Coup On Arts – 05 [Half thief]

By this time, in Mathangi Puram, Karthikeya called his third son: Half thief and said, “Your younger brother had shown his capacity of doing theft. I’m happy. You go to same Kunthala Nagaram, by this night itself. Before sunrise you have to show your talent to me. Make me happy by doing so.”

Half thief took leave from his father and reached Kunthala Nagaram. He enquired people by pretending that he was a tourist to that city. People told him “In our city, today a thief had cheated a business man and theft costly saris. Our king was very angry about it. He ordered the Kothwal to arrest the thief within 24 hours. The Kothwal was already on duty.”


Then he enquired about background and what about of the Kothwal. He was told “The Kothwal has a daughter. In the younger age i.e. at the age of six years, he performed his daughter’s marriage. But the bride groom had left the house and gone somewhere. Now his daughter is at the age of 16 years. Since 10 years, he is searching for his son-in-law, but he could not find him. This is most unhappy thing to him”.

Half thief thought about a plan. He dressed himself in rich appearance. He purchased new and costly clothes for the Kothwal, his wife and his daughter. He brought sweets, fruits, flowers and other gifts and reached the house of Kothwal. By that time, the Kothwal was ready to take his dinner. When he observed the Half thief’s arrival, the Half thief put Namaskar to his feet and said “Father-in-law, how are you?” the kothwal was shocked. His wife rushed to there. He put another namaskar to her feet and said “Mother-in-law. How are you?” Both of the shocked and could not recall the memory of their son-in-law. They thought, “It was 10 years back. At that time our son-in-law was a boy. We can’t recognize him after grown up. If we say anything wrong, he may leave our house again.”

By thinking like this, the Kothwal and his wife received him with great respect, served him a delicious dinner. The Kothwal wife made up their daughter with gold ornaments. When the Kothwal was getting ready to go out, the Half thief asked, “Father-in-law, why are you getting to go out at this late hour?” The Kothwal said “My dear boy! Today there happened a theft in the city. The king ordered me to capture him. That’s why I’m making move.”

The Half thief said “Well uncle. I want to come with you. Let me see the city.”

The Kothwal agreed for it. It was full moon day. Both the Kothwal and Half thief took rounds in the city and reached a junction, which was near to the Kothwal’s house. There was a rock with holes. It was used to keep the hands and legs of a thief when he was caught at nighttime, before presenting him in court. There was a locking system in that rock which was called as Gudi Banda that means rock prison.

When they reached there, Half thief pretended innocence and asked “Uncle! What is this?” The Kothwal said, “It is Gudi Banda. We use it to arrest thief by keeping his legs and hands in these holes and we can lock it.”

Half thief said “Uncle! It is strange. Let me see how it works. I’ll keep my hands and legs in this, and you look it.”

Kothwal felt embracing. He said “My boy! You are my son-in-law. I feel bad to do so. Do one thing. I keep myself in the holes of this Gudi Banda. You observe how it works. But take care. Don’t lock it. I have no keys with me. The keys are at home. We need the keys in the morning only. That’s why I kept them in house as precautionary of losing.”

Then he put his hands and legs in the holes. Half thief pretended as observing its working and locked the Kothwal in the Gudi Banda. He said “Alas! Uncle! Sorry! I done mistake. It was locked.”

Kothwal worried. He said “Go home and bring the key immediately. If thief comes by this time, we may loss an opportunity to catch him.”

Half thief said okay to Kothwal and ran to his house. He said to Kothwal’s wife “Aunty! Uncle had information that the thief was planning to come to robbery in our house. That’s why he asked me to tell this information to you and bring all the wealth including money and gold to him to keep it in secured place.”

Kothwal wife confused by this, she shouted at her husband “Hai! Shall I give him?” He thought about the key, and then in reply he shouted, “Send immediately.” She thought about wealth, she packed all the valuables including money, gold and other things and gave it to Half thief.

With that packet, Half thief went to Kothwal and said, “Are you capable to catch holding me?” Kothwal shocked by it.

Just like a flash of light, Half thief vanished from there. He reached Mathanga puram and explained everything to his father Karthikeya. He felt happy.
In the morning, all the public, soldiers surprised at Kothwal in Gudi Banda. The soldiers released him from it. They went to the king. After enquiring all, the king was very angry. The Minister said “Cool Maharaja! This night, I’ll try to capture the thief.” The king accepted it.