Story: “Pj” OR “Vijay”

My name is Pratap Jindal, but my friends used to call me "Vijay" instead of "Pj." Sounds a bit strange, right? To unravel the mystery behind how "Vijay" got connected to "Pratap Jindal," let's journey back to my university days.

In my first year, my friends and I had a lovely tradition of having dinner together, usually at the same food stall. It was a modest little place, but the food was fantastic. Now, here's where things get interesting - I had a bit of a crush on a girl working at that stall. My friends were well aware of my feelings, and they often seized the opportunity to create funny and sometimes embarrassing situations whenever she was around. It was all in good spirits.

One day, while we were placing our orders, I struck up a casual conversation with the owner. It turns out that the girl I had a crush on was his daughter. I introduced myself with my nickname, "Pj," and explained that it was derived from my initials, Pratap Jindal. The twist here is that the owner, a kind but somewhat hard-of-hearing elderly man, misunderstood "Pj" as "Vijay" and started calling me by that name. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, thinking he was saying "Pj."

Fast forward to the day that would change everything. My crush came over to our table, her smile lighting up the reality, and she asked, "Vijay, can you show me the payment receipt for your order?" The entire table went quiet, all eyes locked on me, and I couldn't help but wonder, "Who's Vijay?" She couldn't contain her laughter and playfully inquired, "Aren't you Vijay?" My friends, always ready for a good tease, started chanting, "Vijay, she's talking to you!" I had no choice but to play along, and they jokingly accused me of changing my name just to impress her.

That's when I realized that the old man had been calling me "Vijay" all along, not "Pj." Frustrated and amused, I headed straight to the stall. But as I approached, I noticed the girl following me, matching my pace.

Before I could utter a word to the owner to correct the misunderstanding, she asked me what was going on. I explained that my name was "Pj," not "Vijay." She laughed it off and shared a little secret: "I knew. When you were talking to my dad, I was eavesdropping from behind the wall. But you know, Vijay suits you too," she said with a wink and a playful grin. We continued our conversation, and the name "Vijay" stuck to me like gum on a shoe. I didn't mind one bit. From that day on, my friends started calling me "Vijay," and "Pj" became a distant memory.

For those curious readers, yes, we exchanged phone numbers and went on some dates, and we were a thing for some time. And that's how a simple mix-up of names turned into a sweet chapter in this love story, leaving me as "Vijay" instead of "Pj."