Bathroom — The Aftershock
Laddu's face drained of color.
Not white.
Not grey. 😖
A sick, pale yellow.
The kind that comes from truth hitting first.
Not fear. 🤢
He wiped his mouth.
Breathing uneven.
Then laughed once. 😐
Short.
Sharp.
Wrong. ⚡
"Colorful clothes… social media…"
he muttered under his breath.
"Not hard work." 🧥📱
He looked up suddenly.
Eyes blazing.
Clear and disgusted at the same time. 🔥
"What the hell was that?"
he snapped.
"What the f—" 😠
And then—
Hindi exploded out of him.
Fast. Raw. 🗣️
Angry.
Messy.
Unfiltered. 🌋
Street language.
Village rage.
Old muscle memory. 🧠
Words collided.
Meaning broke apart.
Release mattered more than grammar. 💥
No one caught the details.
But everyone caught the tone.
This was him. ⚡
Family Reaction 👀
Maya froze mid-step.
"…Is that normal Laddu?" 😶
Father nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Very much yes. 👔
Mother pressed her palm to her mouth.
"He's remembering himself." 🫢
Candy whispered, scared,
"Why is he angry?" 🧸
The doctor spoke quietly.
"This is reorientation." 🩺
"He's rejecting what violated his identity."
Not pain.
Pollution. 🧠
Laddu hit the floor lightly with his fist.
"Kaam ka matlab samajhta hoon main—"
(work has meaning for me) ✊
More Hindi followed.
Sharper now.
Cleaner. 🔪
Mochi stayed beside him.
Calm, but shaken.
Unmoving. 🤍
She didn't interrupt.
Didn't correct.
Didn't censor. 🌿
She only said softly,
"Breathe."
Once. 🌬️
He did.
Slowly.
On purpose. 🫁
The curses faded.
Anger melted into muttering.
Storm passing. 🌧️➡️☀️
Doctor (low voice, to the family)
"This is good," the doctor said.
"He's reasserting values." 🧩
Father frowned slightly.
"Values?" 🤨
"Yes," the doctor replied.
"He's rejecting artificial validation." 🎭
"Attention without effort,"
he added.
"That disgusted him." 🚫
Maya swallowed.
"So… the clothes, selfies—" 😟
"Triggered disgust," the doctor finished.
"Not joy." 🧠
The Shift 🌗
Laddu leaned his head back against the tub.
Eyes closed.
Breathing steadier. 🛁
"…I hate pretending,"
he said in English now.
"I hate easy praise." 😤
Mochi's eyes filled.
But she stayed steady.
Didn't wobble. 🌙
"I know," she said.
That was all.
Enough. 🤍
Laddu wiped his face again.
Voice calmer.
Still rough. 🧻
"I don't want people liking me,"
he said.
"I want respect." 🧱
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Clean. 🕊️
Father nodded once.
"That's my son." 👨👦
Mother exhaled.
Shaky, relieved.
"He's back." 💗
Candy smiled timidly.
"Real brother." 😊
The doctor packed his bag.
"Let him rest," he said.
"No stimulation today." 🩺
"No screens,"
he added.
Firmly. 📵
Mochi helped Laddu stand.
He leaned on her—
just one second. 🤝
No jokes.
No flirting.
Just trust. 🧡
As they walked him out,
the house felt different.
Solid. 🏠
Not chaotic.
Not tense.
Familiar again. 🌿
Like a storm had passed,
leaving scars—
but real ground. 🌦️
Laddu muttered under his breath,
half Hindi, half English:
"Next time a cockroach fixes my life, I'll charge it rent." 🪳💸
Maya let out a broken laugh.
That laugh.
The real one. 😂
That's when they knew—
He wasn't just normal again.
He was him. 🔥
Living Room — The Return, Confirmed 🏡
A cockroach appeared near the wall.
Everyone froze.
Collectively. 🪳
Laddu looked at it.
No scream.
No jump. 😐
He walked over.
Grabbed a paper.
Careful. 📄
Scooped the cockroach up gently.
Like a guest overstaying.
Opened the window. 🪟
Tossed it out.
"Go," he said flatly.
"Find your own house." 🏠
He sat back on the sofa.
Straight posture.
Feet grounded. 🪑
Hands on his knees.
Breathing steady.
Present. 🧘♂️
The family exchanged looks.
Father nodded once.
"That's him." ✔️
The Doorbell 🔔
The doorbell rang.
Rainse walked in smiling.
"Hey besty!" 😄
Laddu looked up.
Reached for his phone.
Dialed one number. 📱
"Bob. Come."
That's all.
No drama. 📞
Ten minutes later—
Bob arrived.
Grinning. 😎
Laddu stood.
Pointed calmly.
"This is Bob." 👉
Bob laughed.
"My real bestie." 🤝
Rainse blinked.
"…What about me?" 😐
Laddu pointed toward the dining table.
"Those two," nodding at Maya and the cousin.
"Make them your friends." 🪑
Maya stared.
"Excuse me?" 😳
The cousin sighed.
"I knew this assignment was coming." 😮💨
Bob clapped Laddu's shoulder.
"You're back." 👊
Laddu smiled.
Not loud.
Not forced. 🙂
"Back," he said.
Then a burst of Hindi—
short, sharp, free. 💥
Mother didn't scold him.
She didn't need to.
She knew. 🤍
Rainse stood awkwardly.
"…Okay." 😬
Truth, Finally 🧠
Laddu turned serious.
"I remember something," he said.
The room quieted. 🔕
"In that phase," he continued,
"I got bullied." 💔
Mochi's breath caught.
Just once.
Enough. 😢
"Because of colorful clothes,"
Laddu said.
"They laughed." 🎨
His jaw tightened.
"And I cry."
Simple. 🥀
Silence fell.
No excuses.
No minimizing. 🕯️
Maya whispered,
"That's not okay." 😠
Father's voice was low.
"No." ❌
Laddu exhaled.
"I hated myself for it." 😞
Mochi stepped closer.
"You don't have to carry that." 🤍
"I know," Laddu said.
"That's why I'm done." 🔚
He looked at Rainse.
Not cruel.
Just clear. 🧭
"No besty."
"No mirrors."
No confusion. 🚫
Then at the family.
"No pretending." 🛑
Bob nodded.
"Welcome home." 🏡
Candy smiled softly.
"Brother looks strong." 💪
Laddu leaned back into the sofa.
Not performing.
Not proving. 🧘♂️
Just present.
Solid.
Here. 🌱
And for the first time since the accident,
the house didn't guess.
Didn't worry. 🕊️
He was back.
Fully.
Finally. 🏁