The Trial, the new legal drama on Disney+ Hotstar, is all about characters whose lives have changed for the worse, and their only way to keep themselves level-headed is to deal with the situation head-on and move forward in life. Noyonika, the lead protagonist herself, makes many changes in her life. One of them is taking up a job at her friend Vishal’s law firm as a junior attorney.
Vishal Chaubey comes into the picture in the first episode of the show. He offered a probationary position to Noyonika because they have been old friends, and he has been aware of her situation since her husband was arrested. Vishal was glad to have her around, and Noyonika got herself a decent job and got acquainted with her old friend as well. It is obvious from their body language right from the start that Vishal and Noyonika have not been in touch in a long while. Ever since Noyonika got married, Vishal kept his distance as she got busy with her marital life. It is a weird juncture that has brought them back together, and it is Vishal who is more elated than Noyonika.
Everyone at the firm can notice the rapport they have, and it is as if they never stopped being friends. Malini, the other partner at the firm, can’t help but notice that Vishal is going all out to project Noyonika as a hard worker and a good lawyer. It is obvious from his mannerisms that Vishal still likes her. But he is also a gentleman, and he does not overwhelm her. She is already burdened with a lot of trouble, and he wouldn’t want to complicate her life further by romantically pursuing her.
The two of them quickly became part of the office gossip. Dheeraj and Malini are the first ones to see the chemistry Noyonika and Vishal share, and they can’t seem to wonder if Vishal is guilty of favoritism at work. Thankfully, that does not happen; it is something Vishal wouldn’t do because of his work ethic, and Noyonika, on the other hand, would not expect Vishal to behave unprofessionally.
On her first day with the firm, Noyonika was successful in getting bail for Juhi, who was falsely accused of abetment of suicide. Malini is vocal about her displeasure at Noyonika joining the firm, but it is Vishal who helps Malini look beyond her dislike for Noyonika and see things from an objective perspective. Vishal is also the person who is looking to save the firm from sinking, and he is doing everything he can in his capacity to make sure they do not go bankrupt. However, the fact that he hires two people on probation for one vacancy showcases that Vishal harbors feelings for Noyonika.
Noyonika does reveal at some point to Sana that she and Vishal are old lovers. This confirms Sana’s suspicions as well because, just like everyone else in the firm, she was wondering what was up with the platonic relationship. Vishal never acts on his feelings because he wants to retain the sanctity of their friendship.
He shows his skills as a great negotiator when he retains an old client who is on the verge of exiting the firm, though he is not proud of the way he had to do that, which was to pry into the personal lives of his clients. He digs out the fact that the client and his wife are headed towards divorce, and it is only Vishal, Malini, and Kishore’s firm that could rescue the client from giving away hefty alimony.
He was the only person who stood up to the haughty and arrogant Kishore Ahuja, the senior partner at the firm, who wanted to file a futile PIL. Kishore still brags about his cases from the past, hoping it will help gather some steam for working on the PIL. Vishal could see through the hogwash that Kishore was peddling, and he also encouraged Malini to finally step up to the person she always considered her mentor. Though Vishal was also mentored by Kishore, he quickly understood that the firm could not get by just on Kishore’s name, and they would want a valid reason to bring some sense into him.
Kishore splits the firm in half, leaving Malini and Vishal stranded. Noyonika stays back at the firm as a way to show her loyalty to both remaining partners. With the main man gone, they’re going to need a lot of new cases coming their way. Vishal takes a back seat from taking pro bono cases because his expertise would be required for other high-profile cases.
Vishal also comes in handy when Malini’s client is accused of murdering their maid. The man was extremely patient and resourceful in digging out relevant information to keep their client from being arrested at any cost. He also heads to Cochin with Noyonika to represent another client, who is suing her insurance company for nonpayment of the insurance payout for an urgent surgery. Vishal never gets too involved with any case; as he stated to Noyonika at one point, ‘Lawyers do not see what is right or wrong. They fight the case for the clients based on the information they have.’ This time around, Vishal became too emotional because of his mother’s history with a failed pregnancy, and that makes this case too close to his conscience. During this visit, he ends up kissing Noyonika.
His feelings for her had reached a juncture where he could not keep them to himself anymore. Even though Noyonika walks away quickly and goes back to Mumbai, he wonders if things will get awkward between the two. Vishal, for the first time, asks for Rajiv Sengupta’s help to rescue his client from Cochin by getting in touch with the Insurance Board and using their assistance to release the insurance money. Though Vishal was not keen on using Rajiv’s help, he somehow managed to get closer to Noyonika through this case.
As Rajiv’s case picks up steam, he loses his lawyer, and Noyonika has no option but to request Vishal and Malini to represent him. Rajiv and Vishal have a brief faceoff when Rajiv lets him know that he does not trust Vishal around Noyonika. Vishal and Rajiv may have their tussles, but he stands up for them only for the sake of Noyonika. Vishal wins the case for her.
Rajiv’s friend Ilyas, as a token of appreciation, offers all his political contacts up as clients for Vishal and Malini’s firm, which confirms Noyonika’s position. Vishal is emotionally in a vulnerable position, and he would want to let Noyonika know how he feels about the relationship they share. Noyonika, though, wants a logical outcome out of it. Vishal takes a few minutes and leaves her a long voice note letting her know that he is willing to be the partner she is looking for, and he wants her to leave Rajiv, for he is aware the man is bound to make mistakes in the future as well, and Vishal cannot see Noyonika getting hurt again. He wants her to reply at her own pace. But unfortunately, the message is heard by Ilyas, who realizes that if Noyonika leaves Rajiv, his political career will be over before it even takes off. He deletes the message sent by Vishal to safeguard him, Noyonika, and Rajiv.
Vishal, though, still hopes that Noyonika will consider him her future partner because they have a history. The second season of The Trial will take the audience through the relationship the two would have. Will they remain friends, or will Noyonika leave Rajiv to be with Vishal?
