Trials and Tribulations

By Medha Sanjay (11M) & Muskan Srivastava (12G)

"I did not kill her."
You say, pleadingly to the judge. But no one's ready to listen. I mean honestly, the victim was
found dead with only one person who'd want her dead. Obviously, everyone suspects you. Even your parents are reluctantly sitting on the left side of the court. The lawyer on the right has every piece of evidence to make you look like the bad guy.
But why won’t they believe me? I think. I have sworn that I didn’t kill her. I was proven correct by the best lie detector in the business. I was questioned for 28 hours straight. I may not have evidence, agreed, but even if I wanted her dead, it was only in a hypothetical situation. And as far as evidence goes, would the judiciary believe the proof presented by former convicts? I know I didn’t have the best track record when it came to abiding by the law, but even the judge would know that this soul is not capable of murder. “Why isn’t my lawyer saying anything?” I thought despairingly. Just as I was getting prepared to get sent to the gallows, someone’s voice rang in the courtroom. “I believe that you didn’t kill her.”
Why is he here, you think? After all that you did to him, he definitely has a good reason. You
contemplate once again whether you were right to deceive him like that in spite of him being your one and only son.
"I, for a fact, know that he did not kill her, he would never do such a thing even in his dreams."
Your son claims with a sense of confidence trailing off in his words.
You had completely broken his trust the last time you met him, and clearly did not end in good
terms. You had both built that business together. But you, like always, bit off more that you could chew.
So why is he here supporting you?
Why my son is here supporting me at this particular hearing is anyone’s guess. I, too, am not
quite sure. But there is something they have no knowledge about. Nay, even if I explain, they will simply
not understand. My son has a major stake in our business, more than some of my prominent stakeholders.
If he decides to go against me in this hearing, our investors may back off, leading to the disastrous end of
our business. Yes, it does hurt me that he isn’t doing out of love and devotion for his only parent, but out
of business interests. Well, I should just be thankful that he’s here. He might get me bailed out for all I
care.
Everyone was staring at him with intense and rage-filled eyes. Even the judge was awestruck by
this statement from my son.
The doors of the court were suddenly pushed open. What we then saw was something worth
head-turning for.
Out of those very doors came the talk of my small hometown. My wife.
At least now someone would believe me, you think. There was pin-drop silence followed by the
whispers in the court, rumours, accusations, everyone loved the blame game. Honestly even I was quite
shocked myself.
I couldn’t think straight anymore. I could barely stand. My wife was here. With whom I had
separated more than 20 years ago.
I could see she was not expecting such a cold welcome. Honestly, though, what was she
expecting? Word travels in a small town. The story of how she left for Ecuador in the most dramatic way
possible was still on everyone’s lips. Even my son wore a shocked expression. He had not seen his mother
since he had graduated high school.
Still, as the whole courtroom was moving in slow motion, she walked up to me and said with her
bright, red lips and her bold eyes, "I'm here for you. I know you didn't kill her." This was the first time my
whole family had been reunited in more than a decade. To be very honest this wasn't the reunion I
expected, but it did light a small hope that maybe things would get better. My whole family supporting
me when no one else did is something I never imagined would happen considering all the conflicts,
boundaries, striving for power, we had been through. Maybe that's what united us.
Oh no, I can't let me do this to myself again. They've probably teamed up together just to get me
into a deeper quagmire. The last twenty years I've kept spiralling over the fact that we all might actually
have a chance to be a family again but trust me when I say that that dream had been sabotaged by them
over and over.
The judge’s harsh voice interrupted my train of thought. “Let’s all continue with the court
proceedings now, if you don’t mind.”
Damn it. How could we have a perfect family if chances are that I would be in jail? My family
didn’t deserve this. They deserved so much better. Then again, I thought, what if she hadn’t come to make
amends? I was, after all, too quick to assume things. I could now barely hear my lawyer arguing or
making his point. All I cared about was my family. My family. Huh. I couldn’t believe I was saying it out
loud. Wait a second. Was I saying it out loud? I slowly looked up; fingers crossed. Everyone was openly
staring at me, and I then realized that no one had spoken for the past 2 minutes. They were all looking at
me, totally befuddled.
But as I glanced across the room, I saw my wife and son looking at me with a hint of happiness. I
could see the hope in their eyes. That's when realisation hit me like a rock. They believed in me. They
believed in us. They wouldn't be here if they hadn't. We could all make it out together. My son had
forgiven me. My wife looked past all our differences; a sense of calmness came upon me.
Just then, the judge called my name. “If you are out of your trance,” he said, giving me a stern
look, “you would’ve realized that there was some major progress in your case.”
Wait, they arrested me? After all that just happened. It can’t be! “Your honour, you don’t
understand, I-”
The judge cleared his throat and gave my lawyer one reproachful look before saying, “The charges
against you have been dropped. You are now free to go.”
Two weeks later, as I was at home with my family, I could only thank the law, the judiciary, my
lawyer and the judge for abetting my release. But deep in my heart, I knew it was the people sitting right
next to me.
THE END
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