Free Bankerupt (Ravi Subramanian) by Ravi Subramanian

accept a fresh set of information or investigation report, I would like the committee to take note of the fact that university rules prohibit any information which was not available as on date when the first decision regarding Mr Richard Avendon’s candidature was taken from being presented in front of the ad hoc committee constituted to review the earlier decision.’ And then he paused. ‘Am I not right, Ahmed?’

    Siddiqui’s eyebrows went up, his eyes focused on something in the distance. After thinking for a few seconds, he looked at Cardoza, and then at Deahl. ‘Yes, you are right. This needs to be presented separately to the core group and then, if need be, a discussion held. But it is not entirely inappropriate to discuss it right now.’
    ‘Incorrect.’ Deahl spoke with a fair degree of authority and confidence. ‘That’s not right, Ahmed. As per law, you have to first discuss it with Mr Richard Avendon, give him a chance to explain and respond, and in case you find his explanation unsatisfactory, you can then take action or present it to this committee.’ Then he got up. ‘Thank you, gentlemen, for your time.’ He looked at Richard and said. ‘That will be it, Mr Avendon. We will be in touch with you.’
    As he was walking out of the room, Deahl turned. He lifted his right hand, extended his index finger and pointed it towards Siddiqui. ‘Ahmed, if this information, whatever you claim to have, is made public, you will be answerable. You don’t need me to tell you that you will be liable for charges to be filed against you for wilful defamation of Mr Richard Avendon. I’m stating it just in case you intend to share it with Michael before you let Mr Avendon take a look at it.’
    ‘Thanks, James. I wouldn’t have been sitting here had I not known my job. And of course the laws of academia.’
    ‘Well, from what I saw today, I have my doubts.’ Deahl always had to have the last word. He left the room. The door swayed on its hinges a few times before it settled into its state of inertia, shutting out the room in the process. Cardoza and Siddiqui too left almost immediately.
    It was windy outside. Instinctively Cardoza pulled the lapels of his coat tightly across his chest. Siddiqui was walking a couple of steps ahead. The two of them walked briskly to the parking lot. Deahl was ahead of them. He would have already reached the parking lot.
    ‘Ahmed, wait!’ Cardoza called out to his colleague. When he turned back, Cardoza pointed to the pavement slightly ahead of him. Ahmed walked back towards Cardoza, who bent down, picked up the papers that had slipped out of Ahmed’s hands and passed them back to him.
    ‘Oh. Thanks.’ He took the papers and hurried towards the parking lot. Theirs were the only two cars there. A car crossed them as they made their way in. They knew it was Deahl’s. Siddiqui waved at him, even though the tinted windows of the Ford SUV blocked out anyone inside the car from being seen. In the next two minutes both of them were on their way home. Darkness was setting in, and the street lights were starting to come on.
    Siddiqui stayed in a six-bedroom ranch, forty miles from the MIT campus. A luxury most academicians couldn’t have afforded. He was a legal professional who had made his money fighting lawsuits and compensation cases prior to joining the university, albeit on the administration side. He belonged to a wealthy family; his father owned a mid-sized moneylending business way back in the 1960s and 1970s, and that helped him get through two divorces miraculously without going bankrupt. He lived alone. It was public knowledge that he was dating someone, a cute twenty-seven-year-old lawyer who had interned with him once. Remarrying was not on his mind. He needed companionship and the young lawyer provided that in abundance. He would be home in the next sixty minutes, into the waiting arms of his young lover.
    Early next morning, office-goers driving on Interstate 90 were