Page 217 - The World's Best Boyfriend

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It was seven by the time Dhruv drove into the campus.

The students hadn’t woken up yet, having slept only a couple of hours earlier.
He turned towards the girls’ hostel to drop Aranya first. She hopped off the
motorcycle, a little distance away from the prying eyes of her warden. A blip in
his heart told Dhruv that he didn’t want her to leave.

‘Good morning,’ said Dhruv to prolong conversation; leaving her meant going
back to his room, being alone with the thought of having met his father.

‘Will you be okay?’ asked Aranya.
Dhruv nodded. Aranya turned to leave when Dhruv stopped her.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘For what, Dhruv?’

‘For everything. For having called you ugly and repulsive and what not. I
don’t think you’re any of that.’

‘It’s okay, Dhruv. I’m used to it now. Everyone calls me that.’
Dhruv smiled weakly and held her hand and said, ‘The next time someone
calls you that, you need to come to me.’
‘And what will you do about it?’

‘I’ll make sure it’s the last time that person gets to speak. I have a great right
uppercut. You can ask all the boys who have tried hitting on my girlfriends,’ said

Dhruv and they both laughed.
And just then they heard a hyena cry out in the distance. It startled both of
them.

He saw Ritika, still in her pyjamas, charge towards him, her arms flapping by
her side. Her hair in disarray and her eyes sunken, quite clearly she had been up
all night thinking about worst-case scenarios.

‘WHERE WERE YOU? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HER? I
called Sanchit! He told me you were not in the campus. WHERE WERE YOU?’
Dhruv looked in Aranya’s direction like he wasn’t being verbally assaulted

and said, ‘Bye, Aranya.’ Aranya, not wanting to be a part of their domestic
squabble, quietly and quickly walked away.
‘ANSWER ME!’ shouted Ritika.

‘Sit,’ Dhruv said and cocked his head, motioning Ritika to sit on the