Ratan and Mohan were good friends. They had great confidence in each other. Once, they decided to enjoy their holidays together. They went out to a hill- station for a week.
Both enjoyed their stay at the hill-station. After seven days, they planned to return. When they reached the station to board the train, they found a bag lying at the station platform.
Ratan noticed it first and picked it up. He opened it and saw that it contained a lot of cash and jewellery in it.
Ratan tried to hide it in his suitcase. But Mohan suggested, “Ratan, we should not keep it with us. Somebody has missed it. We should ask people at the station. If someone claims and is able to tell the exact details, we shall hand over this bag to him.”
“No, No, you are a fool. Everybody will come to claim it as his own bag. I have found it, so this is mine,” Ratan said.
Mohan said, “What are you talking? In case you do not want to give it to its owner, we should divide it into two equal parts. Both of us have found it. We have shared every moment, every food, every joy here together. Therefore, we should divide the cash and jewellery also into two parts to enjoy together.”
“I don’t agree with you. I saw it first, and so it is mine,” saying so Ratan kept the bag in his possession.
Meanwhile the train arrived at the platform. Ratan and Mohan boarded it. Once they occupied their seats, they were at ease and began talking to each other. Time was rolling on. When the night fell, they began feeling sleepy.
After sometime the train halted at the next station. Suddenly they saw some policemen entering their compartment. Ratan was frightened to see them. He tried to put his suitcase behind his back.
Ratan whispered in Mohan’s ear, “We are in great trouble. The police have come. They would arrest us and put us behind bars. You know we have not stolen the bag.”
Mohan said in a low voice, “Why do you say—‘us’—and not—‘me’? Please don’t try to involve me. I have got nothing to do with the bag. You did not listen to me when I asked you to find out the owner and hand over the bag to him. Far from handing it over to the real owner, you even refused to share it with me. And now when you feel that you are going to land in an unpleasant situation, you want to share the unpleasantness with me. Very clever!”
The police saw lines of terror in Ratan’s face and became suspicious about him. They searched his belongings and found the bag. This was the bag they had come searching for. They arrested him and sent him to jail.
Now Ratan was repenting that he should have listened to his friend’s advice.
Moral : Friendship does not survive in doubts.
