Chapter 35
Prithvi didn't die! Kripa's blow had cracked his skull but the wound wasn't too deep…he was operated upon but went into a coma! Doctors couldn't say when he would regain consciousness. The Mehras were devastated at the condition of their only son….the Apple of their eye! Mr. Mehra vowed to send Angad to jail for life when he heard of their fight!
Angad and Kripa reported at the Panaji Main Police Station the next morning. Their reports and testimonies were recorded. Kripa told the police about Prithvi's attempt to molest her and his attacking Angad with the pocket-knife! That knife had been collected from the crime scene and was part of evidence now. Skin samples from Angad's wounds and Kripa's bruises were taken for forensic testing…..Kripa had to undergo a medical exam for the attempted rape! It was a horrible experience but Kripa tolerated it for the sake of Justice and Angad!
When Prithvi's initial forensic reports came in, it was found that he had been hit with an iron rod at the back of his head ….the iron rod was collected from the dance studio and tested for fingerprints! It had only Angad's fingerprints on it! Angad was taken into custody for murderous attempt on Prithvi's life. Kripa was devastated….she went on insisting that she had hit Prithvi with the rod but nobody would believe that a petite, harmless-looking girl like her would hit a guy like that!
Nobody believed Kripa except Mishti. She knew her sister was capable of doing anything for her love, even kill Prithvi! Everybody else thought Kripa was lying to save Angad from jail!
Kripa met Angad in jail and sobbed: Kyun tum sara jurm apney upar le rahey ho? Prithvi ko mainey maara tha, phir tum kyun keh rahey ho ke tumney usey maara….Please Angad, apna statement wapas le lo! Koi mujhpar yakeen nahin kar raha….please Angad….she cried, holding his hands and pleading through the prison bars!
Angad shushed her gently, wiping her eyes through the bars: Kripaaa….Kripaaaa….please ro mat, ek baar charon taraf dekho, tumhey kya lagta hai tum iss jagah reh sakti thi? Agar tum Prithvi ko maarney ka jurm apney sar leti toh aaj tum in salakhon ke peechhey hoti aur jaantey ho jail mein tumhara kya haal hota? Tum bahut bholi ho, bahut masoom ho, tumhey koi andaza nahin ke jail mein tum jaisi ladki ka kya haal ho sakta hai….maut se bhi badtar! Main yahan hoon, mujhey koi shauk nahin hai yahan aaney ki, lekin iskey ilava mere paas aur koi chaara nahin tha tumhey jail se bachaney ka!
Kripa cried helplessly : Yeh sab meri wajeh se hua hai! Agar main kal raat Gym mein nahin jaati….agar main Prithvi ko nahin maarti…toh aaj tum…..she started sobbing even more!
Angad: Zindagi mein bahut kuchh hota hai jo hamarey haath mein nahin hota…..shayad hamari taqdeer mein yehi likha tha…..Kripa, you have to be strong now, ab tootney se nahin chalega, tumhey mazboot banna padega, mere liye, hamarey pyar ke liye"…..he raised her chin and caressed her lips, wiping her streaming cheeks: Wada karo,… jo bhi ho jaye, tum himmat nahin harogi! You wont break down…Promise me, Baby!
Kripa hiccuped: Haan Angad, main waada karti hoon….she kissed his hands!
Some prisoners in the other cells of lock-up started hooting at Kripa and made vulgar, kissing noises…..Angad asked her to go from there as he was getting upset at the other prisoners ogling and harassing his lady love! She went away with a heavy heart full of dread for the future!
3 days later:
The attempted murder case of Prithvi Mehra was transferred to Mumbai High Court as the victim was a resident of Mumbai and Mr. Mehra had also pulled his strings to move the case there!
Angad was transferred to Mumbai Jail and held there till court hearings started! Prithvi still hadnt recovered consciousness…….he was transferred with great care from Panaji Hospital to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, still in a coma!
The Sharmas also went back to Mumbai…..Kripa was a main witness to the incident so she was summoned to appear at the Hearings! Although Dilip hated her involvement in the case, he couldn't ignore court summons and the whole family went to the hearings!
Mr. Mehra broke off all business relations with Dilip when they heard Kripa's accusations that Prithvi had tried to molest her….they didn't believe her at all….they thought their beloved son was a saint, a good guy who could never do a thing like that….like many deluded parents of criminally-minded young people, they were in denial of their son's real nature!
10th January
Court hearing started in the case of Prithvi Mehra's attempted murder by Angad Khanna!
Eyewitnesses were absent in this case….it was just a case of he said…she said. The victim was still in a coma and the only people present at crime scene were Angad and Kripa!
Kripa was called to witness box first….the Defense lawyer had been hired by the Court as Angad didn't have enough money to afford a big-shot lawyer and he wouldn't take help from Kripa!
But luckily the lawyer was good and had consulted with Kripa for several days before the trial began.
The defense lawyer asked Kripa to recount exactly what had happened that night…..she started from the note that she thought was from Angad to meet him at the Gym…..her voice was low and shaking as she recounted her horrifying experience with Prithvi ….Angad's eyes closed torturously, at her agony of having to describe her attempted rape in court. But she braved it out, unfaltering in her testimony of that night……..but it was when the Prosecution started cross-questioning her, that she almost lost her composure!
The other lawyer asked her probing questions about why she had gone to meet Angad in the gym and what relationship she had with Angad prior to that night! She admitted that she and Angad loved each other and were planning to get married soon!
The Prosecution asked her if she and Angad were lovers and if she met Angad on a regular basis in private like that!
Kripa looked helplessly at Angad, unwilling to reveal their private details to the court! The Prosecuation lawyer badgered her to answer his question: Kya Angad aur aap ke beech mein najaayaz rishta tha? Jawaab deejiye?
Kripa looked tearfully at the Defense Lawyer, Shabbir Ahluwalia…he jumped up and said: OBJECTION, My Lord! In dono ke rishtey ka iss case se koi taaluk nahin hai…yeh in dono ki nijee baat hai! Aur Ms. Kripa ek achhey khandaan ki sanskari ladki hai….unsey aisey behuda sawaal nahin karna chahiye!
Judge: Objection Sustained! Mr. Chawla….aap sirf case se sambandhit baatein poochhiye! Aur witness ko harass mat keejiye" Even the Judge felt sorry for the innocent-looking girl in the witness box!
Prosecution Mr. Chawla: Your Honor….iss baat ka iss case se taaluk hai, Milord! Mere paas bahut aisey gavaah hain jinhoney in dono ko resort mein khuley aam ishq farmatey huey dekha hai! Aur kyunki Mr Prithvi abhi behosh hain, hum in gavahon ke bayaan sunkar yeh taye kar saktey hain ke Ms. Kripa sach bol rahi hain ya nahin! Shayad Angad ne hi inko Gym mein bulaya tha aur Prithvi baad mein aaye the wahan….iss baat ki hum tehkikaat karna chahtey hain!
Judge: Mr. Chawla, agar aapkey paas aisey gavah hain, toh unhey pesh karney ki ijaazat dee jaati hai…..The Court is adjourned till tomorrow!
Next day: Several witnesses were brought in from the Resort, paid by the Mehras to travel there….they testified in court that they had seen Angad and Kripa romancing around the whole resort….at the beach, at the Poolside restaurant, at the Martini Bar, every public place that they had been! Some had even seen them escape from the Christmas Day and New Years Party together!
Kripa's face was red with humiliation at their private life being discussed in court ….This was all a part of her nightmare, she thought! Her glorious days and nights with Angad were being degraded as if they had sinned against society, against mankind! BUT SHE HAD NO REGRETS, she was proud of their love and their commitment to each other! Angad looked at her constantly from his accused's box, his eyes conveying his love and support for her, asking her to hang on and cope with all this! Kripa nodded at him and smiled bravely, holding up her head proudly!
She was called again to the witness box….the Prosecution Lawyer asked her if she and Angad had been lovers before that night! She replied: Main aur Angad ek doosrey se bahut pyar kartey hain, main bass itna hi kehna chahti hoon….ab aagey aap iska kya matlab nikaltey hain yeh aapki marzi!
She repeated : Aur main yeh gavahi de chuki hoon ke Prithvi ne mere upar hamla kiya tha….he tried to molest me….iska proof bhi hai Police ke paas, phir kyun aap saabit karna chahtey hain ke Prithvi baad mein aaya tha aur Angad wahan maujood tha? Phir mere upar wo bruises kaisey aaye?
Lawyer: Wo Bruises aapko Angad bhi toh de sakta tha….he insinuated!
Shabbir : OBJECTION! Police ke forensic reports se saabit ho chuka hai ke wo Prithvi ke naakhoon ke nishaan hain jo Ms. Kripa ke gardan, haath aur gaal per hain! He brought up the forensic reports for the judge to peruse!
Judge: Objection sustained! Prithvi ne Ms.Kripa per hamla kiya tha, yeh saabit ho chuki hai…Mr. Chawla, please proceed with other aspects of the case!
Chawla didn't have anything more to say so he gave the stand to Shabbir!
Shabbir: Ms. Kripa…us raat ko Prithvi ke haath mein ek chaku tha aur Angad nihattha tha..is that right?
Kripa: Haan, uskey paas ek pocket knife tha jo wo ladai ke dauran nikaalkar Angad ko marney ki koshish kar raha tha! Usney Angad ke gaal, haath aur seeney per stab bhi kiya….aap uskey zakhm dekh saktey hain, Doctor ki reports bhi hain!
Shabbir gave the doctor reports on Angad's knife injuries to the Judge who looked at them!
He asked Angad to open his shirt and reveal the scars to the court…..Angad complied, taking off his shirt and showing the long scar that ran from his chest to his abs…it had healed but the scar was still fresh and red! Kripa closed her eyes in pain! He also showed the stab wound on his wrist and cheek!
Shabbir: Toh iska matlab hai Prithvi ne pehley chaku se Angad ko maarney ki koshish kee aur Angad ne apni suraksha ke liye wo hathiyaar (showing the iron rod on display at evidence table)-----utha liya aur Prithvi ke sar per vaar kiya!
MiLord, this is simply a case of self-defense! PRITHVI ne pehley Ms.Kripa ki izat per hamla kiya, aur jab Angad usey bachaney aaya toh usney usey apney chaku se vaar kiya….Angad nihattha tha….zaahir hai wo apni jaan bachaney ke liye kuchh bhi karega, its just self defense, usney lohey ke salakhey se Prithvi ko maara …..atma suraksha koi badi gunaah nahin hai, isliye main Court se darkhwast karoonga ke Angad ko bari kiya jaye ya halkey se halkey sazaa dee jaye…..kyunki wo khud ko aur Ms. Kripa ko….dono ko bacha raha tha!
Chawla : OBJECTION! Agar Angad atma-suraksha kar raha tha toh Prithvi ko peechhey se vaar kyun kiya…saamney se kyun nahin? Aur sar per vaar kyun kiya? Uskey haaath aur pairon per maarkar Prithvi ko rok sakta tha…..why did he hit Prithvi on the head from the back? Iska matlab Prithvi had his back turned to him and wasn't attacking Angad at that time! …..Chawla argued on a valid point!
Kripa couldn't stand it anymore: She shouted loudly: NAHIIIN, YEH SAB JHOOTH HAI…..…..Prithvi ke sar per mainey maara tha, Angad ne nahin…..wo mere Angad ko chaku se maar raha tha, main kaisey yeh seh paati…. isliye mainey uss lohey ke rod se uskey sar par mara….. peechhey se aakar! She was tearful in her witness stand!
The court started buzzing at Kripa's words!
Judge: ORDER! ORDER! Ms. Kripa…toh aapka kehna hai ke aapney Prithvi ko maara tha, Angad ne nahin!
Kripa: Haan Judge Saab, Main pehley din se hi keh rahi hoon ke mainey Prithvi ko maara tha lekin koi mera yakeen nahin kar raha hai!
Judge: Isska matlab aap keh rahi hain ke Angad jhooth bol raha hai ke usney Prithvi ko maara?
Kripa: Yes, Sir! Wo mujhey jail se bachaney ke liye aisa keh raha hai!
Angad shouted: NO MILORD! Kripa jhooth bol rahi hai…..wo mujhey bachaney ke liye aisa keh rahi hai! Prithvi ko MAINEY mara us lohey ke rod se….
The Judge was in a FIX now! He looked hopelessly from one lover to another and thought…..yeh dono Laila Majnu ek doosrey ko bachaney ki koshish kar rahey hain! They must love each other a lot! He felt sorry for their plight…caught in such a predicament! They are taking the blame for each other and there were no witnesses to the incident to prove either right or wrong!
The Judge sighed and made his decision: Kyunki iss wardaat ki koi chashmadeed gavah nahin (no eyewitnesses) aur Ms. Kripa aur Mr. Angad dono alag alag bayan de rahey hain …..isliye yeh adaalat tab tak multavi kee jaati hai jab tak Mr. Prithvi ko hosh nahin aa jaata aur wo khud apna bayaan nahin de detey ke usey kisney maara tha….kisney us par peechhey se vaar kiya tha!
He banged his gavel: The Court is adjourned till Mr. Prithvi Mehra recovers consciousness"
Angad and Kripa looked tearfully at each other as he was led away to jail in handcuffs! The next day it came out in the papers about how two young lovers were taking the blame for each other and both confessing to the same crime! Angad and Kripa became legendary lovers in the eyes of the public for a few days! Their opposing testimonies to save each other had created a sensation….many people found it very romantic but in the long run, they harmed themselves as now their Fate depended on Prithvi's testimony when he woke up!
Kripa was terrified for the day he would wake up and testify…..she knew he was a vicious man who would take revenge on her and Angad!
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Pallavi
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