ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴡᴀʏꜱ

.Good luck, my weirdo༊˚

AUTHOR'S POV:

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but the warmth of his closeness lingered in her mind. As she walked to the classroom, she couldn't help but replay the moment in her head.

"Why would I miss you?" she had asked, but the truth was, she would. Only she knew how much she had missed Ishan over the past five days.

Entering the classroom, she spotted Nidhi already seated, tapping away on her phone. Avni sat down beside her.

"What did I miss?" Nidhi asked, looking up with a grin.

"Nothing," Avni replied casually.

Nidhi frowned, tilting her head. "Nothing?"

"Yes," Avni insisted, but a small smile betrayed her.

Their conversation was interrupted by the teacher walking in, and the class settled into a hush. Avni tried to focus on the lecture, but her mind kept drifting back to Ishan's teasing remarks and the way he had looked at her.

The class continued for an hour, and although Avni made an effort to concentrate, her thoughts kept wandering back to those conversations with Ishan. After the bell rang, Nidhi and Avni packed their bags and headed outside the school.

Standing in front of the school gate, Nidhi asked, "Are you waiting for the bus?"

Avni shook her head. "No, my dad will come."

Nidhi replied, "Good then. I'll leave first. Bye!"

Avni waved at her as she walked away, then turned her gaze to the road, waiting for her father to pick her up. Gentle breezes caressed her face.

Suddenly, a soft voice called out, "Avni?"

Avni turned to see Ishan approaching. "Ishan? What are you doing here? Isn't it time for your practice?"

Ishan shrugged. "Everyone just took a break. I came hoping to see you."

Avni smiled. "You're lucky. My dad's picking me up today."

"I see," Ishan replied, his eyes twinkling.

Avni asked, "How's practice going?"

Ishan smirked. "Are you scared now that you might lose?"

"Scared? Of course not. Why would I be?" Avni retorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Okay then, let's make a promise," Ishan proposed.

"What kind of promise?" Avni asked, intrigued.

"If I win the match, you'll be my girlfriend. If I lose, I'll accept my defeat and be your boyfriend," Ishan declared with a playful grin.

"What kind of promise is that? You get benefited either way," Avni said, raising an eyebrow.

Ishan chuckled, clearly enjoying their banter.

Just then, a car honked nearby. It was Avni's dad's car.

"I gotta go. Bye!" she said, waving at him.

He waved back until the car disappeared from his sight, then turned and returned to his practice.

Once home, Avni freshened up and had a few snacks. Her mother wasn't back yet.

Her father announced, "I'll cook dinner tonight."

Avni raised an eyebrow. "You know how to cook?"

"Of course! I could be a chef," her father replied with a wink.

Avni chuckled, remembering Ishan saying the same thing during their trip. "Need any help?"

Her father shook his head. "I'll handle it! You must be tired from school. Go take some rest. I'll take care of everything here."