chapter 32
Author POV
Rudra insisted on driving her himself. No guards, no chauffeurs—just him, Ishni, and the files clutched in her hands. The black SUV glided through the roads while silence filled the space between them.
But Ishni could feel his eyes flicking toward her every few seconds. His hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, the other resting protectively on her thigh.
“Jaan…” his voice finally broke the silence, low and intense. “You don’t have to carry this alone. If they try to twist even a single word, I’ll burn that courtroom down.”
Ishni looked at him, her lips curving despite her nerves. “Rudra… it’s a courtroom, not a battlefield.”
He smirked, eyes never leaving the road. “Every place becomes a battlefield if someone dares to touch what’s mine.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she placed her hand gently over his. “Today isn’t about me. It’s about Naina. She deserves justice. And I’ll make sure she gets it.”
For a moment, the mask of the ruthless mafia king slipped, and only her husband remained. He sighed, leaning closer at a red light, pressing his forehead against hers.
“Win this, jaan. For her. And for the world to know—you’re my wife. No one can silence you.”
Phoenix, who sat in the backseat, gave a low grunt as if agreeing. Ishni chuckled nervously and whispered, “Looks like my baby agrees with me.”
Rudra smirked, kissing her hand before driving again. “Then it’s settled. You’ll win.”
And with that, the car pulled up in front of the courthouse, cameras flashing, reporters waiting. Rudra stepped out first, his cold dangerous aura back in place, while Ishni straightened her shoulders, ready to fight.
As Ishni’s heels clicked against the polished marble floor of the courtroom, her aura was enough to silence the crowd. Her chin was high, shoulders squared—confidence and fire radiated from every step she took. Reporters whispered, cameras flashed, but Ishni’s eyes only sought one face.
And then she found her.
Naina sat quietly in the witness area, her small hands nervously tugging at her dupatta. The moment their eyes met, Ishni’s expression softened. She walked closer, her voice melting into a gentle warmth no one expected from a lawyer about to fight a brutal case.
“Hii bacha… kaise ho?” Ishni knelt slightly, so she was at Naina’s level, her hand brushing away the little girl’s nervous tears.
Naina’s lips trembled, but she managed a faint smile. “Dii… main thik hu.”
Ishni smiled back, holding her tiny hand for a moment before turning to the parents. Naina’s mother’s face was pale, fear etched deep into her eyes. “Beta… I’m so scared. What if…” her voice cracked, the memory of their last failed attempt breaking her.
Ishni held her hands firmly, her voice steady and full of conviction. “Aunty… last time, luck betrayed us. But this time?” She looked right into the mother’s eyes, unshaken. “This time, I won’t let it go. Your daughter will get justice. That’s my promise to you.”
The mother’s trembling lips curved into a small, fragile smile. The father, who had been silent all along, gave a heavy nod—hope flickering back in his eyes.
From the back of the room, Rudra stood like a dark shadow, his presence commanding silence. His cold eyes scanned the crowd, every lawyer, every rival mafia face who dared show up. But when he saw Ishni bend and comfort Naina like a big sister, a flicker of pride lit up in his eyes.
Phoenix sat near Rudra’s chair, his golden eyes sharp, watching everyone as though ready to pounce on anyone who even thought of causing harm.
The courtroom was packed, whispers and murmurs buzzing in the air as everyone settled in their seats. Reporters scribbled, families hushed one another, and the weight of tension pressed down like a storm about to break.
From the opposite side, Ishni’s opponent lawyer leaned back with a smug smile, his words dripping with mockery.
“Ooh… look who’s here again. Miss Rajput. Ready to lose… again? Tell me, don’t you ever get tired of embarrassing yourself? Or maybe shame isn’t something you feel anymore.”
Behind him, Aman and his father chuckled, their arrogance thick and suffocating. Aman’s father adjusted his expensive watch with pride, as if the case had already been bought and sealed in their favor.
Ishni slowly turned her head toward them, her face calm but her eyes blazing like fire.
She didn’t blink, didn’t flinch.
“Well,” she said softly but with a voice that carried through the silence, “we’ll see who loses today.
Because this time, even if fate betrays me… I’ll drag it to its knees myself.”
The smirk on Aman’s father’s face faltered for just a moment. Aman shifted uncomfortably in his chair. But Ishni didn’t give them more satisfaction—she calmly walked to her place, her heels echoing like a war drum in the silent courtroom, and sat down with the poise of a queen ready for battle.
Even the people sitting in the gallery felt the shift—something about today was different. Today Ishni singh Rajput wasn’t here just to fight a case. She was here to make history.
The heavy wooden doors creaked as the judge entered, and instantly, the room rose to its feet. Silence fell, thick with tension, until the judge settled into his chair.
“The court is now in session,” the clerk announced.
The judge adjusted his glasses, scanning the courtroom. His voice was steady but commanding.
“Miss Rajput, please proceed with your statement.”
Ishni stood, smoothing down the front of her black coat. Her eyes flicked to Naina—seated nervously beside her mother—and then locked firmly on the judge. Her voice carried with calm determination.
“Your Honour, my client, Naina, is not just another name on paper. She is a young seventeen-year-old girl who was harassed by her senior, Aman.”
A ripple of whispers broke through the crowd, but Ishni’s tone only grew sharper.
“What makes this case worse is not just the crime itself, but the silence that followed. Because of Aman’s father—who abused his influence as the principal of her school—doors of help were slammed shut in Naina’s face.
People turned away. Her family was threatened.
She was forced to carry not only her pain, but also the weight of everyone’s silence. ”
Her gaze moved briefly to Aman and his father, who smirked arrogantly in their seats. Ishni’s voice cut through the room like steel.
“But this silence ends today. My client deserves her truth to be heard. She deserves justice, not just as a victim, but as a citizen of this country. And I trust this honourable court will give her the justice that was stolen from her.”
The judge leaned back slightly, expression unreadable, as murmurs filled the courtroom once again.
“Miss Rajput,” he said after a pause, “you may now call your witnesses.”
“Call the victim, Naina, to the witness box,” the judge announced.
Naina stood slowly, her hands trembling as her mother whispered encouragement. She walked up, eyes lowered, clutching the edges of her dupatta like a shield. The clerk swore her in, and the room waited, holding its breath.
Ishni gave her a small nod, her eyes gentle. “Don’t be afraid, bacha. Just tell the truth.”
Naina took a shaky breath. Her voice was quiet at first, almost fragile.
“M… my name is Naina. I’m seventeen years old. Aman… he was my senior in school.”
She paused, her lips quivering. The courtroom stayed utterly silent.
“One day, i mistakenly bumped on him...and from that' day he started.. bullying me..one day- he called me in store room.. saying sorry for... whatever he did..and then..he said we..can be friends..-then he..touched..me..i screamed...i cried..for help..he slapped me...” Tears welled up in her eyes, her words trembling but clear.
“ But nobody came. Because his father… was the principal. Everyone was scared of them.”
The defense lawyer stood, smirking. “Your Honour, this is all emotional drama, no solid evidence—”
“Sit down, counselor. Let the girl speak,” the judge interrupted firmly.
Naina’s tears slipped down her cheeks, but her voice grew stronger, raw with pain.
“After that day, my friends stopped talking to me. Teachers ignored me. My family… we got threats. They told us if we spoke, we’d regret it. I felt like my life was over.”
She looked straight at the judge now, her small fists clenched.
“But I’m here today… because I don’t want any other girl to feel the way I felt. I don’t want anyone else to be silenced. I just want justice. I want him to know what he did was wrong.”
The courtroom buzzed with whispers, many wiping their eyes at the girl’s courage. Ishni placed a hand over her heart, proud of Naina’s strength.
The judge nodded gravely.
The defense lawyer stood, adjusting his coat, his lips curling into a smug smile. He walked toward the witness box where Naina sat, her fingers still trembling.
“Miss Naina,” he began smoothly, “you said you were harassed by my client, Aman, correct?”
Naina nodded silently.
“But tell me… do you have any proof? Any messages? Any recordings? Any witnesses?” His voice grew sharper. “Or is this just your story to ruin a bright student’s reputation?”
Naina’s throat tightened. “I… I was scared… I didn’t have—”
He cut her off instantly. “Scared? Or maybe guilty? Perhaps you regret your consensual friendship with Aman, so now you’re calling it harassment?”
Gasps filled the courtroom. Naina’s eyes widened, tears brimming. “No! I never—”
The lawyer smirked, circling her like a predator. “You claim you screamed, yet no teacher, no student, no one heard you? Isn’t it possible you’re lying?”
At this, Ishni shot up from her seat.
“Objection, Your Honour!” she thundered. “The counselor is harassing a minor and twisting her words to suit his filthy narrative!”
Judge: “Sustained. Counselor, mind your tone. She is a victim.”
But the lawyer smirked again and leaned forward. “Miss Naina… you look healthy, cheerful, even educated. If something so traumatic really happened, wouldn’t you be broken, depressed, unable to even face people? Yet here you are, speaking so confidently. Doesn’t that prove this is fabricated?”
Tears spilled down Naina’s cheeks. She clutched her dupatta, her lips trembling. For a moment, silence.
And then Ishni rose slowly, her heels clicking against the floor. She walked forward with fire in her eyes.
“Your Honour, the defense just revealed the ugliest truth of our society,” Ishni said, her voice strong.
“A woman must look broken for people to believe she’s been wronged.
If she smiles, she’s lying. If she’s strong, she’s pretending.
Tell me, should a victim be punished twice?
Once by her rapist, and again by people like him who demand her pain as proof? ”
The entire courtroom stirred, murmurs echoing. Ishni turned to Naina, her voice soft now.
“Bacha, don’t cry. They want to break you because your truth scares them. But I promise you… today, no one will silence you again.”
Naina nodded slowly, gathering courage again, wiping her tears. Aman shifted uncomfortably, his smirk dying bit by bit.
The judge raised a hand. “Enough, counselor. Do not ask irrelevant or manipulative questions again. Proceed only with facts.”
The judge tapped the gavel. “Call the accused to the stand.”
Aman swaggered up, his face painted with fake innocence. He adjusted his collar, glanced at his powerful father who gave him a reassuring nod, then smirked at Ishni as if he had already won.
Ishni rose, her sharp gaze fixed on him. “Mr. Aman, do you know Naina?”
He leaned back casually. “Of course. She was just… a junior in school. I’ve barely spoken to her.”
Ishni tilted her head. “Barely spoken? Yet witnesses confirm you often waited outside her class and followed her after school.”
Aman chuckled. “That’s called being friendly, Miss Rajput. Maybe she misunderstood my kindness.”
The defense lawyer stood quickly. “Objection, your honour, the prosecutor is leading the witness—”
Judge: “Overruled. Continue.”
Ishni’s eyes darkened. She paced slowly. “Friendly? Then explain this.”
She held up a file — photographs of Aman cornering Naina outside the science lab, his hand gripping her wrist. Gasps rippled through the courtroom.
Aman stiffened, his smirk faltering. “That’s… that’s edited! Anyone can create fake pictures these days!”
Ishni slammed the file shut. “Then explain why Naina stopped attending school for two months right after this incident? Why she had nightmares? Why her parents filed repeated complaints to the principal—your father—who conveniently dismissed them?”
The courtroom stirred again. The judge leaned forward with interest.
Aman swallowed, but forced a smile. “Sir, girls these days… they exaggerate. Maybe she had a crush and when I rejected her, she—”
Before he could finish, Ishni’s voice cut through like steel.
“Enough.” She took a step closer, her eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare try to shame her to protect yourself. You think your father’s shadow will protect you? No, Aman. Today, your truth will drag you into the light.”
She turned to the judge. “Your Honour, I request permission to present recorded audio evidence from a student witness who overheard Aman threatening Naina to stay silent—or else he would ‘make her life hell.’”
The judge nodded. “Permission granted.”
Aman’s face drained of colour. He gripped the rail of the witness box, suddenly restless. His father shifted in his seat, jaw clenched.
The courtroom grew tense. Ishni’s lips curved slightly—this was just the beginning.
The courtroom was heavy with silence, all eyes fixed on Aman as his smugness began to crack. Just then, his father—the respected Principal Verma—stood abruptly, slamming his hand on the table.
“Your Honour!” he thundered. “This is an insult to my son, to me, and to this institution! These are fabricated lies, cooked up to tarnish our family’s name. I will not allow this circus to continue!”
The defense lawyer immediately echoed, “Yes, your Honour, this so-called evidence is nothing but hearsay. Aman is an honour student, a star athlete, and a role model in his school. Naina’s accusations—though tragic—are a result of misunderstanding.”
Gasps spread across the room. Naina’s mother clutched her daughter’s hand tightly.
Ishni, however, stood calm and unshaken. Slowly, she turned her head toward Verma, her voice steady but sharp enough to cut glass.
“Principal Verma, the truth doesn’t vanish just because you shout. In fact, your arrogance only proves how you’ve misused your power. You silenced complaints. You buried evidence. You protected a predator in the name of being his father.”
Verma’s face turned red. “Mind your words, woman!” he roared.
But Ishni didn’t flinch. She walked forward, holding up a file.
“My words?” she smirked. “These are not just words. These are written complaints from other students—girls—who faced harassment from Aman but never dared to speak because you threatened to ruin their futures.”
The courtroom gasped louder this time. Even the judge’s brow furrowed.
Verma stumbled. “This… this is impossible!”
Ishni’s voice thundered, her eyes blazing with righteous fury:
“No, Principal Verma. What’s impossible is how long you thought you could hide behind your title while destroying innocent lives.
Today, neither your chair nor your name will shield you.
The truth will strip both you and your son bare in this very courtroom. ”
The judge raised his hand. “Order in the court! Order!”
Aman’s face was pale, his father’s mask cracking, and the courtroom buzzed with whispers like wildfire.
Principal Verma’s face was dripping sweat now, his eyes darting like a cornered animal. His booming voice returned, but this time it carried a tremor.
“Your Honour, listen to me,” he said, his tone shifting from arrogant to desperate, “this girl—this so-called victim—is being used. Families like hers… they want money. They always want money! I am willing…” he lowered his voice, leaning slightly toward the bench, “…to make a settlement. Whatever amount, name it. Let’s not drag this honorable court through unnecessary drama. ”
The entire courtroom went pin-drop silent. A collective gasp echoed as everyone understood what he just implied—a bribe in the middle of open court.
The judge’s eyes darkened, his gavel slamming down. “Principal Verma! Do you realize what you are suggesting? This is contempt of court!”
But Verma was losing all control. His desperation exploded.
“Your Honour, you don’t understand! My son is innocent! He’s my pride, my legacy! This girl is nothing! Her words—her tears—are nothing compared to our name, our reputation! If you punish him, you destroy me!”
Naina’s mother broke into tears, clutching her daughter.
Ishni rose slowly, her voice laced with venomous calm, every word echoing across the stunned chamber:
“You just proved everything I’ve been saying.
For you, a child’s pain is nothing compared to your pride.
For you, justice can be bought, lives can be ruined, and truth buried under your so-called reputation. ”
She turned to the judge, her eyes blazing.
“Your Honour, this man has not only protected his son’s crime, but right now, in front of everyone, he tried to buy justice. If this isn’t proof of guilt, then what is?”
The judge’s gavel thundered again, “Enough! Order in the court!”
All eyes shifted back to Aman and his father, their empire of lies crumbling, their arrogance exposed.
The defense lawyer smirked slyly, leaning forward as he spoke, “Your Honour, these days girls wear short dresses. Isn’t it obvious they attract males? So how is it my client’s fault? A woman should know her limits… her rights.”
The courtroom froze. A heavy silence fell, filled only with Naina’s mother’s muffled sobs.
Ishni stood in a flash, her chair scraping against the floor, her voice slicing through the stillness like lightning.
“Objection, Your Honour!”