FRAGMENTS - THE SEGMENTS

✒Pen✒

William was a law student, he was to graduate soon. To get a better understanding of the judicial system functioning, he decided to attend some court trials. The following Monday, he walked through the corridor that was already filled with many lawyers, convicts, clients and police officers. He decided to get into a divorce case hearing first, as everything begins from family. Inside there were only few members other than the official crew of lawyers, clients and their kin. William took a corner seat in the second row. Nearby sat a little girl, he turned and smiled at her. She forced a faint smile on her face. He motioned with his hand and asked why she was there,

"My Parents," she said and pointed to the people who were sitting on either sides. 

As the trial began, the calm and quiet room slowly transformed into a violent atmosphere, the air was full of blames, accusations, revelations and violent arousals. Seeing that further presence in the room will make him uncomfortable, he silently left, thinking to himself why there was no understanding between partners in the 21st century. 

William next found himself sitting at another trial which was almost packed. There were a lot of people but unlike the family trial there was no or little sound. He asked the man sitting near the case details, the man revealed that it was a murder case, and that the judgement was coming in a few minutes. He looked up to the judge like everyone else; the judge was looking down and writing. He continued that for 60 seconds and then finally lifted his head and declared that the judgement will be passed after a short break. The judge stood up and went away into his cabin whereas everyone else remained in their seats. A soft murmur began, William received a call and he walked out into the corridor, when he was back after the call the room had quietened and judge was back. The judge began to read the final verdict; the criminal who was proven to have murdered a girl after having defiled her, had also nearly tried to burn her body and destroy other evidences. The accused was also a person of past criminal conduct. Therefore taking into account the seriousness of the issue, the accused's past activities and the sensation the murder had caused across the state; the accused was to be hanged to death the following week Tuesday. William understood the reason for the packed court-room and the intriguing atmosphere. All this while, William had neglected the accused, now finally he looked up to see the accused and saw that the accused was a young man, not aged more than 30, decent looking; his head hung down even as the police led him away. William knew the custom of judges breaking the nib of the pen after having written a death sentence, he looked up to see if the judge was doing that, sure enough, the judge did it. William noticed something else too, the judge was mentally torn and shattered, he was on the verge of breaking down but the judge kept it to himself. Curious, William quickly makes his way behind the Judge. When he finally could ask the judge for a moment, he put forth his doubt. The judge listened quietly, waited for a few seconds and slowly answered and said,

"The death sentence I'd written just now was for my very own son and the pen I had just broken was his gift on my 50th birthday. Nevertheless, here I am a Judge and he an accused, but outside, he's my prodigal son." 

Having said that, the judge turned and walked away and William never saw him again but the incident was imprinted in him all throughout his career.