Page 323 - The World's Best Boyfriend

TIMES” inscribed on the cupboard, they would think of me as a real badass who
used to walk in and out of the girls’ hostel whenever he wanted to. Like Batman.
Like a ninja Casanova.’

‘Whatever,’ said Aranya and slumped on the bed.
‘Don’t be sad now. He will come around. He’s just taking some time.’
‘He won’t. If he wanted to, he would have done that by now. And you said he

would! All this planning is going to come to naught if that bastard doesn’t pull
through,’ said Aranya.
‘I thought him listening to you making out with Raghuvir would break him.

God knows why he didn’t react to it,’ said a puzzled Sanchit who had finished
carving his name.
‘This was a fuck-all plan from the very beginning. You made me believe that

Dhruv was still in love with me and he would come around. Don’t look at me
like that. He’s your friend. God! I feel like such a fool now.’
‘I was just trying, Aranya! It’s better than being relegated to a relationship

without love. Look at what Raghuvir did. He talks for two hours with Farah
every day and he hasn’t even mentioned the name to you, Aranya. Sooner or
later, he will slip and get back to his old ways.’

‘You made me make that profile, Sanchit!’
‘. . .’

‘Okay, fine. I did. But you sowed the seed of doubt in me. YOU CALLED
ME EVERY DAY TO PUT DHRUV’S CASE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS
HAPPY BEING ME. Or at least I was better than this mess,’ grumbled Aranya.
‘Me? You were the one who used to call me and cry for hours thinking about

Dhruv. That wasn’t me. That was always you.’
Aranya sighed. ‘Yes. That was me. Stupid, stupid me. And now he’s gone.’

She started to cry a little.
Sanchit put his arms around her. ‘There’s still time.’ Over the course of the
past month, Sanchit and Aranya had gotten quite close.
‘What do we do now?’ asked a sobbing Aranya. ‘I leave in another five days.’

‘We will have to think of something,’ said Sanchit. ‘I better be leaving now. I
can’t think unless I’m drunk.’

Aranya nodded. Sanchit pulled his hood over his head and opened the door.
‘Sanchit?’
‘Yes?’