By Ila Sankrityayan
New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS): Sheezan Khan was arrested on December 25 for allegedly abetting the suicide of Tunisha Sharma. Now his friend and actor Shaan Shashank Mishra has come out in support of Sheezan, saying he should be given a chance to speak.
Mishra told IANS: "The day we got the news about Tunisha, I was in Andheri at that time and I rushed to the hospital in Vasai where she had been taken to. I just wanted to reach there quickly for Sheezan, and when I saw him, he was still in his costumes from the show.
"The moment I hugged him, he broke down. He was in such a bad condition that he couldn't say anything. And in that situation, the police were asking him questions. It was just his mom and me along with his lawyers.
"I don't understand why Tunisha took the extreme step. But I would like to say that there are always two sides to every story. Everyone has heard Tunisha's side of the story that her mother has told or her friends are talking about.
"But what about Sheezan? He should also get a chance to tell his side of the story. Because when I asked him, he told me, ‘Bhai aaj koi bhi ladaai nahi hui. Koi aisi baat nahi thi'.
"If people are saying that they had an affair, what's wrong with having an affair? They were working together, and spending more than 12 to 13 hours a day with each other, so it was all very natural. If they're saying they broke up, breakups happen and people move on with their lives. I think if you have a breakup, you should be sensible enough to move on."
Mishra also wondered as to how Tunisha's family was not able to see the pain Tunisha was in.
"She was going back home after packing up... Was her family not able to see what was happening with her? If your family was not able to see that, it means you were not that close to your family. Was your mother and other family members not looking after you? So it is a big thing," Mishra said during his conversation with IANS.
"It is then that you started looking for a family you could call your own among your friends. Did you not share your feelings with your friends? And if you did, why were your friends not able to help," Mishra asked.
Mishra concluded by saying: "There are a lot of things on my mind and I'm sure a lot of people have the same questions. A lot of them are saying that they made stories, clicked pictures of each other that day, and even had lunch together, so what triggered her (to take the extreme step)?
"She has left us behind with a lot of unanswered questions. Whatever happened shouldn't have happened because no one can fill Tunisha's place. But I think family and friends must help in such situations. They should talk and must understand the pain of the person with mental health issues."