Hum aur Tum

Part 24: Ishita

"Hello guys. Enjoy reading this part and sorry for the lateness, got caught up with online classes and assignments. Thankfully we've had 0 cases since 5 days in Mauritius, but the national confinement is still here till the 4th of May. I hope like the cases are decreasing in Mauritius, it decreases around the world too. Be safe, be healthy, take care and don't forget your comments. Thank you." - Vibha

My whole body shakes when I get out of the car. Raman stands next to me and gestures to me to walk ahead. We reach inside the fairly empty courtroom. We're early. We are instructed to sit in one of the front rows of the courtroom. I sit down and close my eyes, I think of Ruhi. There is no way that I can let someone take her away from me nor would I want someone like Akshat to be part of her life, of our life.

Half an hour later, all of the seats are almost occupied. All the officials are here. I see Akshat enter and as soon as he sees me, his evil grin forms on his face. I turn my face immediately and grab the bar in front of me. Raman pats me reassuringly on my shoulder.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Calling the custody appeal by Mr. Akshat Singhal, is the prosecution ready?", the Judge starts.

"Yes your honour", Mr. Dev Bhalla replies.

"The prosecution may call its first witness", the judge adds and we see Akshat stand up and walk to the witness box.

Akshat states, "Your honour. Good morning. Mrs. Ishita and I were in a relationship for a long time. We even signed a formal marriage contract..."
I attempt to stand up but Akshara and Raman hold me tight and ask me to remain seated. How can he lie so convincingly!

"But after some days, she just left her home without telling me anything. I looked for her everywhere. I turned crazy. And when I came to Mumbai some days back, I saw her here, and with our child. Which by all means, I can tell is mine."

I want to punch this man in the face. He is a terrible terrible person.

"Your honour, I have been coping with her absence since 8 years already but I will not be able to stay without my child, without our child. I did not marry anyone after her, only because I knew I'd find her again and I will bring her back in my life. Your honour, is it a crime for me to ask for something so simple, I am asking for my wife to come back to me but I don't know why she is retaliating so much."

"I think that should be it Your Honour", Mr. Dev interrupts, "the case is neat and clear, it is very unjustly and incomprehensible why Mrs. Singhal is trying to separate a child from his father and not coming back to her husband. Mrs. Singhal..."

"I am not Mrs. Singhal! I am not Mrs. Singhal, I never was nor I ever want to be!", I cried out. I don't even care that I am in a courtroom and that there are people around watching me. I cannot even bear to hear his name and worse my name attached with his!

"Please Mr. Dev Bhalla. The court urges you to be careful with your use of words", the Judge addresses before asking me to sit down.

"I apologize your Honour and that is it from my side, thank you."

"Does the defense wish to ask any questions?"

"Yes Honour", Akshara says.

"Mr. Singhal, you said you looked for Ms. Ishita everywhere after she left isn't it? But how come you did not think of filing a missing report in the police station? Do you have an answer?"

"I thought she might have gone to her parents' place..."

"Oh really, but her parents confirmed to me that they never got to hear from you after the incident. Did you actually look for her Mr. Singhal? Your honour, I would also like to present the Court with the passport details of Mr. Singhal which clearly shows that he left for Mumbai the very next day that Ms. Ishita left him..."

"I went to look for her...!"

"Did you?! You left Pune and went to find her in Mumbai! How could you be sure that she'd be in Mumbai, who told you and..."

"Your honour", Mr. Dev Bhalla interrupts, "the defense is intimidating my client."

"I apologize your honour. But I'd like to add one last thing, how come it is only after 8 years that you suddenly want Ms. Ishita back in your life? What if she has moved on and how can you be so sure that Ruhi is even your child?! That is all from my side Your Honour. Thank you."

"Your Honour. In that case, I'd like to request the Court to ask the defense to present us with a DNA report to prove whether Ruhi is my client's child or not. Thank you", Mr. Dev requests.

The court is adjourned for after 3 days. I start to sweat. Both me and Raman say nothing to each other as he drives me at my place. The DNA test will prove that Ruhi is Akshat's child. What will happen now?

The next day, both Akshara and Raman reach in the early morning at my place. "Akshara wanted to speak to us about the case", Raman tells me.

"I studied the case the whole night yesterday. I consulted my seniors and I have come up with 2 options. Only these 2 options seem appropriate in this case. We know that the DNA test will prove that Akshat is Ruhi's father. So, the first option is to prove that Akshat is not fit to be a father or a husband. I tried to check his record, but he has a clean record. We have to prove that Akshat is not mentally well and capable to look after you two. But it is extremely hard, with the short time and inaccessibility that we have...

"And the second one?", I ask.

"I don't know how to phrase it. But we can win the case if...we prove that Akshat's contract of marriage is void..."

"Void? But how is that possible?"

"It is, if we prove that Ishita was married to someone else during that time. It won't even matter if Ruhi is his child after that. And of course, it will not be permanent, you can opt out of it as soon as all of this is over."

But how, who... ", I start to worry.

"Anyone who has not been married during that time and definitely someone you trust Ishita. I'd give you time to think about it. If you find an answer or even if you choose neither, just give me a call. The decision depends on you only Ishita. Take care."

My head starts to burst. What is happening? How will I do so? Both me and Raman take Ruhi to the clinic to have the DNA test done for her. As we receive the positive results, I break down before reaching the car. Ruhi even starts crying, I hug her tight, I can't even tell her what's happening, I don't have the strength to. Raman lifts me up. He holds me as he tries to wipe my tears. He stares at me and after a long time, he tells me, "I will do it. I will sign those papers. I will do anything for Ruhi. We will do it. For Ruhi."