Ever since his release from prison, Arjun had made it a sacred habit to rise at Brahma Muhurta and sit for meditation. Yet that night, he became so entangled in long conversations with his mother and the haunting memories of his past that he failed to wake at dawn. His mother, too, did not stir him from sleep.
When he finally awoke, it was nearly ten o'clock. Startled, he sat up and saw his mother working in the kitchen. Upon noticing him, she smiled warmly."You're awake, Bittoo?
I thought you should get a good, undisturbed sleep, so I didn't wake you. Shall I make some tea for you?"
"Mother, you should have woken me," Arjun said, a hint of regret in his voice. "I slept until ten. From today, I have decided to begin my independent writing."
He was still thinking of calling Suyash to inquire about the RTI when his phone rang. It was Suyash himself, asking him to come to the office immediately. Nearly a month had passed, and there was still no response from the authorities.
His mother, who had overheard the conversation, said gently, "It's all right, son. These things happen sometimes. Since Suyash has called you, go and meet him first. He is a very kind-hearted boy. You can start your writing from tomorrow."
"Yes, Mother," Arjun replied. "Since Bhai Sahab has called, it must be important. Please prepare breakfast. I'll quickly take a bath and get ready. I need to meet Sinha Sahab at his office shortly."
"Very well," his mother said. "You go and freshen up. I'll have breakfast ready by the time you return."
After a hurried breakfast, Arjun reached Suyash's office, where the young lawyer was already waiting for him.
"What do we do now, Bhai Sahab?" Arjun asked as soon as he sat down.
"We will file another RTI," Suyash replied calmly. "This time, we'll try to trace the witnesses."
Throughout the meeting, Arjun kept glancing anxiously at his phone screen — checking for any new message, email, or notification about the RTI response. But there was nothing. An entire month had slipped away in this manner. Every morning, he would wait for the postman, hoping that the reply might arrive by post. Yet the expected envelope never came.
Suyash had already informed him that the legal time limit for an RTI response was thirty days. Those thirty days were now over, and only one question echoed relentlessly in Arjun's mind:"If they haven't replied to the RTI, what are they trying to hide?"
Suyash had tried to reassure him: "Sometimes, the silence of the system is the loudest testimony, Arjun. The system begins to tremble when someone comes dangerously close to the truth."
But Arjun was no man of legal nuances. To him, only one truth mattered — Shreya's entire family had vanished, and the RTI was supposed to provide answers about their disappearance.
In the world of law, there is a well-known saying:"Court decides evidence,
Media decides villains."
The delay in the RTI response had once again provided fresh fodder to the media. Television channels were running sensational headlines in bold letters:"
Could Arjun or Shreya's lover be involved in the family's disappearance?"
"Did Arjun hide the truth?"
"Shreya's Family Goes Missing — New Twist in the Agniveer Arjun Case!"Reporters who had never even met Arjun were confidently declaring him guilty during prime-time panel debates.
Anchors, with fiery voices, thundered:"If he is innocent, why is the RTI reply missing?"
As if the RTI reply were tucked away in their own pockets. The family had stopped watching television altogether; the constant barrage of these accusations only worsened their health and peace of mind.
Arjun's face flashed repeatedly across screens — sometimes in grainy CCTV footage, sometimes in old photographs.
Suyash gestured towards the chair and said calmly, "Arjun, sit down and relax. The absence of a reply is not defeat. This isn't even the first real stage of the battle.
"There was clear restlessness in Arjun's eyes. "But thirty days have passed… no answer. Is this normal?"
Suyash opened a file, turned a page, and said, "It is very normal — and very dangerous too. Because when the system falls silent, it usually means someone is suppressing the truth."
He then slid a white sheet of paper towards Arjun. "Now we will file the First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act. This is the legal way to break their silence."
Arjun took the paper; his hand trembled slightly. "Will this get us the reply sooner?"
Suyash smiled, as though he had anticipated the question. "In the world of law, Arjun, there is no such thing as 'soon'. There is only what is 'necessary'. And this—" he tapped the paper with his finger, "—is extremely necessary."
As Arjun signed the legal document for the first time, he felt a profound realization wash over him. Today, his real fight had begun.
He was no longer merely an accused. He had become a citizen standing in search of truth.
Suyash was not just a promising young lawyer; he possessed a sharp and clever mind. Along with Arjun's case, he had also shouldered the burden of delivering justice. He had a rare quality — a deep understanding of justice and the willingness to fight for it with his heart and soul. He knew the vast difference between merely winning a case and saving an innocent man. Arjun was not just his client anymore; he had become his passion.
This case had also become a crucial battle for Suyash — one he was determined to win at all costs to prove his worth in the eyes of Madhav Kaka.That day, his chamber was filled with files, documents, and thick volumes of case law. The papers on his table were not those of an ordinary case; they were weapons meant to protect a man's life and honour.
Suyash slapped a thick file onto the table. Papers scattered everywhere — copies of the FIR, statements under Section 161, judicial statements under Section 164 CrPC, reports of missing persons, and incomplete printouts of call detail records. They lay strewn as if someone had tried to peel away the layers of lies to uncover the hidden truth.
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