Mr Choksi stopped his old scooter at the red light. The red light here was longer than the usual ones, but Mr Choksi kept the engine running as the old scooter did not have a self-start. Mr Choksi adjusted the messenger bag on his back to turn around and look at the sky, he could see the clouds of darker tone approaching.
Mr Choksi was determined to outrun the rain home, he had to, after all when his wife had told him to carry the raincoat to office that morning and he had said ‘no’. As soon as the light turned green Mr Chokshi turned the accelerator and the old scooter with loud engine noise was on its way. He turned his scooter towards a narrow road, although a bit congested it was shorter. Mr Choksi noticed the roads were wet, so the rain had been there earlier, but Mr Choksi smiled because it wasn’t here at the moment, hence he still got to stay dry.
Omkar was having a good day, his little stall selling hot tea, hot samosas and a variety of cookies was in great demand on rainy days like this. Even those who weren’t regulars came looking for the stall on these days. Omkar was prepared, he went through the weather reports, and asked his neighbours what they thought about it raining that day. He would be prepared with more than the usual to sell.
“On days like this, I wish even I had my own stall of some kind,” Mr Patel, a regular customer said holding a cup of tea in hand
“You get to sit in a clean, air-conditioned office. I tell my younger brother to study well and he will also get to work like you,” said Omkar
“It’s not all good up there, I say this with experience. Both of you should think of expanding this business, nothing will be better,” said Mr Patel
Just then on the road at some distance a car went speeding over a rainwater filled pothole, splashing the water high.
Omkar was suddenly distracted by the sound of someone screaming. He walked out of his stall and saw a man on an old scooter, still screaming loud at the car that was long gone.
Mr Choksi, when done with his screaming, noticed the people who were looking at him, then he noticed his dirty and drenched clothes and lastly he noticed that his scooter had stopped. Mr Choksi attempted to kick start his scooter but it wouldn’t start and he got tired. He parked it on the side of the road and took out the small towel in the compartment under the scooter’s seat to clean the dirt out, meanwhile he noticed Omkar’s stall and decided to have a cup of tea while thinking for a convincing excuse for this wife who was well-prepared with words of own.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 
One response to “A Cloudy Day”
What an enjoyable and wonderfully relatable story! You have transformed an ordinary rainy day into a delightful slice of everyday life.
I particularly admired how each character carries a different perspective. Mr. Choksi is racing against the rain, Omkar is hoping the rain will bring more customers, and Mr. Patel reflects on how every profession has its own unseen challenges. Their brief conversation beautifully reminds us that the grass often appears greener on the other side.
LikeLike