, but in vain. Unable to see his father's plight, Chenni even fell at the feet of Murugesan and begged him to give an ounce of water to his father; but Murugesan cruelly kicked him with his leg and drove him away. Meanwhile, I gave water to the old man and gathered the attention of the confronting crowd. I somehow managed to shut their mouths with my arguments and logic, but didn't know that Murugesan would develop resentment for the same.

In a fit of rage that Chenni's father took water from the well, irrespective of his denial, Murugesan took a drastic step. That night, he set fire to Chenni's house, which resulted in a massive spread of fire, taking some lives and injuring many others. Chenni, who lost his father in this process, approached me for justice, since he saw me helping his father. So, Murugesan framed Chenni by planting fake evidences and got him arrested. Knowing that I went to police station to take up his case, he tried to threaten me to withdraw the case, by framing me in this gold scandal.", I explained.

"How are you so sure that the fire accident was Murugesan's deed?", came the next question.

"The morning when Chenni met me behind the office, I observed a shadow very close to us and hence I had sent Chenni away, promising to meet him later. By evening he got arrested. Then, when I was going to police station, I have seen a silhouette following me. At that moment, I guessed that it was not Chenni who set fire but someone else is planning something against him.

After that, when I met Chenni in the police station, he told me the whole story and that he had seen Murgesan's assistant near his house when the fire erupted. He also provided me with evidence which can help me to win the case. Now that the culprit is known, the only thing remaining is to prove his guilt in the court and get him punished.", I reflected.