***
As Dr. Horwitch had promised, almost one week to the day of their meeting, Lucky received a letter from the Dean's Office. The letter stated that the Faculty Committee had decided to place Lucky on academic probation for misconduct, and warned him that any further code of conduct violations would result in his immediate dismissal with no opportunity for appeal. They required that he take a class on Academic Ethics over the summer before he would be permitted to register for the following fall term, and they ruled that he would have a misconduct file kept on record in the Office of Student Affairs, which would remain until he graduated and formally requested its removal.
A rumor spread throughout the school that Dan had received Fs in all of his classes as a result of his cheating, which effectively disqualified him from the university since he was already on academic probation before he was caught. Lucky could hardly believe this turn of events. Not only had he been given a second chance to continue his studies, but Dan was now out of his life for good, and his internship with Dr. Horwitch's company for the summer meant that he no longer needed to keep his job at the gas station.
Fate had also looked down favorably on Raj for a change. Carrie had spoken to several of her contacts at some of the city's most successful event planning agencies, and had landed Raj a job as a sous-chef in a five-star hotel in downtown Manhattan. At first Raj had explained to her that he couldn't risk working illegally at such a high profile job, but with Carrie's encouragement, he'd been able to sweet talk his academic adviser into convincing the International Student Office that the restaurant job was an internship, and that culinary arts was not just about food preparation, but also about food presentation, and therefore was a form of visual art which would fit nicely into his MFA portfolio. Raj's charm worked, and he was approved for curricular practical training. Not only was it now legal for him to work in the restaurant full-time over the summer - which meant no more hiding, no more lying, and no more concerns that he'd get caught - but he even got academic credit for his work. He'd woken up every day for the first week on the job, convinced that the whole thing had been a dream, because reality had never been quite this good for Raj.
Vijay was happy for both of his roommates and their newfound success. While they adjusted to their summer work schedules, Vijay was busy studying for his PhD qualifying exam, and he passed it in late June. He was now an official PhD candidate, and he received a research fellowship from the department. With their combined salaries and good fortune, the boys decided to move out of their basement apartment in Queens, and they rented a spacious, three-bedroom place in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
In many ways, life was finally coming together for the three of them. But although Raj tried to hide his frustration from Carrie out of respect for their relationship and what she'd done for him, he was growing more and more disheartened about his search for his parents. While he didn't miss his job handing out flyers, his work at the restaurant didn't allow him the same opportunities to wander the city for hours, day after day, looking at strangers and hoping to recognize a familiar face.
Vijay might have sensed Raj's depression if he hadn't been so preoccupied with his own. He had tried for months to put Hina far from his mind, but the sadness wouldn't budge. His research no longer excited him, and he began to doubt himself and his decision to continue his PhD studies. One day just spilled into the next with nothing to set it apart, and there was very little joy left in Vijay's life these days. Only Lucky seemed impervious to the dark cloud that hung over their beautiful apartment in Bay Ridge, and although Vijay and Raj were happy for their friend, they were also envious.