Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh

Chapter 73: The Courtroom

The courtroom was packed, the tension palpable. Manvi sat at the plaintiff's table, her face calm but eyes reflecting the storm inside. Across from her, Dhruv and his lawyer were preparing to make their case.

The judge called the court to order, and Dhruv's lawyer, Mr. Gupta, stood up, smoothing his suit before he addressed the court.

"Your Honor, aaj main aise saboot pesh karunga jo saabit kar denge ki mere client ki wife Mrs. Manvi ka unki student Khushi ke father Mr. Aarav Malhotra ke saath najayaz sambandh they," Mr. Gupta began, his voice dripping with insinuation.

Gasps and murmurs filled the courtroom. Manvi's lawyer, Sharad, immediately objected. "Objection, Your Honor! This is a baseless and slanderous accusation."

The courtroom was tense, the air thick with accusations and counterclaims. The judge, a stern woman with a no-nonsense demeanor, pounded her gavel to restore order.

"Order in the court! Mr. Gupta, you may proceed, lekin main umeed karti hun ki aapke saboot strong hone," she commanded.

"Thank you, Your Honor," Mr. Gupta acknowledged with a smirk, turning to face the audience and then back to the judge. "We have gathered eyewitness testimonies and circumstantial evidence that clearly indicate an inappropriate relationship between Mrs. Manvi and Mr. Malhotra."

He gestured confidently towards Dhruv, his client. "Mere client ne aksar apni patni ko unke ghar se kaafi der se laute hue paaya hai.. kayi baar toh unki wife coaching ka bahana karke bhi unke ghar jaaya karti thi. Aur haal filhal mein unke ghar gayi thi."

Sharad rose again. "Your Honor, ghar jaane ka matlab yeh nahi hota ki unke beech kuch hai! Mrs. Manvi unse nahi unki beti se milne jaaya karti thi aur jhooth isliye bolti thi kyunki unke pati itne possessive hai ki wo kisise baat karle toh unhe gussa aata tha. Wo nahi chahti thi unke pati ke wajah se uss bachi ko takleef ho rahi baat haal filhal mein ghar jaane ki toh wo ek baap ko apni beti se milwane ki koshish kar rahi thi, ek dost ka farz nibha rahi thi."

Mr. Gupta smirked dismissively. "A good friend, indeed. We have a witness, a neighbor of Mr. Malhotra, who will testify that Mrs. Manvi visited his home late at night on several occasions."

The judge nodded in approval. "Proceed with the witness."

A middle-aged woman nervously took the stand. "Haan, maine dekha tha ek raat inhe ghar aate hue," she testified.

Manvi maintained her composure, though her hands clenched under the table. Sharad's cross-examination revealed inconsistencies in the witness's testimony, but doubt had already been planted.

Mr. Gupta seized the opportunity. "Your Honor, this behavior is unbecoming of a woman seeking divorce on the grounds of cruelty. How can we trust her claims when she herself is involved in such dubious activities?"

Unable to bear the accusations any longer, Manvi stood up, tears welling in her eyes. "Your Honor, yeh sab ilzam galat hai. Mr. Malhotra ki main bahut ijjat karti hun, unhone mujhe mere pati se bachaya tha aur yeh baat sab jante hai! Lekin koi bhi meri side se gawahi nahi de raha hai. Khushi meri student hai, bin maa ki bachi hai, your honor, aksar usey jab meri zaroorat padi, main uske paas gayi yeh sach hai baaki sab jhooth hai! Main waha sirf Khushi ke liye jaya karti thi."

The judge regarded Manvi solemnly, then turned to Sharad. "Mr. Sharad, kya aapke paas koi saboot hai Mr. Dhruv ki wajah se inke miscarriage hue they?"

"Filhaal nahi, Sir, par main jald saboot dunga," Sharad responded with determination.

The judge sighed, delivering a critical verdict. "Sharad, aap ab tak koi solid proof nahi de paaye hai Dhruv ke khilaf. Isliye ab court zyada waqt barbad na karte hue apna faisla sunayegi."