Prologue
"All rise." The man at the chief justice's chair announced the judge's arrival. She stood with the crowd but her eyes were trained at the back of the man sitting at the front row, talking softly with the advocate. As she took her seat, she felt Rajat placing his hand on hers giving his silent support. She couldn't take her eyes off the scoundrel. It was the wrong crime he was convicted with. He should be facing gallows for murder. She would not let him go scot free, even if court didn't do the justice. She would see the end of it. The proceedings went in a blur for her. Her mind was filled with the past; each memory, each feeling brought the vitriolic anger surging back. Her chameleon eyes changed colors to stormy grey. Someone had once told her that they mirrored the image of her heart, her feelings. They were bluish grey when she was mischievous, dark like steel when she was sad and grey like over-laden tempest when she was angry.
She sensed his awareness of her presence with the slight straightening of his back. He knew she was there, the rat. Didn't he even have the courage to turn back once and face her, the coward? He knew how much she hated him. He knew she loathed him like the plague and she had the right to punish him. A snake like him must be guilty of every crime heaped on his head but of all his crimes, greatest was that of ruining a simple girl's life. He had snatched away all her happiness, her dreams, her innocence and killed every emotion she ever had along with her husband. He had murdered her husband as brutally as plunging a knife in his heart. She will never rest till he is punished. Dr.Dutta Sriram Patil, founder and owner of DellHal Electronics Limited, one of the most brilliant inventors of the world was a lying, cheating murderer and Nakkusha would see he is punished for her husband's murder.
"Your honor, my next witness is the person who was landlady of the deceased till before he was found murdered. Also she had also got very intimately related to the deceased, just before the murder. Hence, we can assume she might have a good knowledge of what the deceased did in his little workshop. I would like to call to the stand, Miss Nakkusha Mahale."
Nakkusha sat there stumped for second. She had to walk infront of him to reach the witness stand. She couldn't do it. No ,she couldn't go there stand infront of him look into his eyes. She can't! No! "Nakku, you have to go. For him, you have to." Rajat squeezed her hand, and made the signs with his right hands. He had always spoken to her more than anyone with voice. His gestures and signs had always been enough for her to know his language. He had been the one to tell her about cricket, about the meanings of the crude songs sung by her father and his friends when they were drunk. He had been the one to explain to her the things between a man and woman, who had known it even before her that she was in love. The strength he gave her made her stand up and make her way to the stand with her head held high.
She looked straight ahead without meeting that dark onyx gaze that followed her each step. He would not scare her into silence, she vowed. She looked at the judge and nodded a small salute to him. The court clerk came to her with a bound book. He asked in a booming voice,"Madam, your name, please?"
She opened her mouth to answer him clearly,"Nakkusha M.."her voice trailed off as she realized that she was not Nakkusha Mahale anymore. She was a married woman. She should be known by her husband's name. But the man sitting in the front row in his immaculate charcoal Armani pinstripe suit, looking at her with emotionless eyes had stolen even that right from her. Can you be known as the widow of a man who never existed, in the eyes of the world?
"Madam?"The clerk prodded again.
"Nakkusha. My name is just Nakkusha."
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He had felt her presence in the court from the moment he had stepped in. her gaze had burned him all this time. Those eyes were making accusations at him that he could hear as loudly as if she had shouted them. He pushed his prescription glasses more firmly on the bridge of his aquiline nose and looked down at the file open on his lap. He tried to look nonchalant and unaffected by her voice, by her presence. He was Dutta Sriram Patil, a winner, a loner. The world knew that everything in his life was business and he always made profit. His inventions, his plans and visions were his and if anyone tried to steal them then they paid a heavy price. Even if he was his best friend and family! He didn't do emotions. He didn't do love. He had never wished her any harm though. She had just been in the way of something he wanted. A roadside kill, that's all.
Dutta tried not to react in anyway but the slight hesitation in her voice as she said her name made go still for a moment, wishing her to say her full name. Her real name, infront of the whole court, the whole world. But as she gave her introduction in that firm voice, shunning the identity of the past, he realized that this time he will not get away from murder.
"Is she the one?" Meera whispered softly. He nodded and eased his grasp on the page pressing the creases his strong grip had made on it. She placed her hand on his arm, "are you ok,D?" He saw the diamond on engagement ring wink at him, calling him a liar. He disengaged his hand from hers and spoke in a clear voice,"why shouldn't I be, darling?" Meera bit her lips blinking back the sting of his words. Her fianc of a year had a way of using the endearment as a whiplash. She reminded herself again that she was marrying a unfeeling rock who had Midas' touch to make money and was just as cold. He treated everything like a business, even love.
Dutta knew he was being unfair to Meera, but then he had always been least bothered about fairness in his conduct. He was an animal after all. He had a reputation of killer live up to. He had killed more than one man and maybe he still had it in him to kill more.
His eyes looked up to see the beautiful face of the woman whose world he had crushed ruthlessly. He was a criminal but he would not be punished for something he was pushed into doing.
Author's note:
I promised myself that i would not do this. I would not start another story until Ek thi kahani and Imperfect perfections came to an end. But the premise of this story had been itching my fingers even before i got around to penning Imperfect Perfections. This was the story which i really wanted to tell after The Second Chances came to an end. But I couldn't find the words to present it. Until last friday, this story was a half cooked Biryani left in back burner. But then on the flight to Kolkata I was so bored i wanted to scribble something. i tried writing Ek thi kahani and Imperfect perfection but found myself typing this out.
So here it is...Just a glimpse as i will only come back to it once i am done with Ek thi Kahani which i will definitely finish soon(determined muh).
Vandu, this is the thriller i had promised you. Let's see if i can live up to your expectation and Do something as good as Krantz in her books. You know the mix of romance and mystery!
So friends, this will be continued...Hopefully Soon!
Coming Soon...Watchout for this space :)
-By Shilpita Roy
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
