Chapter 4 : Nitish Death

The prison, a place where hope often dwindled, was now a battleground of silent tension. Nitish, with a demeanor of grave concern, approached Nakul. The meeting place was stark and cold, the walls echoing with the whispers of countless untold stories.

"Nakul, I have something important," Nitish began, his voice barely above a whisper. He glanced around nervously, ensuring their privacy. "This evidence... it can change everything. But you need to be cautious, trust no one."

Nakul, his face etched with the marks of his ordeal, nodded slowly. "Nitish, I don't know how to thank you. You're my only hope."

"Just be ready," Nitish replied, his eyes conveying a mix of determination and fear. "Things might get even more complicated."

As Nitish left, a prison guard watched from a distance, his expression unreadable. He immediately placed a covert call. "The evidence is here," he murmured into the phone, his words a betrayal cloaked in secrecy.

In her room, Ayesha received the news with a cold, calculated demeanor. She swiftly dialed a number, her voice steady but laced with urgency. "We need to act now. It's getting out of hand."

The response on the other end was brief but clear, setting in motion a counterstrategy to undermine Nitish's efforts.

Months of turmoil led to the day of the retrial. The courtroom was a maelstrom of anxiety and anticipation. Nakul sat, his heart pounding, his mind racing with thoughts of Nitish's evidence and the uncertain future.

As the trial commenced, Nakul's lawyer, Mr. Sinha, took the stand. His words, however, were not what Nakul expected. "Your Honor, my client has been wrongly accused," Mr. Sinha began, but his tone lacked conviction.

Nakul leaned forward, his eyes searching Sinha's face for signs of assurance. But what followed left him reeling. "However, I regret to inform the court that no substantial evidence has been presented to support his claim of innocence."

Nakul's voice cracked as he interrupted, "What about the evidence Nitish gave you? The proof of my innocence?"

Mr. Sinha's response was a cold dismissal. "I received no such evidence from Nitish."

The judge, an older man with a stern face, looked at Nakul. "Are you referring to Nitish Kumar? The young man who tragically passed away last month?"

Nakul's world crumbled. "Nitish is... dead?" he stammered, disbelief and despair washing over him.

Ayesha's smirk from the gallery was like a dagger to his heart. In a moment of raw emotion, Nakul stood up, his fists clenched. "She's behind all this! She's lying!"

"Order!" the judge bellowed, bringing the courtroom to a sudden silence.

The climax approached as Nakul, in a final, desperate act, revealed the pendrive. "This is the truth," he declared, his voice trembling but resolute.

The courtroom erupted in chaos, lawyers from both sides clamoring over the admissibility of this last-minute evidence.

"Silence!" The judge's voice cut through the commotion. He took the pendrive, his expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "We will adjourn for a brief recess. This evidence will be reviewed."

As the courtroom emptied, Nakul sat back, a myriad of emotions swirling within him. Hope, fear, anger, and a lingering sense of betrayal battled for dominance. The fate of his life hung in the balance, hinged on the contents of a small, unassuming pendrive.