*PART 18*
(Love Blossoms Amidst Chocolates and Secrets)


It was Sunday. Artav got bored at home because he couldn't see her, and without thinking for a moment, he texted her:
"Hi babe, what's up? What are you doing? I am bored, yaar."
Seza: "Arey, why bored? Watch some films, yaar. Go out and play cricket."
Artav: "No, I am not interested. Why are you telling me to go out? You don't want me to text, huh? So mean. 😣"
Seza was so busy with her work that she couldn't give time to Artav, but Artav never felt insecure about it, as he always loved her beyond measure. The whole day, Artav was thinking about her, and the next day, they met in school. Both of them would go together to the canteen, library. They even started sharing the same desk in class.
Artav has been by her side every time, and Seza can say, without a doubt, that one of the best decisions she's ever made was Artav. Sure, she had acted strangely before, but Artav helped her through some pretty difficult days and taught her that even when it feels like the last thing we can do, caring for someone (or something) other than yourself is a form of self-care too.
Seza knew that Artav had become an important part of her life. Her love for him was so pure. She recognized how profoundly special he was to her. Seza trusted Artav so much. Artav's care and love during her hard times made her feel that was when she knew he was her guy.
It was a glorious, colorful autumn. They had just left the coaching class. When they walked by, Artav giggled and pulled Seza inside, saying, “Let's have chocolates," but Seza didn't like chocolates. She never randomly felt like eating chocolates. But when Artav handed her chocolates and looked into her eyes while she was eating it, she felt that it was the best thing she had ever tasted.
Seza's hand still tingled where he grabbed it to give her chocolates. As they walked through the park with their chocolates in hand, a light drizzle began to fall. Seza pulled out an umbrella from her bag, and Artav pulled up his hoodie and hunched his shoulders.
“Don’t be silly,” Seza giggled, pulling Artav under the umbrella with her. Artav couldn’t help but laugh too; his laugh was infectious. As the sun started to shine again, Artav pulled Seza down to sit on a bench. She beamed down at Artav, and Artav could only gaze back adoringly. They started sharing their cute talks, “Who do you like?” Artav whispered, and Seza looked away. Seza wanted to say, ‘you, you, a thousand times you. You’re the only one I can ever think about. You’re cute and sweet and funny and…’.
Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the chocolates in her hand. Artav could see her blushing (her blushing cheeks and her shyness were the best parts of Seza, which Artav loved the most). He leaned towards her shoulder; she looked at him with a cautious smile. “If I tell you mine, will you tell me yours?” Seza said.
“Okay,” Artav said.
“The person I like… …is you,” said Seza.
Artav hugged her so tightly without speaking a single word. Seza was finding it difficult to breathe as the hug was uncomfortably tight; she pushed Artav and said, "Do you want to kill me or what?" As soon as she said it, Artav put his hand over her mouth and told her not to repeat those words again. He got anxious. Seza looked at him surprisedly, took a deep breath, and said, "Artav, I—" Seza's voice caught in her throat. Artav removed his hand from her mouth and moved a tiny bit apart. "What happened?" Artav asked, looking concerned. Seza could not find the words, so she simply said, "I love you" to bring back his smile. Artav got a smile on his face, and Seza smiled too. Before he could lose his courage seeing her smile, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. After Seza's momentary shock faded, she kissed him back. As his lips moved against hers, Seza felt a fire in her veins. His hand gently cupped her face, and Seza timidly grabbed his hand. He pulled her in deeper to kiss. Seza couldn't believe that it was happening. She pushed back; he tilted his head. Seza gathered the courage to face him. She was completely shy. "Are you OK?" said Artav. She nodded in reply. Artav had never seen Seza blush in that manner before. Artav could sense that she was feeling uncomfortable to face him, so he pulled her into a hug, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "So are you shy?" He whispered against her skin, and she giggled, grabbing his hand. "Of course, yes, it was my first time, silly!" she laughed.
Seza was so emotionally attached to Artav that her day started with his voice waking her through the call, and her day ended with his goodnight on the phone. Seza was so into Artav. She didn't even think about parting. She loved him truly. She got worried every time when he fell ill; she got scared when he didn't answer her calls.
For Seza, it was her dream coming true. Nobody could replace him. For her, he was her strength. He had become a reason for her everyday smile. Artav made her happy every time; Seza used to feel like the luckiest girl. Artav knew how to cheer up her moods; he would do anything to keep a smile on her face. He always protected and cared for Seza. They both got so close to each other that they couldn't even think of living their lives without each other. They always spent hours and hours talking on the phone after school. They started to fantasize about their future together. They couldn't imagine losing each other. They both were perfect for each other.