Divide...And Destroy (Tell Me Your Sins...Part-III)

The brouhaha from the ‘Lovebird’ affair took its own leisurely time to quiet down. And, finally things were peaceful again in college. But he was not. His dark urges having been fed, greedily asked for more. Our lone wolf strained his ears in the morning for baying of sheep and at night sat combing through the multitude of confessions for some signs of prey. It was not long before his wishes were granted and he picked up a scent.

Election time – campaigns, speeches and promises; mudslinging, back alley brawling and backstabbing – a golden time indeed. The chaos which preceded a vote used to be good enough for him but this time it wasn't to be. For the first time in university history, the boys had rallied behind a single candidate. Though marginal protests existed, there wasn't a shred of doubt in anyone’s mind as to who the Student Council Head would be – Naren. And the dream team which made this possible – Naren, the affable leader, Adrivit, the key strategist, Aryan, the muscle and Deven, the guy heavily loaded. Fierce friends since first day of college, this foursome had won many a favors with both administration and the masses. But they weren't going to waltz so easily, not as long as he was the fiddler.

From the melange of confessions, he gathered some facts. Naren had a small love story going on with the bold and beautiful Spanish professor; Adrivit, a hacker by night, had been the agent behind several confidential university document leaks and subsequent charges of corrupt practices against the institution; Aryan, revered his activist father who happened to be one of the petitioners who filed the case against his college; Deven, son of the trustee alleged with embezzling university funds was proud of his ability to strong-arm anyone in town. Adrivit, being constantly hounded by university admins, just had a close call with them and was planning to stop the leaks.

Therein came the opportunity he eagerly hunted for. Joining Adrivit's anonymous hacker forum, he urged him to carry on with the leaks but rather find a scapegoat to be used as a wild card when security got too close again. And who would be a better scapegoat than the adulterous Spanish professor? Misguided, but emboldened, Adrivit went ahead with the plan and leaked several more incriminating documents. Meanwhile, he blasted Adrivit's security with holes big enough for a blind security admin to spot but left the link back to the professor intact. So when the sharks followed the blood trail, it led them to the Spanish professor. An inquiry was set up and though little admissible evidence could be found against her in leaking charges, several evidences were found of solicitous behavior. When assured there would be no harm done to the boy’s profile, she revealed Naren's name. Soon enough Naren was summoned and informed of the reason behind and immediate termination of the professor and was ordered into psych counselling with his Student Council candidacy cancelled. Despite all attempts at discretion, word got out and Naren, the affable leader, shunned all his friends and became a recluse. Naren knew there was only one guy (at least to his knowledge) capable to cause all this at a mouse click – Adrivit. He turned in Adrivit to the management and gave several proofs of his snooping and other activities. As a result Adrivit got black marked and was kicked out of the university.

And while the storm raged inside the university gates, another spifflicated lives outside. Aryan’s father, now armed with incriminating proofs went on guns blazing in the court and ripped the management into shreds. The prime accused was Deven's father, whose defense lawyers could not help him out in time so he ended up doing time. To send the activist a message, he sent some goons after him but luckily Aryan and their guard were quick to the rescue and sent the goons scurrying back. Aryan, now truly enraged, pledged to make life for Deven a more petrifying hell than even Dante imagined. With the other trustees ousting Deven's father to save what little face they could, Deven could no longer move about the campus pretending as he owned it and now lived under constant fear of Aryan. But Aryan’s punches couldn't hurt Deven's gut more than his father’s silent slap when from behind bars he looked down on him and said,”I envy the activist. Gods gifted him with a true son. All I got is a spineless twit”.

To restore a sense of normalcy back, university administration urged students to come up with new candidates for the Council elections. Needless to say, with the dream team gone, chaos ensued once more. As for him, breaking up the dream team, mentally scarring two for life, ending any hopes of further formal education for one, driving one to communism and bringing chaos back to elections was enough to keep his dark urges from rumbling his guts for quite some time.

Read on to the finale in Part IV...