The Scent of Honesty

Story Pragya was a cheerful and bubbly little girl. She loved watching her mother dress up. The bright sarees, the shiny bangles, and the sweet-smelling perfume always fascinated her.

One afternoon, when her mother wasn’t around, Pragya tiptoed to the dressing table. “Today, I will dress up like Mama!” she whispered happily.

She draped a scarf, slipped on bangles, and reached for the tall glass perfume bottle.

But crash! The bottle slipped and broke into pieces. The room was filled with fragrance.

“Oh no! Mama’s favorite perfume!” she gasped. Afraid of being scolded, she quickly hid the broken pieces in a bag and pushed it under the bed.

A few days later, Pragya saw her mother’s lipstick. It was so bright and pretty! Without asking, she applied a little and slipped it into her toy box.

One morning, while cleaning the room, Mama found the lipstick inside the toy box. She also noticed her perfume bottle was missing.

She gently called, “Pragya, did you take my things?”

Pragya’s heart beat fast. She looked down and whispered, “No, Mama.”

Mama knelt beside her and softly said, “My dear, when we hide the truth, trust begins to break. But when we are honest, even if we make mistakes, love and trust grow stronger.”

Tears filled Pragya’s eyes. She hugged her mother and said, “I’m sorry, Mama. I broke your perfume bottle… and I took your lipstick without asking.”

Mama smiled and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for telling the truth, Pragya. Mistakes can be forgiven, but trust once broken is difficult to rebuild. But being honest makes you truly beautiful inside and helps you make strong relationships.”

From that day, Pragya promised herself always to speak the truth. She learned that honesty was even more precious than her mother’s perfume or lipstick.