My First Brief continues....

He was not only a client but a great friend of my father. In Dharamsala he always stayed at our house. I stayed with him and enjoyed his princely hospitality. From Lambagaon I went to Jaisinghpur. I also visited Bijapur where my old friend, Mian Devi Chand, was then an honorary magistrate.

From Jaisinghpur we floated down the Beas on inflated skins to Sujanpur Tira, the next place where the court was to sit. Sujanpur Tira is a fine city, inhabited by well-to-do Mahajans and Suds. The old fort of Raja Sansar Chand is one of the finest forts in India and is well worth a visit. From there we went to Nadaun. The Raja of Nadaun was a man of excellent manners and spoke Urdu with a Lucknow accent. Though heavily in debt, he lived in a grand princely style. We were his guests. At meal time we were served a large number of excellent dishes. The table, figuratively speaking, groaned under the load of the beautiful silver and gold plate in which we were served.

Leaving Nadaun we crossed the Beas at Kalesar and came to Jawala Mukhi and from there to Ranital. On the way, Lala Gopi Nath, the Court Reader fell from his horse and I had to lift him up. It was a difficult job as he was built like a heavy-weight. This delayed me but when I reached Ranital late at night my Munshi had an excellent meal’ ready which we thoroughly enjoyed.

When the court met we argued several cases before it. During the arguments in one of the cases a message came that jungle fowls had been seen from the P. W. D. rest house verandah and could be shot from there. I assured Pasricha that I would not finish my arguments till his return and bade him go. He left the court, shot two fowls arid returned. I closed my case. He replied on behalf of the Crown without hearing what I had said! I won the case.

to be continued....

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