January 13, 1998
Disclaimer: JQ characters not mine. Story and Gheeta products of my imagination.
Rating: Discretion advised. Some mature concepts in this chapter... not that
kind of mature concept! HENTAI! Nothing explicit or graphic, but definitely
something that will get you strange looks if you ask stuff about them to you
parents in the dinner table... quite entertaining too...
Summary: Ahhh... the legal side...
Archivers: No prob. Just tell me where.
Puerile Union (4/?)
by Ina-chan
"The problem with your case is that there aren't any western laws on
child marriages that we can get ideas from," Jessie nibbled on a candy bar
as she studied the data in her laptop diligently. She grinned and leaned
back on her seat as she faced Hadji's hopeful face in front of her, "But...
Here... Okay... I think I found a couple of stuff that may work."
"Yes?"
"Well..." Jessie began with an evil grin, "The number one biggie
here of course is the inability to produce an heir."
Jonny snickered.
"No," the couple replied without hesitation
"The main reason we want to dissolve this marriage is so that we do
not have to deal with that particular situation," Hadji replied blandly
Gheeta leaned forward to peer into the small monitor from where she
was standing behind Jessie and pointed to a sentence underneath the first
suggestion, "What about this one? This looks promising."
Jessie read the line and covered her mouth to stifle the peal of
laughter that threatened to escape from her mouth.
Hadji narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "I do not think I like that
idea. Pick another one."
"But you do not even know it yet!" Gheeta insisted, "Can we not say
that you are impotent?"
Color drained from the young man's face, "NO!"
Jessie doubled over laughing.
Gheeta looked at him in confusion, "Why not? Impotence sounds very
weighty..."
"NO!"
"I don't think it'll work either," Jonny quipped seriously, "I mean
Hadji already built a reputation with himself and no one will ever believe
that he's impotent."
Hadji gave his friend a warning glare, "Jonny..."
Jessie gasped for breath and looked at the blond boy in surprise,
"Oh really? When exactly did this happen?"
Hadji looked at the red head desperately, "I have no idea what he is
talking about. Can we just drop the subject and move on?"
Jonny shrugged, "Jeez Hadj! There's no need for you to be so modest
about it!"
"What are you talking about?!?!" Hadji yelled in exasperation
"Yes Jonny, please tell."
Jonny frowned, "Why are you so jumpy? I mean everyone already knows
how responsible and efficient you are on everything."
A deafening silence filled the room.
Gheeta sighed and sat on the desk.
Hadji blinked blankly.
Jessie finally cleared her throat, "Uhmm... Jonny. We're talking
about another type of 'impotence'. Not incompetent 'impotence'."
Jonny looked back at her blankly then frowned, "Oh."
Hadji sighed, "Now that this subject is closed and over, what is
next in the agenda?"
Jessie turned back to the screen, "Well... there are some cases that
took account domestic abuse. I doubt it if your mother would be convinced
with this one if you guys use this as a reason."
"I am not exactly enthusiastic with that excuse either," Hadji agreed
"What exactly is impotence?" Jonny suddenly queried
"Yes. I am curious to know as well," Gheeta added
Jessie stuffed the rest of her candy bar in her mouth and started
to chew furiously, leaving the poor young sultan to face the two expectant
14-year-olds with an explanation. A normal teen-aged boy would probably
fumble and trip embarrassingly to find an excuse to escape
this particular circumstance. But Hadji Singh is not your typical teen-ager.
He is very mature for his age, faces his opponent head on without fear, and
always has something appropriate to say in a given situation, no matter how
embarrassing or insulting...
"Jonny... SHUT UP!"
Gheeta made a defeated sigh, "Is there nothing else in the list that
we can do?"
"Well..." Jessie began uncertainly, "There is one more thing here in
the list..."
Sensing his friends hesitation, Hadji slumped down and sighed,
"Might as well say it then."
"An adultery charge," Jessie replied
Another deafening silence filled the room. Without uttering a single
word, Jonny stood up and left the room.
"Before the thought even enters your mind," Jessie's serious voice
broke in, "I will NOT help you two with this. And it would seem that Jonny
knows what that word means and shares my opinion."
"This is not fair!" Gheeta exclaimed, "Why is it that a group of
dead people already decided how our lives are to be lead long before we were
even born? Dead people can't have any idea or consideration to what we are
feeling."
Jessie raised an eyebrow at the comment.
Hadji simply sighed in agreement.
"Look you guys," Jessie began, "I know this is going to be very
difficult... but haven't you considered telling Neela how you two felt about
this?"
A panicked expression passed through the younger girls face, "I
cannot possibly! Mama Neela has been so good to me... I cannot bear to be
the one to break her heart upon telling her that I am unwilling to follow my
father's wishes and our family's tradition..."
Hadji raised an eyebrow, "And murdering her only son would not
produce a similar devastating effect?"
Gheeta frowned at the young man, "I panicked! Besides, the gun was
not loaded!"
"Murder? Gun?" Jessie asked in alarm
"Long story," Hadji sighed
"Alright..." Jessie replied unconvinced, "But still, I honestly
don't see how else you two are going to get out of this other than... asking
for a presidential pardon."
Hadji nodded, "True."
Gheeta sighed, "I suppose there is no other way. But still..."
Hadji walked over to her and held her hand comfortingly, "Do not
worry, I will face the music with you every step of the way."
"You promise?" Gheeta asked meekly
The young man nodded, "Promise. I think we better talk Mother as
soon as possible."
"Talk to me about what?" Neela's voice suddenly streamed in the room
The three teen-agers looked up in surprise.
"Mother!"
"You three seem to be having a very serious conversation here,"
Neela observed, "I just met Jonny in the hall... is everything all right?"
"Of course," Gheeta stammered
"So what is it you want to talk to me about?"
The couple looked at each other nervously. The girl squeezed her
husband's hand in encouragement. The young man cleared his throat before
starting, "It is about the marriage, Mother."
Lines of worry etched on the elder woman's face, "You two are
getting along, are you not?"
"Oh of course Mama Neela!" Gheeta exclaimed, "Your son is one of the
most
wonderful persons I met in my life!"
"I am happy!" Neela replied, "I was afraid that you two would not
get along. Now
the promises your fathers made will be fulfilled. I am sure that they both
will be very
proud of the two of you. You bring much joy into this poor old woman's heart."
Colour drained from the young couple's faces.
"Very well then," The elder woman smiled, "I was uncertain a few
moments ago,
but now that I see no problems with the arrangement... You two better
prepare yourself for the ceremony tomorrow afternoon."
"Ceremony?" Hadji repeated weakly
"Tomorrow?" Gheeta quipped in an identical manner
"Yes," Neela replied, "I believe it is high time to announce the
good news publicly,
do you think not? I better hurry along. Girls, be sure to come see me after
you are done with what you are doing. There are a lot of things to prepare for."
With that, the matriarch left, leaving three young people gaping in
the room in a
state of shock. Gheeta leaned over on the desk and tried to calm her
breathing. Hadji just looked at her helplessly before giving a similar look
to his best friend.
Jessie frowned. This was definitely a very tight and complicated
situation. Though
she has very little experience on male-female romantic relationships
herself, she knows
more than well enough the difficulties of being unwillingly trapped into a
'relationship.'
She could never bear the thought of another member of her family caught in a
similar
situation and not do anything about it. With a determined stance, she closed
her laptop and looked at her best friend, "Hadji, I don't care how you do
it. Drag Jonny back in here. We have a lot of planning to do."
"Planning?" Hadji replied with a puzzled expression
"On what?" Gheeta asked
A slow smile crept on Jessie's lips, "To stage the greatest adultery
scandal in the
history of Bangalore."
(To be continued)
Author's notes:
OH GOD! I had a lot of fun writing this one... ANYWAYZ! Hopefully if
things go
according to planned... two more chapters to go...
Ina-chan
========================================================
Interesting honest-to-goodness-real quote of the moment:
"It's cold enough the freeze the balls right out of a monkey!"
Historical background:
An expression coined up by navy men in the late 19th and early 20th
century referring to how the bitter cold causes the those racks (called
monkeys) that hold the cannonballs (balls) in place to contract in the
temperature, thus the balls don't fit and fall out.
Ina-chan
e-mail: inachan2@ican.net
insanity site: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/1986
ICQ UIN: 3364641
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