Will Die In Love

Chapter 71

“ Mr. Aditya Raj Malhotra, you are under arrest. You need to come with us, please.” One of the officers said with a bit of hesitation. 

“ What? Why officer?” Sameer asked, he almost couldn't believe his ears. 

The officer looked at both of their faces before speaking again. 

“ Mr. Chatterjee complained about you in the police station. He said you…,” he stopped for a bit, “ that you misbehaved with her daughter, tried to molest her.” The officer completed his words looking at Adi to get a reaction. But to everyone’s surprise, Adi was still looking blankly at him, as if lost in his own world. 

Seeing that Adi wasn't telling anything, Sameer again decided to speak, “ but…” 

“ I am sorry sir, we can't do anything about this. Mr. Avi Raj Malhotra also went to the station along with Mr. Chatterjee.” The officer said and waited for them to speak. 

The shock was visible on Sameer’s face. He didn't know what to say anymore.

In the middle of all these, Adi suddenly decided to speak, “ Let's go officer.” he said in a monotonous tone. Now the officers were really surprised. None of them could actually think that they would be able to take Adi with them without making a big fuss. 

“ Adi.. what are you saying!” Sameer asked, clearly baffled. 

Adi just gave him a weak nod. “ It's time to go, Sam. I… I need to pay for what I did.” He whispered, more to himself. 

…………..

TWO DAYS LATER,

Paro sat in the seat still trying to process what was happening. Her fingers twisted nervously in her lap as her mind tried to wrap up the ongoing scenarios. Just two days ago, she couldn't even imagine that someone like Adi would be arrested. 

After her father again found her with Adi in that compromising situation, she was almost convinced that she was gone. The same situation repeating itself gave her a slideshow of her painful flashback and she locked herself in the room. Drowning in her own pain only to hear the next day that her father—the same man who had called her a disgrace to the family in the past, who had slapped her and locked her away __ was the one who went to the police.

And Avi?! Even him? What suddenly made him go against his own brother? Why did he suddenly decide to support her?

Paro’s chest tightened as memories of that night resurfaced. Adi’s birthday. The night she broke down and gave a hint to Bidisha what Adi was doing to her. She had been desperate, terrified, and vulnerable. She was sure Bidisha would’ve told Avi. So why didn’t he stop Adi then?

Her fists clenched tightly. Was this an act of sympathy? Was all of these because she had saved Avi’s daughter, Pritha?

But it was too late now. Only if someone had believed her sooner. Only if Avi had stepped up before things went too far. Only if her father had cared when she needed him most. Only if this had all happened days ago—before Adi shattered her completely.

A lump formed in her throat as the bitterness consumed her. She wanted to scream, to cry, to throw something.

Only if…

“Order, order,”  

Paro suddenly got out of her trance hearing the judge’s gavel struck twice on the table. His voice echoed, making everyone silent. 

“ Bring the defendant forward.” the judge ordered again, making Paro go stiff. She tried to keep her calm as Adi stood in the dock. 

The judge glanced at the attorneys, nodding for them to begin.