Chapter 9 #2
She startled. “Apologies, My Lord,” she jumped back into the game.
“What is fiction is the respondent’s long-drawn interpretation of weaving in all the valuable artwork with the marital home.
Pure fiction. The home may be a marital home, but the artwork sure isn’t.
At this rate, I am sure the learned counsel will also claim ownership over my client’s wardrobe and his clothing in the house. ”
“Sure I will if my client wants them,” Zubin responded. “But since she has a forgiving heart, she has decided to, what is that word again, yes, concede on the wardrobe.”
“So as I understand,” the judge broke them up, “since both parties want a piece of the artwork and antiques, why can’t they divide it equally?”
Before Aditi could speak, Zubin said — “We are ready, Your Lordship. All we want is a peaceful settlement and division of assets. Keeping in mind that the marital home and its upkeep are of utmost importance to my client, the Appellant can have all the loose antiques. They are valued higher than the paintings on the wall. However, anything that is huge and forms a part of the walls shall remain with my client.”
Hot air left her nostrils. Aditi now understood where he was going with this.
“My Lord, Advocate Daruwala is aware of what my client wants, and is now tactfully using this against my client to negotiate a better deal. This may not be illegal but it surely is in poor taste.”
“What is in poor taste is giving the house but scrapping it over so that it is inhabitable,” Zubin challenged. “Can a woman who is an admirer of the arts reside in a house devoid of it?”
“My Lord, this is absurd, I may not be an expert on anyone’s interests, but as per what my client instructs me, the Respondent clearly is not an admirer of the arts.
In fact, she just collects them because they are expensive.
And shiny. The paintings are however very dear to my client.
On top of it all, he even paid for them.
Furthermore, their presence or absence in no way affects the standard of living of the Respondent post divorce.
Hence this is a legitimate ask, My Lord, that the paintings be given to my client. ”
“Again, Your Lordship, the Appellant takes the liberty of speaking on behalf of my client.
Of course they know more of my client's interest in art than she herself. I presume Advocate Doshi would also go on to now list down what movies my client likes to watch and what colours she prefers. Lilac pink is not allowed,” he mocked her, “because she already apprised the court of it in the last hearing.”
“It is not me, My Lord.” She ignored his bait. “It is her husband who has made these statements. You challenge a husband’s understanding of the interests of his wife of 42 years?”
“I challenge a husband’s understanding of the wife he hasn’t seen for more than five hours a day, two days a week, for the last half of a decade.
For example, would he know that her latest reel went viral and caught close to 1 million views and still growing?
Would he know that she is now collaborating with Terrence Caster for her dancing videos?
Would he know that nowadays she writes stand-up to perform for her friends at the morning laughter club at the park near their house?
” Zubin shot out. “A man who has spent more time in the boardroom than his very home of artworks and who is now asking for a divorce at this stage, cannot claim to be an expert on his wife’s interests and disinterests.
These statements ought not to be taken seriously, Your Lordship. ”
“Let us cut to the chase,” the judge remarked. “What is it that your client wants from all of this, Ms. Doshi?”
“Your Lordship, it should be my client who should have the chance to pick first. After all, she has spent all these years in…”
“Mr. Daruwala, I am sure you have a very rational argument here, but from what I have seen, your client wants everything and the Appellant wants one thing. I am not asking them to pick. I am merely asking what they want. Yes, Ms. Doshi.”
Aditi looked at Mr. Jethmalani, got his nod, and turned to the judge — “ My Lord, there is this one painting by Raja Ravi Verma. This painting depicts a woman sitting on the banks of a river waiting for her lover. This painting is one of my client’s favourite art pieces.
He is a simple man and as you are witness, My Lord, he has even settled for a Maruti over a Mercedes.
If he wants this, it is not for the monetary value but sentimental value.
He values the artwork, not the cost. Why is it that in a divorce, it is always only a woman who gets to hold propriety over sentimentality?
Be it the house, the jewellery or the cars? ”
Justice Deshmukh looked over his specs and turned his eyes to Zubin, brows up.
“Your Lordship, it is not about any woman, it is about this woman. My client didn’t file for divorce.
The Appellant has. My client’s world has been shaken up with all this, so, of course in this case, she holds propriety over sentimentality.
My client deeply values the painting in question, and she has full intention of retaining it along with the marital home. ”
“Mrs. Jethmalani,” the judge asked her directly. “Why do you want this painting?”
All eyes turned to her, including Aditi’s. And Chandni Jethmalani, sitting with her arms crossed across her chest, just twisted her mouth and shrugged. Aditi’s eyes widened.
“Chandni Aunty,” Zubin muttered. “Speak.”
“He threatened me, I will not speak now.”
Zubin sighed, his voice lower. “Please. Chandni Aunty. This is the judge. You cannot throw a fit at him. Speak.”
The older lady looked up at Justice Deshmukh, held her frown, and got to her feet, sulking — “I love that painting. And she is not sitting on the river bank waiting for her lover.” She spoke, looking at Aditi. “She is counting fruits.”
“Your husband admires it too, Mrs. Jethmalani,” Justice Deshmukh pointed.
“He doesn’t admire it, he just holds a glass with whiskey in it and sits in front of it looking at it.”
“Some might call it admiring.”
“No,” she shook her head. “That painting is mine. And all others. Zubin said it. He can have all the antique-shantiques.”
The judge exhaled, turning his eyes towards Aditi, then further to Mr. Jethmalani.
“Sir, is this ok with you?”
Mr. Jethmalani got to his feet behind her. “I have let go of the jewellery and the cars, sir. I deserve this painting.”
“You didn’t do some ehsaan on me by letting go!
That jwoolry is mine. And what will you even do with it?
And cars? Where will you take them except for your office?
My Lordship,” she turned to the judge. “He has no hobbies, no interests, nothing but work work work. That painting is all he likes to stare and I don’t even think he is staring at it.
He is calculating his next quotation of toughen glass… ”
“So you won’t mind if I order the tearing of that painting into two,” Justice Deshmukh cut it short. She gasped.
“You leave me no other alternative but to give him the lady waiting for the lover and give you the fruits.”
Chandni Jethmalani’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth but Zubin caught her eyes.
“Sit down,” Justice Deshmukh ordered, now lowkey angry.
“Mr. Daruwala, is your client holding the painting over her husband’s head?”
“No, Your Lordship, the painting is dear to her.”
“That’s pretty evident.” Translation: It is not, you little liar.
Aditi grinned inside. She looked at Zubin to see where he was.
He had made the biggest mistake in the history of Advocate Daruwala mistakes in letting Chandni Jethmalani speak and destroy the careful construction of his artwork of illusions.
And yet he looked calm, completely at ease, as if losing the painting he had been holding over their heads was not a big deal. Aditi’s hackles rose.
“There is a list of shares, fixed deposits, mutual funds, private equity holdings and investments on this list, too.” Justice Deshmukh read.
“My Lord, the parties reached an agreement on all the enumerated items on that list in the Session’s Court, and my client has let most of the lucrative investments go to the Respondent in good faith.”
The judge glanced at her, then at Mr. Jethmalani behind her. He nodded.
“This court has heard both the Appellant and the Respondent on their movable assets. The final set on this list is miscellaneous, which we will hear on the 1st of June. Is that ok with both parties?”
“Lordship, can we get a date for 2nd June? I am out of town on the 1st.”
Justice Deshmukh checked with his associate. Then turned to them — “2nd June, post lunch.”
“Yes, Your Lordship.”
“We will be ready, My Lord.”
“The court is adjourned.”
Aditi glanced at Zubin from the corner of her eye. He did not even glance at her, talking in hush-hush tones to Chandni Jethmalani as he picked up his mobile phone, and Shashank packed up his iPad and pencil.
“Ma’am, your stuff…”
She turned to accept her own mobile and wallet from Zain. When she turned back, Zubin was nowhere to be found. Shashank was missing too.
“Where did Advocate Daruwala go?”
“He seemed in a hurry,” Zain said. “He has a hearing in Justice Roy’s court. Can I stop by there for ten minutes? He is arguing rights under adverse possession, very difficult to substantiate in court, on top of that, he is arguing for the adverse possessors.”
Aditi was humbled by the fact that her associate knew Zubin’s hearing line-up better than her.
“Of course.”