I was out of my depth today. Let me take you back a bit first.
I am in a relationship with a PSU bank. It’s complicated. I want to end it. I need an indemnity bond to do so because of a minor detail. I’ve know this from before the pandemic. I finally acted on it today. I set out to the Bandra court to get one.
‘Ukilwala court me jana hain’, asked our driver. Do we go to the court which has lawyers.
To the best of my knowledge, apart from Flushing Meadows, Rolland Garros, the Bandra Gym baddie court and the likes, all courts have lawyers. Then I realised that the ‘other court’ he referred to was the family court.
I opened the door of the car once we reached the ‘ukilwala court’.
Hustlers ran towards me. I tend to push aside such folks everywhere, be it at Howrah Station or Juhu Chowpatty.
But it was hot. I did not know which from the sea of ‘notary plus marriage registry’ enscribe stalls opposite the court to pick. I gave in. Told them what I needed.
They told me what they needed. Rs 1,250.
‘I’ve been told 1000, I countered hoping that I looked confident enough.
They shared their price sheet…cost of paper, cost of typing, ‘chai pani’…I turned back as if to walk away.
‘Come back’, they said.
This bargaining strategy worked for my mum when she bought saris at Gariahat market, for my MIL when she bought fish, and for me in this case.
One of them went in to the court. I stood in the sun, soaked in the atmosphere, took in the pollution, walked a bit to see if I could find a chai shop or a lassi shop to get a food element for the story. I saw an old man selling peanuts. A banana cart next. A combo that trumps any protein shake!
The man returned with the stamp paper. We went to the notary ‘officer’ who was standing on the footpath. He took out a table & stamps etc from a shed, waited for a sweeper to finish sweeping the pavement & placed the table on it. He put his seal on the paper & I headed home.
It was like an OTT film. I messaged K.
‘Haha & you are from the Gilded Age (the show). I can imagine you being as exhausted as Aunt Agnes by the end of it, she replied.
I disagree. MTNL yesterday, Bandra court today, the world tomorrow.
What say?