Cloud Days

Fiction | read 24 min #shortstories #romance #teen #lovestories #fiction

Chapter one

She told the shopkeeper to keep the leftover change. Jai suddenly flipped around and saw her standing next to him. This happened near Vani Grocery Store, around 06:12 pm in the evening. With her awkward glance, Pranavi almost made Jai's heart stop. In that moment, he was able to look directly into her eyes.

And they both went their separate ways.

That night, while getting ready to sleep, Jai asked his close friend about her. Raghu was shocked to hear Jai ask about a girl. Jai said, "I saw her today at Vani Store. She was wearing tight jeans and a plain white top. She was cute enough to follow... but her looks hit me right in the heart. I hope I see her tomorrow.

Listening to him, Raghu thought, "Something is definitely coming our way", and both slipped into sleep.

Next day,

They saw her coming along with her friends. Both quickly turned their faces towards the store. She came in and asked the shopkeeper for her favorite chocolates. She didn't noticed them and left.

They both remained silent for a minute and apologized to their self-respect.

Again the next day, Jai stood at the same spot, She came, picked up her chocolates, and left again. And this routine continued for almost a month.

Chapter two

All the lecturers were seated in the first row of the theatre hall. The sweetheart of the entire campus - the English lecturer - was at backstage, busy practicing and helping students with rehearsals. She was not only an English lecturer but also the head of cultural activities and a motivational speaker for the whole campus.

The event was about to begin, but the principle had not yet arrived. Meanwhile, the introductions have already started. Jai was busy catching up with his friends who had gone outside.

As soon as Jessy Sebastian, arrived on stage, the entire hall echoed with her name: "Jessy! Jessy! Jessy!"

She instantly took the mic and said, "Thank you, guys for your love! But I'm a lecturer, yaar! Not a performer" Smiling, she continued, "I can see how eagerly you're all waiting for the entertainment. 

Cheers! Now shout for me - 'Sri Ram! Sri Ram! Sri Ram!' Since our Institutions, Sri Ram Educational Institutions are No.1 in the country, I'm so proud to be part of this campus. And, Get ready for the Annual Celebrations!

Thank you once again to all my staff colleagues and dear students. Love you all!" And with that, she handled the mic back to Vasu and Priya - the anchors for the day.

Chapter three

In the examination hall, Jai was looking at his friend Akash to copy the answers, but he was not responding to him. Meanwhile, the exam invigilator continued sleeping.

Finally, Akash glanced around the entire hall. Everyone was happy now, hoping he could do something to save his fellow "Supplies soldiers". Suddenly, the examination hall turned noisy. The exam invigilator, Prabhu, woke up from his nap.

And after a little warning, he went back to his nap.

Akash requested the others to wait for a while. "Don't just blindly depend on me", he said. "I might be a king here to save you all, but I need some time. This isn't Chemistry to finish off with a few reactions and equations - it's Physics! Even the legendary Albert Einstein took years to understand it and to propose the Theory of Relativity. 

And remember, he once said, 'The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has limits' ".

Jai recalled all this while looking at Akash's weird facial expressions. From behind, Yesh called out to Jai, trying to figure out the situation regarding passing the answer sheet.

During college days, Akash would always talk about Physics to his classmates, regardless of whether they were interested or not. It never mattered to him if anyone actually listened - what mattered was that he conveyed what he wanted to. He was a topper.

Chapter four

In the Kitchen, Shri was busy preparing KFC-style fried chicken, following procedures he had seen in random YouTube videos. On the other hand, Jai was helping him make the chicken perfect. Rajesh came into the kitchen from the hall to watch the live action, holding a beer tin - probably a Kingfisher. He asked, "What about Arun, Nikhil and Sanjay?" Are they coming here tonight?"

"No, I have no idea about them. But I had a call with Sanjay - he was about to come by now," replied Jai to Rajesh with a quick glance, holding a marinated chicken piece in hand.

"That's ok, I'll check with them," Rajesh replied, taking a bite of the fired chicken that was already to eat in the bowl.

Meanwhile, Arun knocked on the open door with a Mickey Mouse smile.

"Donkey just entered," Shri murmured under his breath and said hi to his friend. A little later, everyone arrived.

During the conversation, Sanjay was asking Rajesh about the newly constructed house. "Did I get involved in buying the house? No, it was our parents who brought it. I just had an idea of how it started. My big brother is there to take care of everything," said Sanjay.

"Oh, where is your brother then?"

"Huh, yesterday they went to a function at my aunt's house. They'll probably return in two days." In a quick span of time, Rajesh's mobile rang - a call from his father. He rushed a little to pick it up.

"Yes, Dad, tell me."

"Where are you?" his dad asked.

"I'm at home."

"Okay, I'm coming home."

Rajesh, in shock - "Are you coming... now?"

"Ohh, what the hell," he kept the thought inside and stayed in shock. The rest all felt the same.

Chapter five

"Hi Jai, good morning!" - texted the manager from the Teams - (a Microsoft chat application) to Jai for a work update. Jai glanced away from Nisha, who was sitting to his left, talking about random topics.

Jai quickly went into alert mode and replied, "Good morning, Shekar." One of his colleagues from the backend saw the conversation from behind and made a mockery of it. Jai didn't pay much attention and stayed focused on replaying to his manager. Meanwhile, his manager requested a quick call. Jai responded, "Give me a few minutes, I'll get back to you."

Jai wasn't fully prepared for the discussion. And, he asked for a few projects updates from Nisha and another team member, Priya. 

Later, Jai couldn't help but hate how his manager never encouraged him or gave him meaningful work - only asks for more updates, despite the company having an adequate number of projects in hand. His manager was lazier than expected but had just enough knowledge to get things done in the industry.

During the call, the manager even started talking about a movie he had recently watched, saying he loved it and wanted to rewatch it because his wife requested it. Jai, in his head, thought, "Who needs the information, you bugger?" but he kept a big smile on his face while responding.

Later at end of the day, all the team members gathered in the cafeteria to discuss dinner plans. Jai wasn't at all interested in joining, but his teammates insisted he come along to acknowledge his contributions.

At night, Jai was talking with one of the newly joined colleagues named Amar. In the flow of conversation, Amar asked how he got into his job.

Chapter six

After a month, finally, the day had come for Jai to express what he felt for Pranavi. As usual, near Vani Store. She came wearing a Kurtha-Pajama, a soft smile on her lips, accompanied by her close friends Anu and Swetha. Jai and Raghu stood at the same place, motionless.

The strength of character reflected on her face. the fear of expressing was visible in both of them. 

In life, moments don't repeat. When you realize this is the moment you've been waiting for - just grab it. 

A little later, after receiving her chocolates, she begun to walk away. Then, she stopped - right in front of Jai, facing away from him. Her, friends whispered something in her ears while glancing at the two boys.

In a slow motion, just like in the movies, she started to turn around... to see the guy who had been following her for over a month. It was one of those moments where you feel like you're walking on water. 

Love is the ripple, and you are the ship that floats. Or it's like rain in summer. Or a bird flying over the mountains. 

And then, she came very close to them.

As she stood in front of him, the entire situation felt so intense - like something was definitely going to happen. Even nature seemed to want them to become lovebirds. Pranavi, as graceful and composed as ever, she said nothing until.

Chapter seven

When Jai had joined the institution, he was scared and found it hard to understand the campus atmosphere. He had come all the way from his home town to settle in the hostel. Sainath, his roommate, was the complete opposite of him in every aspect - behavior, habits, and lifestyle.

Still, they eventually got used to each other over time.

When Jai was asked about good lectures on campus, it was Sainath who introduced Jessy to him during the initial days of joining.

He never really believed in the whole "lecturer admiration" thing. They're not frontline heroes to be remembered every day - most of them just pass on information from one end to another. She always referred to her students as her brothers, helped them truly understand the subject.

She never turned into one of those zombie lecturers who pressure students to memorize just for better marks and percentages.

As the years passed,

Jai grew a lot through learning and always held a special impression of his lecturer, Jessy. Whenever he needed support or help, she was the first person he would go to - and he continued doing so until the end of his time on campus.

Chapter eight

"It's a prank. He's not coming," said Rajesh, followed by a big, loud guffaw. Looking at him, everyone felt like kicking him in the ass so he'd fall straight at his dad's place. "So, sorry," he replied with a slow, sheepish yack.

"Okay, let's start with what we've planned for tonight. It's a big day for us to celebrate," responded Jai.

Having said that, everyone slipped into jolly mood of the night and settled into their comfortable spots in the hall, on the sofa big enough to hold all of them.

From the back, Shri called out, "Hold on for a few minutes. Let's first start with our drinks."

And they began with a loud cheers.

"Before we start tonight, let's all congratulate Rajesh on his new home. He has everything one needs in life. The next step is just get married and have a bunch of kids in his arms," said Shri, glancing at Rajesh with a playful look. Everyone repeated the same teasing line.'

In the middle of it all, Sanjay said, "we haven't even seen his bedroom yet! Let's go have a look."

"Hold on, let's have the chicken first," urged Rajesh.

A little later, Shri began explaining the reason why they had planned this evening. But before he could proceed, he asked Jai, "Do you want to continue, or should I ?"

Jai said, "Go ahead, Shri."

"Actually, we met a girl who's really special to Jai."

"Who is she?" Everyone raised their eyebrows in curiosity.

Chapter nine

Jai stood calmly for a minute, waiting for a response from Pranavi, as they both started to look at each other.

Say something, this is getting a little awkward inside, Jai thought to himself.

No, you have to say what you wanted to say, Pranavi responded silently in her mind, looking at Jai.

From behind, Raghu muttered, "Should I say something instead? Why are they just starting at each other like animals encountering each other for the first time?"

A little later - "I hate you," Jai said to her.

She smiled quickly and asked, "Why?"

Jai paused, thinking. After a few seconds, he said, "I don't know... maybe I'm in love with you."

"Wait... did you just proposed to me?," she said.

"I haven't... maybe I did," he replied nervously.

"That's okay. I'll think about it," she said.

"Okay then... I need to get going. Bye." And she walked away.

Jai was shocked at what had just happened. He looked at Raghu, who also had no idea what had just unfolded.

After a few days, Jai and Pranavi started talking, walking together, and sharing their interests and future plans. Everything seemed to be going well between them.

Seeing this, Raghu thought to himself, I just hope everything goes fine and they stay happy together.

Chapter ten

A few days earlier, Jai and Shri had a coffee at a cafe. They talked about their future plans finding a job, as both were actively searching for one. Shri, however, had thoughts of taking over his father's business, though he hadn't made a final decision yet.

While sipping his coffee, Jai glanced towards the corner of the shop and noticed a women from behind - her free flowing hair, fair complexion, and graceful appearance caught his attention. He gave it a moments thought; she seemed familiar. She was sitting alone, writing something on paper.

Just then, the waiter brought her order. Suddenly, Jai realized who she was - it was Jessy. He was surprised and immediately got up to talk to her.

"Hi Jessy."

"Who's this?" she asked, lifting her head slightly.

"I am Jai, from Sriram Institute," he replied.

It took her a moment to recognize him. Then she said, "Oh, I remember. Please, have a seat. How are you? And who is he?

"He's my friend Shri," Jai responded politely.

A little later, Jai said, "I am really surprised to see you here, Jessy. What brings you here?"

"I have an event this coming Sunday at Alpha Technologies. I am scheduled to give a motivational session to their employees."

"Oh, that's awesome to hear. Are we invited to it?" Jai asked playfully.

"No, you're not, since you're not part of the company," she said with a smile. "But I usually conduct similar sessions every couple of months. If you're interested, join Alpha."

After a few minutes of conversion, they moved on.

Later that night, while getting ready for bed, Jai looked up Alpha. It was led by an Indian software firm focused on development, simulation software, and motion capture technologies. He was impressed by the company's website, and as he scrolled through the about section, he was shocked to find one familiar face - his friend Akash Karthikeya, a former classmate.

Chapter eleven

Excited, Jai checked his mobile to see if he still had Akash's number. Unable to find it, he searched on Linkedin and sent him a message there. Within a few minutes, he received a reply, and they got on a call.

"How are you, buddy? It's been so long since we met," Akash said. "I think the last time was after our final exams."

"Yes, yes! You were in such a rush then. I tried contacting you afterward but lost track and forgot to follow up," Jai responded.

"That's okay," said Akash. "So, what's up? What are you doing these days? Everything alright?"

"I am actually looking for a job - just trying to find the right opportunity."

"Oh, hold on! We have a few openings for software engineers. Would you like to apply?"

"I'd be so happy if you could help me with that!"

"Don't worry. I'll talk to HR tomorrow morning and make sure you're in. That's my promise," Akash said confidently.

Hearing that, Jai got a bit emotional. They continued talking for a while.

"Currently, I am in the U.S. for work. Maybe I'll be back at the office in two months," said Akash.

"Oh, that's fine," Jai replied.

"Okay then, we'll meet in the office soon. I've got some work now, but let's catch up later", said Aksah, and the call ended.

A week later, 

Once the recruitment process was completed and Jai was about to join the company in a couple of days, he called his long term friend Rajesh to throw a party.

Two months after joining the company,

It was time for Jai to meet two of the most amazing people in his life - one at a session, and the other returning from the U.S. for a long work visit - the very person who helped him get into the company.

At the session, Jai was eagerly waiting to meet Jessy Sebastian. When she finally arrived, he was shocked to see who had come along with her.

Chapter twelve 

Hi all, thanks for being a part of such sessions, which help us understand the essence of our inner strength and empower us to achieve what we are capable of," - Akash begun the introduction for the session and then invited Jessy to start.

Jai was hiding behind the chairs, thinking about how to face both of them together - he hadn't met either of them yet. It made it difficult for him to focus or even understand what the session was about. And this continued for a while.

Before the session has started,

Jai had seen Jessy walk in with Akash and his finance Pranavi. Yes, you heard that right - and yes, you guessed it correctly. Since then, he hadn't been able to digest the fact that this could be one of life's wild coincidences.

After the session ended, Akash thanked Jessy for her wonderful talk. A little later, he introduced his finance to all the colleagues, sharing that they had recently got married in a private ceremony - making this his official announcement.

Meanwhile, as Jai was about to leave the venue, he got caught by Akash. And finally, he met all three of them at once.

In the moment,

Pranavi gave a look that said she couldn't believe what she was seeing, and Jai himself couldn't believe he was actually shaking hands with her. Suddenly, memories of the past came rushing back - how he had Benn separated from her a few years ago.

Later, while heading home in the rain, Jai realized that what had happened was completely unpredictable -something only life could script.

And, he told himself: accept the truth and move on.

The end.

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