True Lies
Sanju began lying at the age of five. He found ecstasy in lying, but his lies hurt no one. He never tried to save his skin either. He lied only for thrills. He always felt that truth was a dish served straight, on the platter; but when you lie, you’re the creator of various flavours, and you can serve anything you want.
His mother tried to fix his habit on myriad occasions, but failed. She eventually stopped worrying as his lies didn’t harm anyone. But the strange part was, the moment he embraced deep slumber, his lips began to speak the truth. No matter what lies he told all day long, he mumbled in his sleep, and his mother would laugh and ignore him.
Over the years, Sanju got better at lying. He made stories, and the listener believed him instantaneously; that was the power of his lies. He lied about trivial matters at work as well. Despite all efforts, he was unable to shake off this addiction.
Sanju had many buddies, but the habit of lying kept him away from them, and just a few stayed in touch. Manish was Sanju’s new buddy who recently moved to his village.
Manish often talked about how his wife believed in him and would never trust anybody saying anything nasty about his character. Sanju decided to play a prank. It was April 1st, Fools Day. He grabbed this opportunity to tug Manish’s leg and have some fun.
He visited his friend, a tailor, and asked him to stitch a kurta for a wedding. On inquiring, he said Manish is getting married. The tailor stood in disbelief as Manish was already married and was a gentleman. But Sanju made him believe this. In the evening, he moved out to meet his uncle, who lived in another village. He was to return in 2-3 days, so he thought he would disclose the truth then.
In the meantime, the news spread like fire and reached the ears of the panchayat. They called Manish for questioning. He informed them that Mala is from Mumbai and is his business partner who takes care of their business in Mumbai. He further added that she was here to discuss business-related issues.
“But this photo tells a different story,” said the Panchayat head and showed Manish a picture.
“Trust me. I met Mala at a coffee house to discuss our new project and not marriage. I have no clue who clicked this picture.” Manoj cried.
Neither the villagers tried to find out the origin of this lie, nor his wife was ready to believe in him. He tried his best to prove his innocence, but in vain. He gave up in despair, hanged himself, and lost his life to a lie. Sanju’s one lie overpowered the truth.
When the tailor informed Sanju of this news, he drowned in a sea of sadness. He gathered courage, told the villagers the truth, and surrendered himself to the police.
***
Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!