Vannakam Japan- A story of dreams, trust and second chances

Chapter 1

" Life always gives you choices and chances where you notice them or not. To feel trapped or empowered is a choice for you to make."

The sun was shining bright in the sky. Droplets of sweat was soaking their forehead and shirts. It was a usual sunny, warm day in Chennai. Chennai is known for being warm and sultry. Yet, Vani Jayaraj could feel her hand cold and slick with sweat. She was about to face the worst fear of his life, the fear of being trapped or tied down to a place.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room where she was seated holding a folder filled with certificates and mark sheets. Anxious eyes stared back, while some tried to small talk with the neighbor seated next to them and share anecdotes about their experience in applying for different colleges.

"Did you know the cut-off is expected to be somewhere between 40-50..."

"I tried in this place and everyone else in the group discussion had just discussed and exhausted all my points. Still, I had to go on trying to repeat and come up with new points, so that I don't feel left out..."

She drifted in and out of conversations, as the writer in her was busy snooping around her for some new story. That's it, she was a writer in search of her new story. A writer trapped by her fear of failing to convince her parents and the society that she can make her bread out of her writing. Her heart wearily wore a lot of scars as she had just too many failed opportunities before her and as she contemplated a break year to concentrate on her upcoming novel and career as a full-time content writer, her parents were convinced with the idea that she was better off trying to join a B-school. As she was lost thinking about falling for things she had promised to never do, that is to follow the crowd with a herd mentality, she vaguely realized that her name was called.

-0-

Shruti was once again lost in the concentration. A strand of her dark brown hair fell on her face, as she gently pushed it away and once again turned her attention to her chart and the charcoal art that she was making. She hunched low, lost in thought as what else should she sketch in the chart to make that picture of a girl in the swing with sunrise behind her.

Maybe she should just colour the strand of the girl in the picture to make it more realistic.

She was pulled out of her reverie, when she heard the sharp sound of her phone going off.

She hastily picked off the phone to hear, "Congrulations, you've been selected to AIJ School of Business. You'd be admitted in the first year class of our MBA program. When can we..."

She listened to it impatiently as she cut her off saying---

"Sorry, I am trying elsewhere I don't think I can make it here. Thanks for the call."

But looks like life had other plans for her...

-0-

" Ashwini, just look at your brother. Why are you staring at the cartoons? Why don't you prepare for that entrance exam?"

She was tried of being constantly compared to her epitome brother. Just tell her one thing he wasn't good at? To top that he was an over-protective brother that wouldn't allow her out of his eye-sight without filling her phone with missed calls. In such case, anime and dreaming about the day she can be in Japan and smell the Sakura flowers were her only respite.

She hastily nodded to her mother and picked up a book to prepare for her exams only to find that her hands were unconsciously tracing Naruto's face.

She immediately remembered how her family had mocked her dreams of settling in Japan. Tears had dried and she wondered if she had any emotions left in her, only determination to reach Japan was there in her heart.