Importance of Truth

Importance of Truth

At least once in our lifespan, everyone could have lied. It could be for someone’s happiness or with an intention of not hurting others.

When a person enquiries about the look of a new dress, we tend to say it’s awesome though it looks average on them with an intention of not hurting. 

We purchase an expensive phone and notify only half of its price to our parents just to escape from scolding’s. 

But being honest gives us Honorable respect and friends. When I told my friend that for her complexion dark colour suits better and suggested the new models, she followed it with little hesitant. But on receiving positive response, she was very happy and thanked me. From that time, whenever she goes for shopping she always takes me. Because I was honest and candid with her selection.
There was one incident in my life where telling the truth have saved a Job, saved a person. It taught me a very valuable lesson.

“Of Course, Truth hurts!!! But remember that’s the ONLY seed which bears tasty fruits in future”

I and my close friend Rithika were working in the same company from past 5 years. This year March, she lost both her mom and dad in an accident. She was the only daughter and it shook her to the core. She went to depression and we tried our level best to bring her back. But she did not take any step to come out of that incident. She didn't turn up to office as well. 3 Months passed, no progress. After our kind request, she joined the office to divert her mind. But every day she used to come very late. As a friend I knew the reason. She weeps whole night and sleep only by morning 4 or so and wakes up very late, missing the cab. Her mind was always clouded with her parent’s thoughts and hence she lost focus on work. She started making minor mistakes and missed the deliverables at work. Her performance impacted the client and they started sending negative feedbacks to her manager.
Emphasising her condition, the managers and senior managers ignored her first mistake, second mistake as well, of course third mistake too. But as days passed, she started making major mistakes and the escalations from clients roared high. But Rithika was not even in a position to realise the impact of those escalations and negative feedbacks.

Her Manager failed to explain the impact, since he thought it would push her to depression further. But I could clearly sense the vision.
December Month was about to approach and for corporate, its bonus and review time. Most of the corporate companies give bonus to their employees based on their performance. In my organization, an employee will be ranked as below based on his/her performance during the entire year.

1. Extra Ordinary performance
2. Successful Performance 
3. Inconsistent performance

If a person gets Inconsistent performance, he/she needs to leave the organisation immediately. It’s a kind of termination. As per my organization policy one employee in a team has to get Inconsistent performance. Not only me, everybody had understood that this year Rithika is going to get Inconsistent performance in my team. But none of my team mates had the courage to give hints to her. Because we all felt comfortable on avoiding the truth. We all thought hiding the truth would make her happy for at least for the next few months. We were trying to be human (!?) sympathetic towards her.

Image Source - IndiesUnlimited

But every night, before I hit bed a guilty feel would kill me. I realized that I am not going to protect her for long, by hiding the truth. On recognising the consequence and her situation after 3 months, I felt hiding the truth is a crime.
The next day I took her to my home and told straight to her face.
“Listen Ritu, Your parents had fought so much ONLY for your welfare. Their happiness was to give you an excellent education and an understanding life partner. They did their part in offering you an outstanding qualification. Now, it’s in your hands to protect it and fulfil your parent’s second wish.  I don’t think so, you are heading towards it. In 3 months, if you don’t prove yourself at work, they will be terminating you. And your parents’ soul will see you losing a Job. Their gift of education to you will be gone waste”
She asked,“What’s the use in fulfilling their wish when they are not with me”
I explained her briefly about how important is her Job now and in future. I explained her the necessary of being happy so as to make her parents soul rest in peace.
She started sobbing with the anxiety of losing the Job. I hugged her tight and said, “See Ritu, if you keep on crying every day, your life will be surrounded only with negative force. You are killing yourself. Your brain won’t be active enough to concentrate in work. You had already become so fragile. Nothing is over my dear. Anyone can start a new beginning at any time. I know it’s impossible to forget the past. If you feel like crying, just cry. But immediately try to come out of it and start working. Remember one thing, if you don’t do hard work, you will lose the job in another 3 months and when you sit at home, again the past will haunt you. Your parents will be happy only if they see you happy my dear.”
I spoke all the truth and reality for another one hour. It did hurt her and she cried to the core. But the next day…
She came to office wearing a new dress. Her bright face projected her confidence. For the next 3 months, she worked day and night. In the initial days, she struggled a lot to focus. But as days passed she got diverted to work completely and started getting good name in office.

Decemeber – Review Month. 
Rithika came out of the meeting room. She ran towards me, hugged tightly and started weeping ignoring the CCTV camera. I got nervous without knowing how to console her.

She wiped her eyes and said, “Deepu, If you had not told about the real situation three months before, I must have had lost the Job today. On seeing my past performance, the mangers had decided to give me Inconsistent performance. But on seeing the hard work and my performance for the past three months they gave me successful performance. They also encouraged me to get extraordinary performance next year. I feel everything is coming to place now. Thanks dear.” She went back to her desk, opened her purse and looked at her parent’s photo. She closed her eyes and prayed.

At that point I realized telling lies for someone happiness is just a temporary solution. Though Truth seems like a Medicine which at first seems to be aversion, it is a kind of Vaccination which would be treating so many dreadful disease (incidents) which is lying a head.

This post is written as a part of "Kitna chain hota hai na sachchai mein" (Purity in Every drop) Happy hours contest organized by Indiblogger.in in association with Kinley. 

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"Purity in Every drop" That's what every body expects in drinking water. Like wise, if everyone decides to be speak the Truth then there is No need of Court. 
Actor/Politicians/Businessman will declare their real salary and will pay taxes and people will be free from poverty and inflation and much more...