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"Who… who is that?"
I whisper to myself, squinting at the figure standing in the courtroom.
"He… he looks familiar…"
"His face… I've definitely seen that face before."
And then... slowly...
My memory returns.
I remember —
That's the generator uncle from Paradise High School!
Kirti Gupta's father!
The one I used to greet with a smile every morning.
The one I respectfully called "Good morning, Uncle!"
Whose daughter I used to chat with often.
After all... his daughter was a scholarship student too — just like me.
That's why we had a natural bond and understanding.
"But... why? Why would he do something like this?"
"He always seemed like such a good man..."
"How could he?"
My heart trembles.
"I treated him like a father figure..."
"To me, I was like his daughter..."
I'm shocked.
Utterly stunned.
I never even imagined... that the person behind all of this… could be him.
But… why did he do it?
Attacking me… switching the body…
What was his motive?
Was he following someone else's orders?
Was there a bigger story?
Just then, my lawyer places the DNA reports before the judge and declares in a grave tone:
"Your Lordship, this is the man —
who struck Riya on the head…
and who also shot Khushi Chauhan."
The opposing lawyer jumps up immediately, protesting:
"How can you make such a bold claim?"
But my lawyer doesn't flinch —
"Please, sir. We understand how eager you are to win this case…
But this time, you won't."
"Because now we have irrefutable evidence."
"We can't ignore the blood found under Riya's fingernails."
"That blood wasn't just there by chance —
Khushi had tried to save herself.
She fought her attacker, and in the struggle, his blood got stuck under her nails."
"And now… that blood has matched — with this man's DNA."
"You can see the scratch marks on his hands yourself —
exactly where Khushi's nails would have dug in during the struggle."
"That's why the DNA report matches.
And the rest of the truth... he'll tell you himself.
Isn't that right… Mr. Gupta?"
The courtroom goes still.
All eyes turn toward him —
Mr. Gupta...
The same man I once called 'Uncle Ji, Namaste!'
Now stood here, head bowed in shame,
his eyes fixed to the floor,
too afraid… too broken… to look up.
It's as if he's silently asking for forgiveness from the world — and from himself.
"You'll tell the truth now, won't you, Mr. Gupta?"
I speak softly, but firmly.
He keeps staring at the ground.
"Or should I say it for you?"
"His daughter — Kirti — studied at Paradise High School.
She was admitted through a scholarship, just like me.
She applied for the prestigious Signature College scholarship too,
but she didn't make the cut."
"After that…
She became extremely upset."
And according to the D-rule —
If the original awardee of the Signature scholarship can't attend the college,
it passes on to the next eligible student.
Mr. Gupta exploited that loophole…
And shot Khushi.
Before he could dispose of the body, I walked in...
So he used my presence as an opportunity.
He framed me.
Since I'd recently had a fight with Khushi,
he assumed people would believe I had done it.
He hit me on the head,
forced the gun into my hand,
and ran away.
"Isn't that right, Mr. Gupta?"
My throat runs dry.
"All this... for a scholarship?"
"How... how can someone stoop so low?"
"To the point of murder?"
And yet…
His daughter — Kirti — eventually got that scholarship.
She got into college because of it.
"What...? Kirti got in that way?"
"No… I still can't believe it…"
"Just for a scholarship? A life?"
The opposing lawyer stands up:
"Objection! You're forcing a confession out of my client!"
But my lawyer smiles calmly.
"Alright, sir.
If that's what you believe…
Let's hear it from him directly."
A tense silence falls over the courtroom.
Then...
Mr. Gupta finally speaks.
"Yes... yes, I did it all."
"I really did."
"And you can believe me…"
"I'm a very poor man…
I couldn't afford to send my daughter to college…
That scholarship… it was our last hope.
She had big dreams — and I had to fulfill them."
"I couldn't bear to see her cry…"
"At first, I just went to Khushi to beg her.
To ask her to please… let it go.
Let my daughter have it."
"Khushi… she wasn't as poor as we were.
She could have studied some other way…"
**"But…"
"She refused."
**"Things escalated…
We got into a scuffle…
And then…"
"I shot her."
"Before I could do anything else…
Riya showed up."
"I never meant to frame her...
But in a moment of panic…
I ruined everything."
"I made a terrible mistake in anger…
And to cover that up…
I dragged Riya into it too."
The other lawyer is stunned —
He has nothing left to say.
Moments later, the judge delivers his verdict:
"Mr. Gupta is sentenced to 16 years in prison.
His daughter Kirti Gupta's scholarship and college admission will be revoked.
All charges against Riya are dropped."
Applause breaks out in the back of the courtroom —
It's Akshat and Roni clapping.
"Finally…
We had won the case."
"We had won…"
But…
Why don't I feel like we've won?
Why don't I feel... happy?
The happiness I had been waiting for so long —
It just wasn't there.
Something inside me felt incomplete.
The courtroom was beginning to empty…
But I stood there, still… lost.
"This story still feels unfinished…
There's more… a lot more left."
Behind me, Khushi's mother was sobbing hysterically at Mr. Gupta —
Yelling… until she finally fainted.
Everyone rushed to help.
Even Mr. Gupta looked back, concerned —
As two officers began escorting him toward the jail.
My lawyer walked up to me, smiling,
"Congratulations!"
I just replied quietly —
"Thank you… I'll see you later."
And I rushed past him — toward Mr. Gupta.
Akshat and Roni assumed I was walking toward them.
They were just about to smile and say "Congratulations!"
When I passed right by them.
"What's with this girl now?"
"Why is she always so upset?"
"Can she never be happy?"
Roni stopped clapping mid-sentence.
Akshat turned to follow me...
And Roni followed him.
"Wait…"
"Just two minutes.
I need to ask him something…"
I said to the officers —
And they paused.
Mr. Gupta was still staring down.
As I walked closer, I asked —
"Was it really you...?"
Then another question —
**"Is there something else you're hiding?"
"Do you know more than you're saying?"
He looked up.
I could see the tears in his eyes.
He stared at me…
Then turned his head back toward me and…
Suddenly yelled —
"Why won't you believe me?!
Yes! I did it!
I did it!!"
He screamed in rage…
And sobbed at the same time.
Before I could process it all,
Roni placed a hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me away.
Akshat followed quietly behind us.
Meanwhile, the police dragged Mr. Gupta away…
Still shouting...
Still broken...
Still full of regret.
---
To celebrate the win…
"Come on, let's celebrate!"
Roni said excitedly.
It was evening.
The three of us were walking by the riverside.
A little ahead, Akshat added,
"Yeah, the weather's pretty nice today too… right, Riya?"
Both of them looked so happy…
But me?
Why… why am I not happy?
Why does everything still feel so strange?
I kept walking silently, staring at my feet.
Then I glanced back for a moment —
Akshat had stopped walking.
"Riya, are you okay?"
His voice echoed gently.
Oh.
I'd been so lost in thought —
I had forgotten they were even there.
Forgot Akshat had asked me something —
I couldn't even remember what it was.
I faked a smile and walked up to him —
"Yeah, yeah… I'm fine."
He looked at me strangely.
"Hmm..."
He didn't push further.
I looked up at the sky...
Then turned toward him and said softly:
"You know…"
"I don't know, Akshat.
Something feels off… just not right."
I said in a quiet voice.
"You should be happy.
You're free now," he replied with a smile.
We fought so hard to win this case…
And in the end, we did.
We finally won.
I was even proven innocent.
But still…
Still, something didn't feel right inside me.
"Don't you think it all happened too easily?" I asked gently.
"And to be honest... all of this was so… unexpected."
"And… did you see the tears in his eyes?"
"Oh Lord!" Roni suddenly chimed in dramatically,
"You're a goddess! We should do your aarti right now.
You're feeling sorry for the criminal?
Why don't you free him from jail and say, 'Take me instead!'"
"It's not like that, Roni," I replied calmly.
"Then what is it, Riya?
You saw him — he confessed the moment we got proof.
And why are you not seeing that?
Aren't you overthinking this?"
He said seriously.
Then Akshat added softly,
"Maybe… because he was your friend's dad,
you're just feeling bad.
And maybe… maybe it really did look like he regretted what he did."
"Yeah... that could be true…
But still... all this…
for a scholarship?"
My voice trembled.
"You never know, Riya.
Greed can make people do anything."
Roni said with a deep sigh.
I fell silent.
"Anything is possible…
But still,
those tears in his eyes…
I'm still not sure I believe them."
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