ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴡᴀʏꜱ

.Meeting༊˚

AUTHOR'S POV:

As Avni reached home, she found her mother sitting on the sofa, working on her laptop while the food was cooking on the stove. Her mother had come home early from work today.

Hearing Avni enter, her mother said, "Don't stay in the library that late. You should study at home instead."

Avni hadn't mentioned the café, knowing she'd get a scolding if she did now.

So, she nodded and said, "Mom, we've been assigned a group project. We'll start working on it tomorrow at my friend's house. She lives nearby."

She fibbed a little, not wanting her parents to know about Ishan.

Her mother, still focused on her laptop, replied, "Okay, just get home early."

"Okay, Mom. Inform dad about it.," Avni responded.

Avni's mother nodded and continued working.

The next morning, Avni woke up early as usual. She quickly freshened up, dressed in her school uniform, and had her breakfast. Her parents left for work, and Avni grabbed her bag and headed out the door to catch the bus.

At school, the day began with Avni meeting the new couple, Nidhi and Aaron, in the hallway. She attended her first three classes, and after the 30-minute break, she finished up the last two classes of the day. The day flew by in a blur.

When the final bell rang, Avni and her friends walked out of their classroom and headed towards the school exit.

Nidhi said, "Let's meet at Ishan's house then."

Aaron added, "Yeah, see you later."

And then they both left. Ishan started to leave as well, but Avni turned back towards the library.

Ishan stopped, turned around, and called out, "Avni?"

She stopped and looked back as Ishan approached her, stopping a few steps away.

"Don't spend too much time in the library," he said. "Go home, get freshened up, and most importantly, eat something."

Avni listened, slightly puzzled, and then turned to continue walking towards the library, thinking to herself, "Weirdo."

As she walked away, Ishan called out, "Don't be late!"

Avni didn't reply and kept walking. Ishan watched her enter the library before heading off on his bike.

Avni studied for an hour and a half without realizing how much time had passed. She only stopped when she received a notification from her mom that read, "At your friend's house? Did you lock the house?"

Avni quickly replied with a yes and glanced at the time, realizing she was late. She hurried out to catch a bus and, fortunately, managed to get one. Once she reached home, she quickly got ready, locked the house, and rushed out without eating anything since she was already running late. Checking the address Ishan had sent, she rushed the rest of the way.

When she finally found the house, she paused to catch her breath, noticing several missed messages from her friends. After composing herself, she pressed the doorbell. Nidhi opened the door.

"You're so late," Nidhi said.

"I'm sorry," Avni replied, slightly out of breath.

"Come inside," Nidhi said, stepping aside.

Avni nodded and walked in, finding Aaron and Ishan sitting on the sofa in the living area. They stood up as she entered.

Ishan's mother appeared and asked, "Is this a new friend?"

"Yes, Mom. This is Avni," Ishan introduced.

"Namaste, Aunty," Avni quickly greeted.

"Namaste. You're very beautiful," his mother complimented.

Avni smiled and thanked her.

"Let's go to my room," Ishan suggested.

"Make sure you work on that project properly," his mother reminded them.

They all nodded and followed Ishan upstairs to his room.

Nidhi was dressed in a lilac-colored dress, perfectly matching Aaron's lilac shirt paired with black pants. Ishan wore a black shirt with beige cargo pants, while Avni was wearing an oversized black shirt and trouser pants.

As they all entered Ishan's room, he opened the door, and his cat, immediately approached him. Nidhi bent down to pet him, but the cat swiftly dodged her. Aaron tried next, but failed.

Ishan chuckled and said, "He doesn't like anyone much. Don't take it personally, come inside."

Nidhi and Aaron moved inside and sat on the bed. Avni, who was following them, entered the room last. To everyone’s surprise, his cat went straight to her, brushing against her feet as if seeking her attention.

Avni quickly bent down, gently petting the cat before picking him up in her arms. "Is this your cat? He's so cute. What's his name?" she asked.

"Ice," Ishan replied, smiling at the sight of his usually distant cat being clingy to Avni.

Leo let out a soft meow and seemed comfortable in Avni's arms, which made her smile.

Ishan looked proud of his cat and said, "Looks like he likes you."

Avni smiled as she gently petted Ice. "He's adorable. I love cats."

Ishan said, "Set him down and let's get started on the project."

Avni placed Ice on the floor and took her seat.