- Mihir Rathod
- Instead of removing his shoes, he took off his slippers and went in to sit among the crowd.
- "If only I'd listened to that scholar's speech till the end, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"
B halabhai was a man who forgot everything. He could never remember where he was supposed to go or what he had planned to do. If he started out for the library, he might end up at the hospital instead!
Once, he took his bicycle and went to Kamal the painter's shop.
"I want to get my name written on my bicycle," he said. "How much will you charge?"
"Twelve rupees," Kamal replied.
Bhalabhai scratched his chin, thought a little, and said, "Make it ten rupees."
Kamal agreed. "Fine," he said. "Tell me your name so I can paint it right away."
But Bhalabhai fell silent. He scratched his head, frowned, and tried hard to remember - but his name simply refused to come to mind!
Kamal stared at him in disbelief. "Come on, tell me your name! I'll write it right now."
Poor Bhalabhai was terribly confused. What should I do now? he thought. Should I go home and ask?
After a moment, he said, "I'll be right back!" and hurried home.
Just as he reached his courtyard, the postman arrived. "Bhalabhai Nanabhai Chovatiya!" the postman called out, handing him a letter.
"Oh yes!" said Bhalabhai, suddenly overjoyed. "That's my name!"
He ran straight back to Kamal's shop and proudly told him his full name. Kamal burst out laughing so hard that he nearly dropped his paintbrush. Bhalabhai turned red with embarrassment.
That day, he began to think seriously: Something must be done about this forgetfulness. I have to improve my memory somehow!
One day, Bhalabhai's friend Manabhai came to him and said,
"There's going to be a big meeting in the city today. A great scholar will be giving a speech on how to stop being forgetful!" Bhalabhai's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I need!" he said. He got ready quickly and took his bicycle out.
His daughter-in-law Jamnaben said, "All right, go and listen carefully. Maybe your forgetfulness will finally go away and your memory will get stronger. That would be a good thing!"
Bhalabhai nodded seriously. "Yes, yes," he said.
He reached the meeting place. Instead of parking his bicycle properly, he locked it and kept it right there in the open! Then, instead of removing his shoes, he took off his slippers and went in to sit among the crowd.
The scholar began his talk - a fine, thoughtful speech about improving memory and overcoming forgetfulness. Everyone listened attentively.
For a while, Bhalabhai too listened eagerly. But soon he started yawning. Once, twice, again and again. His eyelids grew heavy, and his head began to droop.
Before he knew it, he bumped into the man sitting next to him.
The man, irritated, said sharply, "Brother, if you want to sleep, go home!"
Bhalabhai blinked and thought, He's right. I can't even sleep properly at night, and now I'm dozing off here!
So, without a second thought, he got up quietly, picked up his bicycle, and left.
But instead of going home, he somehow reached the temple.
Bhalabhai's forgetfulness seemed to be growing worse every day.
After offering his prayers to the Lord, he left the temple - and ended up at his sister's house instead!
"Come in, come in!" said his sister, surprised but happy to see him.
Only then did Bhalabhai realize that he had forgotten where he was supposed to go! Still, he stayed for a while, chatted, had a cup of tea, and then left again.
As he rode his bicycle, he kept muttering to himself, "I want to go home. I want to go home. Nowhere else - only home!"
He repeated it over and over until, at last, he reached his house. He was thrilled. "At last," he said to himself, "I remembered my home correctly!"
But there was just one little mistake.
When Jamnaben saw him, she asked, "Why are you back so early? Didn't you enjoy the meeting?"
"It was nice," said Bhalabhai, smiling proudly.
But a few moments later, Jamnaben suddenly burst out laughing - laughing so hard that she had to hold her stomach.
Bhalabhai looked puzzled. "What's so funny?" he asked.
Jamnaben could hardly speak. "Look… look at your feet!" she said between fits of laughter.
Bhalabhai looked down - and froze.
On one foot, he had a slipper. On the other, a shoe!
"Oh my goodness!" he cried. When he had left the meeting hall half-asleep, he had put on one of his own slippers and someone else's shoe!
He smacked his forehead. "If only I'd listened to that scholar's speech till the end, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"
Then, shaking his head, he sighed and said to himself,
"I am not clever Bhalabhai - I am forgetful Bhalabhai!"
You will meet many such forgetful but kind-hearted people like Bhalabhai around you - but try not to be like them!
