The Extraordinary Burglar

Kabir was a thirteen year old who enjoyed reading suspense books. One night, when he was at alone at home, he decided to read one such book in bed. The pin-drop distance and darkness all around him made him uncomfortable. Suddenly, he heard a loud thud. It seemed to come from downstairs. Kabir was afraid that someone had broken into the house. Just the thought of a burglar, possibly with weapons, sent shivers down his spine. Meanwhile, the burglar , who was downstairs, lit a torch and looked around. He sensed that someone was descending the stairs.

Kabir, pale with fear, opened the door of the room in which the burglar was hiding and turned on the light. The sudden movement startled the thief and made him drop the torch. He tried to run away, but Kabir picked up a stick and started hitting the thief. “Stop! Stop!” the burglar screamed. Kabir continued to hit him. “Stop or you are not allowed to watch television for a month!” He shouted. This confused Kabir.

Then, the ‘burglar’ removed his mask and to Kabir’s surprise, it was his father! “Let me explain,” He started. “Due to a work emergency, I had to come home earlier. There was no battery in my mobile phone so I could not tell you. I tried ringing the door bell, but you did not respond. So, I was left with no option but to climb through the window!” “But Dad, why have you covered your face with a mask?” Asked Kabir, still perplexed. “ Because I wanted to take all precautions to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. You know that we should wear masks while going out if it is urgent to do so.” He replied. Kabir sighed a sigh of relief. He was very happy to be safe.He decided to be more vigilant and neither leave windows open nor be careless enough to miss doorbells.

Lesson Learnt- Things are not always what they seem.