"Aaahh! Mamaaa!" he whined, shaking his head furiously.
Janu watching from the side, burst into laughter, clapping her hands in amusement.
Aman chuckled and, feeling a little bad for the poor boy, handed him a small piece of pineapple cake. The little one hesitated, eyeing the cake suspiciously, still recovering from the lemon's betrayal. But as soon as he took a bite, his face softened, and a satisfied hum escaped him.
With a dramatic sigh, he looked at Aman and declared, "You are better than Mama!"
His mother watched the entire scene and shook her head with a smile.
"Yeah… anyone who gives him food is better than his own mother," said vani, playfully tapping his head.
Bani wiped the sweat off his forehead as she carefully placed the final batch of cupcakes on the cooling rack. The bakery shop was almost ready for its soft launch tomorrow, and everything had to be perfect. She inspected the pastries with a critical eye.
Just then, Aman's brother-in-law barged in, looking half amused, half exasperated. He jabbed a finger toward a small figure in the corner—his own son, a mischievous five-year-old, who was currently stuffing his face with a large chunk of red velvet cake.
"Bani, don't give cake to this little one! He's been 'tasting' every single cake, saying he needs to ensure it's perfect before serving tomorrow. He thinks he's some kind of little officer inspecting a royal feast!"
Aman turned toward the boy, who was licking his fingers with the smug satisfaction of a man who had just solved all the world's problems—one cake at a time.
"Like in the olden days, when a cook would taste the food before the king ate," boy's mother continued, throwing up her hands. "Today, he's become a dummy cook here! If he keeps stuffing himself like this, we won't have anything left for the actual customers!"
The boy, undeterred, wiped his mouth dramatically. "Quality control is very important!" he declared with the wisdom of a seasoned food critic. "What if something tastes bad? I'm doing this for the reputation of the shop."
Bani crossed her arms, smirking. "And how many cakes have you 'tested' so far?"
The boy hesitated. "Not… that many."
His father vasanth raised an eyebrow. "You ate two whole cupcakes and four slices of cake before I even started counting."
The kid shrugged. "A small sacrifice for perfection."
Just as he was about to grab another slice, his stomach let out an ominous gurgle. He froze.
Aman and Bani exchanged knowing glances.
His father clapped a hand on his back. "Ah, now the real test begins! Let's see if your stomach approves of your 'royal food tasting'!"
The boy's eyes widened. He clutched his stomach and took a hesitant step back. "I think… I need to go."
And with that, he bolted toward the restroom like a knight retreating from battle.
Vani boy's mother chuckled, shaking his head. "And that, dear sir, is why we don't let ten-year-olds handle quality control."