(Next Day.)

"Vidhika... She was also there at that time as another captive."

Yes, Vidhika was the one who I saw first when I finally opened my eyes. One look at her was enough for me to know that she was there from a very long time.

Even though we weren't that close, seeing bruises on her face wrecked my heart. It was clear that she have been physically abused very badly but even when she was hurt, she got up and helped me to get up properly without getting hurt. That action of her, I still remember because I was so moved by it.

I gave her a last glance before bending down to get hold of my handbag and remove the evidence. As soon as I removed the paper from my bag, she was shocked to that document with me. Never in her wildest dreams, she could have thought that the original documents is with me and not with Vihaan.

"Miss. Sharma, is this the reason which pushed you to his side even when you didn't wanted to betray me, the person who once saved you from bullying in the college..?"

The reason why I didn't even believed my ears when MD told me something against her or my eyes when I saw them together in the hospital, is because we together have went through many things. She was always by my side no matter what so I didn't even believed my own senses when I saw that papers and the scene at hospital but when I got this papers I finally got a reason to believe that she didn't betrayed me or our law firm because she wanted to, she did that because she was forced to do so.

(Few weeks before)

I was on my way to the law firm early today as I had appointment with MD of our firm. From the time, I have came to know from kairav that the opposing lawyer of Miss. Sharma's case was Mr. Malik (MD), I was kind of shocked. Even though I was shocked, I composed myself when I was at home but then, seeing vihaan and he making up a whole damn novel, messed up my whole composure.

Luckily after getting out of the cafe, I reached firm in 15 minutes without driving fast as the roads weren't that packed with traffic. As I had more 15 minutes to myself, I decided to go to my cabin first and then make my way towards MD's cabin.

I was walking in the lonely corridors as it was still very early for the work to start. When from my peripheral vision I saw an closed door, my legs suddenly stopped and I turned my body towards it just to a name plate on the door. I always see that name plate whenever I make my way towards my cabin as before my office, her cabin comes.

'Vidhika Sharma'

It was my every day routine to see her cabin first but today something in me told that, this day is not like every day. Something is different today, Something is very weird today.

My mind was telling me to barge inside without any scare of getting caught as it's still early but my heart was telling me that even though she broke my trust, respect her privacy. I was dilemma about what to do when I closed my eyes to gathered all my thoughts before deciding that for this once, go with my mind and not with my heart.

When I went inside, my eyes went immediately on her desk as I saw light red coloured paper lying on it. That paper was suspicious, in fact very suspicious because all our legal works done on a pale green coloured paper. So the paper lying on her desk, for sure wasn't related to the firm.

Other than suspicious, it was weird too like it was the only paper on the desk and other than that light red paper, nothing was on that desk. A person looking from the 3rd person's point of view, it will look like Vidhika have done it purposely to invite danger. 'Khud ke pair par kulhadi marna' ('Hit one's own leg with a hammer' or 'Getting ruined due to one's own action') is the perfect idiom for her.

As I didn't had much time left, I picked up that tow paged light red paper to see it's content. After reading half way, I immediately went towards the xerox machine to take the photocopy of the paper. One of the advantage of taking photocopy is that, you can never distinguish between original and photocopy one until you are smart enough to see the differences but that advantage can be a disadvantage too. Here, for me it's an advantage but for vidhika who is bad when it comes to technology, obviously it's a disadvantage for her.

I made my way again towards her cabin to keep the photocopy one and kept the original one in my bag before making my towards the MD's cabin and skipping the tour towards my cabin. When I arrived there, his assistance made me sit in the waiting room and that's where I thought of this.

"Firstly tell me what you what to want me to do..? As far as I know you, you aren't here just to know about that case but also for something else. First tell me that and I promise after that I will tell you about that fact."

Okay I will tell him. After hearing my request he will be shocked and even I am shocked with what I am going to do but for the sake of the case, I have to do it. So this was time to play my cards.

"Sir, I request you to replace Vidhika Sharma. Vidhika should be replaced."

(Present)

I observed her expressions to see if she was really shocked or was acting to be shocked and I was right.

"Stop acting like you are shocked. I know you left this papers back purposely, right..?"

She sighed and dropped her act of being shock after seeing the same light red papers which were once on the desk of her cabin. Even though, she dropped the act, I could see a tint of surprise on her face.

"I am not shocked because I was damn sure that you have saw those papers but you made me surprised as I didn't knew that original one is with you."

Not surprised. She was never good with technology. I would had looked at her ridiculously and also would had teased her if we weren't in such a situation.

"Will you not ask me why I signed this..?"

She spoke after lack of my response to what she said earlier or haven't teased her about her knowledge of technology as I used to do.

"I have a favour to ask you. Will you agree...?"

I ignored her earlier statement as it was not necessary for me to answer it, at least not for now. I am here not as her boss but as a representative of the law firm. So it's better not to tell her what my future plans are.

I looked at her confused face which was trying to guess what will I ask from her and decided to say my next statement.

"From many years, I have done soo many things for you without asking for anything in return and I wasn't even planning to ask something in return from you but agree to it because if you say yes to it, your sister will get justice in an easy and fast way."

There is no doubt that no matter if she agrees or not to my favour, I will surely never compromise the justice but if she does agree, it will not only help her sister and her, but it will help me too in an indirect way.

"What it is...?"

After thinking for a while, she asked me. Her curious face yet very sure face that I will ask something very big like leave your job or something like that but she was wrong.

"According to the law, as you were forced to be a traitor and you didn't wanted to do the things you did, so you are innocent but not fully.

Tomorrow is the fourth trial of the case and if I present this to prove your innocence, it will do nothing but increase the chances of Vihaan spending more time in the jail which I don't want. So....."

I looked around the cell just to see how bad condition it was in. I am not lying when I say that it looked literally like a hell.

'I guess what I will be asking for, would be a big thing for her.'

I looked at her again after my roam around the damaged cell.

"What if I ask you to stay here till the fifth trial of the court....?"

(A/n- Hey guys!! I don't know if you all remember the scene or not, so the chapter from which the references are taken is of Chapter no- 32.

Also, any guesses about what's going inside Vaishnavi's head..?
Comment down and let me know.

I hope you enjoyed reading it!!

Stay safe healthy and happy!!
Take care of yourself and your family!! Have a good day!!

Love ya❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)