by Durjoy Datta
Her father was unimpressed. He shot a glance towards Aranya. ‘What the hell is this, Aranya?’ he thundered.
Aranya looked down at her feet not knowing what to do.
‘ANSWER YOUR FATHER,’ said Raghuvir, clutching his head like it was about to burst.
‘We are so sorry, Raghuvir,’ her mother said in a pleading tone to Raghuvir who was now pacing around in little circles. ‘I’m sure there’s some mistake.’
Her father had now got up. Aranya and Dhruv both knew what was going to happen. ‘Hold him,’ her father instructed Aranya’s brother. ‘We will call the police. He tried making an MMS of my daughter. I’ll get this bastard thrown in jail.’ Her brother held Dhruv who allowed him to do so even though he could have flicked the boy away. People had started to look now.
Aranya’s father charged towards Aranya but Dhruv shouted. ‘Stop! It’s not her fault. It’s Raghuvir who misled her.’
‘What are you saying?’ Her father turned, his hand half raised. ‘Shut your mouth, fucker.’
Dhruv saw a hand rushing to meet his face. It crashed against his nose, making it bleed.
‘Check Raghuvir’s phone. He’s already seeing other women. He’s playing with your daughter’s life. Check his phone and you will know. DO IT!’
‘What’s he saying?’ Aranya’s father turned towards Raghuvir. Aranya was stumped.
‘I . . . it’s . . . nothing,’ said Raghuvir and his hand reached his pocket.
‘SHOW ME,’ the father said and lunged towards Raghuvir. He grabbed him and pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Raghuvir tried fighting but her father was too strong.
Aranya’s father frantically unlocked the phone and read the messages. His face bloated in anger. He passed the phone to Aranya’s mother. Aranya looked on speechlessly. Aranya’s mother squinted her eyes and read the messages slowly.’
‘Bhenchod! KAUN HAI YE FARAH!’ her father shouted and smacked Raghuvir who staggered backwards.
‘Look, I can explain,’ said Raghuvir and looked at Aranya.
‘What’s there to explain, Raghuvir?’ said Aranya, fake tears streaming down her face.
‘GET OUT OF HERE, GET OUT, BEFORE I BEAT YOU UP IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!’ her father said to Raghuvir who tried to explain himself to Aranya and to Aranya’s mother but none of them looked in his direction.
Raghuvir started to walk away from them towards the exit. ‘I will call you,’ he shouted.
‘Don’t,’ said Aranya and sat next to her mother who cradled her.
‘GET OUT!’ her father shouted again and Raghuvir exited the visitors’ lounge, confused at what had just hit him. He waited, took a few undecided steps, and left.
Aranya’s father sat next to her mother and held his head in his palms. Her brother let go of Dhruv’s arms and Dhruv sat down again.
He spoke. ‘I think I should get going. I understand it all now. Aranya pretended to be in love with me so that she could punish me for what I had done years ago. I have learned my lesson.’ Aranya’s father nodded, only half listening to him, trying to make sense of all this. Dhruv continued, ‘But I loved her truly.’
‘Do your parents know?’ asked Aranya’s father.
‘My father’s dead. My mother knows,’ said Dhruv. A sense of relief swept over Aranya’s mother’s face. She looked at Aranya for an explanation.
Aranya finally broke her silence, mumbling through little sobs. ‘He hurt you. He hurt my family. I had no choice but to do what I did. I did this for you, my family.’ She cried.
Dhruv was quite surprised to see her come back with an awesome improvisation on the situation and gave her a metaphorical Best Actress Oscar for it. It was her parents’ turn to be shocked. Her mother cradled Aranya’s face and kissed it.
‘So you lied that day in school?’ her father demanded. Dhruv nodded. ‘We knew that,’ he said in hindsight. ‘My daughter would have never done what you said she did.’ Dhruv almost anticipated another smack coming his way but it didn’t.
‘Thank you,’ Aranya’s mother said. ‘Raghuvir looked like a really nice guy. We would have never known had you not told us.’
‘Thank you,’ said Aranya, shyly.
‘But have you forgiven me?’ asked Dhruv.
Aranya nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’ And just as she said that Aranya’s flight was announced and all passengers were asked to get their immigration and security check done.
‘I should be going,’ said Aranya to her mother.
Her mother whispered in her ear. ‘He’s not that bad. Think about him. He really likes you.’ Aranya nodded and stood up. She touched her father’s feet; he hugged her and wished her the best of luck. In a surprising turn of events, her brother hugged her too.
She had just started to walk towards the gate again when Aranya’s father tapped Dhruv’s shoulder and said as a matter of fact, ‘Go, drop her.’
‘But—’
‘We don’t mind,’ said her father and shot Aranya a look. Her father had already decided who they would shift the responsibility of Aranya on. Such pricks.
Dhruv walked shyly towards Aranya. Aranya acted like a coy newly wed bride.
‘You’re incorrigible,’ muttered Aranya.
‘Would you have me any other way?’
Aranya smiled. The guard stopped Dhruv at the gate but Aranya pleaded that she was going away for two years and she could really do with some extra time with her fiancé. The guard let them go.
Dhruv and Aranya walked towards Immigration.
‘When did you plan this?’ asked Aranya.
‘Once Sanchit told me he was working with you and that I had disappointed you, failing almost everything you had put me through.’
‘What if he hadn’t told you?’
‘We shouldn’t be thinking about this right now, should we?’ asked Dhruv.
‘Are we still in the line of sight of my parents?’ asked Aranya.
‘No. Why?’
Without another word, Aranya turned and grabbed Dhruv by his collar and landed a rather savage kiss on his lips which Dhruv reciprocated with equal ferocity. Several minutes and a lot of embarrassed passengers later, they separated.
‘That was good,’ said Dhruv.
‘I know.’
‘Pompous bitch.’
‘Get used to it. And anyway, you have to wait for three years now. I hope you know that, Dhruv.’
‘I waited for eight. Three years is nothing.’
They announced her flight again.
‘Time to go.’
‘Time to go,’ repeated Dhruv.
‘You’re the most annoying, irritating, chauvinistic, vain man I have ever met but I love you.’
‘You’re—’
‘Don’t call me ugly or I’m already breaking up with you.’
‘What makes you think I care? I’m in love with you. And how you look is the least of my concerns. You’re going to a country where 58 per cent of its population is overweight and frankly I don’t expect you to come back as a Victoria’s Secret model. All I know is, I will love you even if you come back as a sperm whale.’
‘Great to know that my first proper, proper boyfriend compares me to a whale,’ said Aranya and threw her arms around him.
‘Stop playing with words, you witch.’
‘Fuck you.’
‘Fuck you.’
‘We are so fucked up.’
‘That we are. And that’s why we are meant to be.’
‘I love you.’
‘I love you.’
I Love u Rachu
THE BEGINNING
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I Love u Rachu
Dear Frnds pls share this book so my msg to my rachu get forwared as soon as possible
I Really Love u Rachu so so much
I Think she know my name
PENGUIN METRO READS
Published by the Penguin Group
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First published in Penguin Metro Reads by Penguin Books India 2015
www.penguinbooksindia.com
Copyright © Durjoy Datta 2015
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-0-143-42463-5
This digital edition published in 2015.
e-ISBN: 978-9-352-14010-7
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