Chapter 56: Chapter 56
DOOM AT YOUR SERVICE
Janelle sat at the right side of the court, with her lawyer seated beside her. She could feel the tension, her hands were shaky. From beneath her lashes she kept stealing short glances at Rashid whom she couldn't count how many times he kept make growling sounds.
Asides the growling sounds which she wasn't so sure he was making, he looked so relaxed and composed. She feared the judge would rule by his side, she feared it so much that her lawyer seated by her side had to rub his hands against hers to assure her of something positive.
"Mr Z-zade, d-don't you think i-it-it's taking m-much time than it's expected?. The Zadirs are very powerful people, whatever they want is how my fate would be decided and I'm very afraid, I'm uncertain about this, I h-ha-have never been so unsure of any of my decisions......" She stuttered, she couldn't even finish up when a tear slid down her eyes.
"Miss Janelle." He called, his voice was firm and un-compromising. He took a piece of clothe which he handed over to her, so she could clean her tears.
"It's still MRS, the court is yet to give us her final decision, and Thank You." She said to him before taking the white face towel from him.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, if there's anything you need to know about the QATARI LAW COURT, it's how fair and just they are in carrying out their duties. Also, they're independent and not controlled by the Qatar Law Governing Bodies. Whatever judgement they give would never be in favor of them?. So all hope isn't lost, we just have to believe and have faith...." He paused when the Judge called Rashid to come to the dock.
"I thought Divorce shouldn't be taken this far, he wants it, I want it. Why does it look like we murdered a group of people?" Janelle questioned in a whisper, confusion etched her brows, she reluctantly dragged her eyes away from Rashids'.
Her lawyer lifted his brows, his hands rested on Janelle's as he palmed hers, "Now you see... We men have a lot of Pride in us, even when we fail, we hate to admit we've fallen, if a hand stretches from above to lift us up, we'd rather die there than acknowledge the fact we're being helped....." He paused, took out a candy sweet, tore off the nylon and placed it on his tongue.
Janelle smiled, "You should be maintaining law and order, but here you are, licking sweet even inside a house of decorum..... I should have snitched, but then, you're my lawyer and I think I would need one." She teased, before he gave her one from his other pocket.
Her eyes went round like saucers, "Yes, Mrs Janelle!. I take a dozen of them wherever I go. So as I was saying...." A brief pause before he continued, "You filed for a divorce, he made it seem like he wanted that too, but look." He glanced at Rashids' direction.
"With the way he's been looking at you non-stop, the warning look he has been giving me when my shoulder mistakenly brushes yours, Does it look like that Big guy over there is ready to give you up?" He pouted his lips before settling them into a thin line.
Janelle looked at Rashid, their gazes held, she'd never felt that great bond, strong connection between both of them like she felt now.
"I- I d-do-don't know. He makes me believe whatever he wants me to believe, and I'm tired of predicting him, I might say he's blue, but later it turns out to be that he's Red. I can't say Rashid is green because he's multi-color."
"I really do not want to break your heart, but the decision of the court would side neither you nor him, but at the end of everything it would be of great help to him. An IRRESISTIBLE TEMPTATION which none of you can resist." Mr Zade said before he was called to order by the Preceding Judge.
~~~~~~~ΩΩΩ~~~~~~~
"Tsk tsk tsk" Farouq made clicking sounds with his tongue, staring down at the young boy kneeling at his feet, his little hands were behind him, his long unruly hair making it hard to see his face.
"If only you had seduced Rashid, such an easy task. I wouldn't be bothered about him taking the company, but no... you just failed when you should have put your porn training into use....." He hissed.
"The task was so easy and short. DRUG HIM, SEDUCE HIM, and FILM HIM. The last should be proof, evidence of the action between both of you, yet, nothing. You did exactly nothing, I thought you're more experienced and matured... You piece of shit.." he groaned frustratedly.
"I've explained everything to you Father, over and over again, I didn't know how he found out about the phone, It was going so well until the drug wore off and he woke up." Abla recounted in a teary voice, biting her lips, suppressing the urge to scream and tear at him, so she did the only thing she was capable of doing... she bursted into tears, her chest making loud heaving sound.
Muffled cry was heard from the background and rattling chains, Farouq dragged the young boy up with his hands wrapped around the young boy's neck as he made choking sounds, the wails became louder.
"Father No.... P-please...no. Leave the boy... P-pl-please" Abla pleaded, tears streaming down her face in torrents, she clutched the chains tied around her neck tightly, needing to get free from the reins of the chain.
"Ahhhha?" Farouq grinned, pushed the young boy towards Abla, "You know... for a start, he's old enough to take care of himself, secondly, he's one step away from being eight feet under the earth and a step close to death. It's your choice to do the needful." He groaned.
Abla brought the young boy closer to her bosom, wrapped herself around the boy, rocking him slowly, trying to fight the urge from picking anything sharp, anything dangerous and plunging it into the heart of her father, Farouq.
"Haven't I tried enough Father. Is it my fault that you lost the company to him..." She wasn't done talking when he smacked her hard across her cheeks, his hands wrapping around her jaw in a punishing grip.
"You whore, you should be thankful you're still alive, you and this your BASTARD of a child. You keep reminding me of my loss, you'd pay for it..." He spat at her, turning to one of his men, he barked, "Take the boy away from here, keep him in the cold room."
"No, no please." Abla wailed continuously, when she saw he wasn't about to change his mind,she started throwing curses at him. "You think you're strong right?, You're just an empty skull and a weakling, there's nothing you're good at doing best, I'm a whore, yes, I know that.... but at least I've gotten so many awards. In what aspect of your life have you been awarded, at least once... you fûcking....." she hesitated when he smirked, an evil one and before she could say Jack, he banged her head against the wall twice as the unhealed wound on her head cut open again and she fell into Oblivion.
~~~~~~ΩΩπΩΩ~~~~~~
The courtroom went quiet as everyone waited for the verdict of the Judge, in all, Rashid was the most calm, his eyes was doing the talking, going from hard to soft and hard again.
The Judge adjusted his glasses, turned the ring on his middle finger, smoothed his hand over his face, "For the Verdict..." A brief pause, "According to the Law of Qatar, Under Marriage. A divorce could be resolved immediately only when both partners consented to it, in a situation like this when a partner is against the divorce....."
Janelle clutched her Lawyer's hand tightly, her voice a bit shaky, "W-wh-what i-is he sa-say-saying?, I d-don't understand, why's he ta-talk-talking a-ab-about consent and non-consent. Rashid has been wanting this divorce..." her voice tore off.
"Mrs Janelle, he made you believe that. With the possessive look he's been throwing your way, I told you it won't work, the divorce won't work. I knew immediately when the court was arraigned this way. There shouldn't have been much audience if it was a consented divorce between both partners." he whispered against her ear.
"So what do you think is the verdict?" she questioned throatily.
"That's what we're both about to find out." he replied.
The clerk had gone to bring a bottle of water for the Judge, since his voice had become faintly, "Sorry for the distraction."
"Now, In a situation like this when a partner is against the divorce, there comes the inexcapeable Law Of The Qatari Court. Three months minimum of both partners who would live together, under the same room and under the watchful gaze of relatives, if after three months there had been no sexual activity between both partners and the other partner who filed for a divorce is still willing to go through with the divorce, then it would be processed, If not there's no Divorce..." He stopped, looked towards Janelle.
"So Mrs Janelle Rashid-Zadir, as the verdict of the court, you are hereby obligated to move into the family house of Mr Rashid Zadir from the 1st of September this year until the 30th of November. If by the end of the three months, there has been no sexual activity between both of you, and a routine check is carried out to confirm it, the divorce won't be affected and will officially go through." he directed to her.
Turning to Rashid he spoke, "Throughout the three months, it would be best if Mrs Janelle doesn't file any complaint about you, so I'd advice you keep your hands to yourself, so as not to incur the wrath of the Court." The Judge grinned, it was a one-second boyish type of grin, which was momentarily seen by Rashid.
"God-God, Can't the months be reduced?, How the fuck would I stay with him for three fûcking monthsssss, I'm finished." She yelled in her head, and when she turned to look at Rashid, there was only one thing she captured in his face, to relay to her that he'd sure make the three months worth her time.
A smirk, A-fucking-cocky-smirk. She knew Doom's At Her Service.