The hallmark of a Good Bengali will always be that he has at least 1 legal case that he is embroiled in.
Growing up i was often told that one of my great grandfathers had his portrait in the High Court,since most people in that generation were solemn and whiskered , me thinks it could not have done much to cheer up the dark halls.
However it might have put the fear of many dreads into young lawyers of yesteryears who scampered down those hallowed corridors to argue their first deposition.
Lawyers whom one meets today are a far cry from the benign stories one has grown up with. Independant thinkers, freedom fighters,people who accepted payment in kind from their poor clients and often no payment at all.
Today it's all about the Money. and maybe it's only about the money...and even that doesn't guarantee anything.
I have a lawyer. He has been fighting a property case for me for the past 2 years. In these 2 years, the world around me has changed, the recession came and went, friendships were forged and broken ..long term relationships ended..the only thing which remained constant was my immovable court case.
Winter, summer, spring or fall. my lawyer says,' Court is not in session maydum.
When he gets bored of this excuse he says,'I am in Tirupati maydum..' or some other pilgrimage Hot Bed.
Of course he does not always avoid me, like clockwork before every major festival he summons me to his chambers to discuss the case.The poor sap that i am, I trudge along with my light little purse.After a 10 minute discussion of where the case is stuck,I am asked to fork out a nice little packet..to cover the festivities with , you see.
Many a Dusshera, Holi, Christmas has passed. The case remains unsolved, the lawyer remains benign...the typist in his outer office changes, the first flock of junior lawyers have left for another flock who chatter , scrape and bow......
While the Wakf Committee who shares rooms on the same premise prepare for the ID celebrations.
