Chapter B
ORIGIN OF THE BROTHERHOOD
11) OUR SOLE INSPIRATION
It was the hottest day of the summer. With sun glowing over head, lives roaming around to fetch enough water and people quarreling at the doorsteps of a courtroom. I sat with my dad hoping to see my mom glowing out in her black gown.
I was glad the sixth sitting of the mananchira case fell on a Saturday and I could witness it myself. Judge, the balded uncle came in and used his useless hammer and the whole room went in pin drop silence.
"Your honor, I would like to summon before you the sole eye witness of the whole incident. Witness number three from petition 285/2006." Mom started his plea.
"Yes, of course. Madam you need to be quick today as it is a half day and I have got to attend a reception this evening." The bald neckless smiled.
"Miss Lakshmi Radhakrishnan....." Baliff stood up to call a name.
A thin tall lady wearing wig looking unhealthy slowly marched in to the witness box. She was wheatish, pale with jet black hair and looked too old for her age. I doubted if she could hold the arrows our defence lawyer will loosen.
We all realised her helpless figure but failed to notice the fire in those eyes. I learned we should never judge a fruit without tasting it.
"Miss Lakshmi, daughter of Radhakrishnan nair and premalatha belong to a small village in palakkad, alanallur.
Lachu, I hope I can call you by your pet name. Could you please tell us how come you reached mananchira at that evening?" Mom was well prepared with her words as she couldn't let our witness breakdown before everything began.
"She is suffering from seizure disorder" I heard my dad mumbling to his neighbour.
"Yes, mam so pleased of you. I had completed my twelfth class that time. Result came in when I was in calicut helping my aunt who was carrying. With His blessing I could score well in my exams and then uncle owed me a treat. He took me to 'paragon' with my little brother madhu that evening.
We had a beautiful dinner, bought parcel for my aunt and were driving back home." She spoke so soft that we started noticing her teary wells.
"Your honour, she isn't a witness alone. She was a victim. A young girl who stood promising in her studies, topped the higher secondary examination at state level, dreamt of being a successful doctor in her future. All spoiled just because of that dark night at mananchira square.
Lachu, boldly speak out what had happened that night. You need not be sad, it's them who harmed you need to be afraid." She suddenly switched from the judge to her witness showing the swag of handling justice.
"Ma'am it was around 9 at night. Uncle was driving us back from the hotel in his bike. A crucked man, eyes of a wolf crisscrossed our bike and we fell. Thank god we wore a helmet. He then came to uncle and pulled him out. Three more joined him and started beating him brutally.
Run with the boy!!! he screamed to me and I had no option as I saw one of them stabbing his belly. I ran but two of them followed and pushed me down on the roadside.
When they started beating us, I grabbed madhu around and shielded him. Meanwhile jeevan uncle had managed to get up, hit down two and come for my help.
He tore out the knife from his own belly and threathened these guys to save me from them. The deceased guy didn't stop to that and marched with another knife towards me.
He pushed uncle down on us and he started stamping his belly brutally. I saw he was bleeding heavily. I cried out for help and few people ran in later.But before that uncle waved the knife in to his thigh unable to bear the pain of stampede by Rajaselvan.
