Page 179 - The World's Best Boyfriend

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A few days later, Aranya’s father received a letter from Prof. Mitra about

Aranya’s behaviour in college. Prof. Mitra used the choicest of words to pull
down Aranya and to highlight her waywardness in college. If his words were not
enough, he had slyly attached with the letter the sign-in sheet of the hostel of the
day Aranya had returned late in the night.

Her father called Aranya when he was done reading.
The letter lay in tatters on their dining table. Aranya’s mother was in tears.

The brother had shrugged and only said that they could not expect anything
better from a girl like Aranya.
‘Where were you that night?’ Aranya’s father asked in a menacing tone.
‘T . . . the mid-semesters had e . . . ended. The entire college was out,’ she

mumbled.
‘Did I ask you about the rest of the college? I asked about you, Aranya!

You’re not like them. Don’t you know that? And what is this letter? What on
earth are you doing in the college? Did we send you for this? Night outs? And
breaking college property? Summons to come meet the dean? Why? Explain it to
me. Bol, Aranya. Answer me.’

‘. . .’
‘What happened that night? I want to know why weren’t you studying!’ her

father barked.
‘All of us were there . . . us friends.’
‘Friends? Waah! Tere friends bhi hain? Tujh jaisi ki friends? Who would be

friends with the likes of you,’ her father shouted. ‘I hope you remember what
you did the last time you had a friend. What did I tell you before going? You’re
not supposed to talk to anyone. And what are you doing? You’re partying!

You’re staying out nights with your friends. You’re destroying college property!
Waah. I’m so proud of you, beta. Why don’t you just kill us? Huh? We are tired
of you. We do everything to hide you from the outside world and you leave no

stone unturned to embarrass us. Why? What wrong had we done that you were
born to us? Why would you do this to us?’
In the background she heard her mother sobbing loudly, cursing her wretched

luck. ‘God knows what I had done to deserve such a daughter. I wish she were