Candy tilted her head, curiosity fully charged ⚡👀.
"Brother," she asked sweetly 🍬,
"tell me about your college girlfriend."
The room went suspiciously quiet 😶.
Maya leaned in 👂.
Cousin paused mid-snack 🍪✋.
Mochi didn't look at him… which somehow meant she was listening the most 😐💭.
Laddu sighed like a man opening an old, dusty file 📂😮💨.
"In India," he said calmly,
"I was a mouse." 🐭
Candy blinked.
"…Mouse?" 😳
"Yes," Laddu nodded seriously.
"Very small. Very quiet." 🤏😶
Maya frowned.
"You? Quiet?" 🤨
Laddu continued anyway.
"In India, if I did anything wrong," he explained,
"my family could beat my ass." 😐💥
Father cleared his throat.
"Discipline." 🧓
"Extreme discipline," Laddu corrected. ⚠️
"So no girlfriend?" Candy asked.
Laddu shrugged. 🤷♂️
"I dated fear," he said.
"Fear was very loyal." 😌😨
Maya burst out laughing 😂😂.
Then Laddu leaned back and added casually,
"But here," he said,
"in foreign land…" 🌍
He straightened his shoulders a little 💪.
"I am lion." 🦁
Candy's eyes widened.
"ROAR?" 😲
"Yes," Laddu nodded seriously.
"No aunties watching."
"No neighbour reporting."
"No uncle asking marks." 🚫👵🚫🏘️🚫📊
Cousin laughed.
"Freedom unlocked." 🔓😆
Mochi finally looked at him.
"And the girlfriends?" she asked calmly. 😐
Laddu met her eyes.
"Experimental phase," he said carefully.
"Like lab work." 🧪📊
Maya choked on air.
"SCIENCE." 😵💫😂
Laddu smiled at Mochi.
"But lion retired," he added softly. 🦁➡️🛑
"Mouse found home." 🐭🏠
Mochi didn't smile…
…but she moved a little closer. 🤍➡️
Candy nodded wisely. 🧐
"So," she concluded,
"India mouse. Foreign lion." 🐭➡️🦁
Laddu nodded.
"Correct," he said.
"Different countries, different animals." 🌍🐾
Maya leaned back.
"Next lesson," she said,
"passport zoology." 🛂📚
The baby slept 😴👶.
The house stayed warm 🏠🔥.
And Laddu, for once,
didn't need to roar 🦁❌
to feel strong 💪💛.
Roasting With Love 🔥❤️
Mochi finally asked it.
"Why are you like that?" 🤨
Laddu smiled, like he had been waiting for this question his whole life 😌.
"My whole family," he said calmly,
"has comedy humour." 😂🧬
Maya leaned in.
"Oh no." 😈
"We roast each other," Laddu continued,
"but with respect." 🫶🔥
Father nodded slowly.
"That part is important." ✔️
Laddu's eyes softened as he remembered 💭.
"Like everyday casual life," he said.
"My grandpa casually walking," Laddu continued,
"once told my granny—"
He paused, then copied an old man's serious voice 🎭:
"'If obesity had a competition,'"
"'you would win the gold medal.'" 🥇😐
For one second—
Then everyone burst out laughing 💥😂😂😂.
Mochi covered her mouth 🤭.
Candy clapped 👏😂.
Maya fell back on the sofa 🛋️🤣.
"And my granny," Laddu continued proudly,
"didn't cry." ❌😭
He switched tone again, sharp and sweet 🍬⚔️:
"She said, 'If baldness was a competition,
you would win gold too.'" 🥇🧑🦲
The house exploded again 💣🤣.
Father laughed openly 😆.
Mother shook her head, smiling 😊.
Candy wheezed 😵😂.
"And my grandpa?" Laddu added.
"What?" Candy asked.
"He laughed hardest," Laddu said. 😂💀
Mochi smiled softly now 🤍.
"One anniversary," Laddu continued,
"my grandpa gifted my granny a skipping rope." 🪢
Maya screamed.
"NO." 😱😂
"And my granny," Laddu finished,
"gifted him a comb." 💇♂️
Silence. 😶
Then pure chaos 🌪️😂.
Candy rolled on the floor 🤣🤣.
Cousin wiped tears 😭😂.
Maya pointed at Laddu.
"THIS IS GENETIC." 🧬🔥
Laddu laughed with them 😄.
"That's why I'm like this," he said.
"We joke. We roast. But we never hurt." 🤝❤️
Mochi looked at him for a long second 👀.
Then nodded.
"…I understand," she said softly. 🤍
Laddu smiled.
"Good," he replied.
"Because silence in my family means something is wrong." 🚨😌
The baby stirred slightly 😴👶.
The house laughed again 🏠😂.
And somewhere,
two old souls with a skipping rope 🪢 and a comb 💇♂️
would have approved 👍💛.