The Useless One – A Story

 “The Useless One” – A Story

Paras was the younger of his parents’ two children. His elder sister, Komal, was everyone’s favorite. The main reason was her cultured nature, her excellence in studies, her willingness to help with household chores, and her respectful behavior toward everyone. Because of these qualities, the whole family adored Komal.

Paras, on the other hand, had no interest in studies or household work. Being the beloved grandchild of his grandparents, he had grown extremely stubborn. Nothing anyone said made any impact on him. As a result, he neither received love nor respect at home.

Paras’ father worked as a peon in a government office. He did not want his son to end up in the same job. But all his efforts to guide Paras failed. The constant scolding only made Paras more stubborn day by day. His father also frequently scolded him for using his mobile phone excessively—sometimes even calling him “useless.”

Paras loved watching YouTube videos, a habit that annoyed everyone at home.

One day, upset over something, Paras left the house and sat on the railing of a bridge on a distant road. Suddenly, he heard some people murmuring nearby. Curious, he quietly moved to the other side of the bridge and listened. To his shock, he realized they were planning a terrorist attack in the city.

Paras silently positioned himself at a distance, keeping an eye on their movements, and immediately informed the police about the entire incident.

By the time the police arrived, the terrorists had already left to carry out their plan. Seeing the police unexpectedly, two terrorists blew themselves up with bombs. The remaining two tried to escape, and Paras ran after them. He managed to catch one terrorist, but could not avoid getting injured — the terrorist slashed his arm with a knife. Despite the pain, Paras held onto him tightly. The police shot and injured the other terrorist.

Paras was rushed to a major city hospital. He had lost a lot of blood. His act of bravery soon became breaking news on every channel. His family rushed to the hospital, showered him with blessings, and prayed for his quick recovery.

The Government of India honored Paras with a special position in the army, with one condition: he must complete his 12th-grade education with at least 60% marks. Until then, the government would provide him a monthly stipend of ₹25,000.

The entire family was proud of Paras’s achievement — and so was he. Soon, Paras was invited as a special guest to important programs in the city. His bravery became an inspiration for children.

At one such school event, a child asked Paras,
“Where did you get so much courage from?”

Paras replied,
“I loved watching videos about the bravery of soldiers on YouTube. I had promised myself that one day I would do something for my country. And secondly, I wanted to erase the word ‘useless’ that my father would sometimes call me out of anger.”

Today, Paras has become a source of inspiration — not only for the entire city but for his own family as well.

Anil Kumar Gupta

Librarian