My parents have always encouraged me to be honest and truthful. Towards this, my mother would tell me stories of Mahatma Gandhi, Satya Harischandra to inculcate TRUTH in me. But from where I stand now, I realize that it is really very hard to tell the truth all the time. Each of us do tweak a lie OR a truth to make it sound like the truth... and I suppose even the listener(s) knows this.
I want to recount this incident that happened with me yesterday. Sa and I were on our way from Hebbal Outer Ring Road to Koramangala Inner Ring Road. I was driving. I usually take the Nagawara Main Road, hit MM Road, travel through Frazer Town, Old Madras Road, Indiranagar to reach Koramangala Inner Ring Road. Since this was a familiar route, I took a right turn at Nagawara Signal. Half way through the Nagawara Main Road, several scotterists and motorists started waving their hand asking me to stop moving ahead. I started wondering why people are stopping us from moving . I racked my brain to recollect a small vague announcement of a political rally or a procession or religious ceremony... nothing clicked. Encourged by this, I moved ahead only to face more opposition. I rolled down the car window and quizzed a motorist "Yaake hoga bardu anthiddiri?". The motorist said "This is No Entry for 4-wheelers. The traffic cops are standing at the junction. You will have to pay Rs.500/- as fine". I looked at him as if he was giving me a casual news. I said "Oh, is it". He said "Why dont you take a U-turn here and return back". I looked at the narrow main road... it would be a herculean task to take a U-turn and sheer foolishness. I thought for a split second and having firmed up my actions, I rolled down the window on the opposite side... slowed down as if I were looking for directions... on spotting the set of traffic cops, I craned my neck to look out of the unscrolled window and asked the cop "Sir, Frazer Townge hogo daari yavdu? Heega hodre Frazer Town sigutta?". The cop responded "Madam, neevu correct daari nalli hogtha iddira... Aadre idu No Entry zone. Bari Ainoor rupayi fine kodbeku". I told him ernestly "Sir, No Entry antha gothiralilla (which anyway was true), gothidre bartha iralilla... kshamisi". He took pity and told his colleagues "daari gothilde bandiddare... hennu makkalu...bittu bidee" and he allowed me to drive on.
Having crossed that junction, Sa was astonished the way we escaped from paying the hefty fine.
So, my friends, while it was true that I was not aware of that road being a NO ENTRY ZONE. It certainly was NOT true that I was looking for directions to Frazer Town.
This incident did make me put on my thinking hat and debate on how truthful should we be. And does speaking truth all the time in this kind of world work? Any thoughts?
I always feel that if a lie is not harmful to anyone, its doesn't hurt. So many times, when Mom casually asks me how we are doing and may be I have a fever or so @ that time, I just casually say I am doing fine as just a simple thing as fever will make her worry so much as to how I might manage the cooking n so on. This is just an example, but I think a harmless lie or rather one to save someone from taking tensions/worry is better than a bitter truth. If the bitter truth has to be conveyed, its altogether a diff case, but where we can do away with it, I think it should be done.
ReplyDelete