When the sky met the storm
The rain came down like it had something to say – soft, steady and stubborn. Sky sat at the far end of the rooftop café, the kind of place where city's chaos softened into distant murmurs. His sketchbook was open, pages flecked with drops from the breeze. He didn't care. the clouds above him were heavy with stories, and he was trying to draw every one of them
He liked the place because it didn't ask questions. Just like him.
That's when she appeared.
She wasn't part of the weather, but she moved like a storm- YALNA. Hair smooth and straight, eyeliner slightly smudged but she wore her confidence like it was waterproof. The eyes scanned the place quickly every table was full except his.
She paused for a second. Long enough for sky to notice the way her fingers clutched the strap of her bag, like she was still debating whether to stay or bolt.
"you mind if I sit ?" she asked , nodding towards the chair across for him.
Sky blinked, unsure if she was talking to him or just the rain playing tricks. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were tired. Not the kind of tired that sleep could fix .
"only if you don't mind being in a sketch ,"he replied, closing his sketchbook halfway but not pushing it away .
She raised an eyebrow, curious.
"that depends" , she said, peeling off her wet jacket. Will I be the villain or the muse ?
Sky smiled, not out of charm -but recognition. She was different. And not just because she walked in like she owned the sky .
"I guess we'll find out ", he said , "villains and muses usually look the same at first".
There was a pause. The kind that would've felt awkward with anyone else.
"you always sketch strangers?" she asked ,setting into the seat.
"only the ones I don't want to forget."
The answer did something to her . she didn't smile . not exactly, but her expression softened—like something inside her had stopped holding its breath.
And as the rain tapped around them and the city moved on below, sky and yalna sat across from each other ,saying nothing for a moment. Just letting silence do what it does best – fill the space between two people who hadn't yet realized they were already beginning .
The waiter arrived, glanced at their barely—acquainted expressions, and asked, "two coffee?"
Yalna nodded without asking sky . he didn't object. Somehow, she already knew he took his coffee the same way she did—strong, no sugar, like it was trying to prove a point.
As they waited, she traced circles with her fingertip on the table, restless.
"so...what do you see when you look at people?" she asked, gesturing towards his sketchbook. "you sketch them – what do you really see?"
Sky tilted his head, caught off guard by the depth of her question.
"depends. Some people hide in plain sight. Others ….. they were stories in their silence"
She looked at him –really looked -and for the first time since she walked in , sky felt like he was the one being sketched.
"and me ?" she asked , "what story do you think I, m wearing?"
Sky opened his sketchbook and flipped to a blank page. He didn't answer . just started sketching. Her eyes, the way her shoulders curled in slightly , as if defending herself from something the world couldn't see.
Yalna watched, amused and curious . but beneath it, she was nervous. She hadn't expected to be read. Especially not by a stranger with ink on his fingers and silence in his eyes.
A few minutes passed . the coffee come, he turned the sketchbook to face her.
It wasn't perfect, but it was true –a version of her that looked strong, but tired , guarded. Her mouth drawn in a slight smirk, but her eyes somewhere else entirely
She stared at it for a long time .
"damn ," she whispered . "you got me ."
"not yet ," sky said softly. "but I would like to."
There was a pause . she sipped her coffee, almost smiling.
"yalna ," she said , finally offering her name like a fragile gift. "my name's …YALNA."
"sky," he said , "nice to meet the storm."
She laughed. A real laugh this time. Something inside her shifted – may be cracked.
And somewhere between the hum of rain and the steam from their cups, something began that neither of them would fully understand until it was too late.
Later that night , yalna found herself lying on her bed, staring at the sketch sky had send her – a picture taken with her phone before they parted ways . she'd looked at it at least a dozen times . not because of how he drew her, but because of what he saw.
That version of her –strong, but tired, guarded . her friends saw the sarcasm. Her family saw the obedience . but sky…. He saw something she hadn't admitted to herself in years.
"you were stories in your silence ," he'd said.
It lingered
No one had ever seen her confidence before . not without trying to control it. Sky hadn't tried to fix her . he just saw her ,that did something dangerous to her chest
The next day , she texted him.
Yalna: I still think you drew me too serious . I smile sometimes, you know.
Sky: Yeah, but not when you mean it .
She stared at the reply . rolled her eyes .bit her lip .
He was right again . and that irritated her in a way that made her want to hear more