The opposition, in this case, the advocate for the legal contractor who was fighting the case on behalf of the Kothi owner, was a reputed advocate of experience, Mr Thomas Davies. Bondita remembered Aniruddha's word of advice as he offered her curd in the morning.
Sometimes experience makes us overconfident. Use that well.
The team of lawyers accompanying Mr Davies was twice their team, the stacks of ‘evidence’ on his desk almost ten times that of hers. Bondita eyed them discussing the case with their client. She glanced over her shoulder at Rasiya Bai and her scared girls with a reassuring nod.
“They are just trying to intimidate you,” Atul reassured her. Bondita nodded. Soon the Judge walked in and the other party was allowed to put their case first.
“I would like to call upon the owner of the property, Jagendra Chandra Seth.” Mr Davies spoke as the Gujarati man took the stand, a little unsure. The amount of gold in his chains and gems in his rings gave a clear impression of his influence and power. He folded his hand to the Judge, eyeing the girls once.
“When did you take ownership of the property?” Mr Davies asked.
“My great-grandfather built that house, Saheb. He came to Calcutta for business and built two houses at Kalighat and Khiddirpore.” The man shook his head “It has been in the family since.”
“And when did the ...err… tenants take the lease?” Mr Davies asked.
“Umm… My father fell into a financial crisis and was forced to give the Kothi up to them.”
“And you decided to sell it?” He nodded. “Why?” Mr Davies asked.
“I need the money to expand my paper business, and the offer was good.”
“That will be all. Your witness.” Mr Davies turned to Bondita.
Bondita got up from her chair and walked up to the witness box. The courtroom was in pin-drop silence. The whirring sound of the fan was the only noise to be heard. Bondita cleared her throat.
“You said that your father gave up the Kothi for rent?” Bondita asked.
“No, leased it.” The man corrected.
“Oh, I am sorry, he didn't rent it, he leased it.” Bondita corrected. “Point to be noted, Your Honour. That makes the ‘tenants’ deserve more benefits.” Bondita turned to the judge who nodded. “So, did he know to whom or what business he is giving the Kothi to?” Bondita asked. The man looked awkward as he nodded in silence.
“Very well.” Bondita nodded “So what are your offers to them for throwing them out?” The man looked up at her words.
“Objection, Your Honour.” Mr Davies stood up “They were not thrown out, they were given a legal notice to evacuate and they refused to.”
“Sustained.”
“Very well.” Bondita agreed. “They were given notice. When they refused, let me remind the courtroom, your honour, they can refuse, it falls under their rights, what did you do Sethji?”
The man had visible drops of precipitation on his forehead as he stood silent and breathed heavily.
“I will tell you what you did, you send goons to destroy their property and threaten their lives.”
“Objection, Your Honour. There is no proof…”
“I will prove that Mr Davies.” Bondita glanced over at the opposition attorney.
“But first, let’s ask you what did you offer them?” Bondita asked, “To leave the Kothi?”
“I offered them reallocation and money.” Seth seemed to find his voice, “They arrogantly refused my offer.”
“That will be all.” Bondita nodded.
After the opposition had paraded their people, with the same version of the story, namely, ex-policemen who spoke of the growing notoriety of the street, the contractor who backed the legality of the transaction and so on, it was finally Bondita’s turn to bring her witnesses to the stand.
“I’d like to call the leaseholder of the Kothi, Rasiya Bai to the stand, Your Honour.”
Rasiya Bai’s tinkles made a sound as she got up from her place to take the stand.
“How long have you been in the Kothi?” Bondita asked.
“As long as I can remember. My poor uncle sold me off to the kothi owner.” A buzz went around the courtroom.
“I object to your honour, this is not a place to discuss their personal stories.” Mr Davies spoke out of turn.
“If you give me some time, Your Lordship I will prove to you why it is,” Bondita spoke as she got a nod from the judge.
“Rasiya Bai, since when are you the head of the Kothi?”
“Since the one who took me in, died.” She nodded.
“And how do these girls come in?” Bondita asked. Mr Davies looked uncomfortable as did most of the spectators.
“Most of them are left here, by families, relatives and friends. The rest…” Rasiya Bai looked up at Bondita “Some are unfortunately born in these streets.”
“Do they try alternative ways of livelihood?” Bondita asked, Rasiya Bai, smiled faintly.
“Nobody takes our girls or boys to even study in a school. What else will they do?”
“Your honour, I don’t understand.” Mr Davies stood up “This is a case of property rights.”
“Yes it is Mr Davies and as a leaseholder she has rights.” Bondita nodded. “Rasiya Bai, what exactly was offered to you?”
“Some cash and a house.” Rasiya Bai spoke.
“Can you tell us your conversation with Sethji in detail please?” Bondita urged.
“Well, one day around noon he came around and ordered us to vacate the place within ten days. He said it will be demolished.” Rasiya Bai eyed the man “I naturally refused. That house isn’t only our home, it is our livelihood. Then he offered me another house.”
“Why did you refuse that house?”
“It was in a remote village area of Hooghly, Madam.” Rasiya Bai almost smiled amused. “We know how we will be treated there, and business won’t be good. What will we feed our kids?”
“And he sent goons?”
“Two days after that, about ten men entered the Kothi at dawn. They broke furniture, beat up our boys and customers and scared the girls with unpleasant threats. We were scared. We couldn’t go to the police. Some are his friends.” Another buzz followed in the courtroom.
“Order! Order!” The judge commanded silence.
“That will be all Your Honour.” Bondita stepped back. “Your witness Mr Davies.”
“Business, you say?” Mr Davies cleared his throat. “What business do you run Rasiya Bai?” Mr Davies’ question was met with a cold stare.
“Objection. My friend here is trying to insult the client.” Bondita stood up.
“Sustained.”
“Do you know what you run there is illegal?” Mr Davies asked as Rasiya Bai nodded.
“Do you feel Sethji is obliged to give you a house for your illegal activities?” Rasiya Bai looked up at his words.
“But…”
“How you earn your living should not be the headache of your land owner, isn’t it?” Mr Davies asked. Rasiya Bai nodded.
“So if you were given a longer notice period, you can and will leave?” Mr Davies asked as Rasiya Bai licked her suddenly dried lips. She looked at the girls, helplessly.
“Answer me.”
“I don’t know. We have lived all our lives here Saheb.” Her voice trembled. Mr Davies turned to Bondita. She looked away. Amateur, only one witness? What was the girl thinking?
“You see, not only will the new building ensure employment with the two storeys of stores it will offer at such an important juncture of the city, but it will also house nearly twenty families. Your Honour, that, versus a dark lane of Kothi and illegal activities that prevent gentlemen like you and me from even stepping on that part of the city, not to add the number of criminals seeking refuge there or the impact it has on the image of the society… you have a clear call to make. My client should not suffer for their lack of morals.” Mr Davies half smiled under his moustache. Bondita got up to take the centre stage. She cleared her throat, all eyes on her.
“Many of you must be wondering why I only brought Rasiya Bai to the stand. Because to me this case is not even about the lease. She is the leaseholder and has her rights that are well established as a fact. But my friend here is trying to make this case a social standpoint of justice in some way. The fact is I can bring each one of these women to the stand and make them tell you their stories. It will take years for the case to get over because each one of them will tell you the same story in different ways, Your Honour. No woman, girl or child was born or brought here of their own free will. Nobody aspires to be part of the dark lanes. It is their family. Husbands, fathers, brothers and relatives who let them down and sell them off. They were forced into this business to live and fight for themselves. They had no options in life. Your Honour, we as lawmakers and law-abiding citizens also have the social responsibility to take care of our citizens. Whatever the opposition here demands is a clear violation of my client’s rights. The law is the same for all. We are all equal here, Rasiya Bai, you, me or Mr Davies. Sethji as well as his father in full conscious knowledge made a choice to lease the Kothi to Rasiya Bai and the girls. What they do there is not his business. As far as social responsibilities go, we cannot discard people living around us like garbage because we don’t like them. We cannot close our eyes like they don’t exist. The fact is that we as a society, the gentlemen who visit the brothels, made them. If we also don’t give them justice and reassure them of their rights as humans, who will?” Bondita stopped at the pin drop in silence. “Will anyone present in this courtroom ever employ one of these women in a ‘respectable’ job? Will anyone take the charge to make their lives better or make sure they earn a livelihood if they leave the Kothi?” She looked around “No. Nobody will. They will always be the mud for you to wipe off your hands. They will readily give up the Kothi, sir, if anyone leads them to a better life, a better option, a better living. Anyone willing to do that?”
“The court is adjourned for the day. The next hearing is on the same date next month, I will share my judgement then.” The judge got up as the courtroom buzzed.
Bondita placed her hand on Rasiya Bai’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, we will figure it out. I promise.” She reassured them.
“Thank you, Madam. You tried your best.” She smiled as Suraiya Bai walked up to give Bondita a hug. The girls were visibly scared.
“Mrs Roy Chowdhury?” Bondita turned at the unfamiliar voice. “An interview for the Amrita Bazar Patrika please?” The reporter showed her his ID card. “Just a few questions.”
“I think if you need a story, you need to talk to them, not me.” Bondita pointed in the direction of the brothel girls.
“I just want to know why you took this up as your first case.” the reporter urged.
“I was an intern when I came across one of the girls on the road one day. Suraiya Bai. She didn’t know me when she narrated her plight to me and I suggested fighting it out legally. I believe the law is equal for all and it won’t let them down like society did.”
“Thank you.” The reporter left as Bondita scanned the crowd for Aniruddha and found him standing with Atul.
“So?” Bondita asked as Atul left her and Aniruddha alone in the crowded corridor.
“So?” he asked with a smile.
“I just happened to give an interview to the Amrita Bazar Patrika,” Bondita spoke, straightening the collar of her coat.
“I am proud of you, Barrister Babu.” Aniruddha smiled, “You did well.”
“Thank you, Barrister Babu.” Bondita smiled. “I hope Kakababu will not be upset with the news.” She sighed. “I hope they understand. Oh!” Bondita checked her watch and sounded alarmed. “I have to pick up Lekha. Sampoorna didi has to go somewhere.” She shook her head. “I better get going.”
“Bondita?” Aniruddha stopped her as she turned. “Win or lose, today is about you, we will celebrate when I get home.” She nodded, with a smile. “I do hope to win, for their sake.” He agreed.
“So she lost the case.” Binoy shook his head matter-of-factly as he folded the morning newspaper. "After a year of struggle she…"
“She shouldn’t have taken up such a sensitive case for her first one in the first place,” Somnath spoke in between slicing his omelette.
“But she earned quite some praise for it. The newspapers praised her.” Trilochan defended, “But that means she will not come back any time soon.”
Somnath eyed him and shook his head.
“You thought if she failed miserably in her first one she would come home?” Somnath asked, surprised. “Do you not know her at all?”
“There is no harm in wishing.” Trilochan shook his head as Ashapurna brought his tea and shared a smile with Somnath. “I want to see my granddaughter more often. They can do whatever they want.” Trilochan rebuked.
“Well, the judges actually heard her plea and decided that the government would step in to take measures for the transpeople and Kothi people.” Somnath smiled faintly “There she is. Changing the world.” Binoy looked up at the hint of taunt in his voice.
“At least she is trying to make us proud.” His words made Somnath stop at his morsel, push the plate and walk away.
“Binoy, don’t be harsh,” Trilochan warned him.
“He lost us a good client because of his lazy work.” Binoy shrugged.
“We still have the Zamindari and properties and…” Trilochan sipped at his tea.
“They won’t be there, forever.” Binoy stood up to excuse himself.
Trilochan sighed. The country was changing, if it was for the good or worse, only time would tell.
"Barrister Babu." Bondita made Aniruddha look up from his work as she arrived at the sitting area with Patralekha. "Close your eyes and extend your hands." She said eagerly, as she hid something behind her. Aniruddha frowned. He had expected her to be upset about losing her first big independent case but what was this? Patralekha clapped her hands and let out a chuckle as Bondita held Aniruddha's hand out and proceeded to close his eyes. Aniruddha gave in. Bondita placed her first fees, insisted on by Rasiya Bai, on his hand. "Open your eyes, Barrister Babu."
"Open…. Barristra…. babu." Lekha made her giggle as he looked up, first at the cash then at his daughter.
"Great. Now she started calling me that." Aniruddha shook his head. "What is this?"
"My first income." Bondita smiled. "independently."
"And why are you giving it to me?" He looked at her with questioning eyes.
"Because a Shishya needs to give guru Dakshina." Bondita made him smile. She promptly touched his feet as Patralekha climbed up on his lap.
"May you gain ground and reach new heights, Barrister Bondita Roy Chowdhury." He smiled at her.
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