Lily, now fully committed to honesty and clearly forgetting the concept of self-preservation, added softly 😬,
"In the office… sir was always surrounded by pretty girls."
The house went still 🧊.
"…Surrounded," Maya repeated slowly 😐.
Lily nodded.
"They used to bring him juice 🧃. Cookies 🍪. Homemade food 🍱."
Candy gasped dramatically 😲.
"Like offerings!"
Father closed his eyes 🤦♂️.
"A cult."
Laddu raised one finger ✋.
"OBJECTION."
"They insisted," Lily continued quickly 😰.
"Sir never asked. He always said, 'Eat it yourself, I'm not a dustbin.'"
"That is true," Laddu said proudly 😌.
"But," Lily added, "they still kept bringing things."
Mochi finally looked at him 👁️.
Not angry.
Not shocked.
Curious.
"Did you eat it?" she asked calmly.
Laddu swallowed 😓.
"…Sometimes."
Maya screamed 😱.
"HE ACCEPTED TRIBUTES."
Lily rushed to clarify 🏃♀️.
"Sir always shared! With everyone! He never ate alone!"
"That's also true," Laddu nodded. "Team calories."
Mother nodded slowly 😊.
"Food diplomacy."
"And," Lily added, "sir always kept distance. Three feet 📏. Even when they leaned closer."
Mochi tilted her head.
"And the girls?"
"They liked him," Lily said simply.
"Because he listened 👂. And never crossed lines 🚫."
Silence settled… softer this time 🌫️.
Mochi exhaled.
"Next time," she said calmly,
"tell them to bring food for the whole team."
Laddu nodded instantly 🙇♂️.
"Yes."
"And," she added, eyes on him 👀,
"no juice."
"…Why juice?" he asked carefully.
She leaned closer 😌.
"Because you spill."
Maya laughed 😂. Candy clapped 👏. Father shook his head.
Lily smiled, relieved 😊.
"Ma'am is… fair."
Laddu leaned back, defeated but smiling 😅.
"I was a lion."
Mochi corrected without looking at him,
"You were a cafeteria table."
Everyone agreed 🤝.
Lily smiled nervously… and chose violence 😇➡️💣.
"Don't worry, sir," she added sweetly,
"I didn't tell them that some girls used to feed you with their own hand… if they asked cutely."
💀💀💀
"…WITH THEIR HAND?" Maya screamed.
Candy gasped 😳.
"Like baby?!"
Father placed his glass down very slowly 🥛.
"This keeps getting worse."
Mother closed her eyes and counted 🧘♀️.
"I raised you better than this."
Laddu panicked 😨.
"WHY would you say that OUT LOUD."
Mochi walked over 🚶♀️.
Very close.
Zero feet distance.
"…They fed you?" she asked calmly ❄️.
Laddu shook his head fast.
"I refused most times."
"Most?"
"…Homemade cookies," he whispered 😞.
Maya screamed 😂.
"THE LION ATE FROM HANDS."
Mochi picked up a cookie 🍪.
Held it in front of him.
"Open your mouth."
Laddu froze 😵💫.
"…What?"
She placed the cookie in his hand instead ✋.
"Use your own," she said. "You're not in the office."
The room exploded 🎉.
"POWER MOVE," Maya yelled.
Mother smiled proudly 😌.
Lily bowed repeatedly 🙇♀️.
"But if anyone feeds you again," Mochi added softly,
"it will be me."
Laddu choked on the cookie 😖.
"Understood."
Ben wagged his tail 🐕.
Lily, fearless now, continued 😇,
"Sir also used to do face masks 🧖♂️ and pedicures 👣 with the girls."
🔥🔥🔥
"…WHAT?!" Maya screamed.
"Team bonding," Laddu sighed 😮💨.
Maya yelled 😤.
"WHEN I ASKED YOU, YOU SAID NO."
"You didn't bring snacks," Laddu replied calmly.
Lily nodded earnestly 😊.
"Sir says skincare is gender-neutral."
Father blinked 🤔.
Mother smiled behind her hand.
Mochi spoke calmly.
"…Face masks?"
"Only clay," Laddu said quickly.
"And pedicure?"
"Professional."
Mochi nodded.
"From now on, you do it at home."
"…With you?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes."
Maya collapsed 😭.
"WHY DOES HE WIN."
Lily added gently 🌸,
"Sir also used to make food for us."
"…Make food?" Father asked.
"Yes," Laddu nodded.
Maya screamed internally 😩.
"UNFAIR TALENT."
"He said food makes people feel seen," Lily smiled.
Mochi looked at Laddu.
"You cook."
"Yes."
"For them."
"Yes."
"…Did you cook well?"
"They asked for seconds."
Maya died again 💀.
"Next time," Mochi said calmly,
"cook here."
"…For everyone?"
"Yes."
Candy raised hands 🙌.
"ME TOO."
Lily smiled 😊.
"Sir says feeding people is kindness."
Mochi nodded.
"You come home."
Lily added one last thing 🌙,
"Sir always gives compliments."
Everyone listened 👂.
"He notices everything."
Mochi looked at Laddu.
"You noticed my haircut."
"Yes. Three centimeters shorter. You were nervous."
Silence 😶.
Then Laddu continued, casual, deadly accurate 🎯:
"Father… weight increased three kilos."
Father choked 😳.
"Mother changed perfume 🌸."
Mother blinked.
"Maya is cheating with a boy."
"HOW DO YOU KNOW," Maya screamed 😱.
"Your smile while using phone," Laddu said. "Different."
Cousin froze.
"You want to be police," Laddu said.
"…HOW?" Cousin whispered.
"You look at father's uniform with same eyes I look at beautiful girls."
Cousin teared up 🥹.
"Candy broke Mochi's favorite cup."
Candy gasped 😨.
"How?!"
"When you talk about the cup," Laddu said,
"Mochi becomes sweet."
Baby is healthy 👶.
Ben gaining weight 🐕🍖.
Then laddu added softly 😅,
"… you are holding and waiting to go washroom."
lily froze 😳.
"…Damn."
SHE ran 🏃♂️.
The house stayed silent.
Then—
Maya whispered, stunned 😶,
"…He's terrifying."
Mother smiled softly 😊.
"He sees people."
Mochi nodded.
Observation wasn't flirting.
It wasn't control.
It was care.
And this family?
Completely exposed.
Mochi looked straight at Laddu.
"…How," she asked simply.
Laddu didn't joke this time.
Didn't dodge.
"Observation," he said calmly.
"Is power."
Then he added, raising a finger ✋,
"And no more talking."
Silence followed. The good kind.
Maya stared between them, genuinely disturbed 😵💫.
"WHY does he remember that."
Lily smiled softly 😊.
"Sir said people feel invisible at work. Compliments make them feel human."
Candy nodded seriously, like this was deep philosophy 🤔.
"I like compliments."
Mochi exhaled slowly 🌬️.
Then she said, calm but firm,
"Compliments are fine."
Laddu relaxed instantly 😌.
"But," she added, eyes locking onto him 👀,
"you don't need to notice everyone so closely anymore."
He understood immediately.
"…I'll focus," he said, glancing at her, voice softer,
"on home details."
She nodded once.
Approved ✅.
Maya leaned back dramatically.
"This man is emotionally dangerous."
Lily bowed slightly 🙇♀️.
"Sir is… kind."
Laddu smiled, gentler now 🙂.
"Kindness is cheaper than ego."
Mochi didn't argue.
Because she already knew.
He noticed everyone.
But he chose where to stay.
Lily hesitated, then added one last memory, half-laughing 😅, half-worried 😬.
"Sir once said…"
She glanced at Laddu.
Then at Mochi.
"…If he ever becomes CEO, except him, everyone else will be female."
The room went dead quiet 🧊.
Maya slowly turned her head.
"…He said WHAT."
Candy's eyes sparkled ✨.
"Girl company!"
Father coughed hard 😤.
"That's not… legal."
Mother raised an eyebrow, amused 😏.
"Bold vision."
Laddu rubbed his face 😩.
"Context," he begged.
"PLEASE give context."
Lily rushed in 🏃♀️.
"Sir said it as a joke! He said women work harder, complain less, and don't break production servers out of ego."
Maya crossed her arms 😐.
"That still sounds like a manifesto."
Laddu defended himself desperately.
"I also said I would hire men. For lifting heavy things."
Father stared at him.
"…That didn't help."
Mochi finally spoke.
Her voice was calm.
But sharp enough to cut paper ✂️.
"You said that?"
Laddu nodded slowly.
"…Yes."
"Why?"
He thought for a moment 🤔.
Then answered honestly.
"Because in my worst days," he said quietly,
"women around me worked without making me feel small.
They asked questions.
They listened.
They didn't compete just to win."
The silence changed.
Not explosive.
Thoughtful 🌫️.
Mother nodded slowly.
"That's experience talking."
Father sighed.
"Still illegal."
Maya groaned.
"Why does everything he says sound problematic but sincere."
Mochi looked at Laddu for a long second.
Then she said simply,
"You don't need to build a company like that."
He nodded.
"I know."
"You just need to not forget who stood with you," she added.
He smiled softly 🙂.
"I won't."
Lily relaxed, relieved 😌.
"Sir always said leadership is about who feels safe around you."
Mochi nodded once.
"That part… is true."
Candy clapped enthusiastically 👏.
"CEO!"
Laddu laughed 😂.
"No. Just employee who comes home on time."
Mochi looked at him.
"Good."
And just like that,
the wildest statement of the day turned into another quiet truth 🌙:
He didn't want power.
He wanted a place
where people could breathe.