Remembering My First Court Case, Part Four

................After that the days elapsed to weeks and weeks to months, But there was nothing forthcoming. Everything in my life was normal except that ward lady who was eating away my mental peace. By then I joined my office too. My little daughter was recovering from her jaundice and was doing fine. Again deep deep deep inside, I was mentally gearing for the first court case of my life. A book on "criminal proceeding in Bhutan" by a Judge named Lungten Drupjor came in Handy! I read it from top to bottom and bottom to top.

And Finally after more than two months, I got a call from a strange and unusual number.....

Continued.......

I was in my office then, -quite busy for any private affairs. But however I answered the call. It was a lady with a very familiar voice on the other end. Without even being asked, she introduced herself to be the ward lady, -that cunning and horrible ward lady. 

 She told me that she just desired to confirm about my details including my current and permanent addresses, -both home and office. I don't know from where she managed but surprisingly, she got all my details correct!. I asked her why she needed my details. And she was transparent enough to tell me about her motives, -that she was finally lodging a legal complain to the court against me!

I went wordless and I felt a chilling sensation running all through my spine. I was prepared to win the case by a margin of hundred percent, But "what-if-I-should-loose-the-case?' was the immediate thing that struck my mind. It brought me more questions than I could possibly answer in my life time. How would my parents react to it? How would my family take it? How would my friends and relatives take such a disappointment from me? Such were the questions that flashed and dazzled in my perturbed mind. However before she put off the phone, I managed to tell her that I am prepared to face her in any court. But at the same time, I also warned her of the consequences, should she fail to prove me guilty. To this she threateningly told me that, she had in her recent past, even put her husband behind the bars and that there was little or no reason why she should act different to me. 

But later many more thoughts crossed my mind. I was ten thousand times more terrified than ever for the fact that I had everything to loose, if I should loose the case. I was fearful for the fact that I might loose my life time opportunity to serve my King and the Country to my full potential. In all those thoughtful hours, I felt my world crumbling. I felt my dreams shattering. I felt the pains of my parents. I felt the dejection of my family. I felt the sympathy of my friends. But just like the silver lining in the dark cloud, all those painful feelings made me more determined to fight to the last with absolute resoluteness. 

I marked all her words from our telephonic conversation. And I was determined to use all her words against her odd in the court of law, so I saved her number and recorded her voice with all the details. Should the need arise, I was even willing to exaggerate the matter a bit. My stakes were high and I needed all the support in what ever form it came. And to my realization, it came from a person none other than the plaintiff herself. She took a bold step in calling me, -the defendant, with her threatening message. So I thought, I got the Achilles heel to hang on and strike it when the right time comes.  

So I waited and waited. And exactly after two days, I got a court directive from Paro Court  instructing me to proceed to Thimphu court "without fail" the immediate day. I was further directed to make my appearance in the Bench II of the Thimphu district Court.

To be continued.............................................