Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-34- Where Is Bondita?

A couple of days after Bondita's birthday, all at once I experienced a strange urge to drop her at school and pick her up after it closes. However, Bondita insisted that she would go by her bicycle and I couldn't force her otherwise. Yet, something disturbed me very much. Nothing felt good, not even Bondita's logic or her insistence to not let me accompany her. If I did not have important cases to attend at court, I would have definitely followed her. Whatsoever, I managed to reason with my anxious mind and kept myself busy with work.

During the lunch hour at court, a young boy came in search of me and handed a piece of folded paper. Even before I could enquire who he was, he fled. The contents on the paper read,

"Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhary,

Hold your breath, while we try to take away your peace.

Take the name of your favourite God, while we seize your godly position.

Bow your head down, while we lay hands on your pride.

Get ready to taste defeat, as we rob your greatest achievement.

Drop your madness, while we take hold of the torch of revolution that you ignited.

Shift your focus from that star in the sky towards the sun of your life.

Decide a way to die, while we snatch away your very purpose to live.

In case you are okay with our suggestions, thank us at Vaikuntam (abode of Lord Vishnu) and protect your dear life.

Best regards,

Your dear enemy. "

I scrunched the paper into a ball and threw it aside angrily. For a while, I closed my eyes taking deep breathes to calm down my nerves. Apparently, this is the price I have to pay for being righteous and just. Nevertheless, these threats only strengthen my obstinacy to win the cases at any cost. Although I am least bit bothered about things of this sort, I was curious to know who wrote this letter. I wondered if it was the venture of the enemies I earned from my Barrister role or those I garnered as a social reformer. When I was about to pick it up again, my junior came with some documents and I forgot about that warning message for the time being.

After a hectic day at court, in the evening I thought of meeting Bondita at school and give her a surprise. We were actually supposed to get some documents from her school for the visa processing and hence I thought of accomplishing that task as well. Subbu had left early and so I was the last person to leave the office. Just before I stepped out of the room, my eyes once again fell on the crumpled piece of paper that was lying beside my table. I picked it up and stuffed in my pocket to examine it at leisure, hoping that it would strengthen my claims against the guilty and make my work easier to get them punished.

However, at that moment I saw a couple of people walking towards me. They want to discuss a case. I asked them to see me the next day but in vain. They were adamant to give their case at that time itself. Seeing no other way, I decided to entertain them for the evening. I didn't know why I felt quite uneasy at heart. My sixth sense was screaming that something is going to be bad while my logical mind tried to push the fear aside.

The new clients devoured my head for almost two hours. I know that I was being rude to them within my mind by constantly wishing them to spare me for one evening and in that way doing injustice to my role as a barrister, but at that point my instincts were pushing the protector in me forward by pulling the barrister back. At last, by the time I noted down all the information needed to handle their case and bade them a goodbye for the day, it became six in the evening. So, I thought of going home directly because Bondita would have already reached home by then.