‘When the drink gets into the system,’ said Nagaraju opening the Johnny Walker with the black label, ‘it might throw up an idea or two, wouldn’t it?
‘Anyway, it’s stupid not to give it a try,’ said Rami Reddy. ‘Sathyam, let’s review the whole process, and see if we can find any loopholes.’
‘Sir, as you know,’ Sathyam recounted the tender procedure, ‘at the scheduled time, the sealed tenders are opened with the bidders all present there. Even as they watch with their eagle eyes, of course from some distance, I sort out the documents, and encircle the bid figures of each of them. Then I place them all before the committee members for their signature. After that, as the gathered take note of them, I read out all the bids, one by one. The L-1 thus, would be an open secret by the time I would have announced the last bid. On the other hand, if we try to favor a higher bid, then, as you know, all hell would break loose.’
‘Why not we change the topic?’ said Rami Reddy, as if in conclusion. ‘You can report the matter to the minister, appended with my apologies. He might try his luck with the Tender Evaluation Committee.’
‘Why give up, when half the bottle is still for the taking,’ said Nagaraju, more out of hope than any expectation. But at length, when they all came down to the dregs, Sathyam said dreamily, ‘If only the Tender Committee chooses to look the other way, take it from me that the projects are already in FM’s pocket.’
‘Really!’ exclaimed Nagaraju, as his eyeballs almost came out of their sockets, as if to probe Sathyam’s mind. ‘Oh, come on, reveal the plot and leave the rest to me. If only you
we can even put the blind on the committee.’
While Nagaraju laughed heartily at his own joke, Rami Reddy was piqued by his subordinate’s one-upmanship.
‘Let me see if it’s workable,’ said Rami Reddy, bogged down by his failure to come up with something on his own, but not with any idea to examine what Sathyam might bring on to the table. Any way, he was far too inebriated by then to comprehend much of what was happening then.
‘To start with,’ announced Sathyam, ‘FM’s tenders would have blank bids.’
‘What!’ Nagaraju exclaimed in surprise.
‘Only to turn into L-1s,’ said Sathyam with a triumphant look, ‘in the end.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Rami Reddy dismissively.
‘Why, let him explain,’ said Nagaraju, looking hopeful, ‘how that is possible.’
‘If only the committee members authenticate your tenders without bids,’ Sathyam unfolded the plan, ‘won’t I then turn them into legal L-1s at the end of the day?’