Page 156 - The World's Best Boyfriend

something.’ He paused. This was big. This was going to change everything. Her
heart pounded like it would pop out of her mouth, or ear or whatever.
‘Will you be my research assistant, Aranya?’ asked Raghuvir and handed her

a file of her latest research project to go through.
Aranya could die happily now. This was the happiest moment of her entire
life! She, quite frankly, wanted to cry and lunge at Raghuvir. She was just asked

what every girl dreams for. A research project for Professor Raghuvir! Someone
should have captured the video of this happening, uploaded it and made it go
viral.

‘Yes,’ said a trembling Aranya, wanting to burst out in a puddle of tears like a
beauty queen.
‘Cool. We start work tomorrow,’ said Raghuvir, shook her hand, and left the

room like he hadn’t changed her life forever.
Aranya sat there dazed for the first few minutes, and then jumped around and
pumped her fists and did a little jig to celebrate it. She called her father to tell

him about it.
‘So?’
‘He’s a big professor, Dad. His recommendation means a lot. I can apply to

MIT after my graduation.’
‘And scholarship? Where will we get the money from? And how’s college? I
hope you’re staying away from boys. Don’t embarrass us again,’ grumbled her

father, like it was only yesterday they were called to school. He had never let
Aranya forget it. And reminders often came in the form of slaps and punches
thrown at her.

Her father just knew how to be a killjoy. She regretted calling him.
‘I can try for a full scholarship, Dad,’ said Aranya.
‘Try? There’s no trying. You have to get it, Aranya. You know how hard we

have worked to get you where you are now. Your cousin, Madhuri? She’s
getting married in June next year. The boy’s an engineer in Microsoft.’
‘Okay.’

‘Don’t disappoint us further,’ said her father as if it was her fault.
‘I won’t.’
‘And don’t make us come to your college again and make us feel like we

made a mistake by trusting in you again.’
She cut the phone not wanting to hear anything further. Fuck it. What was she