Two hours passed.
⏳
No sound came from Mochi's room.
No shouting.
No crying.
No arguing.
Just… silence.
The family sat in the living room like statues.
Maya kept glancing at the stairs.
Cousin sat with her knees pulled to her chest.
Candy hugged a cushion tightly.
Father pretended to read but hadn't turned a page in twenty minutes.
Mama stood in the kitchen doorway, wiping the same clean plate again and again.
Maya whispered, barely breathing:
Maya (whisper):
"…Two hours."
Cousin swallowed.
Cousin:
"They're still talking."
Candy's voice trembled:
Candy:
"Why so long…?"
Suddenly—
SMACK!
A loud slap echoed down the staircase. 👋
The entire house jolted.
Mama gasped.
Father's book fell closed.
Candy jumped.
Candy:
"AH—!"
Maya stood up instinctively.
Maya:
"That was… real."
Cousin whispered:
Cousin:
"She hit him."
Silence again.
Three minutes passed.
Then—
SMACK!
Another slap. 👋
Harder.
Candy's eyes filled with fear.
Candy:
"I feel scare…"
Maya clenched her fists.
Maya:
"Should we intervene?"
Father shook his head slowly.
Father:
"No."
Mama's voice cracked:
Mama:
"If Mochi is still hitting…
then she is still hurting."
Another minute.
Then—
SMACK!
Candy covered her ears. 😢
Candy:
"Stop… please stop…"
Time crawled.
⏳
⏳
⏳
Three hours passed.
Eleven slaps.
👋👋👋👋👋
👋👋👋👋👋👋
Each one spaced out.
Not rage.
Punishment.
Discipline.
Maya counted under her breath, then stopped.
Maya:
"…I can't listen anymore."
Cousin wiped her eyes.
Cousin:
"He deserved it… but this hurts to hear."
Father sat straighter, jaw tight.
Father:
"He's being judged."
Mama pressed her palms together like a prayer.
Mama:
"Please… let this end safely."
Then—
Footsteps.
👣
Slow.
Heavy.
Coming down the stairs.
Everyone turned.
Laddu appeared.
For the first time ever—
No smile.
No laziness.
No jokes.
No childish grin.
His face was red on both sides.
Not swollen.
Not dramatic.
Just… marked.
The mark of consequences.
He walked slowly, shoulders straight but heavy, eyes lowered.
He looked like a man who had finally felt the full weight of his actions.
Mama rushed forward instinctively.
Mama:
"Son… what happened?"
Laddu adjusted his shirt collar.
His voice was calm.
Flat.
Adult.
Laddu:
"No need to worry, Mama.
She's fine."
Father lowered his book and studied him closely.
Laddu continued quietly:
Laddu:
"And… I'm sorry.
For all the trouble I've caused until now."
Everyone noticed it.
His fingers.
Empty.
No rings.
Mama's eyes widened slightly.
Mama:
"Did you… return what you gave her?"
Laddu nodded once.
Laddu:
"Yes.
Both rings.
Everything."
Father exhaled slowly.
Father:
"You look… different today."
Laddu didn't answer.
He picked up his bag.
Put on his shoes.
Mama stepped closer.
Mama:
"Son… where are you going?"
Laddu paused at the door.
Laddu:
"To work."
He stood straight.
Focused.
Composed.
Grounded.
Laddu:
"I was careless with my past…
and careless with her feelings."
He opened the door.
Laddu:
"So today…
I will fix what I can control."
Before leaving, he turned.
He bent slightly.
Touched Mama's feet. 🙏
Touched Father's feet. 🙏
A silent request for blessings.
Candy suddenly grabbed his collar tightly. 😭
Candy:
"Brother— what happen to you?"
Laddu looked down at her gently.
Laddu:
"I answered her questions…
about my past."
Candy's voice broke:
Candy:
"…You okay?"
Laddu shook his head slowly.
Laddu:
"I'm not a good person.
I deserved what happened."
The house went silent.
Then he left.
🚪
No drama.
No running.
No backward glance.
Just quiet determination.
At the Office — A Changed Man
The office was cold and empty.
Laddu walked straight to his cabin.
No greetings.
No small talk.
He opened a drawer.
Inside, carefully, he placed:
• Mochi's ring 💍
• His matching ring 💍
He closed the drawer softly.
Like sealing away a part of himself.
Then he sat down.
Laptop open.
Back straight.
Hands steady.
Typing began.
⌨️
An intern peeked in nervously.
Intern:
"Sir… are you okay?
You're early…"
Laddu didn't look up.
Laddu:
"I'm fine.
Bring me the project files."
The intern fled.
Laddu worked.
• Checked every detail
• Rewrote entire reports
• Ignored his phone
• Didn't smile
• Didn't joke
The playful boy was gone.
Only discipline remained.
He whispered once—only once:
Laddu:
"I can't undo my past.
But I can change who I am now."
He continued working.
Focused.
Present.
Responsible.
A man finally standing still instead of running.
Evening — The Final Cut
That evening, Laddu returned home to collect his things.
The house was silent.
Mochi came down the stairs.
Her face calm.
Eyes steady.
Pain locked behind control.
In her hand—
• the necklace
She walked up to him.
And without drama—
She threw them at his chest.
hit him and fell to the floor.
The family froze.
Mama gasped.
Father stood.
Maya covered her mouth.
Cousin's breath caught.
Candy froze in fear.
Mochi had never done something like this.
Never.
Laddu bent down.
Picked it up.
Gently.
Carefully.
Respectfully.
Laddu (quiet):
"Thank you."
Mochi nodded once.
Mochi:
"Never come to this house again."
He looked at her.
Not playfully.
Not pleading.
But like a man who finally understood.
Laddu:
"I understand."
Mama covered her mouth.
Father's eyes glistened.
Candy whispered:
Candy:
"Big sister…
looks grown-up today…"
Cousin whispered back:
Cousin:
"And big brother looks ten years older…"
Laddu slipped the rings—and the necklace from their first date—into his pocket.
He bowed his head slightly.
Laddu:
"I'm sorry…
for everything."
Mochi didn't look away.
Mochi:
"You deserve to die."
She stepped back.
Laddu turned to leave.
Mama asked softly:
Mama:
"Son… what happened last night?"
Laddu paused.
Didn't turn.
Laddu:
"I told her the truth…
about what kind of man I am."
He opened the door.
Mama:
"And you?"
A long silence.
Laddu:
"…I will be."
He left.
🚪
The door closed.
And behind it—
Two people had changed forever.