Crush - KarEena

Chapter 5

Haseena leaned against the counter and rolled the bottle of cold water across her forehead. It had been years since deep breathing exercises were necessary for her to regain her calm. Years, but she hadn't forgotten how terrifying it felt not to be in absolute control.

For the last three weeks, her life had been in disarray. The disintegration of her carefully structured life had begun with the court summons. The day after receiving it through the mail, she and a group, including Billu Champat, had been gathered in the doctors' lounge. When she told them about the summons, they groaned collectively and commented on her rotten luck.

Someone suggested that she claim to have young children at home.

"But I don't" she answered

"You're the sole caretaker of an elderly parent" another suggested

"But I'm not" she again answered

"You're a full-time student"

She hadn't even acknowledged that suggestion.

"Throw the damn thing away and ignore it," another advised her. "That's what I did. Figured it would be worth the fine, no matter how steep if I didn't have to appear."

"What happened?" she asked

"Nothing. They never follow up on those things, Haseena. They run hundreds of people through there each week. You think they're going to take the time and effort to track down one no-show?"

"I would be the exception. They'd throw me in jail. Use me as an example to those who try and dodge their civic responsibility." Thoughtfully, she twirled the straw in her soft drink, "besides, that's what it is. A civic duty"

"Please" Billu groaned around a mouthful of vending-machine potato chips. "It's a civic duty for people who have nothing better to do. Use your work to get you off."

"Work is not an exemption. That's printed in bold letters on the summons. I'm afraid I'm stuck" Haseena sighed

"Don't worry about it," he said, "they won't choose you."

"Wouldn't surprise me if they did," another male colleague had chimed in

Haseena returned his wink with a scathing glare "You wouldn't be"

Billu dusted salt off his hands. "They won't choose you"

"Okay, Billu, why not? You're just itching to tell me why I'd be unsuitable as an expert, aren't you?" she said sternly

He counted off the reasons on his nimble surgeon's fingers.

"You're too analytical. Too opinionated. Too outspoken. And too bossy. Neither side wants someone who could sway the others"

That was one argument Haseena would have gladly let Billu win. She had been the first one to be selected from forty- eight candidates. For the following ten business days, while paperwork mounted and her patient load got backlogged, her time belonged to the State High Court of Mumbai.

When it ended, her relief was short-lived. Through the media, the verdict had been criticized by the district attorney's office. Nor had it won the approval of the average citizen, Dr. Billu Champat being one.

He had voiced his opinion at that Friday night cook-out. "I can't believe they let this joker off, Haseena. He's a career criminal."

"He's never been convicted," she'd argued, "besides, he wasn't on trial for previous alleged crimes."

"No, he was on trial for executing a prominent banker, one of our fair city's leading citizens. The prosecutor was asking for the death penalty."

"I know, Billu. I was there" Haseena sighed deeply