Witnessing Shadows

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Vicky vented his simmering rage over Rohan's intricate web of lies about his relationship, a revelation that outpaced even the awareness of his legal representative.

"Your Honor, the accused asserts a lack of recollection regarding the breakup with Miss Sharma. Nonetheless, the truth emerges: he terminated the relationship upon her refusal to endorse his company as a brand ambassador. This is what he is not in a position to accept. Subsequent revelations exposed his infidelity during the course of their relationship."

"Miss Sharma, left with no recourse, exposed his misconduct, resulting in the loss of his company. In retaliation, he targeted Miss Rashmi after their marriage, subjecting her to a tumultuous and distressing life."

Vicky's statement was left incomplete as Chowdhury abruptly rose and began applauding. Departing from his usual objections, he introduced a surprising and unconventional method of interruption that caught everyone off guard.

"Lawyer Chowdhary, can you please put words to your actions for the court to understand what's exactly going on?" remarked to the judge with a touch of irony.

"I just want to appreciate the defense lawyer, who possesses the additional skill of spanning tales. Instead of a lawyer, he must be a writer; he did an awesome job in such a short span."

"Do you think it's a story, Mr. Chowdhary?" Vicky was questioned with evident indignation.

"Than what do you want me to address this nonsense?" Chowdhary refuted in the same tone.

"This is the painful reality of two innocent girls. Miss Sharma luckily got spared at the right time, but tragically, Miss Rashmi lost her life after enduring so much with this man."

Vicky argued, jabbing his forefinger at Rohan with a cutting tone, laying it on the line.

"Listen to this loud and clear defense lawyer; this is courtroom, not your defendant's TV show, where you can prattle freely. Base your arguments on evidence, not empty words."

Chowdhary completely lost his cool and let out a yell, a move totally out of character. Usually, he's a pro at getting under his opponent's skin, but today, the tables turned due to a slew of unexpected revelations.

"Absolutely on point! I'll stick to the facts, and that's why I'm looking to introduce a new witness into the court," Vicky declared calmly, keeping it straight and narrow.

His googly-pulled rug swept out from under Rohan and Choudhary's feet. The judge has to authorize the testimony of an undisclosed third party. Rohan and his lawyer found themselves in the dark, clueless about this unforeseen development.

Vicky summoned his initial witness, the former butler at Rohan's residence, dismissed after Rohan's marriage to Rashmi, seemingly to shift household responsibilities onto her. The witness attested in court that she had encountered Rashmi a few times prior to her termination. Upon returning to collect her belongings, she witnessed a transformed Rashmi—wan and weakened, laboring alone with a visibly swollen belly.

A former security guard for Rohan testified that he had explicitly directed them not to permit Rashmi to leave or anyone to enter the premises in his absence. It essentially amounted to a form of house arrest.

Next, he called Rashmi's previous doctor from Mumbai City, who informed the court that Rashmi and her baby were in good health during the initial four months of regular checkups. However, the doctor revealed that Rashmi abruptly ceased appointments without any communication, despite several attempts to reach her, which proved unsuccessful.

The doctor added, "Approximately 40 days later, Rashmi was brought to the hospital by some elderly individuals in a critical condition. On that day, she was on the verge of a miscarriage, and had I not acted swiftly, it could have been tragic. It was evident that she hadn't been consuming meals or medications properly, resulting in the baby's weak growth. That's when I strongly recommended she consider aborting the baby, as her health was at serious risk."

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