New Delhi:
Aradhana Parkash was inseparable as a teenager from her neighbour, Ruchika Girhotra. Their shared passion for tennis drove them to the tennis court in Panchkula, Haryana, on a fateful day in 1990.
When the Inspector General of Haryana, S P S Rathore, who lived nearby, called them over, it didn't seem out of order. He was President of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association, after all. Rathore sent aradhnaa on an errand. When she returned, she found Rathore molesting her best friend.
Ruchika's battle against the policeman resulted in her suicide three years later. The same teenager whose strong forehand was the admiration of the tennis circuit, felt defeated. The man she was trying to fight seemed to have limitless influence. She had been expelled from school; her brother had been framed for thefts. Ruchika decided to bow out. The 17-year-old drank poison and killed herself.
Aradhana decided she would avenge her friend. For 19 years, she fought in courts and government offices to ensure that the case was not buried. Even after getting married and moving to Australia, she would fly home for important hearings.
Aradhana says her favourite memory is of a powerful Ruchika, racing across court, in her white tennis dress. "Her favourite song was from Sholay," Aradhana remembers, "Yeh dosti hum nahin todenge" - a vow of friendship that Aradhana has honoured steadfastly.
Now that Rathore has been sentenced to just six months in prison, Aradhana knows her fight isn't over. She says she'll keep campaigning for justice for Ruchika - a friend she feels closer to than ever.