Mansha’s POV:
Despite my endless worries and foul mood, today’s hearing went well.
Well enough that I think I’ll win this case at the next one.
Feeling cheerful at the thought, I step into my office, ready to spend the next several hours reading and making notes.
But the moment I sit down on my chair, the sense of satisfaction vanishes, replaced by dread.
Right there, at the center of my desk, sits a square sheet of paper.
It wasn’t here when I left my office last night.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pick it up.
I’ve been receiving these notes since the day I took up this rape case. It’s not my first case where I’m up against a powerful party, but it’s the first one giving me threats so freely.
My client was lucky enough to escape her harasser, and even luckier that her family is standing up for her rights this way.
More often then not, rape victims are abandoned by their entire families, blamed and degraded for the things they didn’t choose for themselves. Left out helpless and defenseless, such woman are either killed by their families to save the family reputation, or by their predator, who strikes, this time not to take pleasure from his victim, but to prevent them from ever speaking again.
The leftover woman who are fortunate enough to have survived fight to their last breath to receive justice, and I’ve made it my business to fight with them.
Even if that means receiving death threats on a daily basis by a sick asshole who’s money has gotten into his head and makes him feel invincible.
These threats will become his personalised death sentence, he just doesn’t know it yet.
I’m pulled from my thoughts by a knock on my door.
“Miss. Haseeb? There’s a man who wants to talk to you.”
“Name?”
“It’s Mr. Ahmed.”
I sigh. “Tell him I’m busy.”
My secretary, Naila, hesitates. “I told him several times, but he keeps insisting. That’s why I’m finally informing you.”
I shake my head. Mr. Ahmed is a respected business man, and despite my telling him that I do not take up contract cases anymore, he keeps insisting that I take his.
I have been avoiding his calls and emails for a while now, but I suppose it’s time to refuse him face to face.
“Send him in then.” I say finally.
Naila nods and leaves, leaving me to tidy up the table for the meeting.
I haven’t opened the note yet, and don’t want to right now, so I slip it into my bag, making a mental note to open it once home.
There’s a small knock on my door, before it opens, and a man in his late fourties enters, wearing a black and white suit, with his hair jelled back.
His eyes gleam with power and control, like most of the man I’ve met.
It’s the look I’ve grown to hate most.
I usher him to the seat opposite mine on the desk.
After he’s settled, I clear my throat and begin.
“Mr. Ahmed, I hope you don’t mind me skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point?” He shakes his head. “Great, so, you MUST be aware that I don’t do contract cases right?”
He nods. “Right, because I told you. And I also told you that I won’t take yours either. Then WHY, are you here?”
He leans in, folding his hands together and resting his arms on the desk. “Miss. Haseeb, I’m here to double my offer.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I know you’re not trying to be generous.”
He gives me a small smile. “No, I’m not. I do know you don’t take contract cases anymore Ms. Haseeb, but you used to.” I nod. “And you have a great history with them too. Winning even the most impossible ones.”
I snicker. “Don’t try to flatter me Mr. Ahmed. I’ve taken no more then two contract cases in my entire career life, which, by the way, is no longer then a year.”
“Oh I know. But you’ve taken hard ones. Impossible ones. The type no other lawyer was willing to take out of fear of losing.”
He’s not wrong there. After my internship was over, I was desperate to make a place for myself in the world of law, to be recognized and respected.
So I took on dangerous and hopeless cases, two of which were contract ones.
I did prove myself as a great lawyer once I started winning the cases I took, but it wasn’t easy. Solving hopeless cases isn’t a piece of cake, and each one of them took a toll on me. I barely slept and ate, working my ass of like a maniac.
After fulfilling my aim, however, I started refusing to take on cases that didn’t help woman receive justice.
Contract cases being one of them.
“Are you saying no other lawyer is taking up your case?” I ask
He shrugs. “I’ve tried other lawyers. But the opposition is too strong. I need someone willing to read the contract a thousand times with a microscope, find a loophole and not hesitate to shove it in their face.”
I sit back in my seat. “I see. And you’ll pay me double for it?”
“Ten thousand dollars per session.”
My eyes go wide.
That was more then double. The amount he was offering per session was the amount I received for the prosecution of an entire case.
I could see alot was at stake here for him.
And I knew something worth this much money was nothing but dangerous. But I sailed dangerous waters everyday. Hell, a death threat was sitting folded in my handbag right now.
The mystery piqued my curiosity, and I’d be stupid to refuse such an amount of money.
Ignoring the bad feeling settling in my stomach, I agree to take up the case.