Bankruptcy..

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A fifteen year old, seeing the court for the first time in his life, was made to stand in the witness box, in a case of - a parent against a parent. Now, you and me cannot comprehend the dilemma in the child's mind. No-one except the child himself.

The child wished there was a lot more love in this world. And a lot more peace, though he hadn't seen any of those in his fifteen years. Now he had to make a choice. Options were two. He had to choose one of those two options. Very simple. But a very very complicated equation.

He stood there to help the judge make the decision. Watever the judge would decide, woud be life altering for him. He wished mom would win and take him. But he wished his dad did not loose. He couldnt imagine how it would be to see his cold hearted father crumble. He wished he was not there at all. He wished he was not born at all.

He weighed his options. He couldnt see the consequences clearly. After all, he was never left to make his decisions in all his fifteen years. If he helped his mom win, there was some hope of life. Some hope of unseen love. Even after that if the dad took him, no way he could live after that, he thought. And just in case, he helped his dad win, there was no way he could live either. One opportunity had just slipped away few days earlier. How happy i was that day, he thought. Tears just kept rolling down his cheeks without control.

His thoughts were interrupted when the lawyer approached him. He wiped his tears with the back of his hands. Even though the court room was full of people, who were curious to know what would happen next, there was pin drop silence when the lawyer started the enquiry.

Words did not come out of him at all. He just nodded the yes-es and no-es. Tears continued to roll down. He did not dare to look at his mother's worrisome eyes. He did not look at his father's cold eyes either. Was there any emotions behind those cold eyes.. everyone wondered.

The judge was left baffled. He could not decide. He could not write a verdict. The situation demanded something which was not in the law book. And he had never written such a thing so far. That was the first case, the judge had left the decision to the warring parties. First time where he did not write a verdict. Where things took its own course of action.

That day the kid was free to move to a new world. He was not filled with awe at whatever he saw. He did not rejoice at the new found freedom. He did not jump and run like other kids. He could not comprehend the gravity of the situation. He had lost the will to live. He was scarred for life.

Even today, i find him searching for that warmth and affection, which he did not see in his early life. I wish there was a lot more love and peace for him in this world.

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