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| Spotted at Pangkhar in Ura |
...The Royal Court
of Justices was twenty minutes drive towards the north of the police station.
The ornate gate bejeweled with traditional Tibetan painting of dragon and eight
lucky sign stood like a fulltime protector of the mighty court building. Inside
stood the court in its full glory, offering silent greetings to the people, well
apt to the purpose of their visit – gracious enough for those seeking for
justice but very frightening sight as though like a spine-chilling ghost for
the criminals of all sorts.
The windows and
doors were all highlighted with traditional curving, forming beautiful mosaic
of flowers, clouds and some mythical animals. Inside was a big portrait of the
King with Jekhenpo – the Chief Abode,
both in yellow scarf glimmering like gold in the morning sun rays. To the sides
of the portrait was the court bench from where people from all walks of life
get justice.
The bench clerk
called one by one for hearing. All the people seeking for justics must remain
within striking distance from the Court Room. Anytime the clerk might call
them.
Now Karma was
sick at heart. He never thought that his romantic relationship with Deki would
someday end in such a tragedy. When he contemplates on his own heartbeat, he
could hear myriad of messages with each beat.
You are real coward, wimp, faint-hearted.
You say you can die for Deki. Now, is this what you’re afraid? Merely to face
the judge. True lover sacrifices their life. Not scared of day-to-day activities
of humanity like going to the court. Court is not a death house. It is the
place where you get justice.
Deki’s father
arrived. He was a tall man, reared above everyone in the court. He wore
expensive silk Gho but little mismatched with his Indian coloured face. He held
a yellow file, inside which would be all to change the tune of Karma’s stand.
He occupied the post of Director, Regional Custom Office, but resigned after
his office was listed as most corrupt in the previous year. This is enough
prove to describe him as a shrewd man. Indeed this painted a black picture on
him in the whole society.
The furrowed
brow on his forehead arranged like a terrace of paddy fields fetched Karma
flashbacks of some beautiful moments with Deki. It was one autumn morning. They were walking through the wide meadows of
Ura. Dew drops on vibrant wild flowers blazed like a fairy lights on Christmas
tree.
“Karma, collect me some flowers,” she ask
for, gazing admiringly at the blossom around.
“Not at any price!” he said, watching
carefully the reaction from her.
She frowned, showing the wrinkles on her
forehead like a terrace.
“Deki, sometimes I wonder that these little
flowers are just the reflection of your peerless beauty,” Karma said in serious
mood, “so that I cannot imagine of defiling the beauty of them with my own
hands. No! Not at any price!”
Deki smiled.
Karma hugged her tightly to his chest. They
felt each other’s heartbeat.
The court room door
opened. The rasp of the giant door planks gave rise to some uncontrollable
worry and fear for everyone waiting to enter the room. The bench clerk signaled
Karma’s escort to put him inside. Karma closed his eyes to catch his breath.
Deki’s father walked side by side with him. Both entered the room, bowed before
the judge and stood, composed.
The room was
the archetype of traditional setting in the district. With the complex mandala
painting, the room has got the most ornate ceiling in the region. All four wooden
pillars were curved and painted with mythical green dragon perfectly
embellished with flowers and leaves. On the left wall was the mural of Tshering Nyamdru, the six manifestation
of Tshering: human Tshering, mount Tshering, stream Tshering, cave Tshering,
bird Tshering and tree Tshering. It was adapted from traditional Tibetan
painting. Right wall was covered with the mural of Thuenpa Puen Zhi, the Four Harmonious Friends – an elephant, a
monkey, a rabbit and a bird. Lore has it that if you have a painting of Four
Harmonious Friends at home the family will live in harmony.
Straight
above the judge was musk of Tsholeng which
has supremacy to create whole room terrifying. Around it was the mural of
unknown Buddhist Gods and Goddesses whose physical appearances were more like
ghost, the inner significance of which cannot be understood by the ordinarily
humans with ordinary thoughts. The counter-like-table of the judge was curved with
the emblem of the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan. The judge looked officious, so
powerful on his traditional Bhutanese court bench...
