He let the lawyers finish. Then he removed his glasses, cleaned them with the deliberate unhurriedness that was his signal for: I am about to make a ruling, stop talking. Both lawyers stopped talking.
"I have reviewed both sets of documentation," he said. "Both are genuine. Both are currently in dispute. The resolution of the underlying title dispute will require a process that cannot be completed in thirty-one days." He looked at both lawyers. "The election will occur before any definitive resolution of title is possible."
Both lawyers began to speak. He raised his hand. They stopped.
"I am therefore issuing the following interim order," he said. "Both parties retain right of access to and residency in Flat 4-C, Shivam Residency, pending resolution of the title dispute. Neither party may exclude the other from the property. Neither party may remove or damage property belonging to the other party. The property will be jointly occupied until such time as the title dispute is resolved or both parties reach a voluntary agreement."
A silence. The particular silence of two rooms' worth of people who had heard something and were not sure they had heard what they thought they had heard.
Aditya Malhotra's lawyer said: "Your Honour, my client is a parliamentary candidate who requires—"
"So is the other party," Judge Tiwari said. "The order stands. Joint occupancy. Thirty-one days. After the election, if both parties cannot agree on a voluntary resolution, the matter returns to this court." He looked at both candidates — first at Malhotra, who had gone very still in the specific way of someone receiving information that required urgent recalculation, and then at Siddiqui, who was looking at the judge with an expression that was too controlled to be called anything simple. "I suggest both parties use the opportunity to demonstrate to the voters of Lucknow North that their respective candidates are capable of civic coexistence." He stood. "Court adjourned."
