Amol was an honest salesman working for a hardware company. His honesty and integrity were never questioned until he was charged with raping a woman from his neighbourhood. He was arrested immediately upon a complaint from his next building neighbour.
Amol was 29 living in Solapur for his job. He was tall, about 6.2, he had a slim frame and used to keep a trimmed beard that suited his thin face. Amol was not granted bail for about one year. When he ran out of funds, he had to settle for a newbie lawyer for contesting his case in High Court so that he did not have to spend much.
This gives me the opportunity to introduce another main character of the story, Shivani. Shivani was a lawyer with just 2 years of experience. She was fair, 5.3 with a slender figure of 33, 26, 35. She used to look cute with a slight dimple on her left cheek and big honey colour eyes.
Shivani was a happy person and wanted to establish herself as a criminal lawyer. But she had two hurdles in shaping her desired career. One was her parents resisting her to be a lawyer and the other was her boyfriend, who himself was a lawyer, didn't want his girlfriend to be seen in courts defending criminals.
For that matter, her boyfriend was possessive to the extent that he did not like Shivani interacting with men at all.
It so happened that Shivani's senior asked her if she would take up bail matter of a person charged with offence of rape. She was in two minds, but she reluctantly said yes as she wanted work.
Shivani received papers through Amol's friends along with a small advance fee. She hardly cared the fee at that stage of her career.
Shivani was in dual mind while reading the papers of the case whether she was doing right as a woman defending a person like Amol. But as her senior had taught her to be professional, she continued to defend Amol seriously.
Reading the complaint by the victim was a pain. The forceful acts done by Amol on his neighbour were described. She was trying hard to find loops. She decided to meet Amol to take further instructions. It was possible only through video conference as Amol was still in jail.
She made necessary applications and completed formalities and video conferencing was scheduled.
The communication between the lawyer and his client is always privileged. So it was only Amol on his end and Shivani on her. Amol was produced by the jailor in a well-ironed white pyjama kurta with black stripes and a white topi. His beard had grown disproportionately.
Shivani was in white formal shirt and trouser. Though her clothes covered her body completely, it revealed the curves as the shirt and trouser were fitting her properly. Her hair was properly tied and she wore light make up with lips stick and eye-liner giving a really model formal look.
After a strange silence, Shivani introduced herself to Amol. Though Shivani was looking attractive and Amol had seen a woman after a year, he hardly had any feelings in his eyes and his eyes looked intense.
Shivani asked him several questions. He answered a few and he avoided a few. His version was that whatever happened between him and his neighbour was mutual and that his neighbour wanted to extract money and hence she threatened him and filed a complaint against him.
Shivani questioned about the injury marks on the victim to which Amol didn't have a satisfactory answer. After a conference of about 45 minutes, Amol was taken back.
Shivani later gathered her notes. She read a lot on medical science and tried to prove Amol innocent and pleaded strongly that he could get bail at least.
After a month, the court ordered granting bail to Amol. This was the first victory for Shivani. Her first opportunity to showcase her advocacy has turned positive. The news was reflected even in newspapers though on the 4th page in small 2-inch space. She kept the cutting.
Her phone rang after a couple of days. It was Amol. He thanked her for whatever she has done and expressed desire to meet her. She didn't own any office yet, so she chose to meet at CCD.
When she entered CCD, Amol was in formals and looked completely different. His beard well-trimmed. He got up and welcomed her. She was in while kameez and black salwar with black chunri, that's the colour lawyers use. Again, though fully covered, she was looking curvy and attractive.
Amol: Thanks once again. It is hard to believe.
Shivani: (smiling) I hope you don't get into trouble again.
Amol: I will make sure no one betrays me like this again.
Amol looked at her top to toe. This time, he had a twinkle in his eyes.
Amol: Cannot believe you had defended me. A woman. A beautiful woman.
Shivani did not know what to react to it.
Shivani: Should we order something?
Amol: Yeah sure. What will you have?
Shivani: Espresso.
Amol was certainly attracted to her now and wanted to have talks other than his case with her. Shivani was feeling awkward and still guessing, isne rape kiya hai ya nahi?
But after some time, Shivani also wanted to believe that he is innocent. His expressions and decent behaviour could hardly suggest that he could do something like that. This made Shivani also open up and talk to him freely.
Amol's trial was still pending and he requested Shivani to defend him in his trial also like she defended him for his bail. This meant Shivani had to travel to Solapur.
Shivani agreed on the condition that her travel expenses and accommodation should be borne in addition to the fee. Though somewhere in her heart she did not want to charge fees from him, at the same time, she wanted to be professional.
Shivani used to travel by train in first class AC from Mumbai to Solapur for the trial of Amol.