Now, as a senior journalist I can tell you one thing honestly, I never dreamt there will be a day that I’d have to cover actor John Abraham. Please I do NOT follow films, lifestyle, especially, films & actors as my news coverage. I’d rather die. Honestly. That’s only because I can simply enjoy films when I see them, it’s my dose, medicine. I don’t want to think about these films & the whole gambit of it.

Last week at the Sessions court was John Abraham’s 2006 motorcycle case. One night suddenly out of nowhere came to cyclists who rammed into the motorcycle-it’s the truth- and the complainants had not initially lodged complaint. They were injured, the motorcyclist was injured, yet he took them to the hospital, they were tested & reports said they had injury marks.

Now the Bandra court ruled that John should serve 15 days ‘simple imprisonment.’ It should or not have been given, that apart, the sentence was served. He was then arrested for a day. Then the case came up to Sessions Court. So last week we journalists exchanged notes & came to a conclusion, nothing major is going to happen, let’s go by the courts & see. John may or not even come…yet John Abraham had been coming for every hearing.

This time he was nervous. He should’ve been, because even he wasn’t prepared for what was in store for him…we were surprised the magistrate actually upheld the Lower court ruling. Even when John’s counsel, very senior Harshad Ponda said they need to be given respite, a few days grace period to move the High Court. However the court refused, then said post lunch they would re-assemble for prayer hearing. The magistrate was speaking in hushed tone. We were straining our ears. John couldn’t understand anything. His body language seemed SAD.

A well excercised body, toughie looking that day I held myself back fm smiling at the man. It is NOT fair. If he were in the wrong I’d have said he deserved what he got. But he had done NO wrong. And in this case the complainants even said in their statement that they learn he is John Abraham, much later. So chances of them trying to ‘gain’ was much higher. This actor looked crestfallen. He kept looking at us journos to understand what had transpired because he obviously had no clue about courts.

Suddenly the court adjourned for lunch & we all rushed out saying, ‘John detained, court detention, flash karo, flash karo…jaldi” And John kept turning to look at us to understand where the police were taking him. The actor was close to crying, seriously. He was escorted by police, taken to the back gate to ‘sarkari davakhana’ govt clinic inside the court premises for his medicals. He was close to getting ‘arrested’ and it is scary for anyone, honestly. By then his lawyers had moved the HC. It was a really long wait there too. Every minute was like some Bollywood film.

And while John was inside the clinic, all the kakbais of the Court lined up to meet him. Believe me the expressions with they went inside & came out were 2 contrasts. And finally when the HC granted him bail, put stay on the lower court’s decision, all women folk fm the courts came to meet John. Flashes of mobiles could be seen flicking. The administrative process took pretty long. And for us the wait continued. From a complete lack-lustre day it turned into one really long day…going into the night as John finally spoke to the media waiting on for him.

But I give it to the Sessions Court, they forced John to cry & act a little…honestly.