Chapter 1 #2
“Haaye,” she pushed the door open, unleashing her glorious self. “You remember me!”
“Of course, I do,” Zubin grinned, getting to his feet.
She was still the same after six years — all fair round face glowing with good health and Dior makeup, diamonds around her neck, in her ears and wrists, in a silk top and pantsuit on the body that she had been trying to slim down for the last decade, unsuccessfully.
But as he had always told her then — it suited her.
“Zubeeen!” She opened her arms and he gave her a hug, bearing her air kisses. “How are you, dear?”
“All good.”
“And your wife?”
“Doing great too, as is our daughter.”
“Oooh! You had a daughter?”
“She is five.”
Chandni Aunty cooed, her small eyes turning round. “That’s chooo cute. Show me her photo.”
“Won’t you sit first?”
“Yes, yes…” she settled in one of his visitor’s chairs, setting a folder on his desk. Zubin did not miss that. “You haven’t returned to our park for so long!”
“Yes, life just happened. How are you? How is everybody?”
“Everybody is amazing. Shanu had triplets.”
“Shanu Aunty? At that age?”
“Oh, I mean, her son had triplets…”
Zubin’s eyes widened.
“Her son’s wife. Zubeeen,” she sing-songed.
“Come on. And Roshan uncle moved to Canada to be with his kids. Binny, Madhuri, Urvashi, Shireen and Madhu still come every day but they bring their grandkids and you have to see them, running around aaall the time. Still none of them have lost weight like me. Oh and that Urvashi’s grandson?
He is such a beast. He brings this big tiffin box of boiled eggs and bread-butter and smileys at seven in the morning! Can you believe it?”
“How are you, Chandni Aunty?” Zubin pressed before she became unstoppable, and he began to enjoy the gossip too.
“Oh, I am great,” she struck a pose, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Except…” she straightened.
“Except?” Zubin’s brows rose, amused.
“I am getting a divorce.”
“Oh.” He sat forward. “I am… sorry.”
“Oh no, no, dear,” she waved him off. “This toh had to happen. I don’t know how I lived with that man for so long!”
“Right…” Zubin glanced at his desk clock inconspicuously. 2.25. He had to leave for his hearing. “If there’s anything I can do to help…”
“Of course, yes!” She pounced. “I want you to take my divorce case.”
“What?”
“Here.” She pushed the folder towards him.
“Chandni Aunty, I am a real estate lawyer, I don’t do family court…”
“But it is going to High Court.”
“High Court?” He frowned, taking the folder, curious. “Did you appeal?”
“He appealed. But, let me tell you first only — I want to appeal. You have to appeal on my behalf. He does not get to appeal, I get to appeal.”
Zubin scanned through the Vakalatnama, the Family Sessions Court documents, the petition and the list of…
demands. Alimony demands. He flipped the pages and the demands went on and on.
He glanced from the list to Chandni Aunty’s face, looking innocently at him with righteous indignation.
Then back to the pages he was flipping. And stopped short.
“The judge granted your demands?” His eyes bugged. What had the judge smoked?
“Exactly! I want to appeal to the High Court.”
“Chandni Aunty, the judge granted your demands; you won there. You cannot appeal. Your husband has already appealed.”
“Who is he to appeal?!”
“Ok… umm,” Zubin glanced at his clock. “I have a hearing in twenty minutes. I am going to ask my assistant to refer you to Advocate Agarwal. He is a great divorce lawyer…”
“I want the most expensive one.”
“He can be expensive, too.” Zubin shut the file.
“No, no! As expensive as Dalal Chambers lawyers.”
“What?”
“Raviraj has gone there.”
Zubin’s brows shot up.
“So now you will be the most expensive lawyer, fight this case at your highest fee and win it and then I will take even your fees from that Raviraj Jethmalani. Who does he think he is, appealing to High Court! You know, I put him in the pool to sleep and even then he snores…”
“Sorry, you what?”
“Pool. Of course I won’t let him sleep in my room now…”
“Pool? Swimming pool?”
“Don’t worry, it was empty. I let him take a mattress.”
Zubin exhaled — “Chandni Aunty, I cannot take this case.”
“But Zubin, friends in need are friends indeed, no? You promised me you will help me if I am ever in need.”
“And I will help you find a good divorce lawyer.”
“Why can’t you fight it?”
“Because…” he gave a helpless laugh. “I don’t fight such cases.”
“Not even for friends?”
Zubin gaped at her.
“Was all that laughter club for nothing for you?” Her head cocked, pleading eyes on him. “We jogged together, Zubin.”
He chuckled. “You did not jog.”
“I jogged, I even lost 700 grams. Then I had to stop because I sprained my ankle and my orthopaedic did not allow me to jog anymore.”
“He asked you to take a break.”
“A looong break.”
Zubin smiled indulgently at her. “Chandni Aunty…” he began to shake his head. Then stalled. “Who did you say is taking the case at Dalal Chambers?”
“I don’t know. But we will win and I will get you the highest fees from my husband who is soon going to become ex and a beggar. Charge whatever you want, your next Disneyland trip is on me.”