TRUTH

Unfolding TRUTH

No... we cannot sit here waiting for our death. My mouth was taking in my own blood, I rubbed my mouth against my shoulder trying to remove the cloth. It worked! I was free from that cloth, I spat out the blood that had entered my mouth, and said to Karthi who was continuously noticing my actions.

"Karthi!" I whispered "Come near, we can try opening each others hands."

We dragged out bodies towards each other, my head was still paining due to the hit and I am sure Karthi was undergoing the same pain. Finally we were sitting just opposite to each other; our backs facing each other.

"Let's untie the ropes. You try first Karthi" , I knew it wasn't possible for me because I could hardly move my hands due to the rope. He tried, at first no progress was there but slowly the grip was loosening. He was tired I know, but was still trying.

"Come on Karthi you can do it! Please don't lose hope."

"Mmm"

Finally, the rope was loose enough for me to free my hands. I quickly freed my feet and turned to free Karthi too.

"Ough!" He sighed. "It was so difficult for me to keep quiet for such a long time. You know what my biggest fear was that she would take away my voice box." Karthi and his lame jokes.

"Shut up Karthi, we need to run away from here."

"Yes, but we are equal in number, we can easily kill that old lady."

"She might have other people with her, if she catches us then we will have to fight but it's better not to risk and run away for life."

"Yes, had she been alone, they could have easily saved themselves." He looked behind me, Ketan and Madhu.

I walked towards them with trembling legs and checked their breath and pulses just hoping for some life. No sign of life. Just no sign. I could not help but weep at our helplessness; then I felt two hands on my shoulders.

"Aasha lets run away, now we can't
die without seeking justice for them."

"And you think, it will be that easy."
She was right at the door staring at us with murderous eyes and folded hands.

"Yes!" Within a flash Karthi ran towards the door and switched off the lights. I felt a hand that dragged me through a host of people, Mrs. Roy.... I mean Aasha's mother was shouting,
"What are you doing idiots! Catch them!"

We reached the hall and everyone was running towards us, I was looking at them when I collided with someone who had just opened the door and everyone was frozen at their places. I retrieved back and saw a man, Vishal? No, he looked like Vishal but was very tall as compared to him just equal to Karthi or maybe taller and he was a policeman!
Yes, that's why all of them stood there still. I had never felt so happy ever in my life. He was staring at Aasha's mother and the five men behind her.

"Arrest them!" He said.

"Inspector, you are being shown wrong. She is the culprit.... she.... she has...."

"Yes madam, she has?"

"She... has..."

"No problem Nishtha ji, you will get enough time to tell us 'her' sins in the jail." Her name was Nishtha?

They handcuffed all the people. Suddenly among them appeared Vishal who saw approached me and Karthi and hugged Karthi who hugged him back.
He looked at us with teary eyes and said, "You both are okay?"

"Yes, but I think both of our heads were badly smashed and if it would have been a tv show, we would have lost our memory." Karthi can never be serious.

"Sir, there are some bodies here."

"Bring them and take them for autopsy." One by one the lifeless bodies of Ketan, Madhu and Sameer, were taken away.
We were first taken to the hospital and then to the police station for writing down our statements. The officer who helped us was Paras, Vishal's elder brother.

He was asked for help by Vishal who got the case reopened. I am so thankful that I am finally free from all this but I can't forget them. My first case Sameer, Ketan and Madhu who lost their lives just because they trusted the wrong person.

......................................................................

Today is the hearing of the case in the court. Our lawyer is ready with all the proofs of Nishtha's crimes.

He said, "Your honour, Nishtha wanted to snatch away all the wealth of the Roys. She instigated Ketan and Sameer against Mrs Sadhna Roy and when she lost the case to her their hatered towards Sadhna became more intense. Aasha the little girl had a retarted mental growth that's why she could not understand anything. When Nishtha returned from six years of jail after losing the case against Sadhna of the lost Keshav Roy; she forced Aasha to run and killed her telling her brothers that she was at a safe place. Two more years and her plan of killing Sadhna was also executed through Ketan. Then another step was proving to the world that the Roys had vanished."

With each statement Paras said he gave an evidence for it, leaving no point for the other side to object. Yes, Paras was our lawyer. He had completed his LLB so he was allowed to fight the case from our side.

"Your honour, it is sad that even the police considered it a normal accident case. Now Nishta took Sadhna Roy's place and enjoyed her life with all her money while Ketan kept thinking she went out to work. Then one day Amla, my brother's fiance found out about them but Ketan hypnotized her something for which he was famous as Jaadugar Maya and his hypnosis was so strong that Amla ended up killing herself." Tears were rolling down anna and Bhavika's cheeks as they heard this.

"The next person to discover the truth was Sameer but he was given a huge dose of Rohypnol that caused him to lose mental balance. This is the bill of these strong tranquilizers bought on the name of Nishtha itself."

"Okay. Please continue."

"Yes my lord, now Ketan was adamant on getting Sameer treated but Nishta kept stopping him saying that they didn't have money. Then two years ago, Dr. Aasha arrived in the town. She was an affordable psychiatrist so Nishta had to give up. Still to stop her plan from ruining she convinced Aasha not to tell anyone that she was treating Sameer. Next she faked her death last year to kill the Roys and not get suspected just as she did in the case of Sadhna Roy."

"Disgusting! She should be hanged to death as soon as possible." A voice came among the crowd. "Yes! yes!" The court room echoed.

"Order! Order!"

"Your honour; Aasha was new in the town and didn't know that the Roys were dead and she had to keep Sameer's treatment hidden so she never discussed this to anyone until she read an old article about them. The rest you know. With this I am done my lord, thank you."

"Does the accused have any opposition?"

"Speak up bloody man! Why have I paid you?!" Nishtha in her sharp voice was cursing her lawyer.

"You can't abuse anyone in the court Miss Nishtha! Please sit! Yes Mr. Avasthi, do you have any answer to the accusations on your client?" The judge Miss Mehta said. She is known for her strict nature.

"No your honour." Her lawyer spoke. This was like a tight slap on her face.

"Keeping in mind all the proofs and the statements of the witnesses, the court orders ten years imprisonment and a death sentence for Miss Nishtha Singh under IPC section 370 for trafficking, section 360 for kidnapping and section 302 for multiple murders, and all her helpers are given lifetime imprisonment under the same. The court is dismissed."

We came out of the court room feeling victorious. What I understood was that TRUTH can't remain hidden forever. It's like a ray of light that can enter into a dark room through a tiny hole.