ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴡᴀʏꜱ

.Truth or Dare༊˚

AUTHOR'S POV:

Avni looked around at the faces watching her, her heart pounding. Taking another deep breath, she began to sing.

As Avni began to sing, her voice, soft and melodious like honey, captivated everyone. The crowd fell silent, mesmerized by her performance. Ishan, in particular, was lost in the beauty of her voice. When she finished and opened her eyes, she was initially worried by the silence, fearing the worst. But then, a single clap from Ishan grew into a thunderous applause from everyone, including the teachers. Even Neha's friends joined in, though they stopped when they noticed Neha's death stare. Avni, relieved and smiling, returned to her seat.

Everyone praised her. "Wow, you have a beautiful singing voice!" they said.

Avni replied, "Thanks."

Nidhi added, "It can't be your first time singing. That was extraordinary."

Avni responded, "Thanks, but it actually was."

As the applause continued, Ishan leaned in and whispered, "You know, you didn't just sing, you imprinted every note on my heart and mind, and now it will play whenever I will think of you."

Avni couldn't help but smile. "Umm... T-Thanks."

Ishan smiled back at her.

Mr. Gupta announced, "Okay, everyone, get back to your tents to sleep."

The students sighed, "What? Noo..."

Mr. Gupta said, "No excuses. We have to wake up early."

Nidhi pleaded, "Sir, please, we will wake up early, we promise."

All the students chimed in, "Yes, we promise."

Nidhi continued, "We'll stay here for 30 more minutes and then go to sleep. Pleaseeee..."

Mr. Gupta agreed, "Okay, only 30 minutes. We, the teachers, are going to sleep."

Then all the teachers left for their respective tents.

Neha announced, "Let's play Truth or Dare."

Everyone agreed. Avni was about to leave, but Nidhi said, "Stay here for 5 more minutes, please. It'll be fun, I promise."

Reluctantly, Avni agreed to stay. Neha grabbed a bottle, and everyone sat down in a circle. Neha spun the bottle, and it landed on Aaron, who chose "truth."

One of the students asked, "Reveal a secret."

Aaron glanced at Nidhi, who gave him a reassuring nod. He said, "I'm dating someone."

Everyone responded with a chorus of "Oooo..."

Aaron then spun the bottle, which landed on Nidhi. She chose "truth."

Another student asked, "Are you dating someone?"

Nidhi nodded and replied, "Yes."

Everyone chimed in with a teasing, "Mhm...we can see the couple."

Nidhi blushed, while Aaron grinned. The bottle spun again, landing on Neha, who chose "dare."

Nidhi smirked and said, "Run around and yell, 'I have lice!'"

Everyone burst into laughter as Neha reluctantly completed her dare, with some even recording her antics. Neha, fuming with embarrassment, plotted her next move.

The bottle spun once more, landing on Avni. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her. Neha, still eager for revenge, asked, "Truth or Dare?"

Avni hesitated but chose "truth," sensing Neha's intention.

Neha's smile widened. "Tell us your biggest weakness."

Avni, understanding Neha's ploy, replied, "Perfectionism."

Neha's attempt to catch Avni off guard flopped, and the group shifted their focus as the bottle spun again, landing on Ishan. He chose "dare."

Nidhi, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama, announced, "I dare you to dance with Avni."

Avni and Ishan exchanged glances, Avni's eyes wide with surprise and Ishan's filled with anticipation.

The circle watched eagerly as the two stood up.

Avni whispered, "Is Nidhi serious?"

Ishan heard her but chose to ignore the comment and gently pulled Avni closer. They began to dance slowly, Avni following his lead. The moment was brief but intense, making Ishan's heart race.

As they finished and returned to their spots, Neha said, "It's been 30 minutes; let's head back before the teachers come and scold us. Besides, the game is getting boring."

Her irritation and jealousy were palpable, but the group gathered their things and headed back to their tents. Nidhi and Avni, sharing a tent, walked toward it together.

They went inside their tent and settled down for the night. Nidhi fell asleep within ten minutes, but sleep eluded Avni. Her thoughts drifted to her parents, prompting her to send them a quick message.

As she lay there, her mind was also preoccupied with thoughts of Ishan and the moments they shared throughout the day. She realized she had forgotten to thank him for helping her convince her parents to agree to the trip by talking to the teacher.

With a sigh, Avni decided to step outside the tent.

She made her way towards the campfire, only to find it had already burned out. Taking a seat, she gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkling above her. After a few minutes, she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders, it was Ishan's. She turned slightly to see him sitting behind her before he moved to sit beside her, his eyes also drawn to the stars.

Breaking the silence, Avni softly spoke, "Thanks."

Ishan, surprised, asked, "For what?"

"Convincing my parents by talking to the teacher," Avni replied, still gazing at the sky.

"Oh," Ishan responded simply.

Avni continued, "It's my first time going out with friends, camping, and having fun like this."

Ishan turned his head towards her, curious. "Why? Your parents never agreed?"

"I never asked," she admitted quietly.

The silence that followed was filled with unspoken thoughts.

After a moment, Ishan said, "It's getting cold. You should go inside the tent."

Avni nodded and stood up, ready to head back. As Ishan started to leave, she called out, "Ishan!"

He turned and walked back towards her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Miss Einstein?"

Looking down at her feet, Avni murmured, "I'm not good at expressing myself, but I'm really thankful for your help."

Ishan gently patted her head and smiled warmly. "You're welcome. Now, let's get inside before it gets even colder."

Avni glanced up at him, then quickly made her way back into the tent. Ishan chuckled softly at her hurried response before heading to his own tent, a faint smile still lingering on his face.