Page 279 - Musings 2020

(The opposition lawyer shifts in his seat; takes out his notes; and starts scribbling something
before he speaks)

Krotowski: So, Mr. Ethan, my motive here is not so much to win this case but to show you
that you matter and your life still carries a lot of …

Ethan (interrupts Krotowski midway): And, my motive is just winning. Oh, what I wouldn’t
give to win this argument! Even, my life

Krotowski: Honorable Judge and Mr. Ethan, I want you to realize for a fact that your
narrative carries no legal standing in the court of law. Your demand to end your life would be
a blatant violation of the country's laws. What do you have to say about this?

Ethan: I and only I should have the right to control my own body. My autonomy grants me
the freedom of choice to decide what I do with my life. It’s not as if by doing this, I am
abusing someone else’s rights or compromising someone’s position.

Krotowski: Your life still carries meaning. There’s no life so wretched and purposeless to not
demand defending with zeal and passion.

Ethan: You call this life, a meaningful life? You can’t fathom the magnitude and level of my
dependence on others. Crippling the life of my loved ones by these long drawn bills, dying a
bit every moment, it’s a shame to call this life worth living.

(Meanwhile, this courtroom proceeding has taken the form of discussion. The judge doesn’t
intercept when he sees a man so vulnerable fighting with vigor unforeseen, to end his life.
Even irony shed a few drops of tears)

Krotowski: There’re still chances that you might recover. The International code of medical
ethics…

Ethan (interrupting): You see Mr. Krotowski, I don’t give a dime about what those people
think out there.
Krotowski: I don’t see how that pans out. Hon’ble Judge, this ruling could also open up a
slippery slope which could lead to significant unintended changes in our healthcare system
and society at large that we would later come to regret. Life is god’s gift. And, we as mere
humans have no right to take this in our hands.

Ethan: God gave me no option. I am stranded alone in this lost battle. I’ll tell you what
happened to me yesterday night. A housefly entered the room and sat on my face. I called out
but no was available. I fought, twitched by face muscles, tried shaking my body to no avail,
got into an hour-long battle with the small creature, and know what, I fucking lost. And, what
I also lost was the little part of me who still wanted to live.

(With this, he breaks down and wails hard, tears pouring down his face uncontrollably. His
mother sees him and sighs at the sight of his once strong son, who had now become an
emotional and physical wreck. The judge adjusts his seat, takes the pen in his hand and
speaks)

Judge: I gather that I need to interrupt now. I have heard both sides of the argument over the
past 4 hearings and its time, I give my judgment. After analyzing all discussions over the

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