Dedicated to Wattpad

Dans l'avenir - In the future

"The future is uncertain but the end is always near."
- Jim Morrison
................................

Sampurnaa's pov:

12th August

I looked at Indrayan expectantly. Before he could say anything further, a message popped up on my phone. I was required to report for on field reporting at a chawl (a tenement for the lower middle class in Mumbai. The word 'chawl' literally means home for several Mumbaikars) in Ghatkopar.

Another message popped up from the information and broadcast team coordinator.
My eyes widened at the sensational and unexpected piece of news that I had been asked to cover. I looked up at my parents and the others waiting with a confused expression. I shook my head and smiled reassuringly.
My eyes met Indrayan's.
We smiled simultaneously and then I proceeded to tell everything to everyone.....

And also informed them that:

I had to leave immediately!

....................

14th August

Mr. Victor Sequira had been found!

He had been living in a Ghatkopar slum in disguise.
Two nights ago, the police had been alerted by the local residents about a man who had recently shifted to their neighbourhood. They had heard screams and noise coming from the room he occupied.
By the time the police reached, Mr. Sequira had been shot twice... In the leg and his left shoulder. He had a wound on his forehead that he had inflicted during his encounter with his attackers. He was unconscious due to the loss of blood. The police rushed him to Apollo Spectra Hospital and he was revived later.

The second hearing was at the court today. He was supposed to be present there.
The question that is currently on everyone's mind is 'who was the attacker and why?'
We recently had a debate with eminent politicians about the involvement of the deceased HRD Minister in the human trafficking and prostitution racket that had jolted the city of Mumbai awake and had shaken the nation.

Recently, the police and the CBI backed by the central government have conducted searches in areas like Dongri, Bhendi Bazaar, Grant Road, slum areas like Dharavi and Kurla for incidents, crimes, criminals and victims involving marital rape, child marriage, smuggling, human trafficking and forced prostitution. So far, 5 men had been caught and 50 women have been rescued, including a 10 year old and a 12 year old girl who were pregnant.
The police upon questioning and investigation had discovered that the caught men were the middlemen and informants for Mr. Sequira and his sister. One good thing that had come out of all this was the fact that the media, the government, the civic authorities and every citizen of India was now paying attention towards the matters that had been steadfastly ignored and overlooked all these years.

........

The court hearing is scheduled at 2pm. I reached the High Court at 1.45pm. 
Indrayan and the defendant lawyer were both present. Sridha, her family, two of her college professors and two of her friends were waiting as well.
At precisely 1.53 pm, the police jeeps started filing outside. Mr. Victor Sequira was brought in with restrained hands, a bandaged head, a heavily injured arm in a sling and a limping leg supported by two constables and followed by the senior inspectors and officers.

We all went and took our place in the courtroom, patiently waiting for the honourable judge to arrive.

...................................

Indrayan's pov:

14th August:

The second hearing of The State vs. Victor Sequira, Frieda Sequira and the deceased Mr. Vijay Desai was due today.
The hearing was at 2 in the afternoon.

Zakir, my assistant lawyer and I had been in the office till 12 editing and re-editing the questions that had to be asked. I had briefed Sampurnaa and asked her to be prepared as there was a great chance that she would be called as first witness.

At 1.55, all of us were allowed into the courtroom. There was a lot of police protection in and around the High Court building. Following the assassination of an eminent politician and the attempted murder of Mr. Victor Sequira, the central bureau of investigation had assigned special security personnel.

The bailiff announced the arrival of the judge at exactly 2 pm. All of us rose respectfully.
The judge took his place and then called Mr. Victor Sequira to the witness box.

He walked and stood in the witness box and was sworn in. The judge asked the prosecutor i.e., me to proceed with the questioning. I rose from my seat and buttoned my suit before going and standing in front of the justice and the accused.
"Mr. Sequira, first things first, we would like to know what your real name is." I asked looking at him straight in the eye

He looked back or rather glared and then said, "What kind of a question is this? You just addressed me by my name!"

I looked at him in a challenging way, silently asking him to oblige to the question asked.
He sighed and then said, "My name is Mr. Victor Sequira."

I snapped at that, "I asked for your real name! Not for the fake identity that you created for the world!"

Before the man in question could get a word in, the defendant spoke up in defense, "Objection, your honour! The prosecutor is trying to lead my client!"

The judge nodded and then said, "Objection sustained! Mr. Chakraborty, this is the forst warning I am issuing."

I mumbled an apology and then turned back to face Mr. Sequira, "We'll come back to your identity later on. You have been found in the red light area multiple times. Customers of your fashion label, Sourire have gone missing in the past. All of them including 17 women from abroad have been rescued from a brothel named 'Jannah'. What would like to say to this?"

Mr. Sequira looked visibly uncomfortable. He was in thought for a long time and then finally decided to speak, "I did go to the red light area and my sister and I ran a brothel there. The girls and women there came from their own will. Most of them grew up under our care! The sex workers and women there have nothing to do with the customers who had gone missing."

I shook my head at his feeble attempt at trying to defend himself.
"Mr. Sequira. You were in hiding for the last few days. Why? Is it because of the red light area case?"

He took a deep breath and then said, "Your honour! Following the series of incidents at the red light area, I was a bit shaken. I am constantly under the media's scrutinising gaze. I just needed a break from everything. Hence, I decided to live in disguise in the one room flat I have in the Ghatkopar chawl. People who live there now may not recognize me now, but in my youth i.e. around 40 years ago, my family resided there. I come from scratch! Hence, I decided to go and stay there for a brief period."

A hubbub broke out among those seated in the courtroom.
The judge banged his gavel twice and asked them to maintain decorum in the court of justice.

Whatever he said was partially true.
What Mr. Sequira said about coming from scratch is actually true. Although there are no past records available that tells the world anything about his childhood. I could understand one thing. Mr. Sequira had genuinely been shaken  by something or someone that had prompted him to take a break from the media.

I posed the next question to him after a brief tussle of thoughts in my mind, "What were the incidents that prompted you to take such a drastic step?"

There was a silence.

The onlookers, the justice, the typewriters and I waited with bated breath for the man's answer. Will he give away anything?

........................

Sampurnaa's pov:

So far, nothing much has been revealed.
Mr. Sequira had confessed to owning and running a brothel. He had no other option anyways! There were several women in the court who have been victims, including me and Sridha.
He also said something about 'recent incidences' that shook him to the core.
What has surprised me till now is the very fact that he's been speaking the truth. There are lies of course... But more of the truth.
Indrayan's next question brought upon a stunned silence in the courtroom, "What were the incidents that prompted you to take such a drastic step?"

All of us waited impatiently for him to speak up, to give away something about the recent happenings there at Jannah. We wanted him to say something about his attackers, about Sridha and Vijay Desai's death and about Minister Desai's assassination.

Mr. Victor Sequira looked at the judge, at the defendant lawyer, at the onlookers and then began, "For the past few weeks....."

His voice trailed off as he lost his equilibrium and fainted. The two constables rushed to his side. The defendant, the prosecutor and even one of the court typewriters stood up and walked up to the witness box to see what the matter was. Since, the accused had been brought straight from the hospital in a not completely healed state, the doctor and a nurse had accompanied the police. They immediately rushed to the patient.
Meanwhile, the onlookers were literally climbing over the benches to catch a glimpse of what was going on. The judge was trying in vain to ensure order in the court.
After sometime, a police inspector walked up to the bailiff and asked him to pass a message to the judge. The judge listened patiently and then nodded.
I was unable to understand what was going on and everyone else was equally curious.
Soon enough, two paramedics rushed in with a stretcher and lifted Mr. Sequira onto it. They walked away with the police constables and police officers following behind.
The defendant and the prosecutor i.e., Indrayan went and stood near their respective seats there expressions mirroring ours. Curiosity, anticipation and anxiousness evident.

The judge announced finally breaking our thoughts, "Mr. Sequira has recently been injured. He had not healed completely and had come to the court today owing to strict orders from this court. He is currently in need of medical attention. The doctor has specifically asked for 2 weeks of rest and relief for Mr. Sequira. We will be proceeding with the courtroom trials and hearings without him for a while. The court is going on a break for half an hour. The court will resume at 3.30 pm."
He banged the gavel and we all rose out of respect as he exited the courtroom.

.............

Sridha was in a better mood today. She had a few of her friends with her. Her parents and brother were speaking to her professors and the dean of her college.
I was alone and bored!
My watch showed the time as 3.03 pm!
Sigh! I had to wait a long time. There was a long queue at the coffee counter and I was in no mood to spend time there. Instead I went and sat down on one of the steps in the staircase.
I took out my phone and saw a couple of emails that had been sent by my senior. They contained attachments of reports that had to be studied before presenting the news on television today. It was about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The restrictions imposed. The political leaders were under house arrest. There was chaos in the valley and so much more! It was going to be a long evening!

I kept my phone back in my pocket and just sat there idly almost like a college student who was bunking classes.

"Hey! Ki korcho ekhaane?"(What are you doing here?)

I replied without even looking up because I knew who was asking me this question.

I replied sarcastically, "Preparing for World Cup! Wanna join?"

He chuckled and sat down on a step below mine.
"So, Ms. Journalist! What is it that you are so freaking worried about?"

"I will be called next right? What if I miss out facts? I always did when I went for debates in school! My team would sometimes become angry with me because I would always miss out on the key points!" I was really hassled.

Indrayan did not help at all. He started laughing.
I looked at him like he had grown two horns.
He finally stopped laughing and bothered to say something, "This is not a debate so don't even think that you are the affirmative team and there is a negative team you have to beat with your arguments! This is a court hearing! Firstly, I will be questioning you followed by the defendant. You will not miss out on anything important! Trust me!
And yes, the only thing I would like you to keep in mind is that you are not supposed to 'lose your cool' in the court or you will be charged with contempt of court order by the judge!"

I glared at his last sentence, "Boudi told you all this, didn't she?"

He nodded trying to keep a straight face. And then I smiled and said, "It is an irony isn't it?"

He looked at me quizzically mouthing 'what is?'

I grinned widely and then said, "That a hotheaded lawyer who has been issued with several warning till date and has been charged with contempt of court once having lost his cool while speaking to someone who had been accused of domestic violence is warning me to keep my temper under check."

His expressions were really comical! His ears turned red as he adjusted the glasses on his nose and ran a hand through his hair.
I grinned naughtily.

"Ma told you all this, didn't she?", he asked
I nodded in the affirmative.

After a while, his expressions turned serious. It was 3.21 pm.
We both stood up, ready to walk back to the courtroom.
He looked at me and I raised my eyebrows.

He took a deep breath before saying,
"Don't let your emotions carry you away! The defendant may question you after I am done. And let me tell you one thing; she's bound to ask you questions that will make you uncomfortable. Just speak the truth fearlessly! No matter what happens just remember that, in the future, Justice shall prevail!"

I nodded reassuringly and smiled.

We walked back to the court.

......................

Indrayan's pov:

The court was resuming now. The bailiff had just announced the judge's arrival. All of us rose respectfully as the judge walked in. He took his seat and asked us to sit down.
The judge then began, "The prosecutor may call in the next witness to the witness box."
I nodded and stood up. I stood in the centre and then said, "With your permission, Your Honour, I would like to continue cross questioning Ms. Sampurnaa Roy."
Once the permission was granted, Sampurnaa made her way to the witness box. She looked straight at the judge once and then at me while being sworn in.
I blinked in response.

She closed her eyes once and then opened them; almost like she was giving herself a brief pep talk.
She looked at me straight and nodded. That was my cue to begin questioning her,

"Ms. Roy, you told the court about how you met Ms. Ranjan and under what circumstances. Tell us what you did after you met Ms. Ranjan."

She looked at the judge and then replied to my question, "Your honour! Sridha was severely injured and traumatised when I met her. I proposed to take her to the hospital but she refused. She was crying and eventually agreed for a medical check up at my home. I used a doctor's website to book a home appointment for her. The doctor came home and tended to her. She was in a bad shape...."
Sampurnaa squeezed her eyes again almost caught in a dilemma. Everything was so sensitive and personal!

She began speaking after glancing at Sridha and her parents once, "The doctor treated her wounds and informed me of her internal injuries. Traces of... semen... were found on her body and there were injuries in her private parts. The doctor assured me that she would be sending the samples for medical test. I handed over the report to Sridha's family as soon as I received them and one copy to the prosecutor for the court proceedings.

After Sridha had been tended to, she was going into shocks and was having fits as she had been traumatised. The doctor said it was normal and that she might develop with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I informed Sridha's family of the same when I took her back. She shared what she had gone through with me.
Following all this, I went and spoke to my seniors at my news channel and then we decided to do a secret operation. We involved the police too and simply set out in the red light area with hidden cameras and recorders. A few of my colleagues disguised themselves as human traffickers and caught a group of people at an auction where girls and babies were being sold.

I crossed paths with Mr. Sequira. Even though, he was wearing a disguise, it was easy for me to recognise him. I followed him into Jannah. Earlier, I had also run into two women in the streets who told me about a girl who had supposedly murdered someone and escaped from their brothel. Their brothel's name was Jannah and they were referring to Sridha.
Coming back to what I was saying, I was trying to see what was going on since Mr. Sequira had disappeared behind a locked door. I had a struggle with a drunk man and my camera and recorder broke. Later, I was led into a room by Ms. Frieda Sequira and Zeenat, the lady who was shot......"

Like this she narrated everything that had happened at Jannah.

It was an hour before she was done.

Once she was done, I proceeded to ask the next question, "You saw Ms. Frieda Sequira shooting Zeenat and also abusing the other girls. Did you see Mr. Victor Sequira engaging in any thing such?"

She replied, "Although I did not see him physically abusing someone, I found evidence in his room which was full of narcotic drugs and even hormonal pills. There were several used syringes as well. I believe Mr. Sequira was the one who injected growth stimulating drugs in the young girls. Mr. Sequira also body shamed me and judging from what I saw and experienced, ample food is obviously not given to any of the girls or the women. In fact, Mr. Sequira specifically told me to eat less so I can maintain a body fit for.... 'pleasing a man'..."

She shuddered when she spoke that sentence.
The next question I asked was another painful one, "Can you identify the men who tried to force themselves on you?"

My own jaw clenched and I felt guilty even asking her this.
She nodded and also said 'Yes' aloud. I brought pictures that had been in the file with me and showed her for identification, as were the norms. She glanced at the 5 men in the pictures and a few tears made their way down her cheeks.

I felt helpless. This was protocol in a court. I couldn't even speak to her in a comforting way.
Eventually, she controlled her emotions and nodded in the affirmative.
I passed on the pictures to the bailiff who in turn presented them to the judge.

I was done with questioning her at least for now.
"Your Honour! I would like to question Ms. Roy later if required. I am done for now."

I took my seat and waited as the judge hit his gavel and announced, "Defendant may question the witness."

....................
To be continued...

.................................................................................

A/N
Hello everyone. I am back. I have just uploaded the first part of the court hearing. The second part will be along soon this week.
Thank you everyone who cared to support me!

Cheers,
Shubhadittya

P.S. votes please🙏
        Comments pleeeaaasseee🙏🙏🙏
Share if you like the story