"Day after tomorrow, is the day your life changes."

Thousands of needles prickled his skin as goosebumps risen at the uncertain voice of the lawyer. It was nearly eight in the evening and he had came home for the final prompting of the hearing.

His parents were sitting right beside him on the couch while Rishabh was present, sitting beside the lawyer who had opened all his files and proofs. The air was tense and wasn't reaching Shrey's nostrils as he could feel the world around him stopping slowly.

Only the loud booming voice of the judge was echoing all around. His eyes twitched and closed, just as he would imagine himself getting proven as guilty. His eyes would get filled with unshed tears and heart would start tearing itself.

He couldn't describe to anyone in the room how by listening to each word, he was dying thousand deaths in his mind.

". . . Just like I had told Rishabh two days ago, I have planned to shift the case from a rape attempt to of the fraudulent acts. I have searched on the lady's behavior. Myra, who calls herself the victim has a record of many boyfriends before she got married to Vikas. I have even checked the office footages and movies of functions. She was a clingy one, which Shrey had informed me the first day."

Rishabh kept quiet, listening to everything carefully while observing Shrey's continuous stare on the table. He knew what his cousin was dealing with but seeing him so vulnerable made him feel helpless. He couldn't do anything.

Not even make a fake promise if the upcoming day would bring justice or not.

The proofs were not enough.

The lawyer glanced at his parents and back at Shrey, explaining, "I will mention about how Vikas had shared his doubts with you, months ago about her behavior with his friends. She is flirtatious and seems greedy. The next thing would of sketch of Vikas himself. A clever man. I am going to remind the court the story of how it all happened and how the fraudulent plan started executing."

Shrey's jaw ticked when the lawyer further added, "Then, I will also mention how they have enjoyed the money within a month when Shrey himself was fighting with his life. About Vikas' cousin's marriage and the luxurious dowry. The hospital bills of his treatment after a deadly accident and his preparation to leave country."

Rishabh nodded, feeling a bit confident that this could work if Shrey too won't lose hope. But looking at him, anyone could tell how he was already imagining his life behind the bars.

The lawyer gulped down the water and sighed. He turned pages of the files and looked at the parents. "But the judge will again ask me to showcase the explanation behind the rape attempt. It can happen that at this moment, my counterpart starts interrogating him. For that, Shrey will have to be honest."

Rishabh blinked, observing Shrey's stoned posture and breathed slowly as the lawyer explained, "He can ask if he was already understanding their flirtatious, fraudulent traits. Then, why didn't he stop befriending them? Why didn't he back out?"

Shrey gulped, feeling his stomach rolling at the question. Why? He himself didn't know. After returning from the foreign, he missed his college friends. Vikas and Myra had become the people to his liking. He couldn't back out because he liked their company. But then again, this mere statement would define his stupid character.

The lawyer pointed his finger at Shrey, "Here, you'll have to be honest. You will explain that Vikas was a friend you always wanted. Who could be funny and not treat as you the Royal one?"

Shrey nodded quietly, understanding it all. The lawyer looked down and read the next question, "An adult who has just returned from abroad could not really afford this much to lend others. Where did you get so much money?"

At this, Rishabh felt his blood boiling as he fisted his hands. His jaw ticked as he pointed at Shrey, teaching him, "You were studying there because of which Chachu was sending you money in access. Then, there comes my father, your Tau ji who has a great bonding with you. He would send you more, not letting your father know. And at last, you did internships and won scholarships. Apart from that, you will mention Dada ji's bungalow. It wasn't just a bungalow but a luxurious place, built with all the classic furnishings and had a basement with history of auction meetings. Because of which, it was sold at a great cost. Because I already had the most of current assets in my name and Chachu had lost his job, Dada ji transferred the money unequally."

"He named sixty per cent of the revenue to you," he completed.

The lawyer nodded. "It is enough to shut the other party. The other question could be about your love life?" Shrey's eyes immediately flew up to his face as he nodded. "You will have to narrate your life experience and how was your relation with Myra?"

Both his parents gulped as they watched his eyes stoned on the lawyer's face. No one knew what he was thinking because this topic wasn't discussed before. The lawyer understood his mental health and decided to discuss the answer with him later, alone.

"The last will be of why would you try to kill yourself if you were innocent?"

Shrey blinked, not being able to digest the very statement. He wasn't a loser in his mind but his heart would shrink and tell him how of a coward he was. How he was the reason behind his Tau ji's illness! How he made his parent's eyes lowered for forever in society! How he lost his reputation! How he lost himself!

"You will report the feelings you narrated to the psychiatrist, Shrey. Not the one after suicide. But before it. When you were taking classes because of the torture you suffered. At that statement, I will begin with my proofs against them. You marks that look so intentional and planned. The material they used which shows the end of humanity."

Shrey's breaths deepened when he heard a sob in the room. It was his mother. He could even hear his father's rough breathing. He knew, they were breaking. He knew. But what would they be like if by any chance he was proven guilty? He couldn't imagine. He couldn't.

"I will give them the proofs of your innocence, the most I can. But this is an accusation from a woman. About her dignity, about her respect. It is a sensitive topic for almost every citizen. People can be triggered. Media can be aggressive. Myra would try to act. Vikas would act more. Shrey, all you have to do is believe in your truth. Keep your faith in me." The lawyer looked understandingly at him.

"We're so close but we will have to be ready for the worst. Do you understand?"

Shrey flared his nostrils as a tear leaked down on his nose all of a sudden. He nodded while blinking rapidly and wiping it, not to show his parents. But Rishabh had seen and was furious.

"Be the tiger, Shrey. They will suffer. They will lose. You understand? You just have to do as he said. You will be free. The justice will be served," Rishabh completed.

"Truthfully."

_______

Sakshi stared far at the sky, smiling to herself. She had came up on the terrace to talk to Pihu as Aarush and Aditi were downstairs in the flat, watching a series while totally feeling themselves on the couch, sitting close to each other. It was better to just make a call to home than feel awkward at seeing her best friends behaving all lovey-dovey.

But even after planning for five minutes at how she would start her conversation, she was still not ready for the talk. She loved her sister-in-law and didn't want her to feel troubled because of her.

She decided that she would not share things with her this time. It could make things worse since she won't share anything with anyone and it was of no use. But at least she would be interrupting whenever the Kabir's chapter would try to reopen.

She was only thinking about calling her finally when all of a sudden her phone rang. She furrowed her eyebrows thinking who could it be. Pulling out the phone, she noticed and her heart had reached her mouth.

Shrey.

Her heartbeats picked the pace. She gulped nervously.

Oh God!

She was already dealing with the aftereffects of spending a night with him under the same roof and here, he was calling to worsen her control over it. She gulped, feeling her legs shaking.

She looked around and found the stairs to the little terrace above. Sitting on the second one, she swiped to the green. Putting it on her ear, she breathed before finally muttering a hey.

"Sakshi."

Her eyes closed as she felt her stomach flipping at his deep voice. She loved the way he called her name so softly and seriously.

"Yes, Shrey. I am here," she smiled, but it faded just as she heard his harsh breaths. "Did you take a run or something? Why are you breathing so hard?"

Shrey breathed again, filling her mind with confusion. Sakshi gulped, when it increased. "Shrey? First, take a breath. Sit and talk." She spoke laughingly, assuming he must have climbed stairs or something.

"No. I needed to talk. I am scared."

Sakshi frowned, getting up from the stair slowly. "What? What happened?"

"Day after tomorrow is the date. I will be shown in the court. I am terrified. I don't know what will become of me-"

Sakshi gasped. "Oh! Okay," she blinked, getting scared herself. "Shrey? It's okay. First, calm down. You need to breathe. I can't even hear you clearly."

She heard the screeching of a chair and then, him sitting finally. He finally said, "The lawyer said that he will try everything. But I am scared, Sakshi. Mom and Dad are already crying. I don't know what to do. I feel like I will be proven guilty. I am going to be behind bars-"

Sakshi cut off him just as she heard his voice breaking. She walked to the right of the terrace, walking back while talking, "Shrey. Don't think too much. Okay," she said softly. "Calm down. The lawyer said that he would do everything. Besides, you yourself had told me that the police's own personal investigation was in your favor."

She could hear him humming. "But I am scared. You do know the punishment. Right? I don't want to suffer for the crime I didn't do, Sakshi. I will lose myself. I won't be able to survive. . ." His voice cracked.

Sakshi gasped shakily.

"Shrey?" She asked worriedly. "Hey! It won't come to that. It won't."

For thirty seconds, she didn't hear him and waited for him to recover to say anything. But then, he hung up.

Sakshi could feel her heart throbbing in her chest hard. "Oh God!" She whispered to herself.

Looking down, she called him back. She bit her lip and waited for him to pick up, thinking that it could be dangerous since he had already attempted to suicide once.

He cut the call, making her worry more. She chew on her lip nervously while thinking what she should do.

"Aarush," she whimpered, turning around and taking the stairs hurriedly. But even the third stair she hadn't crossed when she missed the step and felt herself losing the balance.

A scream escaped her mouth as her head hit hard at the wall along with the shoulder that got scratched too. The edges of the stairs poked her thighs, making her whimper in extreme pain.

"Fuck," she rubbed them while stabling herself and sitting quietly. Breathing slowly, she watched her phone beeping and lying at the sixth stair. Taking another breath, she massaged her scratched shoulder feeling it throbbing in pain.

She got up slowly and with trembling legs, she went downstairs but not before picking her phone on the way. A tear had slipped her eyes from the immense pain in her shoulder joint.

Massaging it roughly, she entered the flat, closing the door behind her. Aarush opened the door to Aditi's bedroom immediately. Behind him was Aditi, who pulled the hem of her tank top while asking, "Sakshi?"

She gasped when she saw her forehead all red from the left. "Did you hit your head somewhere? It's red and swelling. Oh my God!"

Sakshi rolled her eyes, breathing slowly while sitting on the couch. "Give me some water, please."

Aditi did as she told hurriedly and checked her forehead. "Damn! There's a cut too. It hit hard. Did you fell?"

"I slipped on the stairs."

Aarush's eyebrows raised as he cracked up.

Sakshi flared her nostrils, giving him a glare when she noticed his lips swollen and hair all messy. Were they even watching the series? She thought but shook her head to clear her mind when her stomach churned in awkwardness as she pictured him making out with Aditi.

She gulped down the water from the glass that Aditi had handed her, distracting herself.

Aditi hit him on the head while sitting on the floor and checking her ankle. "It's turning black from here. Sakshi, did you just slip or someone push you over?" She laughed while pressing on the foot and massaging slowly to ease her pain.

Sakshi groaned, chuckling herself at her stupidity. "Ah! It feels good," she told her. "But my shoulder is hurting more."

Aarush hummed while poking it slowly, testing her reactions. Sakshi took his hand and pointed further around the whole joint. "It's aching," she said.

Aarush slowly pressed on her skin, doing too much once that made her scream. "Aarush, go to hell!"

He gasped innocently. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Aditi rolled her eyes while getting up and bringing the ointment. She told her to remove her sleeve off and Sakshi did so. Aditi put the ointment slowly while saying, "What was even the rush? Couldn't you step slowly? If your brother gets to know, you slipped from the stairs. He will come directly here."

Sakshi chuckled while humming. "Thank God. Nakul Bhai too came before this fall or he would have been worried too." She suddenly gasped, remembering what had happened.

She looked at Aarush and said, "My phone. She looked back at the table and picked her phone, dialing the password. "Shrey was close to crying. Monday is his date for the case and he is all tears. He is hell scared. He cut the phone and didn't talk."

Aditi narrowed her eyes while closing the ointment tube. "What case?"

Aarush blinked slowly at her. "I will tell you later."

Sakshi nodded when he looked back at her. "He was breathing hard and you already know, he had tried to kill himself before. Aarush, I don't even know where he lives. He isn't picking up the call. What do I do?"

Aarush frowned, now looking away and remembering that Shrey had anxiety disorder. He ran fingers through his hair, and swallowed. What if he was dealing with anxiety attacked?

But what could they do except for calling him back?

"You call him," he told her.

Sakshi gulped before doing so. She waited while still feeling immense pain in her shoulder. Finally, Shrey picked up at the second call.

"Oh God! Shrey, you scared me. What were you doing?"

She heard him sighing heavily. "I am sorry. I couldn't speak anymore. Now, I am okay. But I want to meet you."

Sakshi glanced at both Aditi and Aarush, watching their curious faces. "Um, yeah. Of course. You can come at the flat anytime. We can talk peacefully."

Shrey hummed negatively. "No. I can't leave for that long. The lawyer warned my parents to not let me out. I can't be at anyone's home or it would pull you in my case if police is keeping an eye."

Chills ran down her spine as she thought that she shouldn't even see him if that was the thing.

"We will talk in my car. I will pick you up at seven sharp."

She hesitated before asking, "What if the police-"

Aarush raised his eyebrows at hearing the word. Sakshi too breathed slowly when Shrey asked hurriedly, "Wait. Are you fine with meeting me? I mean, is there any problem?"

Sakshi smiled sadly, thinking so much was going on with him and even then he cared if she wanted to come or not.

"No problem is there, Shrey. I will be ready at seven. Just take care, okay?"

Shrey sighed in the phone. "Oh! Thanks. So, an hour later. Okay?"

Sakshi smiled. "Yep."

She hung up and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes as finally she could relax knowing that he wasn't crying anymore.

"So, he attempted suicide but failed?" asked Aditi, making the environment more tense.

Sakshi swallowed while Aarush gave her a stare that said, he would tell her everything later. But instead, she waited for Sakshi to speak. Because of the pain and sudden tension, nothing came out of her mouth.

Aditi felt hurt from her keeping secrets. She got up slowly and walked away, noticing that Aarush knew everything already but she didn't.

________

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