The semi-finals were over. The crowd had dispersed, the
lights of the arena dimmed, but the echoes of Karikalan's jabs still haunted
Elara. At 8:00 pm, he returned home, silent and heavy with anger. He skipped
dinner, retreating to his room.
Two hours later, his father arrived. The servant informed
him: "He came at 8:00 pm and went straight to his bedroom, sir. He didn't
eat anything." Elara's father smirked knowingly: "Just as I expected.
I'll take care of it. You may leave."
Father and Son Confrontation
Elara's father climbed the stairs, knocking gently on the
door.
Elara (from inside):"Who
is it?"
Father:"Who else would
come to your room at this hour?"
Elara:"I knew it would
be you, Dad. Come in."
The father entered, his presence calm but piercing.
Father:"I heard you came
home at 8:00 pm and didn't eat dinner. What happened to you?"Elara
(coldly):"It's none of your business."
Father (smiling faintly):"It's
fine. I won't interfere. But when it matters most, you must listen — even if
the person's character annoys you."
Elara remained silent, his pride wounded but his ears open.
His father continued:
Father:"I've heard news
about you and Rajan. You argued last night, and he punched you. That widened
the gap between you two. I want to ask one question… did you see Rajan after
the fight, Elara?"
Elara sat on the edge of his bed, his pride wounded, his
mind restless. His father's words cut deeper than any opponent's strike.
Elara (frustrated):"No!
I didn't see Rajan after that incident. Why should I? For the first time, I
felt embarrassed when everyone laughed at me that night. I taught him to fight,
and now he thinks he's superior."
His father's gaze was steady.
Father:"Then
why did you go to that place last night?"
Elara (hesitant, then firm):
"Because I wanted to warn about Karikalan's punch. Everyone thinks it
was just AI, but for me… it was real. A punch I've never seen before. The anger
behind it — the blow itself broke the hospital wall."
Elara's voice trembled with both awe and resentment. "Why
should I answer these questions for you? If you have something to say, tell me
directly. Stop beating around the bush."
His father leaned closer, his tone calm but heavy with
truth.
Father:"You're right.
The punch was real. I was amazed too. But I want to tell you something — it was
more intense than you realize."
Elara's eyes narrowed.
Elara:"What
is it?"
Father:"The jab
Karikalan used against Rajan wasn't just a jab. It was a move called the
Striking Flash Punch."
Elara's eyes widened, stunned.
Elara:"What?
Striking Flash Punch? I've never heard of such a move."
Father:"Neither had I.
But Karikalan mastered it during five years of street fighting. Once, he was
knocked down by a group of robbers. He studied, trained, and perfected this
technique. And now, he executed it against Rajan."
Elara's voice shook with urgency.
Elara:"I
don't care about the move. Tell me — what happened to Rajan after that punch?"
His father's tone grew grave.
Father:"The Striking
Flash Punch tore Rajan's muscle fibers. It broke his rib. He cannot move his
hand, his body… and he cannot recover after the fight. His career may be over."
Elara froze, his arrogance colliding with guilt. The weight
of his father's words pressed down on him like a mountain. The champion who
once mocked Karikalan now faced the reality of a technique born from pain,
resilience, and survival.
Elara, shaken by his father's revelation, rushes from his
bed, rides his bike through the night, and arrives at the hospital. The sight
of Rajan nearly breaks him — his friend's body wrapped in white bandages, only
his face visible.
Elara (voice trembling):"Raj…
what happened to you? I thought it was just a minor fracture from a jab. I
never expected to see you like this."
Rajan (weak, low voice):"Elara…
you're right. I underestimated him. I thought Karikalan was a scumbag who could
be easily washed away. But then I realized your words in the match. He is not
ordinary. His resilience is amazing. I apologize for ignoring you. If I had
trained properly, maybe I could have won. But in the end… I bit the dust."
Rajan tries to rise from the bed, but Elara gently stops
him.
Elara (softly):"What are
you doing? Just rest. Finally, you realized my words — that's enough for me. I
will knock him out. Don't worry."
Elara turns and leaves the room, his vow renewed, his pride
burning hotter than ever.
Rajan (low, strained):"Elara…
are you thinking you can knock him down easily?"
Elara freezes at the doorway, his hand on the knob.
Elara
(defiant):"Yes, I will. Why do you doubt me?"
Rajan (calm but serious):"If
you truly have the mindset of winning, then I won't say anything. You will win.
But don't underestimate him. Even if you let him off the hook for a moment, it
will be a serious threat. The fight is not about winning or losing — it's more
than that. Karikalan won't take this match lightly. He will go against you with
everything he has. Be careful."
Elara's eyes narrow, his pride refusing to bend.
Elara
(coldly):"If that's the case, then watch my fight against him. I will
grind him down."
He leaves the room, his vow echoing in the silence, while
Rajan lies back, his warning lingering like a shadow.
Celebration and Shadows
The night after Karikalan's victory over Rajan, the
atmosphere was light. He sat with his peers Richard and Veera at a small
restaurant, the table filled with steaming plates of food.
Karikalan (smiling faintly):
"Today, I won against Rajan. I never expected it… for the first time, I
feel something strange being here."
Richard rolled his eyes, raising his glass. Richard:
"Why are you so annoying? We're here to treat you for winning, boy."
He glanced at Veera, who was scrolling his phone under the
table. Richard tapped him sharply on the head. Richard:"What are you
doing, brat? We're here to eat, not scroll your phone!"
Veera (grumbling):"Why
did you tap me like that, old geezer? It hurts."
Richard froze, his face twitching with rage.
Richard:"What
did you just say? Old geezer?!"
In an instant, Richard's hand clutched Veera's neck,
squeezing tightly.
Richard (furious):"How
dare you call me that? Do you forget who I am?"
Veera (struggling):"No…
don't do it again! I forgive you now, just leave me alone!"
Richard (mocking):"You
forgive me? I won't let you off for that word!"
The two erupted into a chaotic argument, Richard squeezing
harder, Veera flailing and calling out.
Veera (desperate):"Big
brother! Help me! I can't escape this old geezer's clutch!"
Richard (snapping):"Stop
calling me that!"
But Karikalan didn't move. He leaned back in his chair,
watching their antics with a faint smirk. To him, their fight was nothing but
comedy. His mind was elsewhere.
As Richard and Veera wrestled, Karikalan's eyes drifted
across the room. His gaze locked on a girl sitting quietly at another table.
The laughter and chaos around him faded into silence. For the first time since
his victory, Karikalan felt something stir — a presence that pulled his
attention away from triumph, away from rivalry, toward something unknown.