Chapter 206

The courtroom was abuzz with anticipation as Nitish Reddy took the stand. The accused cricketer's every move was scrutinized, his calm demeanor betraying none of the turbulence raging inside him. Sitting across from him was the prosecution's towering figure, Mr. Sen, whose reputation for brutal cross-examinations preceded him. For Sen, this was not just about justice—it was about delivering a spectacle, and he intended to dismantle Nitish's composure piece by piece.

The judge gave Sen the nod to proceed, and he rose, his posture oozing confidence as he walked toward the witness stand. "Mr. Reddy," he began, his tone almost cordial, "you've had a remarkable career, haven't you? A celebrated cricketer, adored by millions. Yet here you are, accused of heinous crimes. How does it feel to go from hero to villain?"

Nitish's face remained stoic, his voice steady. "It's devastating, Mr. Sen. But I'm here to prove my innocence. The truth is all I have left."

Sen smirked, leaning closer to the stand. "Innocence, you say. Let's talk about this 'truth' of yours. You claim you were in Ms. Ayesha's apartment for only five minutes. What were you doing there in that time, Mr. Reddy?"

"I went there because she said she needed help. When I realized her intentions were inappropriate, I left," Nitish replied calmly.

Sen's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Inappropriate intentions? Care to elaborate for the court?"

"She tried to seduce me," Nitish said firmly. "I refused and left."

Sen let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "So you're saying Ms. Ayesha, an actress with a promising career, invited you over just to seduce you? Isn't it possible, Mr. Reddy, that you were the one who tried to impose yourself on her?"

"No," Nitish said, his composure unwavering. "That's not what happened."

Sen's smile faded, and his tone turned sharp. "You're quite the saint, aren't you? Rejecting advances, walking away. If you're so virtuous, Mr. Reddy, tell me, how do you justify the slap?"

Nitish's jaw tightened. "I raised my hand to stop her from undressing. It was not meant to strike her."

Sen pounced on the statement. "Not meant to? But it did, didn't it? And now you expect this court to believe that this act was innocent?"

Nitish met Sen's glare, his voice calm but firm. "I was trying to leave a situation that felt wrong. I didn't harm her intentionally."

The courtroom murmured as Sen began pacing, his frustration palpable. He turned abruptly, his voice louder now. "Let's set aside the slap for a moment. Let's talk about your finances. You were one of the highest-paid IPL players, weren't you? Twenty crores for one season. Your net worth was estimated to be 300 crores. Where did all that money go, Mr. Reddy?"

Nitish raised an eyebrow at the unexpected shift in questioning. "I invested it."

Sen leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with an edge of triumph. "Invested, you say? In what?"

"Cryptocurrency," Nitish replied simply.

The courtroom buzzed with whispers, the word sparking intrigue and suspicion. Sen's expression shifted to mockery. "Cryptocurrency? How convenient. And how much of this mysterious crypto fortune do you currently hold?"

Nitish paused for a moment, his gaze steady as he delivered his answer. "1,270 crores."

The courtroom fell into a stunned silence. Even Sen seemed taken aback for a brief moment before regaining his composure. He smirked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "1,270 crores? And you expect this court to believe that?"

"It's the truth," Nitish said, his voice unshaken. "I made strategic investments early in my career, and they paid off."

Sen's frustration boiled over. "So while you claim to be an innocent man, you've been sitting on a fortune, watching your reputation burn? Why not use some of that wealth to clear your name? Or is it because you know you're guilty?"

Nitish's eyes flashed, but his tone remained calm. "Money can't buy the truth, Mr. Sen. It only complicates it. I'm not here to bribe my way to freedom—I'm here to fight for my innocence."

Sen's face flushed with anger, his voice rising. "Innocence? Do you know what your so-called innocence has done? It's dragged Ms. Ayesha through hell, not to mention the impact on your fans, your sponsors, your family. You talk about truth, but you hide behind wealth and excuses!"

Nitish's voice, though quiet, cut through the noise. "And what about the truth of false allegations, Mr. Sen? What about the lives destroyed by lies? You accuse me of hiding, but I've faced every question, every accusation, head-on. Can Ms. Ayesha say the same?"

The courtroom was silent, the tension thick as the two men stared each other down. Sen, visibly agitated, turned to the judge. "Your Honor, this man is a master manipulator, using his wealth and influence to craft a narrative of victimhood. The court should see through this facade."

The judge raised her hand, her voice firm. "Enough. Both sides will refrain from turning this into a spectacle. Mr. Sen, continue with your questions or conclude your cross-examination."

Sen took a deep breath, his tone colder now. "No further questions, Your Honor. But let the record show that the defendant's wealth and evasiveness speak volumes about his character."

As Nitish stepped down from the stand, the room buzzed with murmurs. The revelation of his cryptocurrency fortune had shifted the dynamics of the case, casting a new light on the man who had once been a national hero. Whether it would help or hurt him remained to be seen, but one thing was certain—the battle for the truth was far from over.