The house remained frozen after Mochi threw the necklace.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
That single action had shaken everyone—
because Mochi never did things like that.
Never.
The necklace still lay on the floor, cold and silent, as if it carried the weight of everything that had gone wrong.
Outside, Laddu walked away from the house with his backpack hanging off one shoulder.
He didn't look back.
His jaw was tight.
His voice was low, almost bitter, as he muttered to himself:
Laddu:
"Those girls were right…
One day, you feel our pain."
He exhaled sharply and kept walking.
Inside the House
Mochi walked to the dining table and sat down slowly.
Not collapsing.
Not shaking.
Just… sitting.
Her posture was straight.
Her face calm.
Her eyes empty.
Mother walked toward her quietly and placed a hand over Mochi's hand.
Gentle.
Protective.
"Mochi…
Do you remember what you once told me?"
Mochi didn't look up.
"You said there is one type of man
a woman should never come close to."
Mochi answered without hesitation.
Mochi:
"Laddu is that kind of man."
The words fell heavy.
Father reacted immediately.
Father:
"LADDOO is not that kind of man."
His voice wasn't angry.
It was firm.
Certain.
Mochi finally lifted her eyes.
They didn't tremble.
Mochi:
"He is."
The room tightened.
Mochi:
"He told me the truth himself.
About his past."
Maya and Cousin exchanged a glance.
Confused.
Uncertain.
They hadn't known.
Mochi:
"He dated many girls back then.
He didn't understand love.
He didn't care about how other girls felt."
Silence spread.
Mother lowered her eyes.
Father stopped arguing.
Maya swallowed hard.
Cousin shifted uncomfortably.
No one spoke.
Then—
Candy suddenly jumped up.
Her small hands clenched.
Candy:
"No!
Brother LADDOO is not that kind of person!"
Mochi turned toward her slowly.
Her gaze was sharp.
Mochi:
"How do you know?"
Candy didn't hesitate.
Candy:
"When brother Laddu was with you…
did he ever do something like that?"
Mochi stayed silent.
Candy stepped closer.
Candy:
"He never behaved like that.
Never flirted.
Never crossed lines."
Her voice grew stronger.
Candy:
"Me and brother planned for hours
just to make you laugh.
We wrote jokes.
We planned surprises."
Mochi's jaw tightened.
Mochi:
"You don't know anything."
Candy froze.
Mochi looked away.
The conversation ended there.
No shouting.
No argument.
Just silence again.
Outside — Laddu
Laddu walked down the street alone.
He rolled his neck slowly, once to the left, once to the right.
A habit from another time.
Another version of himself.
He stopped at a small shop.
Bought a cigar.
Lit it.
🔥
The smoke filled his lungs.
He laughed quietly—
not happily,
not bitterly—
just empty.
Laddu:
"I deserve it."
He exhaled smoke and kept walking.
At the Company
Laddu entered the office with the cigar still burning.
Bob saw him immediately.
Bob frowned.
Bob:
"You never smoke."
Laddu stopped beside him.
His voice was calm.
Detached.
Laddu:
"Something changed.
I used to smoke."
He glanced at the cigar.
Laddu:
"This is my old self."
Bob studied him carefully.
Said nothing.
Laddu crushed the cigar and walked inside.
The Shift
From that moment—
Laddu worked.
Relentlessly.
📂
📊
⌨️
No jokes.
No teasing.
No wandering.
He reviewed files faster than usual.
Caught mistakes others missed.
Completed work that usually took days—in hours.
The entire floor noticed.
The chairman noticed.
He stood outside Laddu's cabin longer than necessary.
Surprised.
Concerned.
This wasn't the Laddu he knew.
The playful one was gone.
Replaced by a man who worked like he was trying to erase something.
Or prove something.
End of the Day
As evening approached, Laddu leaned back in his chair for a moment.
Only a moment.
His face showed no satisfaction.
Only acceptance.
He whispered quietly to himself:
Laddu:
"If I'm the kind of man she fears…
then I'll become the kind of man
she never has to fear again."
He straightened.
Returned to work.
And for the first time—
He didn't smile at all.