UPMA

“When they grow up, let’s have a fantastic marriage ceremony for them together,” said Amala, with a beaming smile, mother of Dripthi, who is 6 years old, to Vaishnavi, mother of Karthik, the same age as Dripthi. “I was thinking to ask you about the same,” Vaishnavi filled with joy, chuckled. Their husbands agreed heartily as everyone savored snacks, lounging on the garden furniture at Karthik’s home. Both families were enjoying a delightful time while Karthik and Dripthi frolicked in the garden. After the course of 15 long years… Karthik and Dripthi were best friends in their early years (childhood) and they continue to maintain their friendship, not only as classmates but also as best buddies in college. Their parents still considered their marriage as a significant event in their lives as soon as they complete their education, they were amazing neighbours and it was an added bonus that they belonged to the same caste which made the bond between the families even stronger. The college atmosphere was bustling with liveliness and buzzing with joy. Suddenly, a guy appeared , holding a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, professing his love for Dripthi. He hides the bouquet and chocolates and requests Dripthi to step aside from the crowd with whom she was sitting in college garden (her friends and Karthik) and have a conversation with him Holding his breath, overwhelmed with anxiety he expresses his love for her “Dripthi, I have deep affection for you, I adore you, you are absolutely stunning! Your charm, cuteness, and vibrant energy are truly captivating. I was fortunate enough to listen to your captivating discourse (speech) on law and justice, and I must say, you are an incredibly captivating orator!” for which Dripthi says “umm…thanks” smiling. He continued “every time I see your smile, my heart skips a beat. Your presence brightens up my day and I can't help but be drawn to your infectious laughter. I've come to realize that you are not just someone I admire from afar, but someone I want to be with.” She doesn’t give any sort of expression to this and stands still letting him finish. He gets tensed *looks down* but tries to relax *sighs* and look into her eyes, meanwhile Karthik, who was chatting with his friends, fixes his gaze on them as Dripthi was taking so long to comeback, filled with curiosity, he moves closer to them. He eavesdrops on their conversation. “Dripthi, you are the love of my life, you hold a special place in my heart” as he gazes at her with adoration, a charming smile gracing his face, “will you be my forever and always? Let’s spend lifetime together!” a sense of eager anticipation, he patiently awaits for her response. Meanwhile, Karthik who heard their talk fueled with anger and fury becomes really mad and decides to punch the guy. Dripthi who was startled due to this tries to stop Karthik but the fight begins to grow when the guy punches him too, it gets worse when both of them starts bleeding making the situation even more intense. After the clash, they go to principal’s office. The principal asks what caused the fight, but then Dripthi steps in and doesn’t let the principal know the reason as the guy can get suspended and resolves the situation. After everyone emerged from the principal's office, Dripthi was standing by Karthik's side, tending to his wounds. The guy, seething with jealousy and annoyance stayed silent. As Dripthi saw him going, She called him "Arjun", he turned back, she apologized "I'm sorry Arjun, I have a massive ambition of becoming a police officer, I have no interest in any romantic relationships and I will only marry someone chosen by my parents". Arjun, feeling utterly disheartened, departs with a heavy heart but before leaving, he assures Dripthi that he will approach her parents to seek her hand once he has become a self-reliant and responsible independent individual. Two sunrises later, Everyone gathers at college as usual, only to be startled by the sudden arrival of the police for an inquiry. It turns out that Keerthi, the esteemed head monitor, has mysteriously vanished. While Dripthi and Karthik were casually making their way to college, chatting away with their group of friends, one of their classmates came sprinting towards them. Curious about the hurry, Dripthi asked why she was in such a rush. To everyone's surprise, she informed Dripthi that the head monitor, Keerthi, had been missing for the past two days, and the police had arrived to investigate, questioning everyone in the process.