In a crime that is proven successfully will also deny justice for someone and that someone is the “accused” of crime who is really innocent. The criminal get punishment and the victim can satisfy with the punishment even though that did not bring something that has lost. But what about the accused? his family, profession, image and more than that his harmonious life… all remains as a big question mark.
4 am, Wednesday
Anu is sitting near the door along with her aunt. She is anxiously waiting for somebody. Each and every second, she is crying, asking questions and praying.
12:30, Tuesday
While Anu was sitting in her class, she got the message from the peon that her father came to the school to pick her from there. She asked doubtfully why he had came that afternoon to call her back to home. She even said that she had a test on the next period.
Tarun told her that he had to go to a very important place and can’t say when can he come back. He drop her in his younger sister Veena’s home and prepared to leave. At that time she hold his hand and asked him where he was going?. He try to avoid her but she adamantly hold him back and repeated the question again.
There is a reason for her questioning. For last two-three weeks, she was repeatedly seeing her father’s face in newspapers and media. He said that some people wanted to ask him some questions and he will come back after clarifying their doubts. He take her in arms and kissed her. While doing that he couldn’t control his tears. “Why are you crying papa?”, she asked innocently. He didn’t wait to respond her and left.
While traveling he thank God for the ignorance of his child. As a six year old child, she didn’t understand the meaning of arrest, conspiracy , allegation, investigation and so on.
Tarun is a business tycoon and he had some business issues with his partner Shyam. As both of them were very much popular, media celebrated these controversy for weeks. Suddenly a twist happen, Shyam was killed. Normally Tarun became the first accused even though he was unaware of what is happening around him. Just because Tarun had an issue with him, he became the culprit. Media, Shyam’s relatives, and some workers explained that Shyam was a gentleman and only person who had an issue with him is Tarun. Pathetic thing is that before police took a decision, media and press judge that Tarun is the executioner and started celebrating the issue with group discussion and all. As he is the only accused, police asked him to meet the Superintendent of police for giving his statement and also had to co-operate with the questioning.
At 1 pm , he reached the police station and the inquisition began.
Veena tried to feed Anu but she was not ready to eat till her father come back. She tried to pacify her and asked her to eat, but she was too stubborn. Time was not at all moving for them. On spur of a moment, Anu asked “what you mean by culprit, aunt?”. Veena stunned and get confused how to respond to her niece. She used that as an opportunity to make her eat. Veena told her that she will reply only if Anu have her dinner. Anu finished her dinner as soon as possible and repeated her question. Veena replied the meaning of culprit as friend and explained her that her papa’s friend is no more and he went to discuss about his friend to some uncles.
11:15 pm, Tuesday
Police asked many questions repeatedly in different ways. In between they took break for having food and relaxation time. Meanwhile question time exceeded 10 hours. This increases the tension of Veena and restless of Anu. She frequently asked where her papa was and run towards the door to look whether he is coming.
When questioning exceeded the time limit, news channels take this as an opportunity to make the event a sensation and used the issue to increase their TRP rating. Time and again they announce the breaking news “There is a chance for Tarun get arrested as his statements are confusing ” Once Anu heard this, she started crying.
She cried and blabber loudly. Veena tries to calm her down. But she cried loudly and insisted that she wanted to go to her father as soon as possible. She ran towards the road by saying this and Veena followed her. When she just pass the gate, a bike hit her. By God’s grace , her injury was a simple one. Veena took her inside home and nursed his injury and tame her down by saying so many things and deviate her from the issues. Veena asked her to lay down and sleep. But she refused and go to the door looking constantly on the gate.
5 am Wednesday
Tarun come back after a long questioning. He stunned to see her daughter and sister in the door and ask why they are sitting there in the early morning itself. Without answering ,Anu ran towards her father happily. After a bit of talking, crying and smiling, she fell asleep in Tarun’s hand. Veena and Tarun exchanged what had happened in respective places( both in police station and in home).He felt highly insecure while looking his sleeping child after hearing what had happened in the home. What would he have done if something serious had happened to Anu, he think and what will he do with her if police ask him to meet them again.
Tarun had always been a victim in his life despite his success in career. His mother died and father got paralyzed in an accident when he was just 10. His father’s business partners use it as an advantage to share all his properties among themselves. He filed a case against them with the help of some relatives which became a big news to media. The case continued for 7 years and he became a celebrated kid during the time. He had faced so much of allegation at that time. But he was not ready to fail and prove his side. Later he took over his father’s business and have some issue with Shyam which could have been solved. But as media took over the issue, both of their ego didn’t allow them to compromise. Media didn’t leave his personal life even after that. They celebrated Tarun’s divorce and his ex-wife’s remarriage. Now they give him the image of a murderer. He wondered why media is like this? More than that what did he do to suffer all these things and why people are so judgmental?.
Nobody wanted to know the truth and every body wanted their judgment come true otherwise they will never agree even if the supreme court believes you. He fall asleep during the thoughts.
Tarun will prove that he is innocent, Some will believe and others will not. Some people will think that he escaped because of money and power. All these are bearable but what about his daughter’s life? Can this media bring back the lost image ? It will take a great time for both of them to start a normal life again.
–END–
