Falling from Grace

Chapter 9: The Legal Battle Begins

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The morning started like any other. The quiet hum of the kettle in the kitchen mingled with Samaira's soft giggles as she played with her toys. Ritika moved about their small London apartment, preparing breakfast while Rohit scanned through his emails. It was a routine they'd developed over the past few months—a fragile semblance of normalcy in their new life.

But as Rohit's phone buzzed on the table, the calm morning quickly unraveled.

"Who's that?" Ritika asked, glancing at Rohit as he picked up the call.

"Rajiv," Rohit said, referring to their lawyer back in India. His brow furrowed as he answered, his tone shifting from casual to concerned within seconds. "What? Wait—what do you mean they've filed a case?"

Ritika froze, the spatula in her hand forgotten.

"Yes, I understand," Rohit continued, his voice growing sharper. "We'll join the call. Just send me the details." He ended the call and looked up, his face pale.

"They've filed a case against us," he said, his voice heavy with disbelief.

Ritika sank into the chair opposite him. "A case? What kind of case?"

"Negligence," Rohit replied. "And... defamation. Virat and Anushka are claiming that Samaira's actions caused emotional and physical harm to Vamika, and that our public response tarnished their reputation."

Ritika's breath caught. "Negligence? Samaira is a child, Rohit! How can they even—"

"They're not just targeting her, Ritika," Rohit interrupted. "They're targeting us. As parents."

The hours that followed were a whirlwind. Rajiv scheduled an emergency video conference to explain the situation in detail. Sitting at the dining table, Rohit and Ritika listened as their lawyer laid out the claims.

"The Kohli family has filed a civil suit," Rajiv said, his tone measured but serious. "They allege that Samaira's behavior directly resulted in Vamika's hospitalization and that you, as her parents, failed to supervise her adequately. Additionally, they claim that your subsequent statements to the media damaged their reputation, leading to significant distress."

"This is absurd," Ritika said, her voice shaking. "Samaira is six years old. How can they accuse her of such a thing?"

Rajiv sighed. "The negligence claim is flimsy, but the defamation charge might stick. Your public statements could be interpreted as implying wrongdoing on their part, even if that wasn't your intention."

"We didn't say anything untrue," Rohit argued. "We defended our daughter. That's not defamation."

"The court may see it differently," Rajiv replied. "This is a high-profile case. The Kohli family has significant influence, and public sentiment is still largely in their favor. We need to prepare for a tough fight."

"What are our options?" Ritika asked, her voice quiet.

"You can choose to contest the case, which will require active participation from both of you. That means appearing in court, even if remotely, and providing evidence to counter their claims. Alternatively, you could consider mediation or settlement, though that might be interpreted as an admission of guilt."