Icarus - SwaSan SS

Chapter 12

Hi!
I would go on a long author’s note before that. You know me…I love talking, even in writing!
So firstly I have completely solved Vansh’s mystery here, still if you have any doubts at the end of the update you can ask me. He is my own invention, that’s why you did not recognize him.
Secondly I have kept the trial short, I don’t want unnecessary court drama so it’s perfectly trimmed and the basic point would be clearing Casper’s name.
I have tried to tie as many loose ends as possible, but still some ends I guess remains.
Fourthly, this is dedicated to all of you, who flew with Icarus till the very end and gave him the wings of your inspiration to reach the skies without melting them off. I love you all for that…!

Chapter 12
I have often wondered from where SK got his eyes. They held so much of power in a simple gaze, a piercing look that could make most of the walls he behold transparent and a sharp gleam, which almost radiated the authority and might his mere presence casted upon a crowd. Fixing my eyes upon the much reputed prosecutor Durga Prasad Maheshwari in the light of the recent events I can clearly see the answer to that question. SK was his son, at least from the physical and behavioral aspect.
I have met him before, but that was a different atmosphere and a different aura he emitted then. He was supposed to be my father in law, had I married Lakshya that day. But now standing in front of me, with his eyes cold and his features masking the calculation within was not Lakshya’s father, but the man who made his own son leave his identity behind, he was SK’s father; Durga Prasad Maheshwari.
‘Miss Gadodia,’ he says pleasantly, his hand casually clasping a bar of the witness box. My eyes snap towards SK, he is muttering something to Vic, chewing the end of his pen rather lazily. Maybe that means he is on to something? ‘I know we are a little late with this question, but I would like to know everything you know of the victim, from A to Z, if you would be kind enough.’
‘He,’ I let myself start. ‘He was our neighbor when we were children.’
‘Were you two friends?’
‘Yes.’
‘And then he went away to return a decade later. How was your reunion?’
‘We didn’t have one.’
‘Ah, sad, why so?’
‘Because I did not know he was back.’
‘And you met another Mr. Lakshya Maheshwari,’ I gulp. ‘Am I right Miss Gadodia?’
‘Yes it happened before I know he was back.’
‘Then you met the victim, and met him some more times. Even exchanged phone calls am I right Miss Gadodia?’
‘It’s not a cordial friendship, it was…’
‘Of cause it was more than friendship,’ interrupts Durga Prasad. ‘My lord the call records between the victim and the defendant has been submitted to the court. Can you tell me Miss Gadodia, if you were not a friend of the victim what was your reason to keep meeting him?’
‘He was stalking me!’
‘He was stalking you or you were following him?’
‘Why would I..?’
‘Ah, I’m sorry let me clarify myself. My lord the victim although none of his deeds justifies the way he was murdered in cold blood was not a youth with a very clean record. He and his gang have a rather dark reputation among the circles to which their families belong, as drug addicts and suppliers…as we had proved before…’ He throws a look at SK, with a slight smirk. ‘And the defense attorney agreed, Miss Gadodia herself is in to drugs.’
‘Objection my lord,’ SK says calmly. ‘We have never come to any agreement on the fact of my client being addicted to drugs; I however admitted that she had been intoxicated in a few incidents.’
‘Objection sustained, it has not been proved to the court that the defendant was using drugs.’
‘I apologize my lord,’ Durga Prasad says with a slight bow, ‘maybe my next few theories would prove this fact, had my dear friend been patient enough to listen on,’ he turns back to me. ‘So Miss Gadodia, let me make you a suggestion, you were meeting the victim because he was your supplier, later you got involved with him on a different much personal level; what would your response to my suggestion be?’
‘I don’t agree sir,’ I tell him.
‘Had she been involved with another why would she get engaged to Mr. Lakshya Maheshwari?’ SK questioned lightly.
‘Indeed my friend,’ Durga Prasad patted his back. ‘You do ask wonderful questions. Money, even Miss Gadodia could not fund all her needs of intoxication I presume, so she had to find someone with strong financial background to solve her problems.’
SK says nothing.
‘So she gets engaged to Mr. Lakshya Maheshwari which irks her drug supplier cum boyfriend Mr. Vansh Varma and the fights between the two starts. As I have proved before in the matter of the recent attack upon Mrs. Maheshwari Miss Gadodia easily gets provoked, the same thing happened the night of the murder and she in a fit of rage stabbed the victim claiming his life.’
‘Amazing theory,’ says SK, ‘however I would like to clarify some doubts if my dear friend would allow me. Why did my client went to meet the victim on the night of the murder, as you seem to theorize?’
‘Ah, but my talented young friend already knows the answer to that my lord.’ comes the sarcastic reply. ‘The victim is a professional photographer and he had some compromising photographs of the defendant with him…which was another reason for the rifts between them. He called her to talk about the same thing…this microchip containing the said pictures was found among Miss Gadodia’s things back at her home, she had conveniently erased the chip but the forensic team managed to retrieve those images. They also had been submitted in the court.’
‘I don’t think we have anymore doubts, theories or suspicions to discuss on this matter my lord. The defendant has committed the hideous crime and it has been proved time and again in this court, I hope she might get the sentence she deserves in your capable hands.’
I watch SK for a moment. No one told me anything about pictures…so this was the microchip they were discussing earlier.
‘But I do have a few theories I would like the court to hear, if you have no objection my friend,’ SK said in his casual polite tone.
‘You’re welcome to carry on…’ Durga Prasad said rather lightly.
‘Fine,’ SK walks to me, his eye fix upon Vic for a second. ‘So, Miss Gadodia, you told Mr. Prosecutor that Mr. Vansh Varma was your neighbor once upon a time; care, tell me, how and why he went away.’
‘He was living with his grandparents because his parents had passed away and after some time he went to join his uncle in USA.’
‘Very well, Miss Gadodia Mr. prosecutor is under the impression that you went to retrieve a certain photograph or photographs from the victim that night, do you agree with him?’
‘No.’
‘Then what was your reason of going there?’
‘I don’t remember clearly.
SK’s eyes catches mine, he seems insistent.
‘Please burden you mind a bit and try to remember what did he say that made you meet him right away?’
I close my eyes trying to remember,’ He ah...he told me he had something to tell me. That he does not wish to torment me anymore by stalking or anything. He said he had something important to discuss about my father.’
‘I presume by father you mean Mr. Shekar Gadodia?’
There was a pause.
‘No,’ I say slowly. ‘I meant my biological father…about his identity I have no idea.’
A mummer rise in the court, as my eyes find Ma, looking slightly paler and Baba is gritting his teeth. SK and I had this conversation earlier although I’m not still certain how he managed to make me confess this to him.
‘Do you have any idea how or what the victim might have known about your father?’
‘Umm no, he didn’t tell me.’
‘Objection my lord,’ Durga Prasad snaps. ‘This is a murder trial there is no problem about Miss Gadodia’s paternity here.’
‘Objection sustained…’
‘I am sorry my lord, but I have certain logic on the events of that night involving whatever information the victim had about this matter.’
‘Which is entirely a new fabrication of the defense council’ accuses Durga Prasad. ‘It has been proved that she went there to retrieve those pictures,’
‘Fine,’ says SK. ‘Since my friend is so eager to simplify the complex matter of the photographs or their origin, with the court’s permission I would like to call upon Dr. Meheta, from the forensic department.
As he is called, the usual procedure followed my eyes remain fixed upon Durga Prasad, he seemed rather thoughtful and slightly nervous.
‘Good morning Dr. Meheta,’ SK greets in his pleasant voice. ‘Let me congratulate on your teams excellent performance in retrieving erased files.’
‘Thank you,’ the old man says in an equal pleasant and diplomatic tone.
‘Since you’re very familiar with these photographs can you tell me about them?’
He then describes the photos the camera they were taken from and the serial number of the chip and lots of other technique details.
‘Thank you,’ SK says shortly. ‘Can you tell me the quality of those pictures; I saw in my copies that they were blurred in certain places.’
‘Yes they were.’
‘Why do you think they could have been blurred?’
‘There could be various reasons, the photographer’s hand might have been shaking while he captured, the atmosphere or lights might have been unclear…’
‘Or…’ SK adds casually. ‘The photographs could have been edited?’
‘Well yes, that is also a possibility.’
‘My lord; we already know from my dear friend that the victim was a professional photographer, so there is no reason to believe he has inability to focus without his hands not shaking. The photographs have recorded dates beneath them from mid July which would be perfect summer having both light and heat so atmosphere have no reason to blur the images. I request you to note this point that the only possibility we have left here is that the photographs have been edited. Do you agree Dr. Meheta?’
‘Yes.’
‘That doesn’t explain why the defendant erased the microchip!’ Durga Prasad was back in the battle.
‘Well…I do have an explanation, had you listened patiently my friend,’ SK smirked at him. ‘Dr. Meheta you said some details about the microchip you examined, which was found with my client’s belongings. According to the police there’s a report in your table my lord about the camera owned by the victim, which I have examined myself. The said microchip does not fit inside it.’
There is a mummer again.
‘It means the microchip we’ve been circling around does not belong to the victim.’
‘Then who does it belong to my friend as you seem to assume?’
‘Ah, I have someone we should ask that question from,’ SK says gleefully. ‘Thank you Dr. Meheta. My lord with the court’s permission, I have a few questions for Mrs. Ragini Maheshwari.’
Ragini was in a bad condition. She had fallen from the stairs back at Ma’s and her forehead was still lightly bandaged.
‘Mrs. Maheshwari,’ SK smiles at her frightened look. ‘I hope I’m not troubling your health by questioning you..’ she opens her mouth. ‘Still if I am do forgive me. It is a matter of life and death you know.’
Ragini nods a little.
‘Very well. So Mrs. Maheshwari how do you know the victim?’
‘He was Swara’s friend.’
‘Oh, you never had any close connection with him, seeing that you and your sister are almost similar of age?’
‘No.’
‘Are you sure Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘Yes.’
‘My lord I have submitted a photograph in the court of a certain birthday partly many years ago.’ He picks up a photo from Vic’s files. ‘Here is a copy of the same Mrs. Maheshwari. The birthday I assume is your tenth, and the boy here side hugging you is Vansh Varma the victim…do you remember anything Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘Ah yes, it was one birthday and he hugged me to wish me. That doesn’t mean we were friends!’
‘Of cause it doesn’t.’ SK agrees seriously. ‘But behind the original photograph the victim or his eleven year old self has written “Ragu and I best friends forever” What would that mean Mrs. Maheshwari?’
Ragini gulped looking at Durga Prasad for support.
‘He was a friend in my childhood. But after we grew older we did not have any connection, like Swara said before.’
‘Oh, I thought you were under the impression that whenever Miss Gadodia opens her mouth lies come out…good thing you backed her here. So you did not know the older Vansh Varma?’
‘No.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘I suggest you are lying, for reasons known to you only. But you do know Vansh Varma and you have a certain bond with him.’
‘I don’t agree.’
‘Hmm, but here I have,’ he picks up some invitation from Vic’s hand and takes it to Ragini. ‘An invitation for a sitar performance of you, addressed to the victim in your own writing, dated two months back, how would you explain that Mrs. Maheshwari? My lord, the handwriting expert’s report is on your table at the moment.’
There was a pause.
‘I’m waiting Mrs. Maheshwari.’
Ragini does not say anything again.
‘Mr. Maheshwari had initially submitted my client’s phone records my lord now I would like to draw your attention to phone records of the victim which have plenty of calls in the past few months by a certain landline number, which you might see, is written across the  folded edge of that invitation card. This number belongs to a store just around the corner from the Gadodia house. Do you have any idea who had been calling Vansh from that phone Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘No.’
‘Well sadly I do,’ said SK. ‘That store what is it..ah yes “Kamla’s grocery” has a ATM across the street from it and that ATM has a CCTV camera fixed on the road and also this store. This photograph, a copy already on your table my lord, is from that camera, not just one day, but I have a collection of them, which tallies with the time on the victims phone records and alas! It is you, holding that receiver to your ear Mrs. Maheshwari. Aren’t you?’
Ragini is white as a ghost now.
‘Now I propose you a theory Mrs. Maheshwari. Vansh was your best friend, not Miss Gadodia’s and you were the one making him stalk her sister. He as the prosecutor said is a drug supplier which gave you access to the drug that you used to intoxicate Miss Gadodia. You made him call your sister, pester her, follow her and take photographs of her, by all this you wanted her fiance Mr. Maheshwari to think that she was a girl of low morals and was double dating Vansh and him. Would you agree Mrs. Maheshwari.’
Ragini opens her mouth.
‘Ah, wait a moment; I didn’t propose you a reason to do all this. That reason would be love, Mrs. Maheshwari, your love for your sister’s fiancé, who had not been for a game of fate was supposed to be your fiancé instead. What would you say Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘Amazing theory my friend,’ Durga Prasad gets back to his feet. ‘But pardon me for asking how are you going to prove it?’
‘The actual microchip from Vansh’s camera my friend; which I found from Mrs. Maheshwari’s room and before you ask let me tell you, I have cross-checked this with the forensic department it belongs to the same camera and had been used to take some photographs Vansh had taken from it earlier for his career purposes. When we retrieved the files we found those images and…and Mrs. Maheshwari a set of images that belonged to you, which actually you had used to create the edited version with your sister in them. And here I have a receipt of the purchase of the other microchip the one you planted in Miss Gadodia’s belongings and it has been issued to a customer named R.Gadodia and surprisingly paid for by a credit card and its slip is signed by you.’
Ragini closes her eyes grasping the bars of the witness box hard.
‘So Mrs. Maheshwari, your connection with Vansh was like this…he was in love with you, his childhood best friend and you were in love with Mr. Maheshwari. You used this man, in to helping you, by alluring him with your charms and sweet talk and framed your sister in to a set of actions she has never committed in her life. Somewhere down this path your partner the victim realized he was being played, so…he started collecting evidence against you, which are a part of this hidden new found microchip and he had for some reason changed his mind about your plans concerning Miss Gadodia. That reason my lord would be Miss Gadodia’s biological father who the victim was under the impression, is his uncle in USA.’
‘So you played the game alone, made your sister meet the victim one last time and…’
‘I killed him!’ Ragini says to a shocked silence.
*
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