Friends

Arpith and Abhilash were great friends. They went to school together and returned home together. One day, when they were returning from school, Arpith saw something shining on the road.

“Hey, what is this? Let’s see.” He bent down and picked up the shining golden pen lying on the road. Both of them were very excited and looked around and found no one there.

“How lucky we are! It is a golden pen and if we sell it we can get lot of money. Both of us will be able to pay our school fee and buy books,” said his friend Abhilash.

Arpith didn’t like this idea. Since it was a golden pen he didn’t want to share his fortune with his friend. He protested, “How can you say ‘our’ pen? I found it and it is my pen. I will sell it and take the whole money for myself. I won’t share it with you.”

Abhilash got very upset in his friend’s sudden change of attitude. Till then they had shared everything together, and now what happened to him, he wondered. However, he didn’t want to argue with him, and spoil their friendship. “Okay, Arpith. It is your pen and you do what you like with it since you found it”.

The friends continued to walk, and Arpith began to dream about his fortune, with the money he was going to get by selling the pen, and the things he would be buying with it. Suddenly, a man came on the way on a cycle hurriedly and stopped them. “Boys, please give back my golden pen. Otherwise I will call the police.” He demanded.

“It’s not your pen. We got it on the way, and it is our pen,” replied Arpith.
Abhilash looked at his friend in surprise. “Don’t say it is our pen. It is ‘your’ pen since you had picked it up. If you don’t return it to the owner you will take the punishment alone, and not me,” said Abhilash.

Arpith realized his mistake, and regretted for excluding his friend in his good fortune.