The Boy Who Lost Trust

The Boy Who Lost Trust

BY:Ubaid

Shehla Jamal’s son, Yasir, belonged to a well-educated family. His parents valued good habits and his brothers and sisters were also polite and well-mannered. Yasir, too, was a bright child. He was sharp in his studies and could quickly understand what was taught in class. However, he had one very serious weakness—he had developed the habit of lying.

One day, Yasir returned from school and, instead of doing his homework, he spent the entire afternoon playing with his friends in the street. By the time he returned home, he was completely exhausted. After eating his dinner, he fell fast asleep without even opening his schoolbag. The next morning, when he went to school, the teacher asked why he had not completed his homework.

Yasir immediately thought of an excuse. Putting on an innocent face, he said, “Miss, my grandfather suffered a heart attack yesterday. Everyone at home was very worried, and we all rushed to the hospital. We came back very late at night, so I didn’t get a chance to do my homework.”

The teacher looked at Yasir with concern and said gently, “Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t worry about the homework today. Just make sure you complete it later.”

Yasir felt very pleased with himself. He thought, “That was easy! My lie was accepted as the truth. This means I can act very well, and lying can actually help me whenever I am in trouble.”

A few days later, Yasir’s mother went to school to pay his monthly fee. There she met his class teacher. The teacher, with a sympathetic tone, asked, “How is your father now? Yasir told me that he had a heart attack.”

Surprised, Yasir’s mother replied, “What? He is absolutely fine! Yasir told you such a thing?” The teacher then explained the whole incident. Yasir’s mother apologized to the teacher and asked about her son’s studies.

The teacher smiled and said, “Yasir is an intelligent student. If he works harder, he can achieve even better results.”

When Yasir returned home that day, his mother spoke to him seriously. “My dear, lies never remain hidden. You even lied about your grandfather’s health to your teacher. Do you know how ashamed I felt today?”

But Yasir, instead of feeling guilty, replied stubbornly, “Ammi, sometimes lying can save us from difficult situations. Isn’t that good?”

His mother shook her head. “No, my son. A lie is always a lie. It is the root of all evils. Remember, lies can never become the truth, and they can never remain hidden forever.”

Unfortunately, Yasir paid little attention to his mother’s advice. He continued lying to his friends and even to his family. Slowly, people around him began to lose trust in his words. His classmates stopped believing him, and even at home, no one took his statements seriously. Yasir, however, didn’t seem to care.

One morning, his mother handed him some money. “Yasir, I have a lot of household work today. Please take this money and submit your school fee. Don’t forget to bring back the receipt.”

“Yes, Ammi, I’ll do it,” Yasir replied confidently.

But when he opened his bag at school to submit the money, it had disappeared. He searched every corner of his bag, but the money was nowhere to be found. All day, he worried about how the money could vanish. He clearly remembered placing it inside a book, yet now it was gone.

When he came home, he looked upset. His mother asked what the matter was, and Yasir explained everything.

His mother frowned. “Yasir, stop lying. I gave you the money with my own hands.”

Tears welled up in Yasir’s eyes. “Ammi, I swear I am not lying this time. I really lost the money.”

But his mother scolded him again. “I have told you many times, never lie—even in fun. But you never listened. This is why no one can believe you now.”

Yasir felt helpless. For the first time, he realized how painful it was when no one trusted him, even though he was telling the truth. The next day, his mother herself went to the school and paid the fee.

This incident forced Yasir to think deeply. “When I lied, everyone believed me. But now, when I am finally telling the truth, no one trusts me. How terrible this is!”

He shared his feelings with his elder sister. She explained, “Yasir, when a person lies again and again, people lose faith in him. That is why even when he speaks the truth, no one believes him. Trust, once lost, is very hard to regain.”

Her words touched Yasir’s heart. He made a firm decision. “From now on, I will never lie again. I didn’t realize that lying even once could make people doubt me forever.”

Although Yasir stopped lying, he still worried about how he could win back his mother’s trust. During his school holidays, he spent more time reading storybooks instead of playing outside. One day, while reading a book in his room, a few folded notes suddenly fell out from between the pages. Yasir quickly picked them up.

“What! These are the same notes Ammi gave me for the school fee!” he exclaimed. He now remembered that he had absentmindedly placed the money inside his storybook, not inside his school textbook. He had completely forgotten about it.

Excited, Yasir ran to his mother. “Ammi, look! I found the fee money. I had kept it in my storybook and forgot.”

His mother looked at him calmly. “That’s good. At least the money is safe.”

Yasir insisted, “See, Ammi, I wasn’t lying that day! These notes are the proof.”

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder and said gently, “My dear, once a person loses his credibility, even his truth sounds like a lie. This is the punishment of lying. Lies ruin a person’s reputation, while truth always benefits him.”

With tears in his eyes, Yasir hugged his mother. “Ammi, I promise you that I will never lie again. I have already suffered the pain of losing everyone’s trust.”

His mother kissed him and said warmly, “I believe you this time. And as a reward for your honesty, I will add some more money to these notes and buy you a new bicycle.”

Hearing this, Yasir’s heart filled with joy. At last, he had understood the value of truth.