The house felt strangely empty.
Big Brother had left early morning for the army 🪖Father and Mother had gone to the hospital for a check-up 🏥Only the soft hum of afternoon sunlight filled the living room 🌤️
Laddu sat on the sofa, legs folded, a comic book spread open on his lap.He flipped pages slowly.
Too slowly.
His eyes weren't moving.His mind wasn't reading.
He was… waiting.
🌸 Mochi Approaches
Mochi stood near the hallway for a full minute, shifting her weight, collecting courage like someone about to diffuse a bomb 💣
From behind the corner:
Candy (whispering loudly):"She's scared."
Cousin:"She should be."
Maya:"But this is romantic."
Mochi snapped:
Mochi:"I can hear all of you!"
Three heads disappeared instantly like startled meerkats 🐾
She walked toward the sofa.
Laddu didn't look up.
He turned a page he wasn't reading.
Mochi sat beside him.Quietly.Slowly.Like approaching a sleeping lion 🦁
The silence felt heavy.Her heartbeat felt louder than the room.
💔 The Apology
Mochi whispered:
Mochi:"Laddu…"
He hummed, still not looking at her.
Mochi:"I… I'm sorry."
His page stopped turning.
Her words rushed out, trembling:
Mochi:"I shouldn't have acted like that.I shouldn't have avoided you.I got scared… and I hurt you.Please… please don't ignore me again.I won't do it. I promise."
Laddu slowly closed the comic.
Turned to her.
Too calm.Suspiciously calm.
Laddu:"…Sure."
Mochi blinked.
Mochi:"Sure?! That's it?!"
From the hallway:
Maya (whispering):"He's doing dramatic silence."
Cousin:"One more second and she'll cry."
Candy:"Shhh! Let love happen!"
🤍 The Moment Breaks
Mochi looked down.
Mochi:"I don't want distance… not from you."
Her voice shrank with every word.
Laddu's fingers twitched.
Then—
THUMP.
He tossed the comic aside and pulled her into a hug, tight and sudden, like someone who had been holding back for days.
Mochi gasped.
His warmth hit her all at once.
Laddu (muffled):"Don't do that again. I can't handle it."
Her hands slowly wrapped around him.
Mochi (soft):"…I won't."
👀 The Spies Reveal Themselves
Behind the wall—
Candy:"They're hugging!"
Maya:"I KNEW IT!"
Cousin:"Better than drama series!"
Candy:"If they kiss I'm telling Mom!"
Hands clamped over Candy's mouth.
Laddu whispered without letting go:
Laddu:"We're being watched."
Mochi:"I don't care."
His heart jumped dangerously 💓
💞 The Hug That Melted Everything
Laddu:"I wasn't ignoring you because I was angry… I was scared."
Mochi:"Of what?"
Laddu:"That you didn't want me close."
She shook her head against his shoulder.
Mochi:"No. I do."
He squeezed her arm.
Laddu (soft laugh):"Then no more running."
Mochi:"No more running."
From behind the sofa:
Candy:"GOOD! NOW MARRY!"
🧩 Fitting Perfectly
The spies vanished.
Laddu pulled back slightly, still holding her.
Laddu:"My body's too small… I can't fully get you in my arms."
Mochi smiled shyly and wrapped her arms around him.
Mochi:"Then I'll hold you."
He leaned into her, forehead resting against her collarbone.
Balanced.Perfect.
💬 The Compliment Spiral
Laddu:"Mochi… you're cute."
Her heart tripped.
Laddu:"No. Really. You're cute."
She hid half her face.
Laddu:"Mochi… you're hot."
🔥💀🔥
Laddu:"You're tall. Soft. Strong. I like it."
Her ears caught fire.
Laddu:"Mochi… you're beautiful."
Her heartbeat turned into drums 🥁
Laddu:"Can I keep going?"
Mochi:"…How many?"
Laddu:"At least fifty."
Mochi:"FIFTY?!"
Laddu:"Collected since the first day I saw you."
She forgot how to breathe.
Mochi:"That's too much…"
Laddu:"No. It's not enough."
🚨 Interruption
Candy:"ARE YOU DONE HUGGING OR SHOULD I BRING BLANKETS?!"
Mochi jumped ⚡Laddu glared.
Laddu:"Candy. Privacy."
Candy saluted.
Candy:"Yes, Commander Couple!"
Laddu leaned close, voice soft.
Laddu:"I like you. A lot."
Mochi whispered back:
Mochi:"…I like you too."
Foreheads touched.
For one quiet moment—
No family.No teasing.No warnings.
Just two people learning how to hold each other 🤍✨