Chapter 104: chapter 104

Aman - Okay. Can we wait here pandit ji? Pandit - Yeah, sure. Why not? He left the temple leaving both of us in the temple. I said gladly, “My sweety, finally we are going to marry!”She smiled and said, “Yes, today, I am very happy.”Pandit ji came back after about half an hour. He brought things like coconut, red threads, incense sticks etc. He started doing his prayer. During the prayer, very cunningly, at times, he asked me to place a hundred rupee note on the coconut and  at other times, he asked me to place a hundred rupee note on the incense sticks and even sometimes on the red coloured thread. He easily took five thousand rupees extra from me in this process. Then he asked Hemlatta, “Do you want to do fere (Fere means the seven rounds around the fire that a newly married husband and wife are supposed to take. It is one of the process of Hindu marriage. But it is an important part of the marriage.)?”She beamed and said, “Yes.”Pandit ji - Your husband has to pay ten thousand rupees extra for it.But I thought, “Nothing is kept in fere! If somebody sees us then we will be in trouble. Even though we are in other city, but who knows when ill luck befalls? For the time being, I just need a certificate.”I quickly said to Pandit ji, “Pandit ji, thanks. We will do fere later on. For the time being, we have to leave. Please give us our marriage certificate.”Thankfully, Hemlatta understood my problem and she didn’t pick up a quarrel over that. Pandit ji made a marriage certificate by affixing the stamp of his temple. I asked one passerby to take our snaps wearing garlands around our necks along with pandit ji. Then we left the temple and went back to our city.No sooner did I reach my city than I headed for the court to meet the advocate, Indra. He was sitting in his cabin. I smiled and said to him, “Sir, I have done what you told me to do. I married her in a temple and also brought the marriage certificate. Now, we want to give our statements. Please tell me when we should come to you?”He said, heightening his brow, “Statements! What kind of statements?”Aman - Sir, you told me that after getting married in a temple, we have to give our statements and it’s only a five minutes process. At once, he became furious, “I didn’t say anything like that! You are talking about marriage and marriage is not a child’s play!”I was taken aback by his statement! I was trapped now. It took a couple of seconds to recompose myself and I managed to say in a normal voice, “Sir, then what should I do now?”Indra - You have to file a protection plea. Aman - But I don’t need any protection!Indra - Even then you have to file a protection plea because it’s the process of the court marriage. You can’t avoid it. Aman - Sir, can you explain a bit more? What will happen if I file a protection plea?Indra - After filing a protection plea, one summon will go to your parents and one summon will go to the girl’s parents that both of you want to marry each other. And both of you will get a room, in which you can live for some days and you will also get police protection along with that. Aman - But I don’t want to go in this process. Is there any other way of doing marriage? Any simple way? Indra - No. I thought, “This lawyer is very greedy! First he misguided me! Now, seeing that I am trapped, he is forcing me to do the things that he wants. But I will not comply with him. I will find other way out. Perhaps, all advocates are greedy!”I went outside of the court complex where there were small small shops related to the court work. I went to a typist and said, “Do you know how to marry a girl legally?”He frowned at me and said, “I don’t know.”I thought, “Obviously, he understood that I am looking for a love marriage and love marriage is not accepted in our society!”I went to another typist and asked the same question. He said, “I can get you one lawyer, he can guide you in a better way.”I thought, “I have already met a lawyer! It’s useless to meet them! I think I should meet any other authority or an employee of the court. Perhaps, I may come to know something.”I again went inside the court and simply entered the room on which “Additional judge” room was written. But there was no judge in the room. Only some employees seemed to be working over there wearing identity cards. My eyes fell on a young boy who seemed to be genuine, I called him and told him my problem. He said to me, “You seem to be a genuine man. I warn you, many girls come here for marriage, but just before the judge they change their statements and the boys fall in jail! Be careful.”I said, “No, no. My girlfriend is not like that. She can never cheat me.”He said, “Hmm… There is one way of doing simple marriage. Just get a simple letter typed and give it to the judge directly. There is no need of even hiring an advocate.”Aman - Thanks a lot. Really, thanks a lot for showing me the way. I thought, “I will go tomorrow. I will come with Hemlatta. We will go together.”I went back home. Reaching back home, first of all, I called Paras. He picked up my phone. Paras - Hello pal, how are you? Aman - I am good. How about you? Paras - Me also good. Did you do anything? Aman - Yes, I did everything you said and it worked! I have also married!(It will be so nice of you, if you leave at least a single word comment 🌺❇️🌹🌺❇️)