NOT A CRIMINAL

(Hello readers, please feel free to comment, it’s my first novel)

 (In prison 7 years ago)

Aradhya POV

I was crying over and over again I don’t know why all the bad things happened to me. I was crying so much that I am taking short breaths and my vision was blurry because of the uncontrollable tears in my eyes. 

I just can’t understand how my life changed in just a moment. My face was red due to excessive crying and my swollen eyes were looking horrible. I said to myself,

 “I am really in a very miserable condition”.

I was sitting in the corner of the prison cell curled up like a ball. For my whole life, I was a positive person who tries, best to make people smile.

 Most of the time I try my best to forgive people and move on but I wound ‘not forgive those people who made me cry and left me in this condition.

I was feeling so tired and dehydrated because I cried a lot but I don’t have much power to do anything. Then I said to myself,

“No matter how much I cried today I wouldn’t cry on this matter again. I would take my revenge no matter what, they have to pay for their deeds.

I tried to calm down and unknowingly, my mind started remembering how much cheerful person I was, again a tear escaped from my eyes.

 I can’t stop myself from thinking about my old memories and my small dreams. Those dreams were the reason for my life.

While thinking all these things my eyelids started to feel heavier and slowly I closed my eyes.

(At midnight time)

I was on edge of crying I said to all the people around me,

“Please listen to me I don’t know how all the shreds of evidence are against me but I haven’t done anything like this please believe me.”

Meera said to me “I thought you are a good person but you are just a worthless piece of shit. I just can’t believe I was your friend”.

I stared at her in disbelief, I just can’t believe how she can do this to me. I thought she is a true friend and now she is accusing me of that crime I have never done.

Suddenly Aditya’s mom came out of the patient ward by her face I can say she is so angry and there is the only thing in her eyes and that’s pure hatred. 

She came towards me fiercely and slapped me so hard

Because of that slap, I instantly fall on the ground with a loud thud all those people whom I thought of as my family even though they were my friend.

 At that moment I realized that everything was a plan to torture me and unfortunately they succeeded in their plan because I have trusted them with my whole heart.

She grabbed my arm fiercely and asked me, “why just why, what he had ever done to you. Because of you now I am facing all this because you, now I lost the most precious thing of mine because of you.”

After saying all this she broke down crying and just then Aditya’s father came and tried to comfort her.

I tried to say something but my voice betrayed me. I again tried to say something because of the whole situation I was not in a condition to talk even then after some efforts I spoke, “p…ple…please b…believe me I haven’t done anything.”

I was sobbing at that time.

Just at that moment, both parents looked at me with their dark gaze filled with pure hatred.

After Aditya’s mom left, they all were looking at me, Meera, Arnav, Riya, and Aakash. Meera smirked while watching my miserable state.

I covered my ears because their sound of laughing made me angry and frustrated at the same time.

Suddenly I woke from my sleep and then I realized it’s a dream about whatever happened yesterday I again said to myself.

“Calm down Aradhya calm down”

(Author’s POV – Aradhya is a 17 years old girl, who was studying in her dream school. It was the last year of her school and she was hardly trying to get into her dream university. But she got accused of a crime she have never done. Now she is struggling in prison because prison life is so horrible for a girl like her.)

 Aradhya POV

I have to prove my innocence otherwise my life going to be ruined in prison for a crime I have never done. After some time a police officer came and said I have to come out, I simply followed his order because I don’t have a choice right now. 

 Other officers and constables were also going towards the van. They guide me towards the police van and I sat down in the van silently not knowing what is going to happen next. 

Thousands of questions are ringing in my mind, why they had to do this to me, how they made all evidence against me, from when they were planning all this to me while thinking all this the van suddenly stopped and a lady constable holds my arm mercilessly and started dragging me like a criminal, I know even though I am not a criminal but for them, I am a criminal right now. 

While they were taking me to the courtroom only one thought was lingering in my mind, “Sometimes we pay for those things we have never done and sometimes we got betrayed by those people whom we have trusted as a family and loved with a whole heart.”

My all thoughts got interrupted when I was in the courtroom. The lawyers started talking about the case. After almost 2 hours of giving evidence of the case. My lawyer tried a lot to prove my side but he couldn't do anything because all pieces of evidence were against me. Everyone was thinking that I killed Aditya. No one can believe me because in which situation I was found with Aditya. I know it's hard to believe. Meera called me there and I think she and all her friends planned all this.

Then at last after all this I heard the judge say, "According to all pieces of evidence and sayings, the court finds Aradhya as a culprit of Aditya's murder. For this crime, the court gives 7 years of prison to Aradhya as a punishment." 

Just after hearing, all this I couldn't hold my tears back tears. I don't think I could ever explain to someone how much my dreams mean to me because they were the only thing I always remind myself of as an aim. Apart from my dreams, I don't have other important things in my life because I always feel like everything else is just an illusion and when the illusion breaks it hurts a lot.