Shankar, a miserly goldsmith, lived in Ramnagar with his wife and son in a small house. He fell into heavy debt, with no apparent way to repay it. He devised a plan to sell his wife's jewelry to settle his debts, but this was a difficult task for him.
One day, Shankar cunningly told his wife, "Your jewelry is outdated. Why don't we have it remade into new pieces?" His wife agreed. Shankar secretly sold the real jewelry, pocketed the money, and replaced it with counterfeits. Some time later, Shankar died, leaving his family struggling financially, unaware of his hidden money.
One day, Shankar's wife told her son, "Son, take this jewelry to Paras Chacha (Uncle Paras) and pawn it for money." The son went to Paras Chacha. Upon examining the jewelry, Paras Chacha said, "Son, I don't have that much money right now. Take the jewelry back, but keep this small amount. You can also work for me; you'll learn a skill and receive some support."
Deception, Struggle, and Confronting the Truth
The boy began working for Paras Chacha and gradually learned to distinguish between real and fake jewelry. After a few years, Paras Chacha asked him to bring his mother's jewelry again. The next morning, the boy returned with the jewelry. Paras Chacha said, "Carefully examine these pieces and identify the real from the fake."
The boy examined the jewelry and was stunned, speechless. He softly asked, "Uncle, when I brought these jewels earlier, why didn't you tell me they were fake?"
The Wisdom of Timely Truth
Paras Chacha smiled and replied, "Son, if I had revealed the truth then, your mother would have been deeply shocked. People might have also assumed I was taking advantage of your difficult situation. I believed the time to understand the truth would come, and that time is now." The boy went home and told his mother everything. His mother realized how Shankar had deceived her. The next morning, the boy and his mother went to Paras Chacha to express their gratitude. Paras Chacha's wisdom and sensitivity saved the family from breaking apart.
Moral Lesson
Truth never hides; it always comes to light at the right time. One should not make fun of someone's hardship but should offer support.
