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| Picture Credits: blog.beliefnet.com |
Green! Orange! RED!
Even the RED traffic light, couldn't stop us today. This was the 3rd signal that we had skipped! No idea how many other rules we had broken, but for now it didn't matter.
Ishaan was driving the car. Obviously, because no one else had the courage to just swoosh past the vehicles and break so many traffic rules. In 10 minutes we had arrived at our destination. Without waiting for the car to be stopped, we just opened the door and ran as fast as our feet could take us.
There was a lot of noise coming over. Some were shouting while some were crying. We kept on running as fast as we could. And then STOPPED! The whole place was RED! We took a step back. We were not able to believe what we were seeing. How in the world could this have happened? How in the world could we all have reached the TOMATINA FESTIVAL just when it had begun.
We looked at each other grinning. Our dream had finally come true. Me, Aanha, Nitu, Ishaan, Rohit,& Rohan, also called as the "Mischief Makers" had bunked our college just to attend this festival. Without wasting a single moment, we joined the thousand other people and engulfed ourselves in throwing tomatoes. Oh! What fun!
It was late in the evening by the time the festival ended, and hence we all decided that we would take rooms in a nearby hotel and leave for home tomorrow. As we walked to our car, we were thinking about how we just took off without a word and what awaits us when we go back home tomorrow.
"My parents will murder me", said Nitu.
"Chillax babe. Its going to be fine. Just put your head down and get all the scoldings. Then say SORRY and leave for your room. Problem solved", said Ishaan.
He was the most patient person in our group and being with him kept us all calm.
We got into the car and chatted all the way till we found a hotel. We took 2 rooms, one for the boys and other for us girls. And that's the last thing we know because as soon as we entered the room, we jumped on the bed and fell asleep, not bothering to change our clothes.
Next morning, we woke up at 6 and decided to leave before the room service comes as our rooms were total mess. In half an hour, we paid the bill, and went to the car. Only then did we realize that Rohit had gone missing.
"I bet that fool is still asleep", said Aanha in total anger.
Before that anger turned into a tantrum, "I'll go get him", I said and left.
I ran up the stairs and went straight into the room. It was empty. He was not there. I called his cell and I heard his ringtone from somewhere near. It seemed like it was coming from the room we girls had stayed in.
I went over there and found his cell lying on the table. Gosh! Such an irresponsible person he is. I was about to call Ishaan, when I got a call from Nitu.
"Hey Nitu..."
"Poo listen, I left my make up bag in the washroom. Can you please get it for me? Please Please?" and the she cuts the call.
I slapped my forehead as I walked to the washroom. I have the craziest friends on earth. I open the door and what I saw, made me shout out with all the guts I had, but unfortunately, no sound came out of my mouth. I was so shocked and so blank that for a few minutes, I stood still doing nothing. Then when I got some of my sense back I called up Ishaan and managed to say, "Come... Now... Room", before I fainted.
When I woke up, the first thing I realized was, I was not in the washroom, neither was I in a hospital. I was in a police station. 'For how many minutes had I lost my consciousness?' I wondered. Rohan and Ishaan were busy talking to the police, whereas Nitu and Aanha were sobbing in each other arms right opposite of me. I got up and went to them, unable to believe what I had seen.
Before I could talk to them, a police comes near me and says, "Ms. Pooja, you are under arrest for committing the murder of Mr.Rohit this morning. Whatever you might want to say, save it for your lawyer".
I looked at my friends in confusion as my hand was being cuffed. I got back stares and glares. Oh my God! They also thought I had committed this murder. But why would I do so?
After a couple of hours, behind the bars, a lawyers comes over saying that he wants to talk to me. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I had no answers to any of his questions.
But before I could say that to him, he sat down in front of me and said, "I got to know that you fainted as soon as you saw the body, and that you don't know what happened after it. Well, before I ask you anything, here it goes. After you called your friend and fainted, they came up and saw your friend Rohit lying dead in a pool of his own blood. As you already know his body was scratched all over with a knife. At once your friends called the police and we brought you all down here. We talked to the hotel people and they informed us that without the key you can't get into a room and that one key was with you guys while the other was with the manager. He swore to us that he had not given the key of your room to anyone, not even the maid. Which means that the murder had to be done by one of the 5 of you or it might have been done by more than one. When we questioned all your friends we saw a pattern which all lead to you, and why you might have committed this crime and hence you have been arrested. Now! Tell me, What was the relationship between you and Rohit?"
At once it flashed to me, as to why they would suspect me. I looked the lawyer directly in his eyes and said, "We are friends. Once upon a time we used to be together, but then we broke up."
"But you decided to stay friends?", asked he.
"Yes! We were friends before it, so we decided to be friends after it as well."
"What happened after you guys became friends?"
"I know what you are trying to imply. I didn't do this murder. Yes, It hurt that we weren't together but I wouldn't do something so selfless like this for that."
"Well, Your friends suggested that you might have done this because you were jealous that your ex-bf was now with your best friend Nitu."
I shook my head in disbelief, 'My own friends betrayed me, I see'. "I was happy for them. And for the hundredth time, I didn't do this murder. You have to believe me."
"I'm sorry dear but we have no proof that you didn't do it."
"What proof do you have that I did it? Oh wait! My feelings! I didn't know Jealousy or possessiveness would be standing as a valid proof during a murder investigation", I shouted. I was angry, real angry.
My anger really didn't do much good to the situation. The lawyer got up and left the room without another word. 'Damn' I thought. I had lost the one chance I had, to prove that I was innocent. I cursed my impatience and wished that Ishaan would be here right now, He would have kept me calm. But then I realized that he was also one of my so-called friends who had left me suffer in this hell hole.
After 2 miserable days spent locked up behind bars, I was allowed out. Hold on! Not FREE, Out to go to the Court. The murder case was now the talk of the town. Everyone everywhere was talking about it. I felt ashamed to go out, but then I had no reason to. I didn't do anything that should make me feel ashamed, and hence, I held my head high and walked to the police jeep. Half an hour later, we were in court.
All my friends were sitting together, and there were our parents on one side. I looked at my parents, they were busy looking nowhere. Obviously avoiding me. They hadn't come once to see me in jail. I felt like standing on the Judge's desk and shouting out loud at all of them, but I knew too well that I'd have to spend my life forever in jail if I do that.
The judge came and everyone stood up to welcome him. He settled down and asked me to stand in one of those STAND thingy. I went and took my place. And then the CASE BEGAN.
First some guy came and made me keep my hand on Bhagavadgita and swear that I'll tell the truth and nothing but it. I swore to myself that I'll keep the promise I just made. I know I'm innocent and so does god.
I took a deep breathe and slowly let it out. I just have to be myself and everything will be fine.
Some lawyer came and started asking me the same questions I had answered million times before. Where had you been that day? Why did you miss college? What were you doing at that time of the night? What was my relationship with him? Why did I kill him?
Oh God! If I had to answer them one more time, I'd kill myself. Torture this is, pure mental torture.
After all this question, the judge asked MY lawyer to come and speak FOR me. I looked at him and wondered what in the world he was going to say. He came over to me, smiled, turned to the judge and said, "She didn't do it."
I thought I was dreaming for a minute, and I think the judge thought the same too, cause he asked, "What are you talking about Mr.CSP? Do you have any proof? Because everything we know till now tells us that she is the convict." I nodded my head, but thank god no one saw it. I'm so dumb.
He took out a photo from the file he held and showed it to the Judge. He eyes almost fell out of his socket when he saw the picture. I was confused, what was there in this picture that would make the Judge look so scary? I wanted to tell my lawyer, that I wanted to see it, but then again, controlled myself.
After 2 minutes, the judge asked me to step down from the stand and called NITU to come up. As I was getting down, my lawyer handed me a picture. It was of Nitu holding a knife in her hand, bending over Rohit. If the judge had looked scary, then I don't know what I would have to name myself now, cause I was shocked beyond my senses. I had no idea how the lawyer had got this picture but all I knew was this would set me free. This picture is the proof that I'm innocent.
As my lawyer started questioning Nitu, I sit and thought. How and why would Nitu do such a crime? I remembered that night. It was just 3 days ago, but yet feels like an eternity away. While we were in the car searching for a hotel, Ishaan had told me that Nitu was jealous of me. I had laughed at what he had said, but he told me it was true. She was jealous of me because Rohit still had feelings for me. In the warmth of the thought that he still loved me, I had forgotten everything else. Today it all came back to me. Would she have done such a heinous act just because of a mere cause? She wasn't such a person. I knew her from many years, in fact we were friends since 1st grade.
I looked up and saw that she was crying. "I didn't do it, Please believe me", she was saying. I remembered that I had been saying that line since a few days now and I felt sorry for her. That's when I understood everything. My best friend's tears were painful enough to make me think out of the box and actually realize what had happened. At once I stood up, and all the eyes in the court were on me. I simply said, "I would like to talk."
The Judge who was looking a way to get out of his confusion agreed and I stepped up again. Without wasting my breathe, I started at once.
"Nitu didn't do this. I've known her from the past 13years and I very well know that she doesn't have it in her to commit such a crime." The lawyer started to speak, but I signaled him that I wasn't done and continued, "It is Ishaan. He murdered Rohit." The whole court became quiet. Even Nitu stopped crying. Without any proof, I had just accused someone of a murder. I could see Ishaan's face burning in anger. First time in his life he has lost his coolness.
"I know I'm accusing someone without any proof but just hear me out. I remember Ishaan saying that Nitu was jealous of me because Rohit had feelings for me. In my happiness, I forgot to notice the bitterness in his voice. But now that I remember it, it is very clear to me. Me and Nitu were his 2 favorite girls. As he never had a mom, we both filled the "GIRL's" place in his heart and life. He was angry on Rohit because he had hurt me, his little sister. And he got more angry when he got to know that Nitu, the girl he had loved all his life, had fallen for the same guy. He didn't want both of us hurt. And hence committed this murder. But after he did so, he got afraid. He had lost his temper, which doesn't usually happen with him and fled the scene. But once in police station as everyone talked, and the police found the relation me and Rohit had shared they thought that it was me who had done it.
As Nitu said, she had just taken the knife out of his heart. The picture was taken at that time, to put the blame on her, in case I got free. No one in their mind would ever suspect Ishaan, this made him more confident, and he strode about not bothering to think about us." I concluded and started to breathe.
By this time, Ishaan had fallen to his knees. He was not able to take it anymore and finally accepted that it was him who had done it. I felt bad for him. I knew he was only doing it to protect us, but still what he did was wrong. As the judge declared him as the convict and sentenced him for 10years in jail, my lawyer came over to me and said, "Good case Ms.Detective." I smiled.
I smiled and it didn't feel wrong. Yes, one of my friends was dead and one was in jail, but the case was solved. The mystery was over, and more than anything else, my parents were talking to me.
As I walked out with my parents, to my HOME, Nitu and Aanha came over to hug me. As I we held each other, Nitu said, "Thank you."
I just said, "I never ditch my friends sweetheart. When they need me, I'm always there", and left.
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| Picture Credits:jeanetteshealthyliving.com |
Friends in Need are Friends in deed.
