With the terrible trio -
"Did the boy sign the paper?" Gautam asked as he swirled his drunk in the glass.
"No. Both the boys are refusing..." Jyran answered keeping his distance. Gautam suddenly through the glass towards the wall and the three occupants watched as the glass shattered.
"Two 17 year old boys. You can't make two teenagers do such a small thing?" Jyran asked furious.
"Its not that we are not trying, Jyran. But that Virat kid can barely stay conscious and that other kid is still putting up a fight." Gokul said as a way of explanation.
"If the kid is causing a problem, then put the kid in his place. There are so many guns here, take one, and blow his head off!" Jyran yelled again.
"That is too risky! The boys' brothers will not stop looking for them!"
"Let them look! As if they will be able to find them... Don't tell me you are growing a soft corner for these boys. Its because of their dads that my brother Naveen was in jail." Jyran exclaimed clenching his jaw.
Flash back-
"Divorce cases, annoying little things." Arjun uncle said to his brother as he looked over his new case files. Prem uncle had been working from home today, but had come into the office to check in.
"Tell me about it," Prem uncle said rubbing his head. "I got a new one where the man is refusing for a divorce. There has been proof that he has been abusing that poor lady. So much proof against him, still he doesn't want to give up."
Arjun uncle looked up from the file he was going over.
"What is the guy's name?" He asked.
"Naveen," Prem answered, "Did some research on him, apparently he is a really big deal in the underground world over in Afghanistan. Big name, scares a lot of people. Why do you ask?"
"Small world," Arjun uncle said, "That is the name of my client who I was asked to represent in the divorce case. He has a pretty convincing story. Cheating wife who wants to get a divorce because of extra - marital affairs. But claims that he is a loving husband who still wants his wife back." He continued, feeling a migraine coming.
"You are going to be the one that is suing Prerna!" Prem said.
"Who?" Arjun uncle asked confused.
"You remember our old house, there was a nice lady there.... I forgot her name... She always gave us cookies... Remember, everyone was after her and her daughter because the daughter did not marry an Indian?"
"Yes, I remember. She was such a sweet kid..." Arjun uncle sighed.
"Wait, it is Roshni aunty's daughter? That Prerna?" Arjun uncle said surprised and Arjun uncle nodded, "The world is getting even smaller." Arjun uncle added.
"Yeah," Prem uncle said with a groan. This complicated case just got more complicated.
"So what are we going to do?" Prem uncle asked.
"I'm going to do something that can possibly add more wrinkles on your forehead." Arjun uncle said smirking.
"Whatever you do, can't be more rowdy than your college days, bhaiyya! I already have white hair on my head because of you." The brothers shared a laugh at that.
"Chal be, chote, utna bhi bura nahi tha main! Aur baal toh safed mere hue h tera dhyaan rakhte rakhte" Arjun uncle protested.
"Acha! Yaad h, aap class bunk karke bahar apne doston ke saath chala gaya the aur hum kisiko pata bhi nahi laga! Pure din hum aapko dhoond ke chal rahe the." Prem uncle responded.
"And mom had me in house lock for a week after that." Arjun uncle muttered also laughing.
"Wo bhi kya din the na? Jab hum dono bache the?" Arjun uncle asked emotional.
"Aur ab humare bache h! Aap ke dono bache itne well behaved the! Mera Rohit toh mujhe sone hi nahi deta or woh chotu pet me itna laat marta h, ki Saroj ko bhi nahi sone deta!" Prem uncle laughed.
"Maine bhi bhugta tha! Ab teri baari, beta! Lekin it will be worth it in the end, trust me! Bache itne pyaare h! Mahi And Yuvi were the Same at that age. Aur abhi they will start school." Arjun uncle said smiling.
"Haina! I can't wait for the little one to be out!" Prem uncle said dreamily. Arjun uncle just smiled at him.
"Acha, hum kahase kaha tak pahunch gaye, what are we going to do?" Prem uncle asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"Arjun uncle said. "I will lose this case."
"Kya?" Prem uncle asked horrified and frowned.
"Maine bola tha, ki tere frown lines aur bad jayenge mera plan sunne ke baad! "
"Aapko pata h na ki aap kya kar rahe ho?" Prem uncle asked concerned.
"Haan. Mein lawyer hu, bacha! And I can't let injustice happen. Atleast Not when I can do something about it." Arjun uncle Said as he ruffled his brother's hair.
"Win this case, thike chote?"Arjun uncle Said as he grasped his brother's hands. "I will have to go hard on you on court. But you can't let me win."
"Thik hai bhaiyya!" Prem bhaiyya nodded his head.
"Shit." Prem uncle said, "I need a drink." suddenly, the seriousness of the situation hit him.
"First, dont curse. Second, I already got it covered, brother," Arjun uncle said and got a bottle out from his desk drawer.
____________________________________
"Badi ma…" Bhavana aunty said slowly, he repeated the word a few times so that the little boy would mimic her but he only had a bright smile for his father and nothing else. "Come on beta… do that for me…" he begged a few months old Rohit.
Instead of speaking Rohit squealed when he saw Prem uncle arriving and waved his arms energetically.
"Hello beta." Prem uncle kissed his head. "Can you say papa?"
Purnima aunty pushed him away annoyed. "Leave my kid alone."
"He's my kid!" Prem uncle protested and laughed entertained and went around the kitchen island to greet his very pregnant wife.
Saroj aunty was engrossed with something on her phone, she only glanced up to see her husband arrived near her. "Hello dear, mera pastry kaha h?" She asked cutely.
"Idhar hi h." Prem uncle said handing her the pastry. His wife was having the pregnancy carvings.
She just cutely kissed him on the cheek.
"What news has you so absorbed?" He asked while looking for a glass to pour some wine.
"They are about to announce the verdict on the Naveen case." she stared at her phone. Prem uncle was supposed to be at the court too. But he had taken a paternal leave. But all the facts and evidences were safe with his trusted junior, Gurunath.
They all wanted justice to prevail but no other more than the brothers, it had been a long gruesome trial that expanded over the span of a year and during the course of it so many horrible and macabre things came into light, the corruption web was elaborate and Naveen was involved in so many shady schemes that Prem uncle literally had to ask everyone around them to stop talking about the trial of the year cause it was affecting his wife.
"Why is your brother making me suffer like this?" Saroj took Prem uncle's glass yearning for a drink.
He just smiled with affection at his wife. "All of this will be over soon."
Arjun uncle burst through the kitchen door with messy hair, a loose tie and a bottle of champagne in his hand. "I lost!" he beamed.
"Oh thank the Lord." Bhavana aunty pressed her chest.
It was definitely strange to celebrate her husband's first losing case but the occasion called for it.
Arjun uncle opened the champagne radiant. "Gurunath was a ruthless killer in his final arguments and the defense never stood a chance against him."
He filled enough glasses for everyone and after sweetly kissing Rohit's and the all the other children's cheek, he handed the first glass to Prem uncle. "They sentenced Naveen to life time of imprisonment."
He exclaimed joyfully as he pulled his brother into a hug.
The family celebrated, not knowing that everything would turn upside down in a matter of days.