Nurture And Love (BOOK #3) ✔

Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The courtroom fell silent, a tense atmosphere enveloping the room as the jury returned to their seats. All eyes fixated on them, a mix of hope and fear reflected on the faces of everyone present.

Virendra and Vihaan, seated at the large wooden table on the side of the accuser, tried to stay strong, even though their hands shook slightly. On their right, Sanchi, Vidya, Shaurya, and Jwala sat together closely, with Shaurya acting as a protective older brother to keep Jwala away from Sanchi. Shaurya rarely took his eyes off Jwala, causing discomfort with his mere presence.

Ever since Dhairya brought Jwala into the family home that night, peace had shattered. The once beloved mother figure to Sanchi had become a stranger. Though Sanchi tried to mend their relationship by initiating conversations, Vihaan made sure those attempts were swiftly shut down to prevent reopening old wounds.

Vidya harbored the most hatred towards Jwala and had isolated herself in her room since Jwala's arrival. She ignored Jwala's existence in their house until Shaurya convinced her to come to court. Vidya's cooperation was seen as crucial in case Jwala went back on her promises despite every effort being made to avoid confrontation.

As the foreman got ready to announce the verdict, tensions rose in the room. The family's emotions – fear, anger, betrayal – simmered beneath the surface, ready to erupt. The unspoken words and unresolved conflicts weighed heavily in the air, showcasing the struggle for justice amid personal turmoil.

The judge, a stern figure with an intense gaze, signaled for the foreman to begin. Just then, Prachi appeared at the entrance in her police uniform with her team leading a handcuffed Bhairav into the courtroom.

"We have, Your Honor," the foreman replied, standing with a piece of paper clutched in his hand. He glanced at his fellow jurors, then cleared his throat. "The accused Bhairav Singh Talwar, to be defended by advocate Keshav, and he will be crossed by lawyer Ayush."

"And so, your Honor," began Keshav, catching a quick glimpse of his client Bhairav. "As per the data from the previous hearing, it was already proved that my client had cancelled the bomb blasts of Vihaan Bundela's car in the last minute. There's no point in holding him guilty over it anymore."

"I would like to place before you a few evidence, your Honor." Vihaan's lawyer Ayush sprang up from his chair. "There is something I would like you to observe and note down."

The foreman handed the papers to the judge and waited for his response. Prachi scanned the room for Ishaan, who had never appeared in the courtroom before and was absent today as well. A low whimper escaped her lips as she focused on the ongoing courtroom drama, resigning herself to the belief that waiting for Ishaan was futile.

Ayush persisted on his case. "There are a few sketches detailed out by the previously accused, your Honor, and the man behind the drawings turns out to be late Kunwar Patel, an already profound criminal who had served a sentence for a decade for being involved in a passport racket as well as attempt-to-murder on his daughters and mother, and for exchanging newborn babies for his personal motives."

The judge had a question. "What connection does this man got to do with the Bundela family? And how did he pass away?"

Ayush continued, "He was the estranged father-in-law of Vihaan Singh Bundela. Going by the grudge he held against the in-laws of his daughter Sanchi— who is the wife of Vihaan Bundela, he had every reason to spy on them and backstab Bhairav, the man who had hired him for performing some wrong deed. When Bhairav found it out, he chased him, and in a spree of escaping from Omkareshwar, Kunwar came under the railway track and died."