A lie never lives to be old.

We were three roommates living in one small bungalow in Pune, India. Normally Pune people are known for very skeptical and inquisitive and are called Punekar. Our house owner was one of such Punekar. Before this house, I was living with my cousin, Param, in another house. But they were already 4 people when I joined and it was a crowd in the home there.  Param had one friend staying in one bungalow with roommates named Ankit and Rohan.  Param asked Varun about me and he said yes. So finally I shifted with them.               

    Initially, Ankit came first in that bungalow and Varun joined him. The owner as told earlier was very skeptical and inquisitive. He asked for all details of their parents, their college details, course details, college id’s, etc. All were submitted as per his requirement. He wanted only vegetarian students as he was Brahmin. He had put one more condition that only two guys were allowed to live. They agreed and said ok. He also told that he would come to the room for the collection of rent every month at 1st only. Conclusively, after all, documentation and oral conditions agreement, he handed over the keys to them.                      

I joined them after one more friend Rohan. Both of us were extra in the room and were living illegally as the owner had permitted for only two. Hence we both were silent members means we were not allowed to introduce ourselves to any neighbor as a risk of information could pass on to the owner. On the 1st of every month, we were supposed to be out of home even if it was Sunday as the owner used to come for rent collection. If Ankit and Varun are out of home and anybody stranger (as we were not aware of the owner ) comes at home for a visit, behave as if you had been there just for today and waiting for friends to come back. Being very sincere, Rohan and I were following rules very promptly with zero tolerance. As we both were working and were a full day at the company, no neighbors were aware that we were practically staying there. So for any small functions, we two were not invited by neighbors. Ankit and Varun would go on such invitations for food and would irritate us by telling us how good food was. This was the time when we were knowing the value of good food as was very rarely available.   In this way, days, months, and one year also passed but the owner was still unaware of both of us. Mark Twain has said, a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.  My friend had a desktop. He had brought a movie “Tum Bin". 

 

 

 All of us were crazy about the movie and had watched it more than 20 times. We remembered all the dialogues of the movie. Param was also a good friend of all of them. One such day, he was having a holiday so he came to our room for the day. He was watching a movie on the desktop. All of us were out for some reason.  All of a sudden an old fellow came to the room. He immediately started asking “who are you?"   

Param was not aware of him. So he replied. “Who you are? And why you are asking like this? We stay here.”  

He was no one but the owner of the house. He waited till my friends came back and asked them about the reality. He shouted at them that it was not expected by them. He asked to vacate the house within one week.  Rohan and I came back home after all this happening and when the owner had already left the house. In that situation also, we had a big laugh because we stayed for one year and no one knew. Just one day Param stayed, the owner came to know the truth.  A lie never lives to be old.