Save Me

SARAH'S POINT OF VIEW

After the party I went my own house. I convinced my parents that I should stay alone because I don't want them to be my weakness. It was indeed hard to be a lawyer as anyone could just harm them for the sake of their own greed as many people might have a feeling of revenge on me. So, I went back after promising to spend the weekends with them.

One week after the party, I said Andrew that I wanted to treat him and Nancy to a decent lunch for all the help. He did not deny me because he knew that I was stubborn in these cases. So, we met in a restaurant. We greeted each other and we sat. We talked about the party about how good our plan went. We were talking and laughing and after lunch, I took out the jewelry from my bag. I wanted to return them so one of my motive to invite her to lunch was also to return it.

She looked at me with disappointment and said, "If I take this back, then I am never going to talk to you. I have thought you as my sister and this was the least I could do for you. So, keep it for yourself. These things add beauty to a lady's appearance. You should have these. If you feel uncomfortable about it then if by chance in future I have to ask for your help as a lawyer then you should defend me for free." She laughed. I could not force her more so I agreed and I said, "Okay then let me treat you for some dessert also." After that, we went to have ice cream.

Two days later, when I was in my law firm as always we had our meeting in the meeting room and when I was going to return to my own office the receptionist told me that a guest had come and said that he knew me. I wondered who it was. When I opened the door of my office I was shocked to see Mike in the office. I was in a defense mode after seeing him. I did not even close the door and just mumbled "Mi..ke" and exactly at that time Andrew had come and he tapped me from back and said, "What's wrong lovey?" I was startled because of Andrew. Mike who was sitting had stood up after seeing me.

I said, "Nothing" to Andrew but maybe he came to know something was wrong with me so he entered the office with me and I also allowed him to stay with me. I asked him, "Why have you come here?" To my great surprise, he knelt down facing down in front of me and said, "I am sorry Sarah for all the wrong doings I have done to you. Please forgive me." I was still in a shock and Andrew said, "Who is he Sarah?" I looked at Andrew and said, "Mike." After hearing this name, Andrew looked like he was in more rage than me. He stood up and punched Mike on his face. I went forward and stopped Andrew. Mike again came to his same position.

I said, "Why are you apologizing now? It is of no use. I can never forgive you. Do not waste my time. Get lost from my sight." Mike stood up and said, "Sarah, don't forgive me, but please save me this time just once. Please defend me." I looked at him disdainfully and I said, "Now, I know why you are apologizing. You need a lawyer after all." He said, "I know I was bad, but I had finally liked a girl and I had started respecting her also. But now she is charging me for attempt to rape. I swear I did nothing." I just said, "How can I trust your words after what you have done to me? Maybe the thing I could not do in the past is finally done by someone else and has charged you."

He knelt again, "You are the only one who can help me. Please look into my case first. I know that you always support truth, so just defend me. You don't need to forgive me also because I know what I had done was really shameful. Please Sarah." Whatever he told I could not trust him. So, I just said, "Leave. I am not going to take your case." He begged me once again, "Please, Sarah look at it once." Then, he went.

I was reminded of the thing he did to me. So, I felt sad. Andrew cheered me and he took me to have ice cream. After making my mood good, he went and I again started thinking. I looked into his case. After three days, I called him as he had left his number at the reception desk. I said that I will not defend him but one of my lawyers will because when I looked into the case I found that he was not guilty. Firstly I had thought that I will find evidence against him and finally put him in prison also but I found out that he was not guilty. I had decided it after lots of thinking. I did not want to help him but the lawyer in me made me fight for him.

I went in the trial firstly because I was free and secondly I wanted to check if my decision was right. Andrew also joined me. The trial was going in his favor but in the middle, the prosecutor asked for a surprise witness and… it was not anyone else but me.

I… went on the witness box after the second call because I was still shocked. ‘How did the prosecutor know about me? How did he know that I was related to Mike?’ Questions were on my mind but I put them aside.

The prosecutor asked me, “How are you related to Mike? Can you tell us?”

I answered, “He used to be my neighbor.”

“I have heard that he had misbehaved with you before. Is that true?”

I… I did not want to publicize what had happened before because I did not want it. I just wanted to forget it and now against my wish the past followed me. I wanted love and care and justice before but now when I had already moved on, this thing has come into light. However, I was a law person myself and I knew I should not lie in the sacred court so I said the truth, “Yes…”

“Can you tell us what he did?”

I was shocked because that is not what you ask to a female. I mean how could he ask me to explain what he did? Unknowingly, a drop of tear had fallen from my eye. Maybe this was my first time being a witness, the me who was always confident in the court, who never stumbled while speaking, I stumbled on my words. “I… he…” Tears started falling and I looked away and wiped my tears and reminded myself to be strong and took a deep breath.

After that moment I looked emotionless. I had already faced lots of things, so I could easily control myself now. I apologized first and said, “He harassed me… He harassed me sexually.”

I could hear murmurs in the courtroom and the judge ordered all to be silent. The prosecutor continued.

“Why did you not case a file?”

I replied, “I was young back then. I…” took a deep breath and continued, “I was afraid that it would ruin my family’s image. I did not want any trouble in my life.” I was allowed to go back to the seat.

The prosecutor spoke to judge, “Point to be noted, she might be the first victim and who knows he might have harassed more girls in the past. This exactly points to what he has done to the client. If he had done it once then he had attempted to rape my client this time too. So, I would like him to be punished severely.”

The judge said that they would decide it in the next trial after three days. After hearing it I went out with Andrew. I did not speak with him the whole time and was grateful that he did not speak to me too.

I did not go to the law firm and went back home. He dropped me and finally I smiled at him weakly and said, “Thank you.”

He also gave me a mild smile and said, “Call me after you feel better?”

I nodded and went in my bedroom. I did not cry because I did not want to. However the tears failed to listen me, so it fell down. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep and I don’t know after how much time I felt asleep.

The next day, I went to meet Mike with the lawyer and he said that he had told about me to that girl. He wanted to start a new life with her so he did not hide anything about past with her. But everything went in vain. He apologized to me. I did not give too much response to him. After that, I found the evidences because the lawyer I chose said he could not find any. And in the last court session, decided that he was not guilty in this case. The girl was wrong in this case. He thanked me a lot after that but still I said him that I will never forgive him in my entire life.