They Say Every Story Starts With “Once Upon a Time” | by Priya Vipparla | Nov, 2025

But mine? It starts with a mess.

It was during the pre pandemic – the day I graduated from college. Everyone else was busy getting ready, trying to make it feel special. They were posting pictures in their gowns, smiling like everything was fine.

But I wasn’t smiling.

I was sitting by the window in my room, staring at the quiet street outside. The world felt so still, like it was holding its breath. No noise, no laughter, just the sound of the wind brushing against the glass.

I should’ve been excited. This was supposed to be my big day – the one I’d been waiting for. Four years of late-night studying, projects, and daydreams about the future… and now it was finally here. But instead of feeling proud, I just felt… empty.

My degree sat on the desk beside me, still fresh and crisp, but it didn’t feel real.

I thought I’d feel different. I thought I’d feel like someone who had finally made it.

Instead, I felt lost.

Maybe that’s how real stories begin – not with happiness, but with confusion. Not with a clear path, but with the feeling that you’ve somehow taken a wrong turn.

I didn’t know it back then, but that quiet moment – me, sitting by the window, watching the world fall apart – was the start of everything.

As I watched the sunlight fade, my mind wandered back to where it all began – 2016.

The day I joined college.

I remember how excited I was back then, almost too excited to sit still in the car. My parents were with me, but they looked more nervous than I did. They kept talking softly, giving me all sorts of advice —

“You have to take care of yourself.”

“Make your own decisions, but if anything goes wrong, we’re always here.”

I nodded, pretending to listen, but my mind was somewhere else.

Across the hostel gate, I saw a girl – maybe my age – standing beside her parents, tears running down her cheeks. She looked completely heartbroken to leave home.

Something about that moment made me stop.

Before I could think twice, I walked over to her and said softly,

“Hey… don’t cry. Let’s be friends, okay?”

She looked at me through her tears and smiled just a little. That was it – the beginning of my first college friendship.

Later that day, we both went to our dorms – and somehow, by pure coincidence, ended up on the same floor. We were from different departments, but something about that moment felt special. Everything around me was new – the smell of fresh paint, the sound of girls laughing down the hallway, the nervous excitement in the air.

And then, suddenly, I felt it – my heart racing fast.

All these mixed emotions – shy, awkward, nervous, anxious – hit me at once.

That evening, the seniors came for introductions. They entered my room, all confident smiles and teasing energy. One of them asked my name, and I said quietly, “Priya.”

I didn’t know what to say next. I was too shy, sitting there silently while they chatted easily with my roommates. Then I noticed one senior – calm, kind eyes, gentle smile. She didn’t seem intimidating like the others, so I gathered a little courage to talk to her.

She asked me about my background, my hobbies, and my course. I answered everything politely. For a moment, I thought I’d made a good impression – until she suddenly said,

“You look a bit haughty. Maybe because you have fair skin.”

I froze.

Her words stung – sharp and unexpected.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just smiled weakly. Inside, I was hurt. That was my first small lesson in college – people will always see you through their own lens, no matter who you really are.

Sitting by my window years later, I remembered that day – the excitement, the fear, the people I met, the things I learned.

Everything started there – my friendships, my growth, my small moments of courage.

And maybe, that’s why even though my graduation day looked like a mess, I knew deep down – it was never really an ending.

It was just life slowing down… before it began again.