Second Chance

“Its not my fault, I didn’t kill her… you need to believe me..”

These are the words my mind can’t stop recalling from past 5 years and still his shivered voice haunts me..

What if I believed him for once at least?? He’d been still alive then..

“Mr. Tim, I wish, I would be able to get a second chance from you, chance of forgiveness but you’re no more..”

I was his lawyer and when his case came to me about 7 years ago, I was so determined to defend him.. I still remember he was a really quite and reserved guy and at the age of 35 he was charged with a murder case of a high school girl..

His mother approached me and begged me to save her son because she had faith that her son can’t kill anyone..

When I first visited Mr. Tim in jail, I felt sympathy for him because he looked like a very quite and decent guy and he just said one thing to me that he didn’t kill anybody, when I asked for more details he just stayed quite as if he lost his words due to the shock..

Tim and his attitude stayed the same in our other meetings as well, I tried to convince him that he needs to tell me more about himself, his alibies and strong motives which can help me to defend him..

3 days before his trial when I went to meet him, he asked me that can he trust me with his statement? And will I believe him? I made him clear that as his lawyer it’s my responsibility to trust his words and I also mentioned that “ I only want truth from you and nothing else”, because I was the kind of lawyer at that time who consider truth first before anything else..

And from there my bad started.

He said, “There are people who dragged me into it, the girl whom they claimed that I murder was a prostitute and she somehow witnessed their crimes that’s why they murdered her”..

“Who are they??”, I asked curiously..

“You’ll not going to believe me” , he seemed sure..

“Just tell me who they are? If you’re sure about them”, I felt anxious at that moment to know what he’ll going to tell me..

“They’re the people whom you work under”, he glared at me like he was Judging my expressions.

“What do you mean by this??” , I honestly didn’t get him..

“Chief Prosecutor, Chief Justice and others are involved in her murder, she prostituted for them and when one day she found out that they’re involved in various cases of smuggling, kidnapping and murdering then she tried to reach me because I was her teacher and she believed that they’ll going to kill her as well”, He finally revealed..

I was looking at him as he was a lunatic guy sitting in front of me..

“Are you insane?? Do you know what you’re talking about?, I thought he was only rubbishing..

“I told you, you’ll not going to believe me”, he looked hopeless..

“Yes definitely because you’re lying and making things from your own”, I felt anger at that moment because that was something I couldn’t believe, I knew those people very well and believed them as my mentors so how could I believe something like that..

“There are evidence against you, how you’ll going to define them??”, I gave him a second chance as his lawyer but honestly I lost all my trust and interest towards him because I felt that he was someone with mental issues that’s why he made such a big and stupid scenario like this..

“They all are fake, I met Liza at the night of her murder but I didn’t kill her” There was agony in hid eyes which I totally ignored..

“Do you have any evidence that can defend you??” I asked as if I was making joke of him..

“No I don’t have and that’s why I’m here, they made everything up against me because at the other day of Liza’s murder she was going to provide me evidence against them but they killed her a way before”, he was about to cry..

“What kind of evidence??” I asked.

“Audios of them that she recorded”, he mentioned

“So where are they now”, I queried.

“I don’t know, she told me that she’ll going to show them to me the other day”, he whined.

“I don’t want any more stupid scenarios of your mind, just tell me why you killed her??”, My mind just accepted him as a liar and a killer..

“No matter what, you’ll not going to believe me” , he wailed and went back..

It was our last conversation because after that I gave up on his case, his mother came to me several times but I never met her again.

No one showed up to defend him and after 2 more trials court sentenced him to death because all the evidence were against him..

At that time I was so proud of myself that I didn’t choose to believe and defend a killer, I thought I made justice to my profession..

Everything was going perfect in my life, success in my career with back to back victories and promotions made me the most proudest person and I never thought that my pride would come to a point where I will lose everything..

About 6 years ago, I heard a news that Mr. Tim passed away due to a cardiac arrest and he was getting abused by his cell mates as well, I felt bad for him at that moment but then I made myself realize that he deserved that because he killed someone innocent..

Time passed, new Chief Prosecutor took the place of the previous one, I heard from my colleagues that new Chief Prosecutor Mr. Abbot is a rival of our previous Chief Prosecutor Mr. John whom I respected a lot and within a year he started digging the old cases and belongings of Mr. John and with day and night efforts he found something, he found something that took my peace away..

Mr. John, Chief Justice Mr. Smith and the people under them charged with 4 cases of murder, kidnapping and human trafficking and in which one of the murder case was the one Mr. Tim got the death sentence for.. My world was destroyed not only because that they suspended my license for 3 years because I was Tim’s lawyer and also gave statement against him but also because that time slapped me in the face and proved how wrong and fool I was..

Time proved Mr. Tim innocent but he was no more to celebrate, to make the world realize how much injustice he faced.. I cried a lot, for days and begged for a second chance but he was gone and I believe that it was because of me, I didn’t believe him.. If I believed him then an innocent man would not lose his life..

His mother came to me and glared at me silently as if she was saying that I told you right? He can’t murder any one but now what’s the benefit..?? 

I only needed a second chance not as a lawyer but as a human being but I felt lost..

I wasn’t ready to come back and join my office even after my punishment ended that’s why I wasted 2 more years of my life because I lost my pride as a lawyer and was still ashamed..

About a week ago my sister came to me and asked for help..

“John, I know you’re still upset over Mr. Tim’s case but now its time to move on, I really need your help in a case..”, she requested.

I told her that I can’t do this anymore..

“You need to end this regret of yours and you need to help someone innocent”, she was worried.

“What happened?”, I couldn’t stop myself from asking..

“My friend’s son became a suspect for a murder case and I know he didn’t kill anyone, he’s so innocent and dumb that he can’t even hit anybody so how can he kill a person”, she Whined.

In seconds, I went 7 years ago when a mother was swearing that her son didn’t kill anybody, as if Tim’s mother was standing in front of me and crying for help..

“John are you even listening to me??” my sister’s voice took me back from 7 years ago..

“John please help him, he’s a poor child and his mother is on bed because of severe illness”, She begged.

“Alright I’ll help him with everything possible, you don’t worry”, I somehow calmed her..

And now… I’m sitting in front of him as his lawyer for the first time, he’s a 16 year old boy with so many emotions in his eyes but I can only see Mr. Tim’s reflection in him, his quite face and shivering hands are in front of me.. He’s telling me that he’s innocent, he didn’t kill anyone and I’m literally about to cry..

Has God really given me an opportunity to make amend? Has Mr. Tim forgiven me? I want to know desperately..

Harry is a suspect of a murder of an eighteen year old boy who bullied Harry with his friends, according to him and now when someone murdered him then his friends are dragging Harry into this case, as his lawyer I want to save him and also want to catch real culprit but still my hands are shivering, what if I’ll not able to take a right decision like before..?? I’m still not confident enough but I need to try, at least for Tim..

This is one of the critical case but I’m trying to give my best, yesterday when I met Harry for the fourth time, I found truth and sincerity in his eyes.. Yes he’s innocent and no matter what I need to save this kid..

Harry is claiming that Peter’s friends killed him because he was brutal to them as well and Harry witnessed his murder but when they found out about him witnessing the murder they put all the blame on him and police arrested Harry when four people gave statement against him..

Giving a sudden comeback to my profession was not easy for me and I’m still having the bad consequences but Tim’s face is not letting me down, I always see Tim’s face in the face of Harry and again I don’t want to destroy Harry’s mother’s hope as I left Tim’s mother hopeless. 

With day and night efforts I collected evidence against the real culprits by tailing one of Peter’s friend who was one of the culprit as well, through him I got the videos of them taking their revenge back from Peter and killing him brutally and it was enough to prove my client’s innocence with other evidence and now in the final trial I’m standing victorious in court and seeing Harry’s peaceful face and wet eyes, again Tim is standing in front of me with beautiful smile and praising me, “You have proven me right, I gave you a second chance for better and now you can live your life with peace because I have forgiven you with all my heart, it was not your fault only, it was our system’s fault and you have to make it right in any way possible to help stuck people like me..”, he’s making me feel honor and ashamed at the same time..

“I promise you, I’ll never let you down again”, I smiled at him with wet eyes..

Tim had a big heart because it takes a lot of courage to forgive someone who broke your trust, can you forgive someone like Tim and give them a second chance..??