Page 263 - The World's Best Boyfriend

the hell was she asking him? He was not going to be a part of her mathematics
about whether she should choose him or not.
‘So tell him what you want!’

‘What do you think I should tell him?’ asked Aranya, holding Dhruv’s gaze,
careful enough to keep her voice’s interrogative tone alive.
‘Whatever you feel like doing. Why are you asking me?’

‘You have nothing to say about it? Nothing? No jokes? No wisecracks?
Nothing to humiliate me? Where did all that hatred go? Because frankly, Dhruv,
if I leave this room and tell him that I’m going to be with him for the rest of my

life, I’m going to win our game of cat and mouse. You will lose. Are you ready
for that?’
Dhruv hesitated. ‘Okay, you want to know what I think about it? Well, I can’t

wait for you to leave and have little ugly, penguin babies with him!’ Dhruv
laughed nervously and looked away, not wanting to dwell in that thought.
Aranya slumped back into her chair, defeated. ‘So you think I should say

yes?’
Dhruv nodded reluctantly. ‘Yes,’ he said. Dhruv had to act right now. He had
to tell her he loved her and keep her from going away. But the words dried up in

his mouth. What could he possibly say?
‘You’re right, Dhruv. Probably this is the first time we concur on something.

It’s the right thing to do. My father would lovingly hand me over to him. After
all, they thought I would die alone in some hole after putting them through the
shame of having an unmarried daughter. Of course, this is the right thing to do.
Thank you, Dhruv. Do you think this would be my last chance for a normal,

happy life?’
‘Why would you ask me that?’ snapped Dhruv, flipping open a book, staring

at random pages, his heart slowly breaking.
‘Because you would know, Dhruv. You are the only one outside my family
who has been capable of giving me indescribable pain. You’re the only one who
has destroyed my life—twice,’ said Aranya, her eyes welling up.

Dhruv wanted to tell her he loved her, but how could he do that? He had lost
every right to wrest her away from certain happiness. ‘I think you’re right.

Raghuvir is your last chance at happiness. I think he might be a terrible choice of
a man to be with but he’s your chance at happiness.’
The door opened again. Aranya was called for the interview.