---
And Two Days Later… The Unthinkable Happened
A loud gunshot echoed through the hallway. I rushed upstairs toward the corridor, heart pounding. But when I reached there—
I saw a girl lying on the ground, and the entire floor was drenched in blood.
I was stunned.
Before I could even react, someone hit me hard on the head with a stone.
And everything went black.
When I regained consciousness—I found myself… in jail.
I had been sitting in that cell for hours. No sleep, no appetite.
Nothing made sense.
Ever since I woke up, I couldn't stop crying. My eyes had turned red and puffy.
Suddenly, someone came running toward me.
It was Akshat.
And I'd never been so relieved to see someone in my life.
Because at that moment, he was the only one who could help me.
Without asking a single question, he came close and said—
"Don't worry. I'll fix everything. I know you didn't do this.
Just hold on a little longer."
The way he spoke—it felt like he trusted me more than I trusted myself.
Within moments, he arranged a lawyer to fight my case.
Later, I was informed that my court hearing would be held the next day.
Akshat left to check on Isha at the hospital.
> "Honestly, I'm really worried about Isha… I don't even know how she is.
I wish she'd recover soon… I want to meet her.
But that won't be possible until I get out of this jail…"
Tonight, no matter what the future holds,
I have to spend it in this dark, cold cell—
among strangers, silence, and fear.
I was shattered inside. Scared. Alone.
---
The Next Day: Courtroom
I stood in the witness box—
a place I had only seen in movies.
My lawyer stood ahead. In the distance, I saw Akshat, Roni, and a few others sitting silently.
Across the room was Khushi's lawyer—fighting against me.
And then came the first blow:
They claimed Isha was in a coma because she had fallen from the corridor—
and I was the reason she fell.
But for now, all focus was on Khushi's case,
since Isha couldn't testify until she woke up.
Khushi's lawyer began dramatically:
> "Riya was jealous of Khushi.
She had lost to her in the final scholarship game.
Everyone in the school saw the fight between them.
And in her anger, Riya shot Khushi—
So that if Khushi was gone, she could claim the scholarship."
They pointed at me. Called me the culprit.
Inside, I was screaming—
But I hadn't even seen Khushi that day!
I saw Tina. And I'd never stoop so low over a scholarship.
We had even reconciled at the party!
So why were these baseless things being dragged in?
I tried hard to explain that it was irrelevant—
that I had seen Chhavi, not Khushi.
But when they asked about Isha,
I couldn't explain anything properly.
> I kept thinking—if only Isha was sitting here right now,
she would have stood up and spoken in my defense…
But instead, all I had was my silence, and my lawyer's voice.
> "That's it, my Lord," he said calmly.
Then, my lawyer began defending me—
> "Maybe there was an argument about the scholarship,
but that doesn't prove that Riya fired the gun."
> "And more importantly, Your Honor—
When Riya was found, she had already suffered a head injury.
If she was unconscious, how could she have fired the gun?"
The judge leaned forward.
> "Is it possible," he continued,
"that after shooting Khushi, Riya hit herself and passed out?"
> "Your Honor, does that sound reasonable?"
A flicker of hope lit up in my heart.
But suddenly—
> "Objection, Your Honor!"
Khushi's lawyer stood up.
> "Riya was found with the gun in her hand.
That can't be ignored.
Perhaps all three girls got into a fight—
Riya got injured, Isha fell… and in anger, Riya pulled the trigger."
My lawyer countered—
> "Objection, my Lord! We cannot run a case on mere speculation!"
> "Even if we consider their theory," he continued,
"They claim there was a scuffle—then Riya got injured.
But if that's true, then where is the object that caused her injury?
There was no blood anywhere except the floor, and nothing matching a weapon was found in the corridor."
He then turned to me and asked me to state clearly what I remembered.
I took a deep breath and said—
> "All I heard… was the sound of a gunshot."
Khushi's lawyer now asked me to repeat my entire story in front of everyone.
I replied—
> "I was in my classroom when I heard the gunshot.
I rushed upstairs to the corridor and saw a girl lying injured on the floor.
But it wasn't Khushi, it was Tina.
Before I could do anything, someone struck me hard on the head.
I blacked out.
When I woke up, I was in the hospital—accused of trying to kill Khushi."
Everything seemed straightforward…
until that lawyer started twisting it again.
In the beginning, Tina had been completely ignored in this case.
My lawyer stood up and said—
> "Your Honor, you can see clearly how the opposing side is deliberately suppressing the fact—
My client never even saw Khushi. She saw Tina."
Then came a loud response—
> "Objection, Your Honor!
Then tell us—where IS Tina?
No one has seen her since that day. Not even injured!"
My lawyer countered—
> "She's missing. Yes.
But does that mean she's dead?
Until she's found, we can't say anything for sure."
> "They're trying to exploit her absence to manipulate the case.
We request that Tina not be brought into this discussion again until her status is confirmed."
Everyone turned toward the judge.
He nodded—accepting the request.
I felt my knees weakening. My heart dropped.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
> Why isn't anyone believing me?
My lawyer stood up again and said—
> "Okay, even if we leave Tina aside—
I still don't believe Riya should be accused of murdering Khushi."
Then came that word again—
> "Objection."
(It was beginning to sting my ears.
I knew I'd grow to hate that word after this.)
> "Perhaps the real shooter wanted to frame Riya.
Maybe they saw her in the corridor, injured her, placed the gun in her hand—
and pinned the blame on her."
Another voice—
> "Objection!
We can't run a case on fiction!"
That's when my lawyer turned toward him with fire in his voice:
> "Exactly.
We can't run a case on fiction."
(The opposing lawyer fell silent. Lowered his eyes.)
---
Now, we waited for the verdict.
I was trembling with anxiety.
Roni gently held my hand and whispered,
> "Don't worry. Everything will be okay."
Then, the lawyer entered, adjusted his glasses and said—
> "Riya is neither being proven guilty, nor is she being fully cleared of suspicion."
My heart sank.
> What does that mean?
What happens next?
Then the judge spoke—
> "You are granted one more week—
To gather solid evidence."
A week…
Was that time enough?
Could I find out something about Tina within that week?
Or maybe...
Isha might wake up.
---