A cruel punishment

There is still another unfortunate episode in connection with Suren. After the theft, one of Ganapati’s aunts insulted Suren mercilessly for what he had done. So Suren decided to punish this particular aunt.

He went to her house and told her that Ganapati’s father had touched the electric wire in the bank and had been electrocuted instantly. He said Ganapati’s brothers had brought their father’s dead body back from the bank to the village. How could he tell such a lie!

Ganapati’s aunt believed him. She was also grateful to him for bringing her this news, although it was extremely sad. She had great affection for Ganapati’s father, and she immediately began walking to Ganapati’s house. The house was three miles away, and she was crying pitifully the entire way.

When she was only eight or ten blocks from Ganapati’s house, she saw the village doctor and said to him, “You do not know what has happened?” Then she told him the sad story.

He said, “If your brother-in-law had died, I would definitely have been called to the house. I do not think that story is true.” But Ganapati’s aunt did not believe him. She continued walking to Ganapati’s house, crying and screaming.

The first thing she saw when she came near the house was Ganapati’s mother basking in the sun, reading the Mahabharata. Then she noticed that all the other members of the family were acting very normally.

Suren had been following his aunt secretly the whole time. He was wearing some kind of disguise and watching her from a distance. The moment she realised the truth, he threw off his disguise, gave her a smile and ran away.