The party hall had fallen into silence. Elara rose slowly
from his kneeling position, opening his eyes to see Rani turning her face away.
The crowd murmured, restless, waiting for her response.
Friends (in chorus):"Come
on, say something to him!"
Elara stepped closer, his heart pounding, and gently placed
his hands on her shoulders.
Elara (softly):"What happens to you, my
queen?"
Suddenly, Rani turned toward him and embraced him tightly.
Her arms wrapped around him, and tears streamed down her face.
Elara (calm, tender):"Hey…
what happened to you? Why are you crying?"
The hall froze again, the cheers replaced by the sound of
her sobs. Elara held her carefully, his voice steady but filled with concern.
For the first time, the one who trained with steel and stone was confronted not
with battle, but with the fragile weight of love.
The hall was silent, every eye fixed on Rani as she clung
to Elara, tears streaming down her face. Slowly, she lifted her head, her voice
trembling but filled with sincerity.
Rani:"Elara… I
never thought you would say something like this to me. I have been waiting for
years to hear these words. Yes, I knew we both loved each other. We hung out,
we enjoyed parties, we traveled across countries… but even then, I never felt
complete. I kept asking myself, 'Why isn't he saying anything? When will he
speak?'"
Her words echoed through the hall, each sentence striking
Elara's heart.
Rani (continuing):"Yes,
I am a journalist now. But I have been waiting for this moment, Elara. I still
remember the first time I saw you — when I was bullied by some men, and you
came to save me. From that day, I felt safe. Every time you walked down the
aisle, I saw something different in you compared to other boys — your calmness.
I loved the way you handled things, always calm and effective."
Elara's eyes softened, his breath heavy with emotion.
Rani:"Since you
became champion for the first time, I started loving you even more. And though
you never showed emotions openly, I understood how you tried to protect me
every single time. You shielded me from everyone — even Karikalan. When it
mattered most, you were there. Thank you, Elara, for everything you gave
me."
Her tears turned into a smile, her voice steady now.
Rani:"Yes… it is an
honor to accept your request, my sire."
The hall erupted in cheers, music swelling as Elara's
proposal was answered. For the first time, the warrior's vow was not about
battle, but about love — and it was accepted.
While Elara celebrated love and companionship, Karikalan's
world was different. He trained relentlessly, refining his punches, working on
the devastating striking flash punch — a technique meant to adapt
against martial art combat styles. His fists tore through the air with
precision, his body drenched in sweat, his mind locked in discipline.
At dawn, Veera arrived at Karikalan's house, surprising
Richard.
Richard (mocking):"What
a surprise! I've never seen a brat wake up early to visit his elders."
Veera (snapping):"Stop
treating me like a brat. I'm a man now."
Richard (smirking):"Is
that so? When did you grow taller to become a man? You're still a kid,
remember."
Veera (angry):"Don't
call me a kid!"
Richard sighed, waving off the banter.
Richard:"Alright, let's
put this behind us. Tell me, what brings you here?"
Veera held up a newspaper.
Veera:"Look at this. But
first, where's Karikalan bro?"
Richard:"He's always
stoic in training. He left for roadwork at 4:00 a.m."
Veera's eyes widened.
Veera:"What? Roadwork at
4:00 a.m.? Why is he even living like this? How can anyone go for roadwork at
that hour?"
Richard (serious now):"I
ask myself the same thing. He doesn't care about the outside world. He's not
attached to anything. What's his goal? We live life to enjoy — having
girlfriends, marrying, raising children, teaching them values, leaving a path
for the next generation. That's the reality of life. But him? He's different.
He acts like an autopilot. Wake up, train, go to work, return at 5, train
again, sleep. Repeat. He never gets bored of it."
Richard's voice softened, almost troubled.
Richard:"Look at Elara —
he proposed to his girlfriend, she accepted. That's the purpose of life every
human wants. But Karikalan… he doesn't care about himself. As his roommate, as
his friend, I feel responsible. He needs change. He needs to see life beyond
training."
The door creaked open.
Karikalan:"I am home."
Veera rushed forward.
Veera:"Hey big brother!
Where did you go? Don't tell me you went for training."Karikalan
(calmly):"Yeah, you're right. I went to train my body for the upcoming
match. Do you want to try some of my workouts?"
Veera (hesitant):"No
thanks…"
Richard interrupted, holding up the newspaper.
Richard:"Did you see
this news? Elara proposed to his girlfriend at the party. They're going to get
married soon. Lucky for them — born rich."
Karikalan took the paper, scanning the headline. For a
moment, his stoic face remained unreadable. Then, suddenly, a sound erupted
from him — a sound no one had heard in five years.
Karikalan (laughing like an antagonist):"Haha… haaha… hahahaha…!"
The room froze. Veera and Richard stared in shock.
Veera (whispering):"Why
is he laughing like this? What happened to him?"
Richard (awe-struck):"I've
never seen him like this before. I thought he was a stoic person… but for the
first time, I'm in awe."
Karikalan's laughter echoed like thunder, not of joy, but
of something darker — a rival's amusement, a warrior's challenge, a storm
building before the tournament.
Karikalan's laughter faded, leaving an unsettling silence
in the room. His eyes narrowed as he tossed the newspaper onto the table.
Karikalan (coldly):"This
is the best joke of the year I've heard after so many years. They're going to
get married? Ah… who cares about that? Why does the media cover this kind of
nonsense? There are countless things happening in the world, yet they waste
time gossiping about love, glorifying it in the wrong way."
Richard leaned forward, confused.
Richard:"What are you
saying? Do you hate their love?"
Karikalan's voice sharpened, but carried a strange calm.
Karikalan:"It
doesn't mean I hate love itself. I hate how the concept of love is propagated
today. I already knew they loved each other, and I knew one day they would
marry. But here's the truth you must understand: they are rich. Elara is strong
and wealthy, and Rani is also wealthy. It's natural for people like them to
marry. Why exaggerate it? If they want to marry, they will. I don't care."
He paused, his tone darkening.
Karikalan:"But not
all love brings positivity. Sometimes it brings chaos and destruction.
Sometimes it brings pain you cannot imagine. And sometimes… it breeds selfish
intent, leading to an apocalypse greater than you expect."
The room fell silent again. Veera and Richard exchanged
uneasy glances, realizing that Karikalan's stoicism wasn't just discipline — it
was a worldview forged in rejection of society's illusions. His words carried
the weight of a man who saw love not as salvation, but as a dangerous force.
Karikalan's voice grew sharper, his eyes burning with
conviction as Richard and Veera listened in stunned silence.
Karikalan (cold, deliberate):"Then it follows after generations. Today's kids think of
themselves as rich, they believe that if they love somebody, that person will
automatically love them back. They are living in an imaginary world of
love."
He paced slowly, his tone heavy with disdain. "And
these social medias… they exploit this concept of love to weaken both men and
women. They glorify it, twist it, and turn it into a trap. Love brings not only
joy, but lust, anger, ego, trauma, arrogance, greed — all of it festers inside
human beings."
Richard and Veera exchanged uneasy glances, but Karikalan
pressed on. "Years later, when rejection comes, they lose confidence.
They collapse under the weight of emotions they cannot control. And worse…
there are people who deliberately use this to drag men down, to make them
useless beings. That is the reality I see."
The room fell silent again. His words were not just
cynicism — they were a manifesto, a worldview forged in discipline and
rejection of illusions. For the first time, Richard and Veera realized that
Karikalan's stoicism was not emptiness, but a philosophy that saw love as both
dangerous and destructive.
Karikalan's words hung heavy in the air, his cynicism
cutting like a blade. But Richard, unable to stay silent, stepped forward. His
voice trembled at first, then grew firm with conviction.
Richard (passionate):"You're
wrong, Karikalan. You're the one living in the imaginary world. Without love,
we cannot live in this world. Yes, love brings pain and suffering — but at the
same time, it is the only thing that unites people during tough
situations."
Karikalan's eyes narrowed, but Richard pressed on. "Love
is what relieves trauma. It's what brings people closer to their hearts.
Without love, even a single organism cannot survive. From your words, I can
tell you've suffered — from being nobody, from being rejected by someone. But
this… this hatred is not the solution."
Richard's voice rose, echoing through the room. "The
more you hate, the more you will be hated. Love is not weakness, Karikalan. It
is strength — the strength that binds humanity together."
Veera watched in awe, realizing that for the first time,
Richard was standing toe‑to‑toe against Karikalan's philosophy. The stoic
warrior's worldview had met its challenger, and the clash of ideals had begun.
Richard's words echoed with passion, defending love as the
essence of humanity. But Karikalan's eyes darkened, his voice cutting through
the silence like steel.
Karikalan (challenging):"Then
tell me, Richard… which one would you choose? Strength or love, when it comes
to protecting something?"
Richard stood firm.
Richard (resolute):"If
that's the case, I would choose love over fight. Because fight is temporary —
it only results in chaos and destruction. But love… once you feel love toward
another, it can erase anger that lasted a hundred years. Please, don't hate
love for your meaningless thoughts."
Karikalan's glare sharpened, his tone rising with fury.
Karikalan
(snapping):"Meaningless? What do you mean by meaningless? Spending
most of your life dominated by someone, humiliated, beaten, kicked down again
and again… and yet you try to forget it all by acknowledging this so‑called
love? The process repeats. Again you're kicked. Again you're humiliated in
front of others. Your bones broken by a group of boys. You had no money to
heal, no way to recover from illness."
His hand clenched the newspaper, eyes burning with rage.
Karikalan (cold,
bitter):"These two… they are responsible for the fall of my good
side. I will never forget them. They changed my life — from being good, to
being stoic."
The room fell into silence. For the first time, Richard and
Veera glimpsed the wound behind Karikalan's discipline — a past of humiliation,
rejection, and betrayal. His stoicism was not born of strength alone, but of
scars that refused to heal.