Telling Lie

“Is our maternal grandmother coming to our house today? Do I recorgnise her?” Bikash asked his mother. He was extremely happy with the news of his grandmother's visit.

“Yes, my dear. You had seen her many years ago. How could you recognise her? At the moment you have to get ready to go to the school,” said his mother.

“What makes a difference if I don’t go today?”Bikashh was not willing to go to the school.

He wanted to see his grandmother by remaining in the house and he requested his mother .

“No, you must go at any cost. You can come home straight from school. Don’t delay. If you study well your grandma will love you a lot,” his mother tried best to convince him.

Bikash got ready for school unwillingly. Bikash was the only son of the family. He had a keen interest in study, cleanliness, and games equally. In short, he was a very good boy. But one bad habit of his overshadowed all his virtues.

“Never play prank on and tell lies to others,” his mother always warned while sending him to school. She was quite aware of his habit.

His school was situated a bit farther than the platform of the village. From the crossroad there were different roads which led one to reach their destinations. An elderly woman was standing on the crossroad not knowing which road to pursue. In at the meantime, Bikash approached her and asked what her problem was.

“I want to go to Gairigaon. And I am confused over here.”

“Oh, that’s my village. It is nearby. You can go straight and you will reach there soon.” And he pointed her a wrong direction. He showed her the way to Dandagaon as he was used to telling lies.

“Now the old lady will have to suffer.” Though he was feeling sorry for, he was not able to mend his childhood habit. He could bto giveit up even though he wished.

He could not pay due attention in the class that day. He was only thinking about his grandmother, “When did grandma arrive home? Did she ask about him or not?” He was pondering over his own thoughts.

“What’s wrong with you Bikash, today? You have no attention on anything neither in game nor in study,” one of his closest friends, Sabita asked him.

“Nothing, My grandma is coming today to see me. I just want to see her very soon,” he replied.

After school, he drove very home straight to homeward. “Mother, where is grandmother?” he asked.

“Here she is, waiting for you eagerly. The grandma was sitting on the mat. As she was sitting in shade and darkness, he could not see her in a clear vision.

“Oops! You! You are so changed.” Bikash was frightened to have to find the same old lady on the road. She was his grandmother. He was perplexed not knowing what to do.

Due to his hoax his own grandmother suffered a lot. He had no guts to face her. He could not meet his grandmother. He was ashamed. “Let me get my dress changed” he pretended to escape from her sight.

“Give up your bad habit, don’t play prank on others. Never tell lies. A good boy should never trouble others but rather helps them.” Grandmother had already recognized him. She told him the story of the boy’s prank. The mother suspected Bikash for his mischief.

“You are a sinner to your grandmother” his mother told him. Bikash regretted for what he did. He determined himself not to prank on anyone.

“I’m sorry grandmother. Please forgive me. I did so because I did not recognize you.” He lamented.

“Dear son, you should not trouble anyone, be it your own kins or unknown strangers. If you promise not to do so again; I will pardon you.”

“I promise. I won’t repeat it with anyone,” he made a strong vow before his grandmother.

Everyone was happy for his regret. “Come . . . sit on my lap, my dear grandson.” The grandmother put him on her lap.

The only words he was repeating were, “I will never tell lies to anyone and play prank on others.”



Translator: Ram Bahadur Pahari