Sakshi: This shows that the incident left a big scar on her which is leading her to distance every man. She is getting used to you trio now, I can’t say it’s a positive development but yea it’s indeed good.
Sakshi: Still, I’ll take her another session in a week or so. Let’s see if there would be any progress in her mentality. By the way when’s the court hearing?
Me: Day after tomorrow
Sakshi: Umm… it’s okay. Maybe after that, she seems to be a bit comfortable around me. I’ll let you know about her 2nd appointment but till then I’d suggest one among you to be with her (worried)
Me: What do you mean?
Sakshi: Am afraid she might have suicidal thoughts
Me and Angre: WHAT!!!!
Sakshi: In many such cases victims decide to kill themselves to get rid of the trauma. So, please be careful around her
Me: Are there chances in her case?
Sakshi: I can’t say…. But prevention is better than cure
Me: Umm.. okay.
Angre: We’ll take your leave…
Sakshi: Sure…. Mr. Rai Singhania, if you don’t mind can you keep me posted about the court hearings?
Me: Sure!!
We came out of the cabin to see Riddhima sleeping on dadi’s lap while she was caressing her hair. Her sleep too seems not peaceful, and whatever Sakshi told about suicidal thoughts kept haunting me… what if she attempts was something which was shaking the hell out of me!!! The next 2 days me and the whole family took turns to stay by her side, making sure not to leave her alone not even for a moment.
It was evening, me and Angre were in my study discussing the case as the next day was our first hearing. We were on call with our advocate, Mrs. Tara Oberoi, she was my schoolmate and a good friend of mine. When I first discussed about Riddhima, she didn’t think twice before agreeing to fight the case. She was always on fire whenever she heard of a woman being vulnerable and fought for them and won. And this case was close to her as it was related to her junior whom she saw for 2 years back then, always winning. Riddhima was no new to her as she was from the same school. She was determined to win the case and get justice to Riddhima. She once spoke to Riddhima a few days back and saw how traumatized she was and she was hellbent to punish those criminals.
Tara: Vansh, did you speak to Riddhima?
Me: Not yet Tara!!!
Tara: Vansh it’s needed, tomorrow the prosecution will definitely try to cross-question her but as its first hearing I’ll try to see if that can be avoided but the judge will definitely ask for her statement and she has to give it in front of the judge. She can’t back out.
Me: Umm… I’ll speak to her once now
Tara: Is it possible for me to talk?
Me: I… am not sure. I’ll just see if she’s sleeping or not
Tara: Okay. Am on call
I walked towards her room to find dadi speaking to Riddhima and she is keenly listening. Seeing me both the ladies stopped abruptly and gave me a confused look!! Okay, it’s my house I can go anywhere that doesn’t mean they glare at me as if I invaded someone’s privacy. Clearing my throat, I spoke
Me: Riddhima, tomorrow is the first hearing of the court
Listening to which she flinched back and was on the verge of breaking down. I moved a bit towards her side of the bed and pulled the ottoman from the beneath of the bed, I sat on it and stared her to react which she didn’t obviously
Me: Riddhima, I know you are afraid but actually Tara is on call and wants to speak to you
I put the call on speaker
Me: Tara she is listening
Tara: Hello Riddhima…..
No answer, so I just hummed asking her to continue
Tara: I know you’ll be nervous and afraid too. But trust me, we need to fight this together and I’ll be by your side all the while so need not worry and don’t panic. As it’s just the first hearing Judge would ask your statement and you just have to tell him everything. I know it’s painful for you to reminisce everything once again but believe me Riddhima, it’s going to be a long war, and every day you have to reminisce about that incident and you can’t let that incident break you. You need to stand strong for every hearing and you need to fight that war. The prosecution won’t let a chance down in maligning your character but you need to stand strong and make sure you don’t break, if you do then they’ll turn every chance against us. I’ll be there to defend you; you just need to put all your trust in me and I’ll make sure no finger would rise on you. Coming to tomorrow’s hearing, I’ll make sure the prosecution doesn’t cross-question you but later on it’ll definitely happen and I want you to not freak out instead stand against them and reply as the old Riddhima who used to back answer to the ones who hurt her. Riddhima, I know it’s tough for you but when we have come till here we can go much long way and I want you to stay strong whatever may happen. And believe me, you have a whole family beside you, you just need to fight this and you’ll find many such unknown families and friends standing by you. I hope you can do this and tomorrow you’ll be ready to fight back.
Riddhima didn’t utter for a while and we all were waiting for her to respond as it’s her fight. We can support her but can’t fight her war, she has to do it herself. We are here to be by her side always but it’d be possible only if she decides to take a stand and now it’s time she does so. And our wait finally showed results as she responded
Riddhima: Will ….. will I be able to do so?
I smiled at her innocent question as she was underestimating herself. The Riddhima I know always stands for herself as she did when she thought Aryan was bullying her and she complained to me. Now she has to do the same but the difference is this isn’t any misunderstanding but the bitter reality of her life, where she was brutally bullied or to be apt raped and she just has to complain about them to the judge and stand firm by her take. My thoughts broke when I heard Tara too chuckle and Riddhima was glaring at the screen as if she saw or heard an alien
Tara: Riddhima, the Riddhima we know, in fact, the whole school knew was a fierce or at least a girl who took stand for something which she felt right so why are you afraid now. You remember how you complained to Vansh about Aryan (giggles)
Okay, now I giggled as I just thought of that and Tara was reminding Riddhima of the same
Me: Riddhima that situation and this situation aren’t much different. That was a misunderstanding and this isn’t. You just need to be strong that’s it!!!
Tara: Vansh is right Riddhima if you are ready we all are too
Riddhima: Umm… o…. k!!!
We were glad she’s ready to fight and now she’ll find us beside her every second. I came back to my study as I wanted to talk to Tara
Me: Tara, who’s the prosecutor?
Tara: That Ashok’s father is an industrialist and he threw money on that Mr. Prakash Saxena and you know that person (sighing)
Me: f**k!!!! So, the fight is going to be so odd or to be precise dirty!!!
Tara: Umm… it is indeed!! But we can’t scare Riddhima, we need to give her the courage to fight
Me: Yea!!!! I just hope that Saxena doesn’t make this dirty
Tara: What else can you expect from him Vansh? He’ll definitely will do but we need to stay calm and oppose his dirty games.
Me: Umm….
Tara: Acha Chalo, let’s meet tomorrow. Be there by 10 am sharp
Me: Yes sure. Bye
Tara: Bye
(Present)
Me: Hey it’s me Riddhima again, Vansh got a call so let him answer that after that he’ll continue once again. Till then let me tell you one thing I always knew he likes me and in fact, that he loves me but I have my own reasons to not reciprocate those feelings (sighing & upset). About that let’s discuss later. But now I want to ask him a doubt which I have had for a year now. Let him come then we shall clarify our doubts. Look, he is here
Vansh: What’s up!!! Were you b*t*hing about me? (wink)
Me (sarcasm): Oh yea, we got such a hot topic to discuss (roll my eyes)
Vansh: I know am hot (wink) and girls die for my one look
Me: Hahaha!!! Nice joke remind me later, I’ll definitely laugh (rolling eyes)
Vansh: Just forget it…. You will never appreciate me and my looks. Chalo guys where were we … ha, so that night…
Me: STOP!!!!
Vansh: What happened?
Me: Before continuing I want to clarify my one doubt which I have been desperately waiting to ask
Vansh: Okay!!!! And what’s that?
Me: What’s this soul relation of Siya and Aryan?
Vansh (smiling): I always knew someday you’ll definitely ask
Me: How come?
Vansh: As you are such a curious personality (chuckles)
Me (angry glares): Now will you come back to the topic!!!!
Vansh: Acha okay my angry bird. Actually, it all started many years ago, we used to live with Mom, Dad, Dadi, Chachu, Chachi aur Aryan. I was 7 years old and Aryan 5; Chachi (7th month) and Mom (9th month) were pregnant with our siblings. Dadi used to take care of both the ladies while me and Aryan were excited to welcome our siblings. Aryan was damn sure that he’ll have a sister. Everything was going smoothly but one day…
(Flashback Starts)
That evening I and Aryan returned from school and were doing our works when we heard something falling and rushed out to find Chachi on the floor shouting and crying. We were panicked, chachu along with dad rushed her to the hospital and we all followed them behind. After reaching there, we saw them talking to the doctor panicked, and though we didn’t exactly understand what they were talking about, what dadi told us is that we may get one of our siblings that day. So, technically it was Chachi having a much sooner delivery due to some complications. I and Aryan slept on dadi’s lap waiting there. After a wait that seemed longer, dadi woke us and told us that we were blessed with an angel. Aryan’s instinct was right he got a little sister. After Chachi was shifted to a room, I and Aryan rushed to meet our new sister. We were so engrossed in that tiny creature that we can’t express our happiness. After staying for a while dadi and Mom bought us home. As soon as we reached home, I went back to my room to complete my work but Aryan rushed and jumped on my bed he started talking about his new sister
Aryan: Bhai, did you see how tiny our angel is, her those tiny eyes which were closed and bhai… bhai did you see after we went to see her she opened her eyes and first saw me. Her those little fingers which were wrapped around my one finger…. Hehehe…. She can’t even hold me bhai. She is so tiny hai na bhai. But now she has 2 brothers who’ll hold her and play with her. After school we’ll daily play with her, take her for outings, will fulfill all her wishes. Hai na bhai (excited)
Me (smiling): Absolutely, how can we let our tiny angel alone? We’ll take her wherever we go and we’ll protect her.
Aryan: Yes bhai now am a big boy, I need to protect my sister. And we both will do. We won’t let her cry; we’ll laugh together. I’ll even share my crayons and toys with her. But bhai…. What will be her name?
Me: Why don’t we call her angel?
Aryan (excited jumping): YES!!!!! Aryan and Vansh Rai Singhania’s sister Angel Rai Singhania
That night we both slept in my room discussing about games we’d play with angel after she comes home the next day. Where she’d sleep, who’ll do what for her. The next day in school Aryan was shouting to everybody that we got our angel and we in fact invited our friends to meet her the next day. Teachers were amused to see us behaving madly most importantly Aryan (chuckle) he was unstoppable. His happiness had no bounds. After school, we went home and started preparing welcome cards and decorated the living area with a welcome angel board with help of mom. We were so excited as dad informed us that chachu went to get Chachi and angel home. We collected rose petals in a basket and Aryan himself plucked the petals off the roses making sure no thorns were there. He even made a small band for the angel.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
You might be wondering may be am going off track bringing Siya and Aryan’s bond, but that’s necessary as Riddhima is gonna go through whats it to have a family and relations. I hope you’d understand and get to know Aryan and Siya!!!!