1.1 | Under The Clear Summer Sky | ✓

26 | the manuscript

While they had both agreed to date, they didn't actually have any time to date. The remainder of August and September flew by in the midterm exams and the corrections that followed it.

Students hadn't performed as expected in the midterms. It explained the gloomy atmosphere of the corridors of 10th grade. 

Anu sat at the teacher's desk and watched the class, browse their papers with slumped shoulders. "Don't let this defeat your motivation. You guys still have plenty time to improve." 

The class didn't respond. Shrest checked his answer sheet with a question paper, along with Sana. Vihan simply slept, as usual. The three were the only ones who had managed to get above 70 marks in a 80 mark paper, in the class.

The trio placed their paper on the desk, after a few more minutes of checking. 

"I won the bet. Buy me candies." Shrest's lips were tugged up in a smirk. 

Sana rolled her eyes, "Only by one mark."

"I still won."

"Whatever."

"Treat me to candies."

The two began squabbling again. Anu leaned forward. "Shrest."

He turned back around.

"How did you do on your science paper?"

"Pretty good. I got 76."

Anu nodded and leaned back, with a smile.

"You tutored him?" Anu asked, as Vineet and her ate lunch. For the past few weeks, eating lunch together seemed to be their only time to talk to each other throughout the day.

Vineet nodded. "I helped him out in the topics he was having difficulty with."

"Are you two getting along better?"

"Yeah...Things have improved. But, he doesn't want to move back home."

"Auntie has been calling him back?"

"She did call me, asking when Shrest was coming back."

"Do you want him to move back?"

Vineet paused his movements. He stared at his half empty plate.

"I feel that he has been more at peace when he's at my house. He's been more happy and laughing more as well."

A pause.

"I know the atmosphere in my mother's house. It's suffocating. I don't want to send him back there."

Anu munched on her vegetables. "Then...let him stay at your house. Tell your mom that it would be better if he stayed at your house?"

Vineet nodded. "I should do that."

The two returned to their food in silence.

It was the second last period of the day, in progress. Anu was busy typing away at the computer, when she received a notification.

We regret to inform you that your manuscript has not been selected for publishing due to...

Anu stared at it.

She tapped it and read the familiar lines again. Putting her phone away, she turned back to the computer. The characters on the screen seemed blurry. She couldn't focus. She stood up and walked out of the staff room, out of the block to a spot under a tree. 

She plopped down, letting the sunshine hit her. Tears came flooding down. 

This was the 20th time she had been rejected. 

She placed her elbows on her knees and hid her face between her palms. Maybe she was never going to become an author. She should probably give up on that dream. It was never going to happen.

The bell rang. She remained seated where she was. She didn't have a class to teach. She swiped at her tears and stared at the sky. It was a clear blue sky, a fine production of the summer. She watched the clouds drift, relating to it. 

Anu liked teaching. She liked mingling with kids and talking to them about literature and lessons. But, she also liked writing. It was her passion. If she gave up either one of it, she felt it was a major loss. But, could she continue juggling both..?

Time seemed fly past, like it always does.

The bell rang once more, signaling the end of the school day. She heard footsteps towards her, and looked away from the sky, at Vineet.

He crouched down in front of her, "What's wrong?"

She gazed at him for a little while, a glassy shield coming over her eyes. "I got rejected. Again."

The small, soft voice of hers softened his gentle countenance further.

"You mean, about your book?"

She nodded.

"Have you tried looking at online options to publish?"

She nodded, again. "I just...Throughout my life, I've seen the most successful books only in traditional publishing and I wanted to get to that level of success. But now...I just want people to be able to read what I've written and make them a bit more happy through my writing."

Vineet nodded. He said nothing in return.

After a few moments, he took her hands. "You never showed me your manuscript. Let me read it."

Anu blushed a little at that. "I...can't do that."

"Why not?"

"The male lead...is based off you."

Vineet blinked. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Now, I want to read it even more."

"It's a bit embarrassing." Anu glanced at him.

That night, Vineet read the manuscript. He read the entire novel in one go, only putting it down once he was done. The time was 1:30 AM. 

He pulled out an origami paper and made a paper plane. He wrote in it, with a small smile. Folding it back again, he placed it in the box filled with a stack of paper planes.

✿

word count: 885 words