"Your Honor," Advocate Rao's voice boomed with confidence and practiced ease. Behind him, his mini-army of professionally trained assistants ruffled the papers, ready to produce the evidence at a single snap of his fingers.
The air in the courtroom hung heavy, thick with the scent of old paper and countless legal battles fought within its worn walls. Sunlight streamed through high windows, illuminating the rows of empty wooden benches and the imposing judge's chair at the far end.
Rudransh Shenoy appeared every bit the powerful CEO he was, impeccably dressed in a sharp suit. He looked ready for the battle. But beneath the polished exterior, a flicker of vulnerability betrayed his carefully constructed facade. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he stole a glance at Sonica, sharing the bench with him.
She was visibly stiff. Holding her head high with her jaw clenched tight in defiance. However, her eyes mirrored the turmoil within. Beside her, Advocate Niharika Kapoor shuffled through files with a practiced ease.
She was glaring at Advocate Rao, Rudransh's lawyer, standing at the podium. The courtroom may have been nearly empty, but the weight of the impending battle settled heavily upon them all.
"We don't have to go through any of it," Rudransh murmured, his voice barely a whisper that reached only Sonica's ears. "You just have to say a word and I'll stop all of this."
The intimacy of his voice, laced with a hint of desperation, sent a shiver down Sonica's spine.
"You mean, bow before you so you'd stop humiliating me?" she snapped back without averting her gaze. Her voice was sharp with a mix of anger and hurt. She tried to pull away, but the confines of the bench limited her movement.
"Don't you see, Sonica? This will destroy both of us," Rudransh continued, his voice low and urgent. "Your family, mine – the world will be watching this spectacle. We can avoid it all. You just have to give me another chance. I promise I'll redeem myself. I will—"
His words held a strange mix of authority and vulnerability. The raw emotion in his voice was tugging at a thread of sympathy within her but Sonica was determined not to let herself melt.
"Redemption?" She scoffed in a voice laced with disbelief. "How convenient everything is for you, Rudransh. Walk away when you feel like, storm back when you crave me. Rewrite the narrative, to paint yourself as the wronged husband."
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a steely resolve. "It's anything but convenient. I would have rewritten the past if I could, Sonica," he said, his voice firm now. "No one can! But there can be a future. A future where we make things right. This is our chance, Sonica. Don't throw it away."
Sonica opened her mouth to deliver the retort waiting at the tip of her tongue when Advocate Rao's voice took charge of the court.
"Today, we stand before this court on behalf of the petitioner, Mr. Rudransh Shenoy, in a case under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, requesting restitution of his conjugal rights.
The petitioner and the respondent, Ms. Sonica Singh Sikarwar, now Mrs. Sonica Shenoy—," Rudransh smirked when Sonica grimaced and adjusted in her seat as the confident voice echoed his truth.
His grin widened when their eyes met for a second.
"Mine." He mouthed, pouting his lips in a kissing gesture. Sonica's lips thinned. Everything within her wanted to stand up and scream the falseness of his claims and how deceiving he was but she knew the protocol and understood that she and Niharika had to wait.
"—were married on December 25th, 2022 according to Hindu rites and customs in an extremely private ceremony held in Italy. Alongside, they decided to legalize the marriage and applied for the marriage certificate in India. The marriage commenced happily, and they cohabited together for a short interval in Venice, Greece, and Edinburg. However, upon returning to India, the respondent has, without reasonable excuse, withdrawn from the society of the petitioner."
Advocate Rao finished weaving his narrative. A satisfied smirk played on his lips. The timeline he presented was meticulously crafted, leaving Sonica with no wiggle room. Denying the claimed meetings or locations would be futile.
A low growl escaped Sonica's throat, barely audible above the murmurs in the courtroom. Rudransh's gaze flickered towards her. His eyes danced with amusement when he heard the very curse word she spat under her breath.
"Despite repeated attempts at reconciliation," Rao continued. "the respondent has refused the conjugal rights of the petitioner. This desertion, Your Honor, has caused immense emotional strain and hardship to the petitioner. He remains committed to the sanctity of the marriage. He loves his wife dearly and wishes to rebuild their life together."
Sonica rolled her eyes, the familiar words doing little to pierce her hardened resolve. Over a year of "I love you very much and I am sorry," muttered with practiced sincerity, had lost all impact.
Rudransh, beside her, maintained his facade of earnest devotion.
The judge's gaze flickered between them. A fleeting spark of sympathy momentarily lit his eyes. Sonica caught it. That flicker, she knew, was a dangerous assumption. Based on Rudransh's performance, it wouldn't be a stretch for the judge to paint her as the villain— the uncaring wife, perhaps even a gold-digger playing a scorned feminist after she got what she wanted.
"The petitioner acknowledges the court's discretion in such matters." Advocate Rao's voice was firm yet polite. Perfect to shoulder the assumptions Rudransh had created. The air in the family courtroom crackled with judgments so bitter one could almost taste it and the proceeding had barely commenced.
Advocate Rao's voice, smooth as polished marble, sliced through the tense silence again. "Your Honor," he addressed the stern judge with spectacles perched on her nose, "this is the marriage certificate between the petitioner, Rudransh Shenoy, and the respondent, Sonica Shenoy. As you can see, it bears Mrs. Shenoy's indisputable signature."
A collective gasp of disbelief rippled through the courtroom. The weight of that document hung heavy between the Sikarwar and Shenoy families. The Shenoys unflinchingly believed every lie their heir had fabricated while the Sikarwars rivaled the belief with an equal amount of determined denial.
But before Mr. Rao could capitalize on the moment, Niharika Kapoor, Sonica's lawyer, rose to her feet with a predatory glint flashing in her eyes.
"Objection, Your Honor!" Her voice cut through the murmurs like a whip. "A signature on a piece of paper does not constitute a marriage. In fact, my client has endured emotional abuse for far too long at the hands of Mr. Shenoy without entitling anything from him, including his name!"
Rudransh's face flushed a deep crimson. No matter how hard he tried, the accusation was a blatant blow. Mr. Rao, however, remained unfazed. A thin smile grazed on his lips.
"Emotional abuse, Your Honor?" he countered with practiced skepticism. "We vehemently deny such accusations. In fact, Mr. Shenoy has made numerous attempts at reconciliation, all of which were met with a cold shoulder by the respondent."
"Attempts?" Niharika scoffed, her voice laced with disdain. "You call stalking attempts at reconciliation? My client deserves peace, not harassment!"
The judge slammed her gavel on the table. "Let's proceed with decorum, Ms. Kapoor. We will hear your arguments in due time. Mr. Shenoy, is there anything you wish to say at this point?"
Rudransh stepped forward, his voice thick with a carefully crafted blend of remorse and longing. "Your Honor, all I want is my wife back. This marriage certificate isn't just a piece of paper; it represents the vows we took and the future we envisioned together. Sonica, please," he pleaded, his voice cracking with a hint of desperation, "let's not throw away what we have. I love you. I am sure we can work out whatever it is. Your Honor, I only request a chance to revive the emotions my wife believes she doesn't have."
Sonica's lips remained a thin line. Her face flattened in an unreadable mask. "I am not your wife," she finally stated, her voice laced with steel.
Niharika seized the opportunity, her voice sharp as a nail. "This is our central defense, your honor. Not only is my client not Mr. Shenoy's wife, Your Honor, but the basis of this petition is flawed. We argue that this case falls under Section 12 of the Hindu Marriage Act and not Section 9. Moreover, the credibility of the purported marriage certificate is highly questionable. We have strong reason to believe that the signature submitted is a forgery."
A stunned silence descended upon the courtroom. Mr. Rao's carefully constructed facade flickered for a moment. A quiver of unease crossed his eyes. The judge, her gaze sharp, addressed Mr. Rao.
"Mr. Rao, do you wish to respond to these new allegations?"
Mr. Rao cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "We will address these claims in due course, Your Honor. However, I'd like remind our learned counsel that the marriage certificate remains a valid document and a conclusive evidence until proven otherwise."
The judge pursed her lips, considering the arguments presented. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.
After a brief pause, she finally spoke. "The court acknowledges the petition and the objections raised by both the parties," the judge declared, her voice leaving no room for debate. "We will hear further arguments at the next hearing, scheduled for March 12th. Both parties are expected to submit supporting evidence to substantiate their claims."
A heavy silence descended upon the courtroom. Each sentence was a bombshell that detonated the fragile truce that had existed moments before.
"However, until the conclusion of the hearing," the judge continued, her gaze unwavering, "the marriage remains valid in the eyes of the law. Mrs. Shenoy, you are therefore requested to cohabitate with your husband with immediate effect."
The gavel slammed once more, the finality of the sound echoing through the emptying courtroom.
Advocate Rao heaved a sigh of relief while Niharika's fists clenched.
Sonica stood frozen. The judge's words were a physical weight pressing down on her. Beside her, Rudransh's eyes held a glimmer of triumph, a fleeting victory quickly overshadowed by a simmering intensity.
Extending a hand, he murmured huskily, "Husband dearest wins the first round, won't you congratulate me?"
A sardonic smile played on his lips as he added, "Welcome home, wifey." The playful endearment was laced with an undercurrent of possessiveness, sending shivers down her spine despite the icy anger burning in her eyes.
"Rejoice your temporary victory," Sonica spat, the defiance in her voice laced with a dangerous edge. "This is far from over, Rudransh. Don't mistake this for a surrender. I will shatter you to pieces."
"And I will jumble them into a masterpiece that the history would remember."
A slow smile spread across Rudransh's face, a smile that sent a jolt through Sonica despite her resolve. "Nothing can come between us. Not even you." he countered in a low rumble.
"Soon, the walls of this courtroom will soon echo with the truth, but until then…" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that tickled her ear.
"I'll be waiting for you, Sonica. Ghar jaldi aa jana, Malik. Zamana bohot kharab hain. (Come home soon, my love. The world outside is fraught with troubles.)"
With a final, lingering touch—a loving peck on her forehead—Rudransh sauntered out of the courtroom.
The air crackled with unspoken electricity, leaving Sonica breathless. His victory felt like a twisted promise, a storm brewing with an undercurrent of a strange, exhilarating tension. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She was a heap of anger and a flicker of something she couldn't quite define.
He may have won the first round, but the battle lines were drawn, and Sonica was no damsel in distress. She would fight him tooth and nail, but somewhere, deep down, a tiny, traitorous part of her couldn't help but be intrigued by the storm brewing in his eyes.
What is waiting for her at the place he called—'Their Home'?