“If the accused had indeed raped you, as you allege,” said Mehrotra, not the one to relent, “could you recall his manly attributes?”
“As I told you,” she said dismissively, “I was subjected to the trauma of rape. If it were a case of lovemaking, maybe, I would have satisfied your curiosity.”
“I appreciate your boldness,” said Mehrotra making ground for a future assault. “But did you experience the nuances of lovemaking later, that is, after the alleged rape?”
“Objection, Ms. Justice!” Paranjape could not control his indignation.
“Objection sustained,” ruled Justice Sumitra.
“It’s a matter of life and death for the accused, Ms. Justice,” said Mehrotra with all his persistence. “It is imperative that she should apply her mind and review whether the intercourse the accused allegedly had had with her was indeed rape or defloration in a moment of her own weakness.”
“You might reply,” motioned Justice Sumitra to the accuser.
“I didn’t have any sex either before or after he raped me,” she said animatedly. “And I suppose you cannot ask this honorable court to direct me to have sex now and revert on the matter later.”
“What if in repentance the accused had sought your hand in marriage?” said Mehrotra, bowled by her reply, but yet floating a trial balloon. “Were it possible that you would have seen it as an opportunity to redeem your lost honor?”
“I caution the defense not to stray from the path of defense,” said Justice Sumitra who was no more amused by Mehrotra’s tactics.
“No. Never!” replied the girl, all the same.
“Sorry for the transgression,” said Mehrotra in apology to Justice Sumitra, but pursued the matter as menacingly as ever.
“I allege that you had a one-night stand with the accused,” said Mehrotra to the woman, to the indignation of all, “that was for reasons best known to you. As your fiancé smelt a rat, you made it up as rape to pull the wool over his eyes. Once this trial commenced, you were constrained to impress him about your averred innocence. That is why you are going to lengths to condemn my client to save your skin.”
“I say it’s all rubbish!” said the woman losing her cool for once.
“Miss, mind your tongue,” said Ms. Justice to the witness.
“I do apologize, Ms, Justice,” said the witness.
“Now you may answer my question,” said Mehrotra.
“You would know that Dostoyevsky said logic is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways,” she said rather aggressively. “By the same logic does it not seem you have been going to lengths to make his rape look like my invitation to mate?”