Kissa

Truth Was Slow But Alive

KISSA

Chapter 15: "Truth Was Slow But Alive"

The judge’s low but heavy voice echoed in the courtroom. Few words, but each one carried the weight of tons:

"Counsel for the first party, present your arguments."

Ali’s chair scraped. He stood up. He wore the black coat, but today there was no fatigue on his face. Only confidence.

He took two steps forward. Stopped. Breathed for a moment. Then he looked at the farmer. There was one last ray of hope in the farmer’s eyes. Ali captured that ray in his own eyes.

Then Ali raised his face. Looked at the judge. His voice was so low that even the people in the front row had to strain to hear:

"Your Honor, today you will have to listen with your heart... and with your mind."

Silence. A silence so deep that even the sound of the fan felt like a sin.

Ali took one more step. Now he stood right under the scales. Old iron, but it still weighed truth correctly.

"This case is not just about land, Your Honor. This case is about a spider’s web. A web so old, so strong... that the weak got trapped and could not escape."

There was pain in Ali’s voice. But under the pain was the power of truth. The kind of power that can crush stone into dust.

"The landlord has the law books, money, politics, pressure. What does the farmer have? Only this land. The land that belonged to his father, to his grandfather. The land where every grain is wet with sweat."

Haris leaned back in his chair. His smirk said, "This lawyer is talking nonsense." And the landlord’s lawyer started spinning his pen, as if saying, "Stop wasting time."

But Ali did not stop. His voice grew louder. Words became arrows:

"Your Honor, they say the law is blind. But it is not blind, it is just. People call it blind so the rich can hide their faces. So they can tie bundles of bribe money over the judge’s eyes."

"Order!" The judge lifted the gavel. Then set it down. "Continue, Mr. Advocate."

Ali bowed his head. Showed respect. Then raised his eyes. And he spoke words that no lawyer had spoken in this court before:

"Your Honor, my client cannot pay me a fee. He has no money. His only asset is this land. And the proof of this land... these files... I have already placed them on your table."

A murmur ran through the room. The landlord’s lawyer smiled. His eyes said, "If he is poor, why fight the case?"

Ali looked at that smile. Then he smiled back. A smile that turns defeat into victory:

"Today I made a deal with the farmer, Your Honor. I traded my voice for prayers. I traded my time for his night prayers."

Ali buttoned his coat. Now his voice came from his conscience:

"I do not know how much profit or loss there will be. I am not a man of accounts. But I know one account... since I took this case, my sleep has been better. Twenty-four hours it feels like I am inside someone’s prayers. It feels like a sincere heart is awake at night, praying for me."

Ali went silent. One moment. Two moments.

Then suddenly...

Thud thud thud!

The whole courtroom burst into applause.

An old man behind cried. A woman said, "God is great." Even a glimmer appeared in the judge’s eyes.

I also stood up. I took my hand out from under the veil and clapped. My eyes were wet. Ali had not just given arguments. He had taken his heart out and placed it on the table. Every word was witness to the truth.

Ali looked at the judge once. Then slowly sat back in his chair. As if to say, "Work done. Now the decision is yours."

Silence returned. But this was not the same silence as before. This was the silence before a storm.

The judge picked up his pen. Then put it down. Then raised his eyes:

"Counsel for the second party. Present your witnesses and evidence."

The landlord’s lawyer stood up. There was a crooked smile on his face. A smile that said, "Money talks, emotions do not."

"Your Honor, emotional speeches do not run courts. Evidence runs courts. Documents run courts."

Ten minutes. The lawyer quoted legal sections for ten minutes. Big words. Big case laws. Every word smelled of "bribe money".

Then the lawyer said, "Your Honor, I would like to present the last witness. This witness was himself part of the sale."

The judge said, "Permission granted."

The witness box door opened. A dark-skinned, fat man walked in. There was so much lie on his face that you could write it on a wall.

He placed his hand on the holy book. Took an oath. Then began to speak:

"This land... this land was sold by the farmer’s father to the landlord. I was present there myself. I am a witness. The other two witnesses... they are dead."

The lie was so big that even the courtroom walls felt ashamed.

Ali stood up from his chair. Slowly. Very slowly. Like a hunter moving toward prey.

"Your Honor, I request permission to ask the witness just one question."

The judge nodded, "Permission granted."

Ali walked right in front of the witness. Looked into his eyes. Then smiled. That smile... that smile was more dangerous than death.

"Sir, just one question. When the land deal was happening... when the pen was moving on paper... were you present there?"

The witness struck his chest, "Absolutely! I was watching with my own eyes!"

Ali nodded. Then turned back. Opened his file. Took out two papers.

"That is all I had to ask. Thank you."

And he placed those two papers on the judge’s table.

First paper... stamp paper. It had a fake stamp on it. Fake signatures of the farmer’s father and the landlord. And at the very bottom... the witness’s signature. The same witness who "was present at the time of the deal".

Second paper... boarding pass. Dubai. Date: twelve years ago. Hotel receipt. Stay of six months.

Ali said softly, "Your Honor, this witness was abroad for twelve years. He was not even in the country at the time of the deal. These signatures... this stamp... all of this is a fabrication of lies."

Thud!

The judge picked up the papers. Narrowed his eyes. Looked once. Then lifted the gavel.

THUD! THUD!

"Proceedings will resume after the lunch break!"

The judge stood up. His black coat swirled. And he walked out. Without looking at anyone. Without saying anything.

Today I saw a war between truth and lies. Lies were screaming. Truth was slow... but alive. Full of life.

The break noise started. People got up from their chairs. Whispers. "The lawyer destroyed the witness." "The case is lost now."

Haris and his lawyer all walked out. There was sweat on their faces. The smile was gone.

Ali gathered his files. Slowly he came toward me. Stopped in front of me.

"Kissa, come with me."

I stood up. Held the edge of my veil tightly. Now there was no fear in my heart. There was courage. I matched my steps with Ali’s.

Ali opened the door of his chamber. Inside was deep silence. The silence of books, files, justice.

Ali was silent. Like a deep ocean. But now I was not afraid of drowning. I knew... this ocean does not drown you, it takes you to shore.

I said, "Advocate... you were brilliant today."

Ali smiled. There was tiredness in his eyes, but peace in his smile:

"Kissa, today the words were mine... but the courage was yours. You were sitting in the last row praying, right? Those prayers were my shield."

There was a knock on the door. The assistant came in, "Sir, break is over."

Ali stood up at once. Adjusted his coat. Motioned to me, "Let’s go."

The courtroom was full again. People had come back. I sat in my place. My heart was beating fast.

The judge entered. He had both sides’ files in his hand. His gaze swept over everyone. Over Haris. Over the farmer. Over Ali. And for a moment... over the last row too.

Then the voice rang out, "Order! Order!"

Everyone went silent.

The judge closed the files. Put down his pen. Then spoke in a voice so heavy that souls trembled:

"Keeping in view all witnesses and evidence... the judgment is reserved."

A deep silence.

"The decision will be announced at the next hearing. Today’s proceedings are closed."

THUD!

The judge stood up. And walked out.

I kept sitting there. My breath was stuck inside the veil.

Ali turned back and looked at me. He only said, "Be patient, Kissa. The scale has moved. Now it only has to tip."

I asked in my heart:

What decision did the judge make?

Was the law sold?

Or did the scales accept the weight of truth?

We will know... in the next chapter.

To be continued...