ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴡᴀʏꜱ

.Secret Party༊˚

AUTHOR'S POV:

As they drove, the car was filled with light conversation, and the scenery passed by quickly. They arrived at Avni's house, and Ishan's dad stopped the car in front. Avni thanked him and got out, taking her suitcase with her. She walked up to her front door and pressed the bell.

Her mother opened the door and greeted her, "Welcome back!"

Avni responded, "Thanks, Mom."

Her mother went inside, and Avni stepped into the house. She glanced back at Ishan and his dad, who waved before driving away. Avni waved back and then entered her home.

Her mother headed to the kitchen and said, "Did someone drop you off? You should have informed Dad."

Avni replied, "Yes, a friend gave me a ride. I forgot to call, and Dad hasn't come back yet, so he must be busy. I didn't want to disturb him."

Her mother said, "Alright. Go freshen up and come down for dinner."

Avni nodded and went upstairs to her room.

__________________________________________________

The next day, Avni arrived at school and made her way to her bench. Ishan was already there, leaning back in his seat, scrolling through his phone.

"Good morning," Avni greeted as she sat down, placing her bag next to her.

Ishan looked up and smiled, "Morning. Sleep well after the trip?"

"Yeah, I did," Avni nodded, then paused for a second. "And... thank you again. For the trip and for the ride home."

Ishan waved his hand dismissively. "You've already thanked me enough. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

Avni hesitated for a beat, the word 'friends' catching her off guard. "Friends? Oh, right... yes."

Ishan chuckled, noticing the slight uncertainty in her voice. "You don't sound so sure about that. Second thoughts already?"

Avni quickly shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, it's just... I don't usually make friends this fast."

Ishan tilted his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"

Before Avni could reply, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Their teacher walked in, and the students straightened up, ready to start the day.

Though their conversation was cut short, the weight of Ishan's words lingered between them. Throughout the lesson, Avni found herself thinking about what he said, the word "friends" echoing in her mind.

After the class ended, one of the students approached Ishan with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Hey, tomorrow is Mr. Gupta's birthday. Let's plan a surprise for him!"

Nidhi, who was sitting in front, overheard and immediately turned around in her seat. "That's a great idea! Count me in," she said enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the thought of a celebration.

Aaron, who was sitting next to Nidhi, added, "Me too."

The student grinned, "Let's brainstorm something special. Maybe we can decorate the classroom or organize a little party?"

Ishan, glanced at Avni, who was still quietly packing up her books. "What do you think, Avni? You in for this?" he asked, his tone casual but clearly wanting her to join in.

Avni looked up, surprised to be included in the conversation. "Sounds good, Mr. Gupta's been really supportive, but... what if we get scolded instead?" she said, a little hesitant.

Ishan chuckled softly. "Why would we get scolded? I'm the class monitor, after all. If I don't see a problem, then there isn't one. Mr. Gupta won't be disturbed by a decorated classroom on his birthday. In fact, he'd be happy, maybe even proud."

Avni tilted her head, thinking for a moment before finally smiling. "Fine then, count me in."

Nidhi clapped her hands together. "Perfect! We'll need to get supplies—balloons, a cake, maybe some banners."

The student chimed in, "Yeah, we should split up the tasks among everyone."

Ishan nodded, standing up. "Alright, let me make an announcement so we can get everyone involved."

He walked towards the front of the room and called for attention. "Everyone! Attention, please."

The class quieted down, and Ishan continued, "Tomorrow is Mr. Gupta's birthday, and we're planning a surprise party for him. I need everyone's help with different tasks."

He divided the responsibilities: "We'll have one group for decorating the room, another for gathering materials like balloons and banners, and a third group will handle organizing the snacks and drinks."

Turning to Neha, he added, "And Neha, since you're not taking on the decoration or preparation tasks, could you arrange to get a bouquet for Mr. Gupta?"

Neha nodded confidently. "Sure, I'll take care of that."

Ishan then looked at Avni and said, "Avni and I will be responsible for bringing the cake."

Avni nodded, feeling more included in the plan. "Got it."

With everyone assigned their tasks, the excitement in the room grew. The students eagerly began discussing their roles and how they would surprise Mr. Gupta, looking forward to making his birthday special.

During break time, Nidhi was discussing decoration ideas with Aaron while they had lunch.

Nidhi asked, "Blue or golden balloons?"

Aaron replied, "How about black and golden?"

Meanwhile, Ishan and Avni were discussing the cake.

Ishan asked, "Where should we buy the cake from?"

Avni responded, "I'm not familiar with the neighborhood since I rarely get out."

Ishan suggested, "How about we meet after school and figure it out together?"

Avni agreed, "Okay."

After school was over, everyone went home, agreeing to come early the next day to decorate the room before Mr. Gupta's class, which would be the first period.

When Avni arrived home, she quickly freshened up and then stepped outside, locking the door behind her. Dressed in an oversized shirt and wide jeans, she texted Ishan. He arrived shortly, wearing a shirt and jeans that, coincidentally, matched Avni's oversized shirt in color.

Ishan greeted her, "Let's go."

Avni nodded and followed him.

It was Avni's first time exploring her neighborhood, and she was struck by the lush greenery surrounding it. They first visited a bakery just a few meters away.

Avni remarked, "This shop looks so pretty from the outside. How come I never knew it was here?"

Ishan responded with a smile, "You were serious when you said you don't come out much. Let's check it out."

Avni nodded and followed him inside the shop.