Calming The Storm🌌 (#wattys2019)√

60. Verisimilitude

Dedicated to LavinaFernandes1 you are the best teacher I could have ever asked for! Thank you for being patient with me, for guiding me and for giving me love. I can never thank you enough for helping me learn a language! Thank you ma'am for teaching me; not just French but so much more... Values and compassion, faith and goodness... Thank you ma'am for everything; especially the food😁

"A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker than any germ can."

-John Steinbeck
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2nd January

Sampurnaa's pov:

"Mrs. Karune, please answer this question honestly. Did you ever try to plan something for revenging the Minister?" Indrayan asked her in a gentle yet firm tone

There was a silence in the courtroom. No one spoke. I was sitting with my notepad open on my lap, gripping my pen tightly.

"I... Didn't... I mean... No" she replied at length

"Are you sure that you are speaking the truth, Ma'am? Speaking lies in a courtroom has dire consequences" Indrayan asked her again, a bit jeeringly

The witness looked at him wide-eyed... Almost in a frightened manner

"Objection! The prosecutor is trying to intimidate and threaten the witness." the defendant protested

"Objection sustained! The prosecutor is asked to remember that he is questioning a senior citizen and that it is necessary to maintain the protocol at the court." the justice replied

"I apologise, your honour. I'll rephrase that for you, please tell the court and his honour if you have ever tried to do anything to bring justice to your sister or to avenge her death?"

The witness stood still and silent. She opened her mouth once but then shut it again... She looked towards the Health Minister and then his brother.
She remained silent.

"Mrs. Karune, I request you to answer." Indrayan told her gently this time

"Yes. I wanted to avenge her death." she replied at length

"You wanted to or did you?" he asked her hurriedly

"Your honour, the prosecutor is pressing on the matter too far now." the defendant spoke out

Before the judge could reply to that, Indrayan addressed her, "Ma'am defendant, you are a lawyer who is senior to me with a lot more experience, isn't this how we are supposed to question, anyways?"
His tone was polite and so genuine that it sort of confused the defendant.

"Er... I guess... Yes." she replied and then took her seat, a bit embarrassed

I bit my lip to hide a smile that was urging to come on my face.
I turned my attention towards the proceedings again,
"Mrs. Karune, please answer the question." he repeated

She was looking here and there and then finally after the same question had been repeated thrice, she burst out.

"Yes! Yes!I did! I have already avenged my sister's death! That cheating manwhore is dead! He deserved to die! And Anya... Well she is on the streets anyways! Serves her right! She dared to be a slut... She recruited women whose profession was to sell their bodies... But she is so cheap that she did it for free!"

The interpreter translated it hesitantly.

The justice fumed.
"Mrs. Karune! Use of derogatory and foul language isn't permissible in the court!" he thundered