Calming The Storm🌌 (#wattys2019)√

65. Love

Dedicated to the rape victims and rape survivors of this nation. Dedicated to the Nirbhayas, the Asifas, the Priyankas, the Dishas and all those who suffered brutality and cannibalism in the hands of those rapists. Rape is a heinous crime. It is unethical, immoral and unacceptable! May Justice prevail! India doesn't have fast track courts, hence rape cases remain pending in the courts for months, sometimes years... May things change soon... For the betterment of the society and the world!
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"You don't need to find reasons to love someone, if that someone gives no reasons for you to hate."

-Elegiac_Damsel
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8th April (because it is Papa's birthday on this date. He is the first man who I loved... And he will always be the foremost hero. We do have our tussles... But I will always love him... As will he love his princess)

Indrayan's pov:

We have the next hearing today. The justice is obviously a different one... A woman this time, Justice Nirmala Lokhande.
Sampurnaa is obviously coming today. I briefed her up about all the things that had happened at the court during all the hearings that she had missed.

"How long is this going to take?" I heard her say in a grumpy tone while settling on the passenger seat of the car

I started the car and replied, "I really don't know."

"On one hand, justice and law is supposed to be blind, yet they want visual proofs! How ironical don't you think?" she asked me

I pondered over what she said.
"Actually, you might have just given me a line that can be said at the court.
...

We were in the court and the bailiff just entered announcing the justice's arrival.
Sampurnaa and Sridha were sitting in the row right behind us and only a few more women had cared to appear today. There was no media involved as this case wasn't as juicy or catchy as the previous one... With no offence to Sampurnaa!

"Today's the 5th hearing of the case, State vs. Mr. Anubhav Sooryanvanshi +8. They have alleged that the judgment passed by the High Court of Justice in the trial State vs. Mr. Siddiqui +7 was biased. They have stated that the allegations for rape and molestation are totally baseless as they had paid to be at the brothel. Prosecutor, you may begin the trial." the justice gave the green signal.

I stood up tall and walked up to the centre of the courtroom, almost bored.

"Your honour, with your permission, I would like to call upon Ms. Sampurnaa Roy to the witness box."

She agreed and Sampurnaa walked to the witness box and was sworn in.

"Mrs. Chakraborty, please tell the court what had happened with you at Jannah."

She looked at the justice straight and began speaking with conviction, "Your honour, I had gone there as a part of a string operation. It was in July that I had gone for the first time and the incident took place in August when I returned to Jannah posing as one of the women working there. Ms. Anya Siddiqui was the boss there. Her sister in-law, the deceased Mrs. Zeenat was the one who helped all the women there... To dress and to eat etc. She was a puppet in the hands of her husband and sister in-law. I met Mr. Siddiqui at Jannah on the second day, in the morning. I had actually been sent to clean his room and had chanced upon several drugs there. I bumped into him in the room and he asked me if I was new and when I confirmed that I was, he body shamed me and then asked me to be ready as a few of his friends would drop by in the evening. I realised that 'the friends' he referred to were someone important when a special woman had been assigned to help me get ready. It was in the evening that Zeenat walked into the room. She wanted to check on me and that is when I took the opportunity to talk to her about her past. She promised to help me after I requested her. Shortly after she left, 5 men walked into my room; Mr. Anubhav Sooryavanshi, Mr. Gary Christ,  Mr. Ashish Pradhan, Mr. Richard Becquerel and Mr. Humza Shaikh. Your honour, I asked them to back away when they tried to approach me, but they never listened. One of them tried to grope me and I..." she continued speaking and I could feel my anger building up and my heart constricting painfully as she brought herself to share those painful memories