NOBODY LIGHTS A CANDLE
Anjali Deshpande
26
Both friends thought it strange that the grand building of the High Court would have such small rooms. Obviously only tiny rooms had been included in the design of the new building. Here sat lawyers who carried lacs of rupees home every day and why they had been packed like poultry in small enclosures was beyond their comprehension. They sat in the three by two, total of six square feet of the outer room on something the civilized call a settee with their legs drawn in to avoid hitting the other wall with their knees. The knees began to ache but they could not even consider the possibility of going out for a stroll in the wide corridor outside. They did not know when the lawyer would ask them to come in.
“You can play cricket outside. That corridor is so wide. And here, if someone came in now he wouldn’t find space to stand,” Nitesh remarked. They had been waiting for twenty minutes now.
“You heard him properly I hope. Did he say three o’clock?”
That is when a man opened the glass door of the inner room and got out and left from the door leading out.
“Come in,” said a pleasant man standing at the partition with holding the glass door open. Tarun Grover. Advocate. Never lost a case till now. At least that is what Nitesh had told him. Inside he sat behind a massive desk. His black cloak hung from the back of his chair. Despite being thrice the size of the outer room the chamber was still small.
Grover jumped up to shake hands with each of them when they introduced themselves.
“Sorry, you had to wait. I managed to squeeze some time for you with great difficulty. At three thirty someone else is expected. But you see I can’t say no to Tiwariji. He is in your legal department now but earlier he used to be my senior. I trained under him. Okay, tell me what is the matter? What brings you here?”
“Sir, it is like this. Over a year ago, I was posted as the additional SHO (station house officer) of the Mandawali thana,” Adhirath began. He had rehearsed the summary of his case in his mind many times as he sat in the waiting room. Nitesh had warned him that the man has very little time so he must acquaint him with the bare essentials of the case in as few words as possible.
The smooth palm of the lawyer came up to face them. The pink palm facing him displaying three deep and clear lines told Adhirath of the prosperity reflected in the golden face of this lawyer. His brown eyes were smiling.
“I will read the story in the file,” the lawyer said.
What was the age of this man? Not a hair was white on his dark head, and not one out of place. The fine cloth of his white shirt was stiff with starch the way it may have been when he wore it in the morning. Who knows, maybe he does not use starch. Sends his shirts to the laundry where they use charakh. The white of his shirt did not need the aid of neel, the indigo blue powder used to counteract the yellowness that comes with age and that leaves splotches of blue on the cloth. The narrow rounded collar of the shirt held his neck like the stalk of a flower. Two ends of a tie stood alert on his collarbone like the ends of a ribbon tied to a bouquet. The white tie of his profession, giving him a distinct identity. And he had no interest in listening to the story of his client.
“You simply tell me what is the case now. Only a departmental enquiry? That is what Tiwariji said.”
“Yes, that is what it is, at the moment. He said you take cases of service matters,” Nitesh said.
“Have you got the file?”
“File? There is no file,” Adhirath said.
“No file? There should be one. You must have got the notice. There will be an order for suspension. Always there is something in writing. Have you kept the clippings of what the newspapers reported in those days?”
“The enquiry is not concerned with what was published by the newspapers…” Adhirath began.
“True. Technically the reports will not be considered. But you see, everything together forms a picture. Anyway, you get the file. Tiwariji may have told you about the fees.”
“What is the need for the file? I am telling you what happened. In two minutes I will give the details. There is nothing in the file. It is this…there was a goon in our area. He ran a cable service. He had four charges of murder against him.”
The outer door opened. Grover’s flower stalk of a neck turned delicately. Two people were entering. A man and a woman. The lawyer raised his hand in a salaam to the two and raised two fingers at them in a mixed gesture of apologetic appeal, his eyes shrank, his lips smiled then he turned to Adhirath and said “You get me the file. Let me see what charges they have made against you. These matters are fought on technical grounds. Like when did they give you the notice. Was it within the stipulated period. Did they give you enough time to prepare for your defence. There is a procedure they have to follow in giving notice also. We shall look into all of that.”
“Sir, they have asked me to appear this very Wednesday. Today is Friday.”
“Bring the file tomorrow. See, we don’t need even half an hour to grasp the case. Even if I am not here you can give it to my munshi. He is on leave today or I would have given you tea. Leave the file with him. And get the cheque for my fees. Thirty thousand rupees.”
Adhirath stared at the face of the lawyer for a few seconds. It glowed like gold.
“Sir, I am suspend. How can I afford so much?”
“This is a question of your life. Don’t look to saving money now. I will appear on your behalf. Will come with you. Tiwariji has recommended you or I don’t charge so low a fees in urgent matters. This is the normal fee I charge for one hearing. But for you I will deal with the entire case in just this amount.”
“Sir, in one hearing they will arrive at a conclusion. This is not a trial in a court. Sir, if you find it tough you need not appear for me, give me only your advice. That will be helpful. For that, if you could please reduce the amount a little…”
“As you wish. All right. Get 25 thousand. And the file,” said Grover standing up. “People are waiting.”
Both of them left.
“twenty five thousand! It is a whole month’s salary. If I was getting it. I get only half now. Where am I going to get the money from? You know my condition.”
“He is a very big lawyer. Tiwariji was saying. You can’t get an appointment in a hurry, have to wait two months. It is because of him that he met us so soon….”
“The money he is asking for is also big,” Adhirath said. He would not be able to gather that amount if he emptied his bank account. It was just as well that he did not have to pay rent or they would be eating rotis without ghee.
“Listen, I am also… what to say…missus has no job. I have a daughter and you know how girls are they bring a blank cheque with them and you have to fill it and encash it when they are young. Still, I can lend you some five or seven thousands.”
The jeep began to race again towards Udairaj’s house. Adhirath could not understand why they were headed that way again. Nitesh told him he had still not met Udairaj, he had gone to Jhilmil and had visited the friend of Parduman also, and had put off the job he had to do in Preet Vihar only because he wanted to go meet the lawyer.
“I did tell you that I was going to Jhilmil,” Nitesh said.
Adhirath had completely forgotten.
email: anjalides@gmail.com
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