Fool by chance

The boy was returning home from school and stumbled upon a tenner on the street. Without a second thought, he quickly slipped it into his pocket. He could have very well bought half the town — if not the city itself — with THAT kind of cash. After all, he wasn’t used to owning a ten-rupee note. However, he had no idea that his enthrallment was soon going to turn into violent dismay. As misfortune would have it, his mother found his treasure and quickly assumed that he must have stolen it from his dad’s wallet. The poor (ironically!) kid couldn’t convince her that he indeed got lucky on his way home. Anyway, what’s the point in asking him for his side of the story when she’s going to beat the bruises out of him whatsoever? So, before he could realize the extent of her misunderstanding, his skin had witnessed weals from the meant-to-beat-horse stick. In her defense, she couldn’t come to terms with the assumption that her son could be a potential thief and a liar. Can’t blame her. Too much stress and financial troubles leave you doubting everything; even your child’s honesty as well as your parenting skills. At the same time, she couldn’t find a closure to this ‘problem’ either. As usual, she turned to God and dragged the teary-eyed kid to the nearby temple. There, she made him drop the money into the hundi. Shiva must have had a hearty laugh at the face he made while following her orders. About an hour ago, that face belonged to the richest guy on the planet.