Maanvi OS - The Judgement
I looked with interest and appreciation at the young woman who was being ushered to the room. There had been nothing distinctive in the letter she had written. It had been a mere request for an appointment, with no hint of what lay behind that request. It had been brief and businesslike. Only the firmness of the hand writing had indicated that Maanvi Sharma was a young woman.
And now here she was in the flesh- a tall, slender young woman in the early twenties. The kind of girl that one definitely looked at twice. She was wearing a salwar suit with her hair open. Her dark-brown eyes twinkled as she stepped inside my office. I told her to sit down and she sat obediently.
"Mr.Viren Vadhera?" She asked me and I nodded in response. She had some sort of pain in her eyes which cried out for help.
"Uh yeah! And you are Miss Maanvi Sharma, if I'm not wrong" I replied and she smiled at me. She looked at me with earnest and thoughtful scrutiny. "Yes, it has to be decided right?" I asked her gently
"Sorry?" She asked
"You are not sure if I'm the man you need." I replied
"Well, to be frank, that's true. You don't look exactly the way I pictured you. And you see, I've got to have the best," she said as I told her to go on. "But, I've heard a lot about you. That's why I know that my decision's correct." She paused and took a deep breath. "My name's not Maanvi Sharma. It's Maanvi Chaudary." I looked at her with a surprised expression. How could Maanvi be a murderess?
"Maanvi Chaudary? You're quite a lot in the newspapers lately." I said
"Everyone says that. By everyone, I mean those who read the newspaper daily and watch a news channel on Television. I can't even read the newspaper for more than 1 minute," she said.
"You've been blamed for killing your own sister, Jeevika Chaudary and want me to fight the case for you?" I asked. I kind of felt connected to her. Maybe because even my wife's name is Jeevika or maybe because of some unknown reason.
"Exactly. But I can say only one thing and that is, I haven't killed my di! People point at me and say that I'm the famous so called murderess who killed her own sister. How could I kill her when I loved her so much? How could I kill her when she has suffered so much? I'm not here to ask you to give me justice. I'm here to ask you if you could save me from this cruel world. If you could prove that 16 years ago, it wasn't my di who killed dad." She said
"What do you mean? If you don't mind, can you tell me the whole thing?" I asked
"Yes, I can!" She replied. "Very well, go on then." I said and looked at my brother, Virat, who was sitting on a sofa. He was as intrigued by Maanvi as I was. He had a habit of coming to my office in the morning. It was the first time, he actually listened to what a client was saying. Maanvi looked at him and then looked at me inquiringly. I told her he was my brother. She smiled at him and then started her story.
"16 years ago, when I was 5 years old, my Dad had died. Mom died with shock as she couldn't handle herself. My Di and I were left alone. It turned out that my dad was poisoned and every day we would see different people coming to our home to ask us what exactly had happened. We were kids. We didn't understand half of the things they said. Nobody cared to take us to an orphanage or anything. We stayed alone for days and suddenly, my Di, a 7 year old girl was taken to jail. She was blamed for poisoning Dad. All the evidences were against her. Can you tell me how a 7 year old girl could kill her father? You must have heard about Vikram Sharma, a famous lawyer who died some years ago." She paused as I nodded. I tried to remember if I had heard about this case. It dawned on me that I had certainly read it somewhere.
"Vikram Sharma fought for my di. He tried and tried but he could not prove that my elder sister was innocent. A girl who played with dolls suddenly killed her dad. Wow! That sounds so real. Vikram Sharma lost the case but di was released from jail because she was just a child. She was taken to a mental asylum because the court thought that she was a mental case. It wasn't an ordinary mental asylum. It was a mental asylum for criminals. Was my di a criminal? No, she wasn't. Then why was this happening to her? I was so young that I couldn't understand it at that time. Vikram Sharma took me to his home where his wife and he treated me as their own daughter. He was a real dad for me and di. We would visit di every day and take food for her. She used to get beaten in that asylum. There, beating was the only remedy to cure a mental criminal. She used to cry day and night! An innocent child was getting beaten so brutally. We couldn't do anything. I still remember the horrible moments when I went to visit di. Meeting her was enchanting but the asylum scared me. The people would push me at times. Most of them were drug addicts. I couldn't imagine how Di spent her time there. After 5 years, she was released from the asylum. She had dark circles under her eyes. Bruises and wounds everywhere on her body. It killed us to see her like that. She wasn't normal after returning. At school, the other kids would laugh at us. Pull our ponytail, push us and bully us. It was no use telling the teachers. They were as cruel as the others. We were bright and so we got good marks but we were treated like untouchables. The teachers would scold us unnecessarily. We kept quiet and never told Papa anything. Di was treated worse than me. One day Papa came for the parent teacher meeting and saw the other kids who were bullying us. He told the teacher but she just complained about us. Papa stopped sending us to that school. He sent us to a different school where teachers were really kind to us and we had made good friends. It was an expensive school but still Papa sent us there. He was rich but we didn't like it when he spent so much of money for us. New clothes, the school fees, books and everything else that we needed. Di became normal after 1 year and we were all happy. We enjoyed our lives but the incident had left a permanent scar in di's life. Sometimes, she would shiver at night and cry her heart out. Years passed and when I turned 18, Vikram Papa and Maa died in a car accident. We were broken but we were big enough to take care of ourselves. Di was already 20 at that time. She took care of me and saw to that that I went to college every day," laughed Maanvi, "But a thing always kept nagging her. She couldn't get a job. Every time she went for an interview, she would be rejected because of her record. I got a job when I turned 20 and we would survive with the money that Papa had left us and the money that I earned. 6 months ago, on Di's 23rd birthday, she told me that she couldn't survive anymore. She was diagnosed with cancer in the last stage. But she still could survive a little bit longer. And that's when everything started. She committed suicide 2 months ago and I was blamed for murdering her. Now, Mr. Vadhera, can you tell me why this thing happened? Why we both were blamed for murdering? It isn't in our blood right? It's because everyone was lazy to investigate who the real criminal was. The first person to be seen in the house was sure to be the criminal for them." She finished as a tear escaped her eye.
She had been controlling her tears throughout the story but now she just let them flow. She was courageous and strong. I gave her a glass of water and she apologized for crying.
"Look, Miss Chaudary-,"
"Please call me Maanvi." She said interrupting me
"Sure. Maanvi, I'm sorry that all of this happened to your elder sister even if she didn't do it. But, we need evidence to prove that. Just imagine, if your di really did put the poison unaware of what it was. I'm not saying she did but still try to put it that way." I said and she looked at me with frustration.
She spoke slowly and haltingly but with an odd, pointed emphasis: "I know that being a lawyer isn't easy and I also know that I cannot prove that my Di was innocent. It's too late to tell the court that but I still need to know. I need answers. Look Mr.Vadhera, all I know is my Di was innocent and even I am."
"But what are we going to tell the court?" I asked
"I want you to know that she had left a small letter. It said that you are the person who could help me. She didn't include in that letter that she was innocent because she knew that I know that. I think she also knew that I was going to be blamed for that. About evidence, I think she has left it hidden somewhere. I know she wouldn't leave such a small letter. There's another one and I'm pretty sure of that. She wanted me to find it on my own." She replied taking out a piece of paper from her purse. I read it and I instantly knew that I had to help her.
"Hmm… then I think we should start working as soon as we can." I broke into a smile
"Mr.Vadhera, please tell me about the amount of money you'll charge. I'll take a loan or something if I can" She said
"Maanvi, I don't need money! I'll not take money from you" I replied
"You do this work to earn money right? Then? It's not fair."
"I'll get the money from the court. It's not a problem."
"Thank you so much Mr.Vadhera! I can't thank you enough."
"It's my duty." I replied modestly
Her eyes shined as she got up. She looked at Virat and said: "Virat! I remember everything now. The Pinkie Promise." Virat smiled at her and I looked at him questioningly. He said he would tell me later. Talk about 'chuparustams.'
~
2 months had passed. Maanvi was in Jail. We tried everything but we didn't have the most important thing. Evidence. Jeevika, my wife would take food for her in jail and Virat went with her to entertain. It felt like Maanvi was a part of our family. Maanvi would say that Jeevika was just like her elder sister though they looked a bit different. Maanvi and Virat had become best friends and I knew they had feelings for each other. But did they know that? I have no idea. I also came to know that when Maanvi and her sister were treated pathetically in school, there was just one person who would stay with them and actually talk to them. It was Virat. Later, when Maanvi and Jeevika were about to leave the school, Maanvi had made Virat promise that they would meet someday. And they did.
The last trial was to take place after 2 days and I still didn't have anything to prove her innocence. I went to visit Maanvi as usual. I asked for her Di's letter which she handed me. I read it again and again. A tiara was drawn at the end which caught my eye. I asked Maanvi what it was and she suddenly gasped.
"Oh god! Why didn't I notice it before? This is the key that I was looking for. The Princess Chamber. Viren, we have to go to my house quickly. Take permission from the Judge if I could go along with you. Just for one day."
I did whatever she told me. I was puzzled but I still went to the court. After a lot of persuasion, he finally agreed. Maanvi and I went to her house where she took me inside and started explaining.
"There's a secret room here which Vikram Papa had given to us. It's the Princess Chamber. Di and I used to spend hours there. It was the only place where we could stay in peace. I'll show you." She led me to her room where I could see photos hung on the wall.
There were so many people and I spotted Maanvi's elder sister. She truly resembled Jeevika. Maanvi walked to the other side of the room and pulled a lever. We both went inside the room. It was huge. Everything in the room was baby pink. Pink curtains were draped and a huge table stood in the middle with a laced table cloth. There was a bed too and shelves where books were kept. A huge tiara was kept in the middle of the shelf and I saw Maanvi pick it up.
"There has to be something here." She caught hold of the tiara and turned it. There was a chit taped to it. Maanvi pulled it and opened the chit. It said- Good work Mannu! I knew you could do it but this is not what you're looking for. Look under the table cloth. Love, your di.
"Why did she have to make it so confusing?" Maanvi murmured as pulled the table cloth and there we could see a paper with words written on it. Maanvi started reading it and tears flowed out of her eyes.
After reading, she handed it to me and sat down on the bed. I felt dazed after reading the letter. It had everything we needed. We just had to produce it in the court. There was everything written on it. What made me even more surprised was that Jeevika, my wife was Maanvi and Jeevika's step sister. Woah! I know it's confusing.
~
The letter was handed over to the judge who read it and believe it or not, he was actually crying. To prove that it was a true evidence, Jeevika had made a lawyer sign the paper. The lawyer was called and he claimed that he had signed it. Everything was clear now. Maanvi was happy and everyone else was. The judge apologized to Maanvi for such injustice. Maanvi was released from jail and we walked out together from the court.
She hugged me tightly and said: "I might see you very soon again!" She said
"Oh of course! To visit Jeevika?" I asked
"Yes but I'll be staying with you" She replied with a grin. I looked at her rather confused.
"I think Virat could answer that question!" She winked and showed me her ring finger where I could see a beautiful diamond ring. Virat and Maanvi were going to get married!
Maanvi had changed everything. She was life! She suffered but she never changed. Even in jail, she would laugh and enjoy. She didn't have to try to find an occasion to laugh. To live her life! I had learnt something very important in the past few months. That one must have the courage to face reality. Without that courage, life is meaningless!
~ The Letter written by Jeevika ~
Mannu, I knew you would find this! I know you hate me for making it so confusing. Haha but I knew that without this hidden, there wouldn't have been any excitement. You know me right! I wanted to tell you a lot of things but I never had the courage and so, I wrote this letter. I love you the most! And I know that you always knew I was innocent. Right from the beginning. You might be wondering who actually killed Dad if it was not me. I tried a lot and finally found the answer. Dad was divorced when he married Mom and she knew that. We both were born but then, mom found out that Dad still loved the woman he divorced. He still went to visit her because he had another child. Her name's Jeevika. I was named after her. Our mom was jealous! She was a very kind woman but jealousy killed the person who she really was. She wanted to kill our step mother but was melted by our step sister, Jeevika. By the way, she's our eldest sister. Anyway, Mom decided to poison dad with a heavy heart. Dad died but do you know how mom died? Not out of shock but out of guilt. The evidences were against me because my fingerprints were found on the glass given to Dad. Mom had deliberately made me pour water for him on the glass and take it to him. She had secretly added some coniine poison there. I don't want you to hate our mom! She was an awesome lady! And she loved us the most. It was just jealousy. When, I was taken to the asylum, I was tortured! Many horrible things happened to me. I told you that I was beaten there but that wasn't the only thing. I still don't want to tell you because you might not be able to handle it. You're the strongest person I've ever known but I know that if something happens to me, your strength becomes your weakness.I told you to visit Viren Vadhera because I knew you would be blamed for killing me. Not only for that but I also knew that Jeevika is Viren's wife. I wanted you to meet her. I don't want you to start hating her because she was Dad's daughter too but from a different mother. I want you to love her like you love me. I hope you can do that. Also, this is the piece of evidence which will help you get out of jail and which will also prove your innocence. I, Jeevika Chaudary, committed suicide and Maanvi Chaudary is not to be blamed for that. I hope this is enough for the judge to release you from jail. I've also gotten it signed by a lawyer in the hope that the judge doesn't find it as false evidence.
I'm sorry for committing suicide which landed you in so much trouble. But honestly, I knew the cancer was killing me and I could see you dying inside. You didn't cry in front of me Mannu but I just knew that you did. I'm not as strong as you are and suicide was the only solution of my problem. I wanted to die as soon as I could. I wanted to live in peace where I would never get rejected. But, I was too selfish! I thought only about myself forgetting about you who loved me the most. I'm sorry! I wish I could do something to prove how sorry I am. But, it's too late!
At last, I just want to tell you that I may not be standing there with you, I may not be living those moments with you, but I'm alive inside your heart. I'm watching you from above and I can see you reading this. I love you Mannu. I love you… I love you.. I love you.
Yours lovingly,
Jeevika Di
~
Guys, I hope you liked this OS. This OS is the longest one I've ever written. The story's lame but this one is really special to me. I dunno why, though. It just is. It's entirely about Maanvi and what she had seen as a child and when she grew up.
I wanted to try something new and this is all I could come up with.
Please do comment :D
Stella_Virman
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