Aadhya's POV
Rose is sleeping in my arms. I am looking at her, assuring myself that she is safe now.
It was all because of me. I would have listened to Anshu when she told me to stop it but I didn't and now I have lost everything because of my revenge. I was blaming myself again and again for everything.
I can't believe that Anshu is no more. Dad is also in danger; he is still fighting but his condition is not supporting treatment. They said he have only 50% chances. I don't know if I punished Dhruv or punished myself. I have lost everything in the process of getting justice for other women.
"Aadhya," I heard a voice, which brought me back to reality.
"Vishwanath ji," I mumbled. Confusion is written all over my face. I was in prison and he was outside in black coat with some papers in his hands
"Why are you here?" I asked, not knowing what to say.
"I came here to see you. I tried to take you out, but the rules are not accepting, so you have to stay here for tonight. Tomorrow they will take you to court, and there I will represent you. You have to tell me all the things so that I can fight for you in court," he explained.
"You don't have to, Vishwanath ji. Now, I am not going to trust anybody," I replied calmly.
"My child, please tell me what has happened, even if you don't trust me. I have three daughters. Now, you are another daughter, so I am not going to leave you here to rot," he said, but should I trust him?
I explained to him everything that happened and told him how he killed Anshu and how I killed him. I shared everything even though I am skeptical.
"Ok, I will try my level best to get you out and punish his brother too," he replied sternly.
"Give her to me; I will take her home and take good care of her," he said as he stood up to leave.
I glanced at Rose, then at him, and nodded negatively. "I will never leave her alone with anyone. Even if I have to die, I will take her with me," I said, and he understood what I meant.
This society is brutal to single girls and women. I really don't want to leave Rose alone in this world. If they punish me in court, I will take Rose with me to jail. Even if they sentence me to death, I will take Rose with me because dying is better than living alone in this cruel world.
"If you have time, then visit my dad once," I said to him when he turned around to leave. He nodded and left.
...
The next morning, Vishwanath Ji gave me a dress to change into, as I was still wearing the same torn clothes with blood stains from yesterday.
I made Rose change into clean clothes and washed her face. Then, I changed and washed my face, ready to go to court.
With security, they took me out and asked me to sit in the police car. I sat in the car with Rose on my lap. Soon after we reached court, I climbed down, carrying Rose.
I closed my eyes due to the many flashlights. There are many media people flashing lights, taking pictures, and asking many questions. The police didn't let anyone near me, and they took me inside the court.
As soon as I entered the court, I saw Ajith, whose eyes were red, indicating he had been crying. He looked at me furiously, and I glared at him with the same intensity.
If he is mad at me because I killed his brother, then how mad do I have to be? He killed my Anshu, hurt my Rose, made my dad lay on the hospital bed, made many women's lives a living hell, and many more.
I sat on the chair with Rose in my lap. My hands are hurting so much as I was carrying her from yesterday, and I don't want to leave her.
Soon, the judge arrived, and all stood up to respect him. I also stood up carrying Rose.
They called me to stand on the witness stand. I stood there, carrying Rose. She hugged my neck tightly while resting her head on the crook of my neck.
"You can give her to others or else make her sit on the chair," the judge said and Rose clutched on my neck tightly as if she was scared of me leaving her alone.
"No, I don't want to. I will keep her with me," I replied immediately while hugging her tightly to my chest, and he nodded in understanding.
Soon, the argument started. Vishwanath Ji is trying his best to make us win, but Ajith also hired an advocate who is the best.
"Why did you kill him?" the other advocate asked me in cross-examination.
"He raped me in the past and tried to rape Rose, Anshu, and me yesterday, and still, you are asking me why I killed him," I replied confidently.
"If he tried to assault you all, then you would have given police complaint; why you take action when there is a process?" he asked.
Seriously, how can I even make police complaint when I am trapped by him.
"How can I file a case when I was kidnapped by him?" I asked reverse.
"You would have filed a case after the release, as you already provided your coordinates to your father. You don't have a right to kill a person," He argued, making me roll my eyes mentally.
So, he wants me to get raped first, then file a case, How funny.
"So, you want her to become another Indian daughter who sacrificed herself because of some ruthless monsters who thinks women is just bodies and having them is their right," A roar of a woman echoed in the whole courtroom.
I looked at the source of the voice which spoke my heart, and there stood a woman wearing a black coat.
She looked confident and her eyes are firm.
"Who are you?" the judge asked.
"I am Nethra---", Before she completed, Vishwanath sir cut her off, saying,
"she is practicing as a junior in my guidance, your honor."
"You can't talk like this in the middle, Ms. Nethra," the judge warned her.
"I am sorry, your honor, but I meant what I said before," she said fearlessly.
"Mr. Vishwanath, you have to sit back if she wants to continue," the opposite advocate said, and the judge also agreed.
Vishwanath sir glanced at Nethra. "It's ok, dad," she whispered and blinked, assuring him to go back.
He nodded unsurely and walked back to his chair.
"You said she shouldn't kill a person, then what should she do when he was trying to force her?" she howled.
"She should file a case, and then in court she will get justice," the opposite advocate stated.
"Justice to her dead body," she scoffed.
"What will you do if she died when he forced her?"
"You will create another act called the Aadhya act, just like the Nirbaya act," she exclaimed.
"We have to provide her justice when she is alive, not after her death."
"Walking on the roads holding candles is not a fight for justice. Justice is something that you provide when she is still breathing."
Their heated argument went on for like 10 minutes; she took out the points from his statements and made him dumfounded many times. She is giving each statement very confidently, her emotions saying that all the comments she is making are coming from her heart.
"If she can't stop that from happening, she should just lie down and enjoy," he hissed in frustration, and all the eyes snapped at him.
"Watch what you say; will you say the same thing if she is your daughter? Remember, you also have a daughter; your deeds can punish her." Nethra roared like a tigress.
"I think killing a monster to save herself is not a mistake, your honor. Also consider that he killed Ms. Anshu, kidnapped many girls, and sold them," Nethra said respectably to the judge.
"You said many things, Ms. Nethra, but have you had any evidence for what you accused?" the opposite advocate asked cunningly, and Nethra stood there silently as she didn't know about evidence. I saw Ajith, who was smirking, from the side of my eye.
"Yes, I have all the evidence that proves Ajith and Dhruv are running a sex racquet and selling many girls to other countries. I also have evidence for what happened yesterday with Dhruv," I exclaimed suddenly.
They all looked at me in shock, mainly Ajith, because he has the pen drive that I gave to Dhruv yesterday, but what he doesn't know is that I have a backup for every document.
What does he think of me? I am Aadhya, CEO of Golden Leaf Company, and that doesn't come to me easily.
"Show us the evidence you have," the judge asked me.
I put Rose down carefully from my embrace and she stood hugging my legs then I removed my shoe, then broke the heel from it, then took out a pen drive from the heel of my shoe, which I had kept yesterday, and gave it to Nethra. She connected it to the projector, and there is all the evidence that I have collected.
"There is a video recording with me; you can see what happened yesterday. Then give punishment to me if you think I deserve it," I said confidently. All the colors on that advocate's face changed.
"Rose," I called her softly and she looked at me.
I removed the necklace from her neck, which I had gifted before. I took out the locket from her chain; there was a small camera placed in the diamond. Yeah, I placed a camera on her chain before giving it to her for her safety, and today that was the most useful thing that I have done.
They looked at me with wide eyes while I was removing the camera. I gave it to Nethra, and she connected that to a laptop, then to a projector.
In the projector, the video shows how Shilpa kidnapped Rose and hit dad. How Dhruv tortured Anshu and me, how he planned to rape all of us, and the part that made me cry is that Anshu took a stab for me.
"Anshu, why did you do this?" I mumbled inaudibly, and more tears slipped down from my eyes.
"Mumma, don't cry. Mom asked me to take care of you; if you cry, then mom will be mad at me," Rose said innocently with her baby voice, which made me cry more. All the people present there looked at Rose with sympathetic eyes after listening to Rose's words. And almost everyone's eyes watered.
The judge sentenced Ajith to life and declared me innocent.
I thanked Vishwanath ji and Nethra outside the courtroom and started walking out, as I want to leave soon. I am eager to see my father, but this media never allows me to leave.
"Judge said you are innocent but aren't you killed Dhruv and his men?"
"Killing a human is that easy for you?"
"Murderer, killer," they are calling me different names but whom I killed—isn't he a monster and nightmare for many women like me.
I was carrying Rose carefully while hiding Rose's face in the crook of her neck as she was still scared after yesterday's events.
"Yes, she is a killer," A female voice took all the attention and It was Nethra again.
"If Durga mata is a killer for killing an asur called Mahishasur, then Aadhya is also a killer who killed a beast and a monster in many women's lives," Nethra stated firmly.
***
Hey folks ❤
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Thinking about Nethra, she will be female lead in my upcoming story 🙈😁
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