In the Place Between the Right and the Wrong - II

This post was originally meant to be part of Indian Fiction Workshop Exercise-9. Unfortunately I couldn't finish writing on time. So I am reduced to posting the whole story here in two parts.

Read part I here.

Thursday
10 am in office

Pooja is busy cleaning up her office when Puneet hurriedly
walks in looking hassled.

“Pooja, I need to talk to you.”

“Not now Puneet. I am busy.” Pooja continues to clean her
desk and never turns back to face Puneet.

“I see that you are in a hurry to leave.”

“I am.”

“Where are you going?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“To Pesho and Pillai?”

Pooja stops dead. Her face looks paper-white as all colours
drain from it in an eye blink. She starts shaking. She holds her desk tightly
and turns slowly to face Puneet.

“You know!” she says slowly.

“Yes! I heard that we lost the Parekh Phosphate case. And
the day before, I saw the deposition file with you, remember? And I knew that
you were not working on that case. And I also knew that Pesho was the defending
attorney in that case. So I just had to add two and two. You’d only made it
easier for me. I remembered the way you were behaving so uncharacteristically
that day.”

“Why didn’t you tell Mr. Patel then?”

“I would have to probably, sooner or later. But before
that I have to know your take on it. I need to know why you did what you did.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Does it? Even if you tell Mr.
Patel, it won’t matter because you don’t have any proof. And by the time you
can dig up something I will be gone far from your reach.”

“Don’t talk about going away, I can’t stand it. And are
you telling me that you are naïve enough to believe that Mr. Pesho will be able
to trust you completely after what you did? After all isn’t it already proved
that you are capable of backstabbing?”

“Thanks for making it clear that I am a big loser! I
think I should go now.”

Pooja tries to leave but Puneet continues, “But the thing
is, I am shattered. I feel like a
loser Pooja. I just can’t believe that you are capable of doing such a
despicable thing. Betraying your own firm by equipping the defence? Denying a
dying lady the compensation she deserved? How desperate you must be! But every
time I try to despise you I realize that I know you well enough to know that
you wouldn’t do anything so horribly wrong just because you want a better
paying job. So as a friend I am just asking a justification from you.”

Pooja looks like on the verge of breaking down for a
moment or two. Then she recovers but continues to look dubious.

“Don’t you have anything to say? Are you telling me you
did such an immoral thing just so you’d get a job in Pesho and Pillai?”

“A partnership. Not just another job.”

“So this was your only motive?”

Pooja continues to look haughtily at Puneet for few more
seconds. Finally she says, resignedly, “Actually, no. I don’t want to sound
like defending myself for my actions. What I did may be immoral but was the
right thing to do in legal perspective.”

“What do you mean?”

“Pamela sued Parekh Phosphate with the charges that the
unhealthy toxic smoke filled work environment in their factories gave her lung
cancer. But Pesho always had his doubts about the truth of this statement and
this case meant a big deal for PP’s reputation and the stakes were high. Pesho
approached me with a very lucrative offer in exchange of information. I didn’t
decide on it until I overheard Pamela talking to Mr. Patel and understood that
her cancer may or may not have been caused by the environmental condition of
her workplace because she has a long genetic history of cancer. But she needed
the compensation money for her treatment. So Mr. Patel advised her not to speak
about the family history in the actual deposition. But I handed Pesho the
actual buried documentation than what was officially produced.”

Puneet’s convoluted expression clears. “So we lost on the
ground of withholding the truth.”

“Precisely.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to. Just let me go.”

“Except one thing maybe.”

“What?”

“That I don’t think you did wrong. Don’t give me that
look. We all learnt law is just about telling right from wrong. It’s not about
emotions!”

“You believe that?”

“Well, to tell the truth, I don’t. I am moulded too much
like Mr Patel. But I always knew you were hardnosed. Maybe Pesho and Pillai is
the best place for you after all. You will grow better there.”

“Was that mockery?”

“Oh, no, Jesus. I am serious. You align well with their
principles. The ruthless manner with which you handle your cases, I am sure
Pesho and Pillai will be delighted to have you.”

“Thanks. But I bet you are delighted to have me gone.”

“What? Why would I be so?”

“Because with me present here, you could never be made
partner.”

“Now that’s a debatable topic. Why don’t we discuss this
over dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up at eight? What say?”

Pooja looks thoroughly taken aback! “I don’t understand. Are
you…”

Puneet cuts in, “I am just asking you out on a date where
we can discuss about who would have made partner had we both continued to work
here.”

“I still don’t understand. Why suddenly…”

“Stop being so paranoid Pooja. I have wanted to ask you
out for a very long time now and I suddenly realized that I may not get another
chance if I don’t do it now. I just can’t let another robotic lawyer from Pesho
and Pillai sweep you off without even trying in my own emotional way.”

“You think I am robotic?”

“That’s another debatable topic I would prefer discussing
over dinner. So what do you think?”

“I think I’d like to discuss that over dinner too!”





Love



Read part I here.

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Riot of Random