Morning came properly this time. 🌤️
Father left early for the office, adjusting his watch and giving final instructions that no one listened to. ⌚
Candy rushed off to school, bag half-zipped, promising to study and immediately forgetting it. 🎒🏃♀️
The café woke up.
Chairs scraped. 🪑
Coffee machines hissed. ☕♨️
Mother took charge like a general. 🫡
And Laddu?
Laddu sat on the counter.
With the baby.
Like a decorative item. 👶🪑
🪑 The Counter Situation
Customers started coming in.
Mostly girls. 👀
They surrounded the counter naturally, like gravity had opinions. 🧲
One girl smiled shyly.
"So… what is your wife like?"
The café went quiet. 🧊
Maya froze mid-order.
Cousin slowly turned.
Mochi pretended very hard to focus on cups. ☕😐
Laddu looked down at the baby.
Then sighed.
"If I talk about her," he said softly,
"I will cry." 😔
The girl panicked.
"Oh— no no— don't worry," she said quickly.
"We are here." 🫂
All the girls nodded in support. 🤍🤍
Maya whispered,
"…This is emotional manipulation."
Mochi's jaw tightened. 😑
🌙 Nightfall & Chocolate Evidence
At night, the café finally closed.
Candy sat beside Laddu, both of them eating chocolates.
The same chocolates.
Given by those girls. 🍫🍫
Cousin stared at them in disbelief.
"You should be ashamed," she said.
Laddu and Candy kept eating.
In sync.
Crunch. 🍫
"…Why?" Candy asked with a full mouth.
"Because," Cousin said,
"you were bribed."
Laddu nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes," he said.
"Premium bribe." 💎🍫
🧠 Laddu's Logic Lecture
"You know," Laddu continued casually,
"when I used to go for tuition, my teacher would ask—"
He mimicked the voice.
"'Do you want to eat something?'"
Maya looked up.
"…And?"
"I never said no," Laddu replied proudly.
"I ate full dinner. Juice. Sometimes fruit. Every day." 🍛🧃🍎
Candy's eyes widened. 😳
"Free food?"
"Yes," Laddu nodded.
"Respectful behavior." 🙏
Maya stared.
"You exploited kindness."
Laddu frowned.
"No," he said. "Listen."
He leaned forward seriously.
"If you don't want to feed someone," he said,
"why even ask?" 🤷♂️
Silence.
Candy nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Maya buried her face in her hands. 🤦♀️
"This man lives by chaos rules."
Mochi finally spoke, dry as ever.
"Finish the chocolate," she said.
"Tomorrow you're not sitting on the counter."
Laddu smiled.
"Okay," he agreed.
"But only because I am full." 😌
Candy raised her chocolate.
"Best day." 🏆🍫
The café lights went off. 💡❌
And somewhere between chocolates and bad logic,
Laddu remained completely unapologetic.
🍫 Sympathy Economy
Night had fully settled.
The café was closed.
Lights dim. 🌙
Tables wiped.
Laddu and Candy sat side by side, still working on the last pieces of chocolate like it was serious business. 🧐🍫
Laddu nudged Candy with his elbow.
"Candy," he said loudly, pointing across the room,
"look at your sister."
Candy looked.
Mochi was near the counter, checking supplies. 📦
"She wants chocolate," Laddu announced confidently.
Mochi stopped.
"…I do not."
Laddu nodded solemnly.
"No one will give you any chocolate."
Mochi turned slowly.
"…Why?"
Laddu gestured at her from head to toe like a financial analyst. 📊
"Because you don't look poor."
💀💀💀
Dead silence.
Candy froze mid-bite.
Cousin's head snapped up.
Maya whispered, "Oh no."
Mochi crossed her arms.
"And you do?" she asked.
Laddu looked down at himself.
Messy hair. 😵💫
Old T-shirt. 👕
Sitting on the counter like a street philosopher.
"Yes," he said seriously.
"I look like I was born poor." 😌
Candy nodded.
"True."
Maya laughed. 😂
"He's marketing himself."
Mochi stared at him.
"So people give you chocolate because you look poor?"
"Yes," Laddu said.
"Sympathy economy." 📉➡️🍫
He held up the chocolate.
"See? Proof."
Mochi walked closer.
"Then why did Candy get chocolate?" she asked.
Laddu glanced at Candy, then shrugged.
"She has innocent face," he said.
"And short height."
Candy raised her chin proudly.
"Premium poor look." 👑
Mochi shook her head, trying not to smile. 😤🙂
"So," she said calmly,
"what should I do to get chocolate?"
Laddu thought hard. 🤔
"…Sit next to me."
She stared.
"And stop looking responsible."
Maya lost it. 😂
"That's impossible for her."
Mochi sighed, then did something unexpected.
She sat down next to Laddu.
"…Now?" she asked.
Laddu looked at her.
Then broke a piece of chocolate.
He held it up.
"See," he said gently,
"now you look like family." 🤍
She took the chocolate.
"Thank you," she said dryly.
Laddu smiled.
"Next lesson," he added,
"poverty is a mindset." 🧠
Mochi lightly hit his arm.
"Finish eating," she said,
"before I make you actually poor." 😤
Candy giggled. 🤭
The last chocolate disappeared.
And somehow—
Laddu still felt rich. 💛
🎚️ Tone Over Force
The counter was finally quiet.
Chocolates finished. 🍫❌
Candy licking fingers. 👅
Maya pretending not to watch. 🙈
Laddu shifted slightly, still sitting where he absolutely should not be sitting.
He looked at Mochi.
"Do you want me to not sit on the counter?" he asked carefully.
Mochi blinked.
"…Yes."
Simple answer.
Laddu nodded, as if expecting resistance.
"Okay," he said.
"Then tell me how."
Mochi frowned.
"…Get down?"
Laddu shook his head immediately.
"No," he said.
"Not like that."
She tilted her head.
"Then how?"
Laddu suddenly looked… different.
No jokes.
No grin.
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. 😳
"I can't say," he muttered.
Maya froze.
Candy leaned forward.
"…Why?" Mochi asked.
Laddu's ears turned red. 🌶️
"I feel," he said slowly,
"very… very shy."
Dead silence.
Mochi stared.
"You?" she asked. "Shy?"
"Yes," Laddu replied firmly.
"This is rare condition." 🧬
Candy whispered,
"He's glitching."
Mochi crossed her arms, but didn't look angry.
"Just say it," she said.
Laddu inhaled, then blurted it out in one breath.
"If you tell me nicely and put your hand here—"
he gestured vaguely at his arm,
"—I will listen immediately."
💥💥💥
Maya:
"HE WANTS A SOFT REQUEST."
Candy:
"BROTHER NEEDS EMOTIONAL PERMISSION."
Mochi stared at him.
"…You're unbelievable."
Laddu nodded.
"Yes. But honest."
She sighed, stepped closer, and lightly placed her hand on his arm. 🤍
"Laddu," she said calmly,
"get down from the counter."
He slid off instantly.
Like gravity suddenly remembered its job. ⬇️✨
Candy gasped. 😱
"IT WORKED."
Maya clapped. 👏
"That's illegal power."
Laddu stood properly, smiling shyly now. 😊
"Thank you," he said.
"That was perfect."
Mochi shook her head, trying not to smile.
"Next time," she said,
"just get down."
Laddu nodded.
"Okay," he agreed.
"But this way felt nicer." 🌱
The café returned to normal.
And everyone learned something important:
Laddu didn't need force.
He needed tone. 🎵