False Friend(Atul Sharma) False Friend



A friend of mine, Aakash, thinks of himself as the shrewdest living person on this earth. He will seem to you affable at first sight but as your mere acquaintance transforms into friendship with him only then you are able to recognize his astuteness.

He showers you with love and praise, always showing he is ready to help you out of any adversity.

“Remember! I am just a call away.”

This is his favourite phrase to fool you. Here starts his real debauchery. He disguises his real self from you,
“I am not at home.”

“I am in a meeting.”

“I am out of station right now.”

These are some of his favourite excuses.

If you rely on him to be a saviour of yours then I would like to warn you that the day is not far away when you shall repent your decision of granting your faith to him. You will feel cheated, but such is his astuteness you will not be able to part ways with him.

Our mutual friend, Rakesh, made me aware of his infamous astuteness.

It happened this way:

One-day Rakesh’s motorbike ran out of petrol and, by coincidence, he was near the house of Aakash. I think nature gave him a chance to test Aakash. He called Aakash for help.

“Oh! So, sorry Rakesh, I am not at home. I am in Mohali (two hundred kms. from his home),” came the rapt reply from Aakash.

And before Rakesh could ask anything more, Aakash disconnected the call.

Rakesh had always heard about Aakash’s way of fudging people. Rakesh too had blind faith in Aakash’s friendship like everyone else.

“He can’t do this to me. He is a good friend of mine,” these thoughts started to originate in the mind of Rakesh.

Nevertheless, the idea of testing Aakash’s friendship overpowered his senses.

He parked his bike in the nearby market. Aakash’s home was just two kms. away from the market. It was already half past five and it was getting dark in Solan, a hill station.

But the desire to finish off the scepticism about Aakash was so intense that Rakesh started his journey to Aakash’s home on foot.

It was summer and in fifteen minutes Rakesh reached Aakash’s home. Aakash had a big house. A long iron gate was installed at its entrance opening into a small but aesthetically decorated garden with myriad flowers and plants. Then after climbing four steps came the door that opened itself into the living room.

On reaching the door of the living room, Rakesh found it ajar. He heard the rattling noise of utensils as the maid was washing them. The next ten minutes Rakesh just stood at the door hearing the rattling noise of utensils and trying the solve his dilemma of whether to ring the bell, go back, or make a surprise attack catching Rakesh if he was at home unawares.

Then Rakesh decided to hear his mind and go back, but his heart kept on asking him to go on and test Aakash. As soon as he turned back, he heard footsteps of maid making their way towards the door and then he heard the maid calling Aakash.

“Bhaiya! (brother) Please bolt the door. I am going.”

Rakesh, with a lighting speed, turned his steps back towards the door. He met the maid on the way and both exchanged pleasantries.

Aakash came to the door to bolt it. He found Rakesh there standing with a grin on his face and was dumbfounded. Their eyes met and neither of them uttered a word. Then Rakesh turned back with a smile on his face, a smile which usually appears when you catch a mischief. As he was passing the garden, he plucked a marigold and when he reached the Iron Gate he just burst into a loud laughter.

As Rakesh was going back to his bike whistling, his heart was content with the thought of at last catching a false friend.


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