The Dauntless Crime Fighter

Hi Readers! How are you? Oh, great to see you back after so much time. Really, it’s totally amazing to meet you after ages and come up with something new. There’s so much excitement and eagerness after all and the biggest plus point of this blissful meeting is that we aren’t meeting after an year, so there’s no long heart wrenching separation. Well, well let’s come to the point without taking much time.

Crime fighting series and murder mysteries have certainly occupied a special and often admired place in the minds of many of us, for they are so fascinating and awe inspiring. And this time, I come to you with a crime thriller, a complex murder mystery with numerous suspects. What’s more, this narrative comes straightaway from the lead protagonist, an advocate who is determined to reach the roots and do justice. So, don’t forget reading it till the end.

Oh, there is no denying, that I went up sticks for a dog’s age. Ah, nearly a devil’s dozen years ago, I had settled in Mumbai and had been living away from all of my relatives since then. At the age of eighteen, post the completion of my school, I managed making hay of all the educational opportunities available to me and secured an admission into a prestigious law school. Heaven supported me, right after graduating; I found yet another brilliant institution for my masters.

Quite obviously, I had stars in my eyes. With such a high quality diploma, my future was nothing but secure. Surely, it was time for me to bat a thousand. And certainly, I was so tied to the apron strings of this optimism that I fell over myself to swing for the fences. There was a fire in my belly to prove myself and the fact how talented I was, and finally, I committed myself to prepare for my entrance exams, the preparation was something which I had been doing since the third year of my college. But unbeknownst to me, luck had abandoned me. Thrice, I made an attempt to clear, but somehow I always managed to fall through.

Probably, there was nowhere for me to go back then. Dreams seemed to have shattered and I found myself between a rock and a hard place. After all, staying unemployed for the rest of my life was the most undesirable option and even though I had a degree in law, there was no desire in my heart of becoming a lawyer.  Yet they say, “If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed then Mohammed must go to the mountain”, I thought of keeping my seemingly unachievable dream aside and joined a legal firm, which gave all sorts of lawyers on hire. It was not such a bad decision after all, even though, I wasn’t doing my dream job, and I wasn’t climbing the walls either.

God had blessed me too; the Almighty had bestowed the truest of all chums upon me. The biggest asset which I could boast were my associates, who always made me feel at home and were just like a second family. I was hopeful that they were loyal cronies and would never betray me like those pals of my school. Life had finally got into the groove, but soon an occurrence upset the apple cart.

Under the dark veils of night, in a large and splendid mansion, something chilled the blood of a gardener. The sight was a petrifying one. “I had been tending to the plants in the garden and all I had as a weapon was my oil lamp which I had been holding back then. Under its glimmer, what was visible to me couldn’t be believed. A bundle was sprawled on the ground and next to it; I could see a tall figure with something which looked like a sharp garden axe.  As I approached closer, a terrible scream escaped from my mouth which had been left wide open. Oh my God! My stars! That bundle was nothing other than Sahib, the businessman who owned the mansion. Ah! He was dead and the figure next to him was none other than his own son. Hell no, that foolish and disgusting boy had slashed his own father’s throat, devilish indeed. The boys in blue were called, and soon that disgusting bloke was packed off to prison”, was the gardener’s testimony.

Oh, hardly a few moments after the breath taking murder had been revealed, the crowds mercilessly began giving him the bird. But to be very frank in my name and absolutely frank in my word, I am not of the type to believe in circumstantial events. To me, everything in this whole wide world needs to have a proper reason and anything lacking it is nothing but hoax. After all, every murder is accompanied by a solid motive and definitely, an ambivalent relationship with someone can’t be considered to be of the kind. And, not to be oblivious to the fact that the CCTV footage at the dead man’s residence showed no other scene than the chilling discovery. “Really, if the boy hasn’t been shown carrying out such a crime, how can he be blamed for it” was exactly what pursued me to stand in his defense and become his messiah. His search for a defense advocate had ended the moment he arrived at my threshold.

Time had been slipping away like sand and soon the first court hearing approached. There were many whom I suspected. There was the victim’s business rival, an ill reputed woman who had been charged for monetary frauds several times in the past. And indeed, all that mattered to her was money; her greed could be quenched only when she had a large banquette made entirely of cash to sit on. Next in line were his associate partners who simply wanted to bag profits, the deceased businessman’s virtues of honesty and selflessness were repugnant to them, for virtues wouldn’t fulfill their yearning of flooding their pockets with gold. To my mind, their urge was something that made a solid motive for murder. At last, I set my eyes upon the investor who had been indulging in disputes with the victim over a long period of time; the disputes had been rather harsh and were sufficient to make both the parties furious. But even then, all I had were theories and little evidence was in hand. Finding the prime suspect was a challenge in itself.

 Nevertheless, I had to strain every nerve and deliver the goods without fail, no matter what the outcome might be. Everyone seated stood up, as the esteemed Judge set his foot into the courtroom. “Order, order! Please be seated”. Everyone followed the command and took their seats. Then the stick was turned towards my client by the Public Prosecutor, who had a whole sea of allegations against him.

 “So, my Lord! Here, the murderer is right in front of everyone. Mr Sehgal, you’re guilty of murdering your father, aren’t you? So please, with all the witnesses going against you, it shall be better that you confess your heinous crime at once without much delay. You’ve been caught red handed. My Lord, with your consent I would like to call upon the mansion’s gardener as the first witness.” he went on. The same testimony was given a second time, thus horrifying my client from head to toe, the latter’s feet had started trembling. “So, Ms. Shikha Rao, is there anything you would like to say in defense of your client, Mr. Sehgal?” the esteemed Judge questioned. 

Reassuringly, I cast a look upon my horrified client who looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. “Sure, my Lord! I strongly maintain that each murder is accompanied by a motive, a strong motive. My client doesn’t have any, how can he be guilty? On the contrary, there are many who seem to have a motive, please think of it. Aren’t the business rivals, the associate partners, the investors supposed to be suspected? On the top of it, the evidence is merely circumstantial. The footage shows nothing else other than Mr. Sehgal holding the garden axe…”

“I object my Lord! Apparently, the defense advocate is arguing with hands tied behind her back. Ms. Rao, there are two points to it, which you seem to overlook. First and the foremost, there’s no evidence or witness favoring your client, nor is there anything through which you can justify your accusations against your suspects.  And secondly, Ms. Rao, what I have is solid evidence, the murder weapon itself. My Lord, here’s the biometric report which solely states the presence of the respondent’s fingerprints on the axe. The defense advocate is simply misguiding or perhaps misguided”, the Public Prosecutor said, cutting me short.

Oh my, he was right; my hands were tied behind my back. First, I lacked evidence and secondly, my opponent exactly knew how many beans made five. Everything seemed to be based on a wing and a prayer back then, with uncertainty ruling all around. Just then, the clock struck five. “The court is adjourned for the day” the esteemed Justice said and every man jack walked out. The hearing ended at a rather sour note. 

Just as I was leaving the courtroom with a mind filled with thoughts, I unintentionally ran into a benevolent looking lady and managed to knock out all my files onto the floor. “Oh dear girl, be careful, lest you might land into difficulties. Don’t be all fingers and thumbs alright”, the lady said and helped me collect my things. As I turned up to see her, what I saw took my breath for a while. The skin of her aged face was scaly, as if she had some sort of allergy. Yet, taking no offence, I graciously thanked her for her act of kindness and returned to my rented apartment.

The morrow seemed to hold a better chance though. Oh, thank you so much God for vouchsafing a hint at last! Finally, my client had a way out after a long drawn struggle, which came out in the form of his father’s Chartered Accountant, who had found something suspicious while monitoring the business accounts. It was a huge fraud! Well, not only did my client have his heart in the right place, but also he was a clever creature, he had just proven his wits by arranging a possibly game changing rendezvous between me and the Chartered Accountant. And unbelievable, the fraudster was no one other than the deceased’s company’s manager.The meeting had brought me a footstep closer. And on top of it, the hearing had been scheduled after a long time, there was a plenty of time to get things well sorted.

Ah, a jolly dinner had been arranged by one of my closest associates, and everyone in the legal friend circle had been invited including me. But since, I had no other means of transport other than my scooter which had gone for servicing, I was compelled to board a cab for establishing my presence at the venue. Good gracious, time with associates was always pleasant, it always lightened the heart no matter how difficult circumstances might become. Energized with pleasant thoughts, I booked a cab for the return journey and departed.

Oh, suddenly tension came to dominate my mind. There was uneasiness and a feeling of vulnerability. Unprecedented fear surged through me; probably something was going to happen. And out of the blue, even before I could avail a chance to react, a severe catastrophe occurred. Gosh!

 Snap, the door opened suddenly and a hand pulled me outside the moving vehicle. What I could see next was myself fallen on the road and the cab fading away into the darkness. My attacker stood in front of me, and yes! I was the first one to deliver a blow by kicking him in his bosom. But ouch! It seemed as if he were made of steel for the moment I struck him, crushing pain moved through my leg.

Just then, even before one could say Jack Robinson, a rod hit me in the head. With consciousness abandoning me, I turned back to see a masked woman standing with the heavy rod. And right after the anguishing hit, I found the attacker pulling my long and open hair tight and restricting all of my movements while the woman took aim. There was a sound of bullets, which seemed to be produced thrice. Next, I found myself lying stretched on the road, yelling in pain. The attackers had vanished.

It was then that I realized, I had been the unlucky one. The bullets hadn’t been fired in the air but right into my stomach, leaving me with few hopes of survival. I find it quite astonishing now whenever I think of it, despite having been left for dying, I had the inclination to clutch a piece of fabric fallen on the road and secure it in my pouch, perhaps it had been my last and the most bizarre wish. Just then, in a flash, out of nowhere, a hand lifted me and tried dragging me off. Then there was nothing, except for total darkness. Not a sound to be heard and not a thing to be seen, probably, it was the desolate house of death where I had reached.

But life’s full of surprises. Surely, I wasn’t in demand at the heaven, for after an age, I woke up to find myself lying on a bed with an oxygen mask covering my face. Every single bone of mine seemed to ache. As I moved my bandaged head, I saw a young man’s face bent over my body. “Oh, good to have you back. Finally, you are with all of us once again. Good-good, I hope you’re alright now. And how’s the pain? Do you feel it still?” was what his voice said. I had been ferried to the City Hospital by some Good Samaritan. “Nurse, look after her needs. Make sure the patient is comfortable. I shall come back on a round after seeing rest of my patients in the OPD within two hours or so”, he said and left.

Who else could have been the attacker other than Mr. Manager? First he commits a fraud, then probably a murder and finally, leaving no stone unturned, he tries uprooting the defense advocate herself. “There’s no doubt indeed, these criminals have been acquiring too much nerve, so much that they keep on making lives of crime fighters miserable.” I thought.

The next day arrived soon. The onset of dawn marked the return of health. The pain had begun fading, the oxygen mask was out and the drips had been removed. Just then, I don’t know what came to my head that I clutched my pouch and conjured the intricate piece of fabric out of it. Oh, it’s unbelievable, after snapping out from a stupor; I go on staring at a fabric until late in the evening.   Just then, the Hospital room’s door opened, revealing the doctor standing behind.

I had been sitting up in my bed, so he politely requested, “Ma’am, lie down please. Good to see you in a much better condition as compared to yesterday. You have really given us a pleasant surprise by waking up after a trying week. Your will power is indeed commendable; many patients with such injuries take months to regain consciousness. So, you’re all good, aren’t you?”. “Ah yes Doc, I feel much better now. Thanks to you and your staff, now I feel as right as rain”, I replied.

Looking at the piece of fabric, he said while keeping a civil tongue in his head, “Hey, this fabric seems to fascinate you. By the way, does it belong to you ma’am?”. “No, I generally don’t wear fabrics of such kind”, I replied. “Ah yes! Surely, you can’t own it. It’s no ordinary fabric, it is a special blend, you see”.

That was exactly what left me astonished. Seeing the bewildered expression on my face, he continued, “It is a special blend, it’s called a hypoallergenic fabric. Generally, it is prescribed to patients with Psoriasis.”

“Psoriasis, what’s that?”

“An auto-immune disease, it has got something to do with skin cells. A certain disorder shoots up the production of these cells, thus giving your skin a scaly or patchy texture. The effects can be either ubiquitous or localised, depending on the type. And yes, there’s no cure as of now, just supportive treatment.”

I hardly had any words to express my gratitude for him, I couldn’t tell him how he had brought my case on the right track and given me a promising direction to look into. “Oh Doc! How do I thank you, I am totally indebted to you for you’ve done me such a huge favor. Words fail me, I owe you a lot.” I spoke out without being able to control my urge.

 “Umm… is everything alright ma’am? Why do you thank me? What’s the big favor you are talking about?” he asked with a perplexed look.

“Ah! You cured me, you saved my life.  That’s a huge favor, I feel indebted to you. Thanks a lot for your kindness”, I replied under-confidently. “Well, that was my job. Please do not count it as a big favor; I have done the same thing which a responsible doctor does for his patients, nothing beyond that. Goodnight, take care, and yes, sleep on time”, he said and departed.

Oh, he had been so good to me; perhaps he was one of the politest persons I have ever met. Yet, I had to lie to him and lying to such a gentleman was something which pinched my heart. Even so, I was obliged due to the fact that as a lawyer, I always had to walk on eggshells.

Time flew once again as an entire sennight went by. I had recovered quite a lot and was discharged from the hospital, only weekly visits were supposed to be paid for monitoring overall progress.

At long last, it was time to mean business and get the ball rolling. The best way to put the show on the road was starting from the beginning of this long chain of events, and undoubtedly, there could have been no better starting point other than the police station. At once, without letting much hay grow under feet, I arranged a meet with my friend sergeant for a little talk and rushed off.

“So, there’s something which you’ll surely find fantastic, ma’am. At long last, we have caught that unscrupulous and overwhelmingly notorious crook who dared attacking you. You can speak to him at once and satisfy yourself. Furthermore, the police team has found a potential evidence at the crime scene, it’s a pearl bracelet which might belong to the second attacker.” the boy in blue informed. Wow, my day was done; everything had been coming up roses so far.

Guiding me to the lock up, the sergeant said to the criminal, “Look, who has come to meet you, a visitor! Don’t leave her disappointed alright”.

 Whoa! The moment that crook set his eyes on me, he got bewildered, and his facial expression betrayed his perplexity and frustration. “You nasty woman! You’re alive, how come?  And yes, I don’t wish to speak to you. Better go fly a kite, or else!” he barked.

Wow, he was truly a bear with a sore head.  “Ummm… no threatening please, you can’t attack me here for I am under the wing of law and definitely, you are not. My kick might not be that strong but surely, the police officers will not let you down. Well, mean business. Do me a favor and I shall get your sentence reduced.” I proposed while trying my best to arouse greed in his mind.

“And exactly why would I do that, please bother telling. In no case, I am going to help a legal officer, especially someone as exasperating as you.” he jeered.

“Oh boy! Your mind doesn’t think much, does it? You are stuck here behind the bars; do you think you have a choice? And yes believe me, I always stay true to my word, so don’t fear betrayal and deliver the goods.” I replied in return.

“Well, what do you want from me now? What will you take to spare my life?” he questioned.

 “Oh, finally, you can see sense. Good for you, so I hope the deal is done. Well then, establish your presence at the court and become a defense witness. And yes, reveal the name of your boss, the mastermind behind the physical assault on me.”, I replied in a melodramatically rhetoric voice.

“The deal is done then”, he returned back and firmly lifted the cover off his murderous boss.

It was a big triumph, indeed. All the limitations had been overcome, now I had evidence, witnesses and a prime suspect. All was going to go well; there was no monkey on my back any longer for sure. It was time for my client to gain acquittal and for the real culprit to find their place. But winning a case is seldom like a hot knife through butter, for law is all about everything unpredictable.

Waiting for the upcoming court hearing was simply like watching paint dry but thank goodness, the wait wasn’t a long one. Within a month, the next court hearing approached and surely, it was the end of it all.

Everyone stood up, once the esteemed Judge arrived. “Order, order! Please be seated.” everyone obeyed the command and took a seat. Totally, a sense of astonishment and impatience filled the atmosphere of the court room. I don’t know if tis true but probably it were at the sight of the defense advocate who had reappeared out of nowhere after an uninformed absence.

Breaking the silence, the Public Prosecutor began with his plea. “My Lord, I believe there lays no point in waiting till the end of this session when the culprit is known to all of us. With all the evidences and witnesses going against him, Mr. Sehgal is the clear murderer of his father. And apparently, Ms. Rao has precious little in his defense for this has been proven by her absence in the previous court hearing”

“I object my Lord. Till now, only the prosecution has been able to put up its case, the defense hasn’t got an opportunity to indulge in any proper form of argument yet. In such a scenario, won’t it be unfair to apprehend the respondent at once? So, if I have your consent, I would like to present my first evidence. The financial accounts of late Mr. Sehgal’s company. A closer look at it will show a huge monetary scandal, a fraud committed by the manager of late Mr. Sehgal’s company.” I interrupted and passed a hardcopy to the dais.

“So, Ms. Rao, what you mean to say is that the murderer is Mr. Manager?” the prosecution interjected once again.

“My Lord, if only I have your consent, I would like to call upon the first defense witness, the manager. So Mr. Manager, you have committed a fraud, haven’t you? You hoped to have quick financial gains, didn’t you? Definitely, you must have committed the fraud and fearing retribution, you must have murdered your own boss. I completely agree with the prosecution. This is the whole case, isn’t it?”

“Ma’am, I won’t deny my misdeed but oh, please trust me. I am not guilty of murder. I can be greedy for money but not to such an extent, that I will take someone’s life. And secondly, this fraud is a result of an enormous bribe.” The poor manager said, looking depressed.

“Oh, that’s the case. You did the offence of receiving a bribe. But from whom, if you would please tell the court?” I said.

With much hesitation, the anxious manager gave in and said, “Oh! I have been bribed by no one other than sir’s rival herself. She promised giving me 100 crores bucks if I would sabotage the financial systems and commit a fraud. And, she executed this plan through an unknown number.”

“Oh, alright. Thank you so much, that testimony was valuable indeed. My Lord, if you permit me then I would like to take the court’s attention to my absence during the previous court hearing. Yes My Lord, the reason why I failed to establish my presence was a fatal assault which made me comatose. Here are the medical reports to justify that. Most importantly, the police force has caught one of the two perpetrators, who is a crook with previous criminal reputation. If you allow, then I would like to call him to the witness box as my next witness.” I continued with my plea.

“Permission granted.” Just then preceded and proceeded by cops, the nasty crook was led to the witness box. “It’s very much understandable that attempted murder is a punishable offence in the eyes of law, especially when, the target is an investigating advocate. Anyways, please tell if you were involved in this assault and also, please give in the name of your partner.” I said.

 Eagerness filled me; his response would make a huge difference after all.

“Yes. It’s true; I am the one who is responsible for the assault on her for I wanted to kill her. And yes, I haven’t carried out this plan alone, but along with a companion who is the mastermind. I solemnly swear to tell the truth. The ultimate mastermind is the business rival herself. Yes Lord.”

And that was a lie, a big lie. He wasn’t worthy of trust after all, what he knew was only breaking the other’s faith for his own gains. At the end moment, when the entire case could have been solved within a go, my witness changed his testimony. Oh, what would happen next?

But thank God for your grace, I wasn’t going to stop because my aim of doing justice was set; I was both mentally and substantially prepared for the situation.

 “My Lord, it seems as if the business rival is involved in too many things. First, the monetary fraud and then that assault. So, if I have your consent, then I would like to present her as my third witness.”

“Permission granted.”

“Well, you have been indulging yourself into too many misdeeds madam. First, you bribe your rival’s company’s manager to commit a monetary fraud, which is an offence as per civil law. Then you cross all limits by murdering your hateful rival. Yet, you don’t feel like stopping, so you resort to assaulting the defense lawyer with the sole motive of yet another murder.” I exclaimed.

“But anyways, answer this very simple question of mine. Do you have psoriasis?”

“What do you mean, please come to the point.” she replied with a baffled look.

“In case, you haven’t heard of it, psoriasis is an auto immune disease wherein the skin develops scaly and patchy structures. So, do you have it?”

“What, how do your words even make sense? Are any scales or patches visible? No right, then of course, I don’t have any disease”

“Oh, I am sorry. But anyways, thank you so much for replying. If you don’t have psoriasis, then you won’t even need hypoallergenic fabrics, is that right? By the way, what’s the size of clothes worn by you, is it S, M, L, XL or XXL?”

“I object my Lord, what kind of weird question is Ms. Rao asking? Ma’am, if you don’t have enough strong arguments left then please tell, let’s end the session right here. After all, you have got the criminal, haven’t you? But oh please! Don’t squander the court’s time by asking such useless questions.” the Public Prosecutor interrupted once again.

“Sir, be patient please. I won’t disappoint anyone present here. Yes ma’am, what’s the size of your clothes, please tell.” I said with utter politeness.

“M, alright”

“Thank you. My Lord, if you allow, then I would now like to call upon the showroom owner whose showroom sells the most intricate garments in the city. But before that, I would like to present something in front of all the audience”, I said while conjuring that piece of fabric from my pouch.

“My Lord, this belongs to the second attacker, who has not been arrested. I found it at the site of assault”.

“Sir,” I said while turning to my witness, “I hope the garment, to which this piece of fabric belongs, has been purchased from your showroom. Could you tell the size of that garment and whether it was a unique one?”

“Ummm… oh yes! Quite a few months ago, it had been purchased from my showroom and that too for a tremendous price, for four lac bucks. And seriously, since it costs an arm and a leg, there is only one such garment in my entire showroom. And yes, I have my stock and sale records to prove this statement, which I shall provide right now.” he replied with the highest magnitude of certainty.

“That’s too good sir. What was the size of the original garment?” I asked.

“XL”

“Finally, can such a garment be purchased from another vendor?”

“Oh, definitely not. The fabric is too intricate and it is procured from extremely specialized weavers. My showroom is one of the few to procure it, it’s just too expensive.”

“Neither this garment belongs to late Mr. Sehgal’s business rival and nor does it match her size, so undoubtedly, she has got nothing to do with the assault. Certainly, my second witness has changed his testimony on someone’s insistence.  But, everything is alright. Through this evidence, I shall now produce the real culprit in front of everyone.”

Without much warning, a distinct sound of footsteps started coming, they were too different from the normal ones for they seemed to be equipped with perfect rhythm, they seemed to be of a disciplined guy, most likely a security agent. And oh! The theory was absolutely correct, as a police chap entered and after the esteemed judge’s consent, he sent some papers to the dais.

“Yes my Lord, these papers are my next evidence. The company’s manager claims to have committed the fraud due to a bribe offered by the business rival on phone. But here’s the big difference which makes the entire testimony beside the mark. The caller’s location has been traced by the police and yes, the location is entirely different from that of the business rival. It seems as if the bribe call has been made from an alternate cell as a precaution though. The most fundamental of all, the caller’s location matches that of another phone’s location, registered in the name of …”

“Anyways, I would like to invite the company’s secretary to the witness box first.” I said while pointing at the woman who had banged into me many days prior.

It seemed as if she hadn’t heard my words or was simply pretending such, for she didn’t even move a finger. Hence in an attempt to seek her attention, I said in a loud and clear voice “Yes, I am calling you ma’am.”

“Me, but why? What have I done?” the secretary began saying hesitantly from her seat; perhaps it was in an attempt to distract the proceedings. Certainly, she had something to hide from the all-seeing eyes of law, her shaking legs and trembling fingers didn’t fail to betray her sore dilemma.

 “Ma’am, you are requested to approach the witness box and make all the justifications there please”, the esteemed judge commanded.

“Well, ma’am, you have psoriasis and you wear hypoallergenic fabrics as well, don’t you? And doesn't this piece of fabric belong to you? You might say a third party could be involved in the assault, then how would you justify your location at the time of that illegal call, please explain.”

“Why? Someone else could have my phone, right.” She replied with a tensed look.

“Oh yes, not to forget that. Let’s keep the fraud aside. Ummm………………… it seems as if you have a good taste in jewelry. Please tell, whether this bracelet would go well with my new outfit.” I said while producing a transparent pouch sealing the bracelet.

 “Oh right, you’ve been left awestruck by its beauty, perhaps it has rendered you speechless. By the way, a smart individual like you would keep such an expensive ornament secured in a locker which demands fingerprint recognition to open, isn’t that right? My Lord! Here’s the bio-metric report stating the sole presence of her fingerprints on the bracelet, if in case she says anyone else could be involved.”

“Ma’am, excuse me. What was this elegant bracelet doing at the site of assault, please explain. And one more thing, you arrived pretty late at your residence, didn’t you? Don’t worry; your housekeeper can be the next witness to justify that.” She was too thunderstruck to say anything, her face was nothing but expressionless.

“Good-good. First your location perfectly matches with that of the mercenary caller, then your garment’s fabric and your bracelet are found at the site of assault, and then finally you arrive late at your residence. Is all this mere coincidence or someone else is the wanted culprit, please tell. Don’t worry, let me do that for you instead.  So, you are the real murderer, aren’t you? And yes, not to forget, your image has already been captured by the CCTV camera at the assault site, so don’t lie. It shall be better to confess yourself instead of getting exposed by the footage, you might get reduced punishment. Please, the court demands the truth.” I said.

“Yes, yes. That’s entirely true. I bribed the manager to commit the fraud while posing as the business rival; I was the one who hired that stupid crook to get you killed.”

“Oh, why so much of planning was done by you, what was the matter?” I asked.

“Why? So that the entire suspicion went to the manager and that business rival if in case my first plan didn’t work well.” she replied in the most melancholic and guilt trodden tone.

“But you didn’t leave any sign of your involvement at the crime scene, how come?”

“I murdered that businessman to acquire all of his assets and property. There was no stone which I had left unturned to maintain my cover, I carried out the murder while wearing gloves so that I didn’t leave any fingerprints on the murder weapon, I tampered with the mansion’s footage so that his son would appear guilty and what not. Unfortunately even this much of preparation wasn’t sufficient.”

“Why so?” I asked.

“You, the so-called defense advocate of that escape goat, had an eye for detail and that evil habit of reaching the depth of everything. Anytime, you could let the cat out of the bag and get my life ruined. So, before you could blow my cover, I thought of blowing you away instead. But alas! You are alive and whole.”

“Oh, that's so sorrowful madam. Didn't you know that you would get booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and lastly, Section 498-A (physical and mental torture against women). Anyways, my Lord, the secretary pleads guilty. Finally, we have got the real culprit who has been involved in such punishable offences.”

“All that is fine. Perhaps madam secretary is the wanted criminal, but the murder weapon, that garden axe was found in your client’s hand. Do bother telling if you have an explanation for the same.” The Public Prosecutor interjected yet again.

“That’s hundred per cent correct, the garden axe was seen in my client’s hand. But in no case, this highlights his involvement in that brutal murder. Apparently, he had seen that axe lying in close proximity to his father and simply, he lifted it in his hands in an attempt to investigate. But unfortunately, the gardener spotted him right at that moment.” I explained in a practical tone.

“Ms. Rao, you spoke of that CCTV footage at the assault site. If you could kindly present it in front of the court” the Public Prosecutor asked.

“Sure sir, here it is” I said, and displayed the clip after turning on the projector. “It’s quite clear, the face of the second attacker isn’t revealed in the footage. But the visible patches of her skin bear scales, those scales which are caused due to psoriasis. But since, all the evidence highlights her involvement in the offences and she pleads guilty now, it is undeniable that she is the wanted criminal and my client is innocent. With this, I would like to rest my case.”

“The court finds Madam Secretary guilty for getting a monetary fraud committed, murdering an innocent businessman, and attempting murder of an investigating lawyer. She is thus sentenced to life imprisonment. Finding Mr Sehgal innocent, the court acquits him with utmost dignity. The case is closed” the Judge said, delivering his decision. Following the declaration, the courtroom began emptying as people started exiting. Only a few lawyers were left inside including the Public Prosecutor and me.

“Wow, good face off Ms. Rao. You have come up quite well.” the Public Prosecutor said jokingly.

“Well, good to know that. Because, I used to think that the defense was misguiding or perhaps, misguided.” I returned.

“Nah nah! Who said? The defense is victorious. Well, we shall face off again and I shall win then. You know, I shall always be waiting for that golden day.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am not going anywhere, after all”

“Sir, it takes two to tango” I returned with a smile and left. And indeed, that face off couldn’t have happened ever. Why? Because that was my last case, for I had left my practice on the insistence of my associates who always supported me through thick and thin.

Yes indeed, they were the ones who encouraged me to try my hand for the fourth time and appear for the UPSC examinations once again. And after three failed attempts, I bagged success at last; I had passed in the top division and had found my place as an IFS bureaucrat. Oh thank you, dear associates for encouraging me to fulfill my dreams, I would never forget you.

The next day, after bidding a tearful farewell to my associates, I set off for the airport and thus arrived at the National Capital Region, my home. That very day was the ending of the life of a lawyer and the beginning of the life of a bureaucrat. The journey has been quite wonderful and appealing since then.

Thanks for Reading,

Hope You Enjoyed It.

~By Devishi Aggarwal.