The Courtroom,
The courtroom was suffocating. Not because of the crowd, but because of the tension that hung in the air like a fog. Kaya sat at the petitioner’s table, her face a mask of composure, though inside, her blood boiled. Arjun was beside her, flipping through papers nervously, his eyes darting toward her every few seconds.
The hearing had barely begun, and Kaya could already feel the odds stacked against her.
“Your Honour,” said the opposing counsel, a stout man with a booming voice, “the evidence clearly shows that the deceased, Rajesh Tripathi, was not an innocent man. He attacked the officers on duty and was involved in illicit activities himself. The police were simply acting in self-defense.”
Kaya’s jaw tightened as she stood up. “Your Honour, my client was under custody. He was not in a position to attack anyone, let alone officers armed to the teeth. This is not justice; it’s a cover-up!”
The judge, a portly man with a sharp glare, raised a hand to silence her. “Miss Kaya,” he said, his voice measured, “I advise you to maintain decorum in this court.”
“But, Your Honour—”
“I said decorum!” the judge barked, slamming his gavel for emphasis.
Kaya sat down, fuming. She glanced at Arjun, who gave her a small, reassuring nod. “Don’t let them get to you,” he whispered.
The opposing counsel continued, presenting doctored CCTV footage and statements from officers that painted Rajesh as a violent criminal. Every piece of evidence was designed to bury the truth deeper.
Kaya couldn’t take it anymore. She shot to her feet again.
“Your Honour, this footage is heavily edited! The police are fabricating evidence to save themselves. If you allow this, you’re enabling a system where the powerful can erase the lives of the innocent without consequence.”
The courtroom erupted into murmurs. The judge banged his gavel again.
“Enough!” he said, glaring at her. “Miss Kaya, you’re accusing the police without substantial proof. Be careful with your words.”
Kaya’s hands clenched into fists. She could feel the weight of the system pressing down on her, suffocating her, trying to break her. She had fought tough battles before, but this… this was different.
“I request a detailed forensic analysis of the footage and an independent inquiry into the matter,” she said, her voice firm despite the lump in her throat.
The judge looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Request denied,” he said curtly. “The evidence presented by the police is sufficient.”
Kaya’s heart sank, but she didn’t let it show. She turned to Arjun, who was already pulling out another set of documents.
“Plan B,” he whispered.
“Plan B?” she asked, her voice low.
Arjun smirked. “You’ll see.”
As the hearing continued, Arjun handed her a file. It contained detailed accounts of other similar cases involving the same officers—cases that had been swept under the rug.
Kaya stood up again, her voice cutting through the courtroom like a blade.
“Your Honour, if you’re unwilling to investigate this case, perhaps you’d be interested in hearing about the pattern of misconduct by the officers in question. Because this isn’t the first time someone in their custody has ended up dead.”
The murmurs grew louder. The opposing counsel looked flustered.
“This is outrageous!” he shouted. “She’s making baseless allegations!”
“Is it baseless, or are you afraid of the truth?” Kaya shot back.
The judge looked between the two of them, his expression hardening. “Enough,” he said. “This hearing is adjourned until tomorrow. And Miss Kaya, I suggest you tread carefully.”
As the gavel came down, Kaya felt a strange mix of defeat and determination. She knew the system was against her. She knew the judge was compromised. But she also knew she couldn’t give up.
Outside the courtroom, Arjun caught up with her as she stormed toward the exit.
“Hey, slow down,” he said, grabbing her arm gently.
“I can’t, Arjun,” she snapped, pulling away. “They’re trying to bury the truth. Rajesh deserves better.”
“And you’ll give it to him,” Arjun said calmly. “But not like this. You can’t fight the entire system in one day.”
Kaya stopped, her shoulders slumping. “Then how?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Arjun stepped closer, his voice soft but steady. “One piece at a time. We’ll dig deeper, find something they can’t ignore. And when we do, they won’t have anywhere to hide.”
Kaya looked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and frustration. She hated feeling helpless, but she was glad she didn’t have to do this alone.
As they walked out into the chaotic streets of Mumbai, Kaya knew one thing for sure: this wasn’t just about Rajesh anymore.
Scene Shift: The Judge’s Chambers
The dimly lit room was filled with the faint hum of the air conditioner and the muffled chatter from the courthouse outside. Judge Mishra sat at his desk, his gavel lying silently beside a stack of files. His stern demeanor had relaxed, his expression now lined with worry. The polished mahogany table gleamed under the harsh fluorescent light as he reached for his phone, dialing a number with trembling fingers.
“Hello?” a voice on the other end said, smooth but sharp, with the authority of someone who wasn’t used to being questioned.
“It’s Mishra,” the judge said, his voice low and cautious. He glanced at the door, ensuring it was locked before continuing. “We have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” the voice asked.
“Advocate Sharma,” Mishra muttered, leaning forward as if even the walls had ears. “She’s digging. Not just into the Rajesh Tripathi case, but into others. Custodial deaths, planted evidence, falsified reports—all involving the same officers.”
There was a pause on the other end, a silence so heavy it made Mishra’s palms sweat.
“And?” the voice finally said, dangerously calm.
“She’s relentless,” Mishra continued, his words spilling out in a rush. “She’s already hinted at reopening some of the older cases. If this escalates, it could drag more people into the mess. People like us.”
The voice let out a cold, mirthless chuckle. “I thought you were supposed to handle this. That’s why you’re on the bench, isn’t it? To make sure these things don’t happen?”
“I’m doing everything I can!” Mishra snapped, though he immediately regretted the outburst. His voice softened. “But Sharma is… different. She’s not afraid, not intimidated. And she’s smart. Too smart.”
There was another pause before the voice spoke again, this time with an edge of impatience.
“Then make her afraid. Or find someone who can.”
Mishra swallowed hard, his throat dry. “I don’t think threats will work with her. And that associate of hers—Arjun, I think his name is—he’s digging too. Together, they’re becoming a problem.”
The voice sighed, as if annoyed by the judge’s incompetence. “Fine. If subtlety won’t work, we’ll escalate. Leave it to me.”
“But—” Mishra started, only to be cut off.
“You’re already on thin ice, Mishra. If this case blows up, you’ll be the first to go down. Do your job. Keep her tangled in procedural delays, deny her motions, make her waste time. I’ll handle the rest.”
The line went dead.
Mishra stared at the phone, his hand shaking as he placed it back on the table. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, his mind racing. Advocate Sharma was playing with fire, and now, so was he.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly, and muttered to himself, “You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, Sharma. This is bigger than you.”
But even as he said it, a part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that she might just be the one to unravel it all.