After almost half a month, today was the second trial. All the eye witnesses Mom, Inspector Kirti, Naila's surgeon and physician were called.

They gave their statements and answered the defence attorney's questions well. Mom even said some hateful words to Ridhima which had no effect on her thick skin.

"Inspector, if you were just 5 minutes away from the crime scene, why didn't you go save Mrs Alam? We're you waiting for her to lose her life? Was getting the truth out more important than saving a civilian's life?" The defence asked

"I deeply regret not being able to reach sooner but me and my team rushed immediately to help her but we were faced some disturbance and had to call back-up." She said.

"What kind of disturbance that an entire team of police couldn't handle?"

"A rally... A group of woman had blocked the street on strike. It was illegal and abrupt. It took time for us to control them. So I had to call for back." She explained the entire situation then.

She told them how she saw Ridhima ready to stab her chest and also the other officer was called who shot the bullet at her to make her drop the knife. By blood was boiling in my veins listening to all the details but Naila just kept holding my hand rubbing her thumb at the back of my palm trying to placate me. It took a lot of effort to not jump there and choke that bitch to death.

The doctors explained Naila's condition with reports and pictures of her wounds. Naila didn't let me see them at all though.

The attackers who attacked Naila during Diwali were brought to question too and they finally admitted it was Ridhima who paid them for it. Her husband's paid assassin was caught too admitting that she was the one who planned it all.

It was all over now, she had no escape what so ever. She was accused of bribery, emotional blackmail, abuse, attempt to murder and homicide of her own husband and what not.

The defence attorney was clearly going crazy now and so was that bitch. I watched in amusement as she was digging her own grave.

Then the prosecutor went to question her now.

"Mrs Ridhima Ahuja, do you admit to all the accusations on you? Do you admit to bribery, abuse, attempt to murder of my client Mrs Naila Alam and the planned murder of your own husband Mr Sameer Ahuja?"

She laughed like a psychopath.

"What if I say no?" She smirked.

"It would be of no use. If you admit to your crimes now, maybe the court may reduce your penalty?" He said

"Reduce? what will you do? Rot me in jail for the rest of my life instead of hanging me to death? Huh? I don't care....do whatever you want.... I'll never admit it!" She yelled.

There was quite a murmuring in the court room.

"Tsk! She still won't give up?" Mom said in disbelief. "What kind of serpent had I hidden under my sleeves for all these years?" Dad rubbed her shoulder to placate her.

"It's not over yet Mom. She has to pay for the most heinous crime she had committed....our Kaif needs to get justice. That's only when she'll finally go to hell." Naila said with such fire in her eyes as she glared at Ridhima.

My hands were shivering. It's been 6 years yet, I could never get over it. It still haunts me....still eats me up. Making me feel disgusted of myself. Our time was up for now and the court was adjourned as the next date for the next month was announced.

After a month, I'd had to live that horrible night all over again. If Naila wasn't by my side I don't know how I could've survived all those haunting memories.

###

It was Desai's marriage and unfortunately, Naila still wasn't able to stand on her feet for too long. So she couldn't dance in the wedding. She was quite upset about it.

"Don't worry Naila begam, you can dance at mine and Ayesha's wedding." Farhan joked only to receive a slap at the back of his head from my feisty wife. Ouch! I felt bad for that boy.

Naila really wanted to stand to look at the bride and groom as they took the '7 fere' and shower flowers on them. So she leaned on my body as she playfully showered half the flower petals on me. She looked beyond beautiful as always making me want to steal her away and make her mine all night but I had to hold back as she wasn't ready yet. She was safe and in my arms.... that's all that mattered to me at the moment.

###

Today was the third trial. If we couldn't wrap up the case this time, we could get another date....and another....and another....it could be never ending. I just prayed it's over soon so that we could put all this behind us and go back to our merry lives.

I was called into the witness box, facing the devil herself. She was still looking at me with those eyes that disgusted me. Naila looked at her as if she could just bite her head off.

I took a deep shaky breath as the attorney walked towards me. Memories of that horrendous night flashed through my head.

Here it goes....

"So Mr Alam, according to you, my client was the one who forced herself on you and not the other way around." He asked.

I nodded.

"Yes....you even heard her when she admitted it to my wife. She drugged me and then..." I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Do you remember the date that day?"

"It was 26th February, 2014." I said.

"But according to the statement from Late Mr Ahuja, didn't the assault happen on 10th March, 2014?" He questioned.

"That's... when she called me the second time." I said clenching my fist, ashamed of myself.

"Second time, point to be noted your honour....he went to her second time! If you say you were assaulted before, why did you go there the second time? Was it because you too wanted a sexual favour again?"

My eyes went wide with rage and disbelief. That bastard....

"Objection your honour. We all clearly heard Mrs Ahuja say in the video that she blackmailed Mr Alam by threatening his mother's life. So...." The prosecutor began

"So he could've went to the police your honour. Why go to my client again? Answer the court Mr Kaif, why didn't you take help of the law?" He asked cutting him off

"Because I had no proof. If I did gone to the police, then no one would have believed me. I.... I was scared." I said desperately swallowing back my emotions.

"Were you scared or....were you tempted?"

"Objection your honour....the defence attorney is crossing the line again."

"Objection overruled. The defence attorney can continue...."

What?!

I shut my eyes trying to hold my tears. I knew it .... it's happening all over again. Why would anyone believe me, a teenage boy with raging hormones going to an attractive woman for sexual favour. Ofcourse, he would've gone for his own lust too. That's what they think.... anyone would think the same. Because that's the most logical explanation. A man's body can never deny a woman's touch. We are doomed with that faith, we are created weak that's why we couldn't resist. No one would try to understand the man's desire of wanting to protect his chastity for the sake of his Iman, his Lord or for his future life partner?!

After putting all those accusations on me, after making me so ashamed of myself that I couldn't even lift my head, I couldn't even show my helplessness, turning me into a shameless scum, he asked me very humbly to leave the box.

I was now called by that bastard attorney on the witness box. As I was being taken there, my Kaif stepped down helplessly as his face was full of shame and in pain of his pride and dignity murdered. He couldn't even look at me as he walked past me like a lifeless zombie hanging his head low. I held his hand but he still didn't even look at me and just shut his eyes like trying to shut down the world.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in a hoarse voice as his tears fell on the back of my hands. I shook my head.

He shouldn't be sorry! Why should he be sorry? Why should he be the one to suffer, why should he be crying.....why? Why him?!

He let go of my hand and walked back to his seat. I wiped my tears as rage fumed inside me. Ridhima had that sinister mocking smile on her face, and so the attorney.

Ya Allah give me strength. You never let the evil win against the innocent. Ya Aleem, you know everything, you've heard and seen everything. Give me the courage to protect my husband's honour... destroy these kafirs(evil, wrong people) today and return us our honour.

"Is it true that on 12th of September you went to meet Mr Ahuja at his residence?"

"Yes I did?"

"Please tell the court about your conversation."

I repeated each and every word and detail from that day.

"As we all know that Mr Ahuja was a drunkard. And as Mrs Alam just mentioned he was drunk at that time. So maybe in his drunk state he must've blabbered a lie to her."

Ha! I knew he would mention that point.

"But isn't it also true that a person always speaks the truth when he's drunk?" I said

"That's just an assumption..."

"And what you're saying is just an assumption too Mr defence attorney. I'm a witness here so atleast my words have a base to them" I said and there was a chatter in the court and I could clearly see the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Also, if he really was blabering to me, then why did your client killed her own husband? What was she afraid of if her crazy drunkard husband blabbered just some nonsense to me?"

I've got them now!

"Point to be noted your honour." Our prosecutor said repeating me. He then turned to me, giving me a smile as the judge noted it down.

I noticed Ridhima's psychotic personality was about to surface. Just a little longer Maasi....you end today.

"Your honour, but does that make sense? How can a man be raped by a woman? According to the law, As section 375 of The Indian Penal code states, rape is something that only a can do to a . How can we say that my client raped Mr Kaif? He went to her again after that night, she didn't force him then, he gave his consent to her that day and when caught pretended playing the victim."

"I'd like to ask you something,

Are you a sadist by any chance? Do you enjoy humiliating people by questioning their character?

During the last trial you humiliated me and today my husband. Is it a hobby of yours?" I asked rather heatedly.

"What nonsense! I'm a lawyer it's part of my job to question people?" He said angrily.

"But I don't presume it's part of your job to make assumptions about people's character! Although your right about 1 thing....the law!

Your honour, why is it so? Why does the law only recognise a female as a victim of rape and not the male? Because men are stronger.... because they have a more wilder sex drive? Not everyones like that!

Legal reform is needed but that alone will not address the problem. It is important for society to collectively recognise the reality of sexual violence against men too.

It is this thinking that isolates victims. In fact, many victims recall disbelief and hatred instead of empathy from their family and friends. Same thing happened with my husband. Instead of being helped or supported emotionally, psychologically....he was infact slammed as the culprit himself and shunned and despised by everyone because no one would believe a man was raped by a woman because that's the thinking of this awful society. Like wise, a woman is called a slut if she makes a mistake in love but....a man is called a stud if he takes advantage of that love. The woman is hated by the society while the man gets a green card to do whatever he wants.

Why do the people only believe in what they see and not try to understand the other person's perception of the situation?

Why is always the victim harassed more and the culprit left alone? Why does even the law fails to protect them? Giving consent doesn't always mean Yes! It also means we are helpless to say ." I said in tears now.

"Male survivors go through similar psychological torture as female victims, but because of the lack of support and social acceptance, they are compelled to remain silent. My husband was forced to be silent and everyone around took advantage of his silence.....even Ridhima and her late husband as they put the blame on him and became the victim because she knew that society would support her and not the actual victim that was Kaif! Even now, my husband's character was questioned because he's a man and Ridhima is given a clean chit even though she admitted it clearly that she forced him, humiliated and abused him.

So now even if it's proved, it would only be called as 'Forced Sexual Intercourse' and not assault. Why?

Men and women should be considered equal you say? That's bullshit! These are only words because no matter what people say....they can be considered as equals because that's how the society is!"

By breathing fastened as my temper wasn't ready to settle down.

"She said she loved him...lusted after him because he was attractive? That she had a right on him? He never wanted her, he considered her as a mother but she....like a beast devoured his trust and broke him. She knew he would never fall for someone like her.... that pathetic plastic doll. Kaif would never love her or accept her ....she..."

"STOP IT!" screamed Ridhima.

"Stop talking nonsense you bitch! What did you say? Kaif would never love me? He's mine.....all mine! I have already made him mine. It's all your fault for ruining our love by coming in between us! I should've killed you long ago.... I shouldn't have wasted my time by paying other's to kill you and even that Rubeena..... it's all your fault.... Kaif is mine.... You all came in between us....." She started screaming and laughing like a mad woman.

She jumped from the box and tried to go to Kaif and Mom covered him protectively. But the female constables grabbed her pulling her back as she struggled like crazy.

"Kaif, you know I love you.....we can be happy together Kaif.....Come to me Kaif .....come to your Ridhima! Kaif.... Kaif!" She was scream as she was being dragged away.

"No Ridhima! I was never yours and never will be! I only love one woman and that's my Naila! You're like a mother to me... I trusted and admired you but you ruined me! So go away and face the punishments for your sins!" He said with somewhat a mixture of hate and empathy for her.

She spitted curses on me and was taken away. I felt a bit sorry for her for a second. Just for a spilt second....

###

The court then announced that Kaif was innocent. Although, it wasn't called sexual assault but rather Forced Sexual Intercourse. Even if the law wasn't ready to accept it....the society and media did. He got his name self-respect back, and all the crimes of Ridhima were proved and was sentenced to lifetime in prison. Although, she had gone crazy after so she was admitted to an mental asylum.

That day, I got of the wheel chair, forgetting the pain and jumped into my Kaif's arms shedding tears of joy in his neck.

"We did it Kaif! We won! Allah heard our prayers Shukar Allah..... Kaif....oh Kaif..."

He held me tight and spun me a little.

"Yes we did Naila..... thank you..." He kissed my forehead wiping my tears as his own tears fell.

"Thank you soo much jaan."

It was all over now. Our old lives were back, without an worries or sadness. No Ridhima, no hatred, no accusations and no indigity. I was healing too rapidly Alhumdullilah! but as I had to miss college Farhan and Avanti visited me everyday to keep me updated with the syllabus and tutoring me for our final semester.

We were all soo happy. Everything was perfect. It was a new start.....a new life....

A New Happily Ever After!!!

___________________________________

This is not the end guys!!!

Picture abhi baki hai mere dost 😉

Come back tomorrow for the

Epilogue!