ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴡᴀʏꜱ

.Group Project༊˚

AUTHOR'S POV :

Avni returned home and, as she stepped into the house, realized she had forgotten to inform her parents about the study session she had with Nidhi, Aaron, and Ishan earlier that day.

Her parents, who usually arrived home later, were still not back. Avni glanced at the clock and saw she had an hour or two before they returned. She took the opportunity to relax, freshened up, grabbed some snacks, and settled on the couch.

When she felt full, she got up and brought a book to read. After two hours, her mother arrived home.

Her mother asked, "What are you doing downstairs, Avy?"

Avni turned to face her and replied, "I was studying on the couch, just thought of changing my study spot."

Her mother said, "Okay, now take a break and have dinner."

Avni nodded and said, "I'll be there in a minute."

She marked her place before closing the book, then stood up and followed her mother into the kitchen, helping her serve the food.

As they sat down for dinner, Avni's father joined them. "Are your results out yet, Avy?" he asked.

Avni shook her head. "Not yet, Dad."

After dinner, Avni helped her mother clear the table before heading upstairs to her room. As she got ready for bed, she checked her Instagram and noticed 10+ messages from Yash.

She ignored them and drifted off to sleep, ready for whatever the next day would bring.

The next day at school, Avni walked into the classroom and found Nidhi and Aaron already seated, chatting about something. Ishan was asleep on his desk, clearly not a morning person. As soon as Avni sat down, Nidhi turned to her with a bright smile.

"Good morning!" Nidhi greeted cheerfully.

"Morning!" Avni replied, settling into her seat.

Just as they were talking, Mr. Gupta entered the classroom. The students immediately quieted down and took their seats. Mr. Gupta placed his books on the desk and scanned the room with a welcoming smile.

"Good morning, everyone," Mr. Gupta greeted.

"Good morning, sir!" the class responded in unison.

"I've got something for you," Mr. Gupta began, pausing for effect. "We're going to start a group project in physics."

The class buzzed with chatter at the mention of a group project.

Mr. Gupta continued, "You'll need to form groups of four. You'll have four days to complete the project. Make sure you work well together. I'll inform you of the topics and other details later."

Avni exchanged glances with Nidhi, Aaron, and a now-awake Ishan, knowing they'd team up as usual.

The classroom erupted in chatter as the students began discussing who they would partner with for the group project. Mr. Gupta quickly noticed the rising noise and raised his hand to silence them.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Mr. Gupta said firmly. "You can form your groups later and submit the names before you leave today. For now, let's focus on today's topic. In the last 10 minutes of class, I'll give you the details and topic for the project."

The students quieted down, turning their attention to the front of the class as Mr. Gupta began the lesson.

The class continued for 50 minutes, and as it neared the end, Mr. Gupta wrapped up the lesson and addressed the students again.

"Alright, now for the details of your project," Mr. Gupta began. "You can choose any topic from the syllabus for your presentation. You'll need to prepare a model and write a detailed theory to accompany it. After four days, one member from your group will present the model in front of the class."

He paused, looking around the room to ensure everyone was paying attention. "And don't forget," he added, "submit your group names on my desk during the lunch break."

With that, Mr. Gupta dismissed the class, leaving the students to finalize their groups and plan for the project.

Nidhi turned back to discuss the project with Avni and Ishan, but Neha approached them with a smirk.

"I'm in, right? Just like every other year?" Neha asked, looking directly at Avni.

Nidhi replied, "Um, actually, we already have Avni with us this time."

Neha's expression shifted to anger and frustration. "What do you mean? We've been doing projects together for the past 5-6 years!"

Nidhi said, "Yes, but this year we decided to include Avni."

Ishan, still half-asleep, added, "It's not like we were eager to work with you, though."

Neha frowned, "But I've always helped with these projects."

Aaron, looking at Ishan, chimed in, "Yes, by staring and dreaming all the time instead of contributing."

Neha huffed, "Do whatever you want. I'll find another group. "

With that, Neha walked away, leaving Avni and her friends to discuss their plans for the project.

Avni spoke, "Why don't you add her? I'll find someone else."

Nidhi glanced at her and said, "Are you serious, Avni?"

Avni replied, "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Nidhi sighed and said, "This girl..."

Ishan, getting up from his desk, added, "Do you still need to be kind to Neha after what she did?"

Avni tried to speak, but Ishan cut her off. "We don't need her. We never did."

Nidhi and Aaron agreed.