*Part 12*

(APOLOGY AND CONNCETION)


Next day, Seza was not able to go to school; she took rest the whole day. Another day when Seza went to school, there was something under her desk. She was getting late for prayers, so she couldn't figure out what exactly it was. After her prayer, when she took it out from the desk, it was a box wrapped with newspaper. She thought that it was for Arshana, maybe Parav bought something for her, but later, she came to know that it was from Artav to her. Firstly, she denied it, but later she received it by Arshana's force. Seza was still unaware of the things inside the box.That day, Artav was not present in the class, so she asked Arshana about the box. She got to know that the box was bought by Artav yesterday itself, but due to her absence, he left it under her desk, saying that he would not be coming tomorrow because he could not face her. Seza was shocked to hear those words from Arshana about Artav. Arshana insisted her to open the box, as she was excited to see what was inside, but Seza refused to open it. Everyone was shocked about Artav's gifts because he was so greedy; he hardly used to share his notes, and suddenly he came up with gifts. Everyone was traumatized because of his drastic changes. The whole day seemed silent, quiet, and boring because Artav was the one who used to talk aloud and cheer up the whole class. The day went by with difficulty.Seza came back to her house, deeply immersed in her work. She totally forgot about the box. When she went to get her notebook to do her pending notes, she saw the box, and then she remembered. She gently took out the box and unwrapped the newspaper. Again, it was wrapped in gift paper. She unwrapped it, and there was a cute little box with a bow on top. She held the box and thought for a while about Artav's kind behavior towards her. She was feeling scared to open the box because she couldn't easily trust Artav, as his mind usually focused on pranks.
Seza slowly reached for the box, her hands were trembling, and she was in confusion about whether to open it herself or ask for help. She decided to open it herself, took a deep breath, and felt more scared than ever before. Today, within a tiny box, she was shivering and sweating. She mustered the courage and opened the box. Inside, there was a cute little heart-shaped keychain and a bundle of chocolates (approximately four) with attached sticky notes. It was written:
"I have hurt you, but I suffered for it too. Sorry if I treated you badly in any way. I know that you are mad at me. All that I can say is sorry for the wrong I did. I know that you are angry for the way that I behaved, but can you please forgive me? Please accept my token of apology and let me bring back your smile 😊." - Artav
Seza was shocked because she had never expected that kind of apology from Artav. She literally got lost in that note, reading it more than twice. She couldn't believe that the flirty, arrogant, gluttonous, superficial guy
had another kind and soft-hearted side. She was smiling continuously. She felt like calling him, but she thought of talking to him directly in class.
The next day, Seza went to school, feeling shy to face Artav. As she entered the class, she saw Artav talking to Parav. Seza took her seat, and they had eye contact. Artav quickly lowered his eyes and pretended to focus on something else. Seza felt ignored and kept gazing at him, but he didn't pay attention to her. They got busy with their classes and didn't have a chance to talk.
During break time, Seza turned back and tried to talk to Artav, but he pretended that he didn't know anything. She was furious and said, "You are a mastermind, personally sending me notes and chocolates, and now you're acting as if I'm forcing you to talk toyou." With these words, she left the class.
Break was over, but Seza was not in the class. Artav was worried and went out to check on her. He saw that she was coming with Arshana. Artav went back, and Seza entered with a full attitude. It was a free class, and as usual, couples started shuffling and shifting to their partner's desks. Parav also went to Arshana's side and started talking. Meanwhile, Seza thought of taking a short nap.
On other days during these free classes, Artav and Seza used to play and talk, but today, both seemed upset. Seza put her head down to take a nap, and Artav started pulling her hair constantly. Seza didn't react; instead, she stayed quiet, but he kept poking her, giving her a tingling sensation. She turned back to throw her tantrums, but his innocent, lost-child-like face made her calm. She nodded her head, and he smiled, asking her to join him to play penfight. Seza initially refused, but he pulled her hand and forced her to play, making puppy faces. Seza melted
by his expression and started playing. They were back to normal.
Seza felt more connected to Artav after that incident. She loved his company and noticed some changes in him. Artav, too, enjoyed Seza's company, appreciating her way of talking, her endless novel stories, jokes, determination towards work, kind-heartedness, dreams, desires, and her enthusiasm towards bikes and her bucket list. The way she explored things, her devotion to God, respectful behavior, and her open-minded yet reserved nature all appealed to him. He felt they had common interests and similar desires. She was different from others. But he didn't stop teasing and taunting her by saying, "You are my future wife." The way she blushed and got aggressive upon hearing that became Artav's favorite part of her, cherished forever