The restaurant buzzed with laughter and clattering plates, but Karikalan's mind was elsewhere. His eyes locked on the girl sitting quietly across the room. For the first time, his stoic face softened, mesmerized by something he couldn't explain.
Richard and Veera noticed immediately.
Veera (whispering): "Look at his face… I've never seen him like this before."
Richard (skeptical): "His face looks the same to me. How can you say he's mesmerized?"
Veera (smirking): "Because I've stayed in his room for a long time. I've never seen him react like this. He doesn't talk to girls, doesn't hang out with them, not even a single girl's name in his group chat."
Richard raised his brows.
Richard: "What? No girl besties? That's pathetic. Hey, I've got an idea — let's taunt him, make him talk to her."
Veera (grinning): "Yeah, it's been a long time since he relaxed for himself."
Richard leaned forward, teasing.
Richard: "Heh! What's happening to you? Why are you staring at that girl for so long?"
Karikalan hesitated, his voice low, almost trembling.
Karikalan: "It's nothing… but when I see her, I feel something strange. A feeling I've never had before. I think I am…"
Richard and Veera leaned in, their eyes wide, waiting for the word.
Karikalan (hesitant): "I… I… I forgot the word."
The silence shattered as Richard exploded.
Richard (shouting): "You idiot! The word is love! You can't even pronounce love? What kind of world are you living in?"
Karikalan frowned, his voice sharp but calm.
Karikalan: "Why are you shouting like an animal? It's not that I don't know the word. It's because I've never experienced it."
Richard and Veera froze, stunned. For the first time, they realized the dark horse who fought with vow and resilience was vulnerable to something beyond the ring — a feeling he had never known, a word he had never spoken.
Richard leaned forward, his voice sharp with challenge.
Richard: "You want to know the feeling, huh? Then fine — go and say something to her."
Karikalan blinked, startled.
Karikalan: "What? What am I supposed to do now? How can I speak to someone who isn't familiar to me? How do I even convey it?"
Richard smirked, taunting.
Richard: "No excuses. You have to do it now. Or else… we'll consider you a coward."
The word struck Karikalan like a blade. His pride flared.
Karikalan (gritting his teeth): "What? Did you just say coward? If I don't speak to her, you'll call me that? Fine. Watch me. Watch how I'll convey it."
Karikalan rose from his chair, his movements slow but deliberate. Each step toward the girl felt heavier than any punch he had ever thrown. Richard and Veera leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with mischief.
Veera (whispering): "He's actually doing it…"
Richard (grinning): "This is going to be good."
The word "coward" struck Karikalan's pride. He rose, his steps slow but deliberate, moving toward the girl. Richard and Veera leaned forward, grinning, waiting for the spectacle.
Karikalan (softly): "Excuse me…"
The girl turned, her eyes meeting his. Girl: "Yes?"
For the first time, Karikalan froze. His body trembled, his heart raced. Richard and Veera watched in disbelief.
Veera (whispering): "He's fraughting… I've never seen him like this." Richard (shocked): "The dark horse… frozen?"
The girl repeated, her voice calm.
Girl: "Yes. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Karikalan's lips trembled.
Karikalan: "…It's nothing. Sorry to interrupt you."
He turned and left the restaurant, his pride shattered by a single moment. Richard and Veera, stunned, quickly paid the bill and followed him outside.
The Aftermath
Outside, Karikalan leaned against the bike, clutching his chest. His heart pounded louder than any crowd he had ever faced.
Karikalan (comedic scream): "What is this feeling?! I've never felt it before! I tried to speak… but I couldn't! Where did I go wrong?! Ahhh, it's a shame!"
Richard and Veera burst into laughter, teasing him mercilessly.
Richard: "You idiot! You can fight champions, but you can't even say love!"
Veera: "Big brother, you lost to a girl's 'yes.'"
Karikalan glared, his pride wounded but his voice trembling.
Karikalan: "It's not that I don't know the word… it's that I've never experienced it."
Richard (serious now): "Are you saying you've never experienced love in your life? Or are you evading the feeling of love?"
Karikalan's eyes widened, stunned by the question.
Karikalan: "What are you saying? I told you — I've never experienced love. How could I evade something I've never felt? No one in this world can live without being loved by someone. And no one can truly refuse love."
Richard narrowed his eyes, unconvinced.
Richard: "You're lying. When you tried to speak to that girl, I saw your face. You were confident. You knew you could talk to her. But you refused. Something is preventing you from experiencing it. Tell me — what's the matter?"
Veera stepped forward, his voice calm but piercing.
Veera: "I think the thing that caused him to refuse love… is what happened five years ago."
Karikalan froze, his breath caught in his throat.
Karikalan (shaken): "How do you know about that?"
Veera: "It was known by the whole college at the time."
Richard's curiosity burned brighter.
Richard: "What is it? Tell me. I'm getting more intense about knowing your past."
Karikalan hesitated, his fists tightening, his eyes shadowed by memories he had buried deep. The silence stretched, heavy with tension. For the first time, the undefeated fighter looked vulnerable, caught between pride and pain.
Karikalan: "Yeah… it happened five years ago and…"
Richard and Veera leaned forward, waiting for the revelation.
Karikalan (pulling back): "…I'll tell you after the match."
Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Richard and Veera stunned in the night.
Richard (frustrated): "I think he won't say his story till the end of his life."
Veera (calmly): "No… he will tell. But it will take time. Some scars don't heal quickly."