Sid POV
(Alone in a cell, sitting on the hard stone floor and staring into the empty black walls.
Cold and heartless.)
Flashback
(At the picnic)
Sid: We should get home. I think a storm's about to come.
Faisu: ye. I think so too. Let's go!
—we head towards our Ferrari which was kept at the edge of the street. Walking through the haze towards the car.
That's when I see a black can approaching from a distance.
In the dark the color very faintly visible, and the flashlight switched on.
It's nearing.
And nearing fast!
Definitely way beyond sprees limit.
Its a police car. And it screeches to a halt right in front of us.
Patrolling at this time? That too here? But why?—
Faisu: excuse me officer is something wrong?
Police: yes. Which one of you is Siddharth Nigam?!
Sid: (hesitates) I am.
Police: (forcefully putting handcuffs oj his hands and walk-dragging him into the car.
Abhi: wait. Why are you arresting him?!
Police: We have an order to arrest him on the charges of murder!
Abhi: murder? What in the world?
Police: now be quiet and reach the police station! We are taking your friend there for further interrogation!
Faisu: alright officer!
(Faisu and Abhi get onto their ferrari and drive behind the police car.)
Flashback ends
"If you are reading this it means that I am no longer here."
(Tears roll down his eyes as his bare back touches the stone wall behind him, piercing pain shooting through all the whip marks) —
Sid: (talking to nothing but air, inside the lonely jail cell) father?! Why! Why did you sacrifice yourself! WHY?!
(Looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes) Father? If you're listening to me than I owe you a huge apology. I couldn't even finish your final wish. If only I had read that note you left for me after you had died... I would have killed Mr. Kaur with my OWN FUCKIG HANDS!
But I'm an idiot. After your death, I immediately ran out. Stayed with Faisu and wasted myself away every night.
I never went into your house again. Never.
I just didn't have the guys to see all this pictures of us together. On the walls, on the shelves.
I am not as brave as you think father!
I couldn't even look at a picture if you after you were gone.
Y'know father, I would often say, "who the hell was that fucking architect who designed that building".
I should have researched him up sooner. Them perhaps I would have finished your last wish.
Your son is a dumbass.
Flashback
(At court on the day after his father died)
Lawyer: Your father has left you both many prize positions.
(Reading off Sid's fathers will)
Lawyer: for my oldest son, Abhishek, I leave my Mumbai house. Because I know that Siddharth is twice as irresponsible as you are.
(Abhi and Sid put on a hard, small smile as they can almost feel their father say that)
And to my youngest son, Siddharth, I leave my mother's house. In Goa, the beach house you used to love to play in as a kid.
Please take good care of that place, its very close to my heart.
...
And Abhishek, take care of Siddharth for me. Dont let him turn to bed things. And dont fight amonst yourselves like kids!
(Tears roll down both their eyes as Abhi wraps an arm around Sid)
Flashback Ends
I spent the last few days as if they were my few last days, but I never thought that I would actually die.
We were going to kill me, but I dont know how this story took a turn. And why now?
Couldn't god have delayed it a few more days?! Then we would have killed me anyway!
(A quick knocking on the door and them theres Arishfa telling me to get us and go)
Arishfa: the court is going to finalize your sentence!
Sid: (follows her)
—arishfa walks me down a few long lefts and rights until we get to a large room.
One of the police officers give me a random black shirt and I put it on, the pain of the cloth brushing against my whip marks almost too much to bare, but I bite my tongue and suck it up.
We walk into the room and its like a normal court procession.
I am made to stand in a tall wooden stand as I watch some people come in.
All of whom I recognize.
Reemi, Faisu, Jannat, Preet, Jaijeet, Ashnoor. Someone who must be Ashnoor's mother.
Avneet. Lifeless. Emotionless. Not a single tear tolling down her eyes anymore. Holding Abhishek up and telling him that everything will be alright.
When father died, I remember that Abhi was the exact same. He wanted to break down and sob, but he didn't drop a single tear before his funeral. I on second thought had broke down.
Its the same here. Avneet is brave.
And I'm proud of her.
The judge walks in whi must me a eoman of around thirties with semi-round specks and a few files—
Judge: So Mr. Siddharth Nigam. You have committed murder of an innocent architect who happens to be a father, and a husband.
Arishfa: true.
Judge: give me all the evidence.
Arishfa: (gives all the evidence along with the tape recorder which has Siddharth admitting what he did)
He also admitted it ma'am.
(The judge takes a while to process everything and there's a bit if a hassle but at the end of it all, the judge get's back to her seat.)
Judge: Alright, so Mr. Siddharth Nigam. All evidence points to you. You have murdered Mr. Kaur. Alone.
And about the fake valid death certificate. Dont worry about it, you will be given a real one now.
The court punishes you with death sentence. You will be hanged tomorrow at 4:30am.
(The word coming out of her mouth bland, as if she's almost bored.
Then again, how can you blame her? She probably says it a million times a day.)
—I watch as Avneet shifts a little and then goes back to her cold attire as my brother just stares at me now and I stare back.
I can tell he is shocked.
And all three of us know, that from here, nothing is going to go right.—
I am taken back to my dark cell and before putting me in the police says something—
Police: Its not law boy, but its a tradition here that we allow every person to have one last wish before their hanging.
So what do you want?
Sid: 2 minutes. I want to spend 2 minutes with my friends. 1 minuite 30 sec's with Faisu and Abhi, along and 30 secs with Jannat and Avneet.
Please?
Police: fine. But don't try anything that you will regret!
Sid: I wont.
Police: Ill send the two girls in for 30 seconds.
—I watch the police officer leave and go to bring Jaan and Avu and soon I hear a little knocking on the door as Avu and Jaan walk in—
Police: your 30 seconds start now. (Closes the door)
Sid: (in a totally normal, little deeper voice) hey.
Avu: (monotonic and lifeless) you didn't do it did you?!
Sid: what do you believe?
Jaan: I don't believe it at all.
Sid: good.
Jaan: then why are you letting them get this far when you're innocent!
Sid:I never said I was innocent.
Jaan: but you are.
Sid: (sighing and cutting it off) look. I have only 30 seconds with you guys so (to Jannat) I just wanna tell you...
to take care of Faisu and Abhi for me. Like it or not, they're still kids. (A hard, small smile trying to let itself out as he gives Jaan a hug and then looks at Avu's lifeless pale face)
Sid: Avu?
Avu: yes?
Sid: take care of yourself. And take care of Reemi. Don't let her get lost in her loneliness. Take care of yourself. And don't drown.
Avu: I will never know what that means.
(Sid wrapping his arms around Avu)
Sid: just dont drown, cuz I wont be there to save you.
(At that Avu just completely breaks down in Siddharth's arms and sobs into his shirt as she wraps his arms around his back only to feel the blood wet and sticky on his back)
Police: your 30 seconds are over!
(Sid and Avu slowly letting go of each other)
Avu: you said you wouldn't leave me.
Sid: (a few tears rolling down his eyes) I'm sorry.
(Avu wipes the tears off her face as the police escorts her and Jaan outside)
(The police sends Faisu and Abhi in and both of them look extremely dejected)
(Both of them wrapping their arms against Sid)
Abhi: that didn't go as planned. (Taking a few tablets from his pocket and handing it to Sid)
Abhi: they're painkillers.
Sid: Thanks I'll need them. By the way, Faisu, promise me that you'll tell Jannat that you love her? She needs you most.
Faisu: (a smile appearing on his face for a second) alright. I will.
Sid: (to Abhi) and tell Vaishnavi to come to my funeral. After-all shes like my sister too right. (Nudging Abhi on the shoulder)
Abhi: Fine.
Faisu: what do we do now?
~~~
1:45am
—Arishfa kept us in some room with a few beds and chairs. Everyone is asleep except me, Faisu and Abhi. Who just sit in the edge of the room and stare into nothingness.
And so do I.
Faint bits of light from outside get in through the window. Streetlights and moonlight.
I touch my neck to feel the necklace that Sid had given me. I lift it with my hands and stare at the shine of the gold against the light.
Holding it gently and tracing my fingers on the engraving of Siddharth's name.
"The court punishes you with death sentence!"
The words still ringing in my head.
"You will be hanged tomorrow at 4:30am!"
Is Siddharth really going to die?
No Avneet. This is just a horrible nightmare.
Youre just going to wake up tomorrow and everything will be alright!
Infact! Anytime now Jaan will stream your name and call you a sleeping slob and tell you to get up.
Nothing is wrong Avneet.
This is just a dream.
Siddharth is alright.
My hands trembling frantically as I can feel my back start to sweat and something heavy get to my head again.
An extreme dizzy feeling catching up to me and making ms feel nauseous.
My hands start trembling even more as I hold the necklace in my shakey hands and just stare at it.
My blood racing and I don't know what I'm feeling at this point!
I start breathing heavily and I feel like I'm loosing control over myself. —
Jaan: Avu! Avu!
(Jaan holding Avneets hands and leaning her against a wall trying to calm her down)
Jaan: Avneet! Are you alright?
Avu: tell me that this is just a dream. R-right? Its a dream right?
Jaan: No Avu. Its real.
Avu: Its real?
Jaan: (now trying to convince herself too) yes.
Avu: J-Jaan. Is Siddharth really going to d-die?
Jaan: (through muffled sobs) I-I dont know Avu. I don't know.
(Jaan sobbing into Avu's shoulder as she just stares into darkness lifelessly)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vomment!
Is Avu gonna move on?
Until I write again,
<—Sidneetography —>