City of Lights & (Il)legal vibes (1)

 

(This story is based on actual legal cases. All names have been changed to protect privacy. The facts stated in this story are to the best of the author’s knowledge and research. Omissions or errors, if any, are regretted.)

Prologue

“Light and dark oppose one another

like the foot before and the foot

behind in walking, each

keeps its own place, existing like

box and lid.”

-         Sandokai

Who am I? Such a question at the beginning of any writing may seem to be the philosophical musing of a lost soul, but it is not so. If you strip the question of it’s metaphorical or philosophical connotation and take it in a literal sense, the answer to the question will be very simple: I am both a government officer and a writer. I have written only short-stories, poetries and few articles based on my personal experiences till now and the appreciation that I have received from the readers is overwhelming. Unlike all my previous writings, this writing is my first attempt to try my hand at something different. My professional life is full of many dramatic twists and turns, but I haven’t written much of it.

 

This is a story of one such incident which took place in my present place of posting. I am presently posted in a tiny city on the bank of the river Hooghly. It’s name is Aloknagri – literally meaning, the city of lights. In Bengali, there’s a proverb, which says, “Alor nichey andhokar thake”, loosely translated into English as “Darkness resides beneath the light.” This is a story about such darkness that lurks in the nooks and crannies of Aloknagri, the city of lights.

 

To the people of Bengal, this city is famous for the elaborate and majestic celebration of Maa Singhobahini, the presiding deity of the city, on the ninth day of the moonlit fortnight in the month of Kartik or November. Once upon a time, it was a French enclave which later became a part of the Indian Union. During India’s freedom struggle, this city was a ‘spawning bed’ of seditious activities against the British rule. As the British police were denied entry into Aloknagri, this tiny French possession remained as a festering sore which ‘affected the body of the whole of the British territories in Bengal.’ This beautiful city is still attached very much to French tradition, culture and education. The road flanking the Hooghly river, the famous Ganges Ghat Road, occupies a special place in the heart of the people of Aloknagri. This road is witness to the French traders’ visit to Aloknagri as early as the 17^th century.

 

Flanking the Ganges Ghat Road is situated the old, dilapidated Sub-Divisional Court of Aloknagri. The high-ceilinged court rooms have witnessed many legal battles for years in which the legal luminaries of Aloknagri have matched their wits against each other. In my story, the Sub-Divisional Court of Aloknagri occupies a position of prominence. The Aloknagri Bar Association boasts of a large number of lawyers – close to 250.

 

Now walk out of the gate of the court and take a turn to your left. Walk along the Ganges Ghat Road for a few minutes before turning to your left again. Again, walk for a few minutes. You’ll find yourself standing at a busy crossing of four roads criss-crossing each other. The air here, you’ll find, is fragrant with the aroma of freshly cooked Bengali delicacies. The famous restaurant, “Maharaja Tomare Selam”, another famous landmark of Aloknagri, is situated on your right side. A PSU bank flanks the restaurant. Take the staircase beside the restaurant and climb up two flights of stairs. You’ll find yourself standing right in front of the office of the Revenue Administrator of Aloknagri, which is my office. In the summer of 2022 when the air of Aloknagri was still and sultry, which held no promise for rain, I took charge of this office. Looking back, the day of my joining seems inconsequential, just like any other work day. But maybe, the placement of the astrological planets of Rahu and Ketu were inauspicious, implying a negative impact on my tenure in Aloknagri. Or maybe, the winds were blowing from a different direction. But the stage was all set for the subsequent happenings which made my tenure here a memorable one. The narrative traverses several months, provides glimpses of legal battles fought both at the Sub-Divisional Court of Aloknagri and the High Court of Calcutta and brings to the fore the vengeful, misogynistic attitude of a few members of the Aloknagri legal fraternity – the darkness that contrasts the light of Aloknagri.

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