My wife left me ten years ago, but before she died, my father-in-law called me and gave me half a crore rupees and told me to keep it a secret… It wasn’t until after the funeral that I realized it was all just…
The day my former father-in-law called me, I was a little surprised—my wife and I hadn’t been in touch for almost a decade. He left me after I went bankrupt and ran off with a rich man. But that day, his voice was soft on the phone, and he told me to come to Fortis Hospital in Gurugram immediately.

In the white room of the hospital, my former father-in-law, Mr. Harish Sharma, handed me a black plastic bag containing half a crore rupees (50 lakhs) in cash. Then, he gently took my hand:

“Son… keep this money a secret, don’t let anyone know. This is a family matter… After I die, you’ll know what to do.”

I nodded without asking any further questions.

May be an image of 4 people and chess

The day she died, the entire family got busy preparing for the funeral. My ex-wife Nisha also returned, but she behaved like a stranger, just standing next to Vikram (my new husband) and giving instructions. I said nothing, silently following my former father-in-law’s last wishes.

On the final day, when the funeral was over, before carrying out his wishes, I quietly opened my wallet and looked inside… and I was stunned: thick stacks of money were fake, with some real notes mixed in to add weight. A white envelope was neatly tucked away at the bottom of the bag, inside which was a handwritten letter:

“Son-in-law, I know my daughter left you earlier, but you never blamed me. I also know that you secretly helped me pay off a large debt without telling anyone. I kept the real money in the kitchen drawer and the key in the pocket of the vest I was wearing today. Take this before they find out.”

My heart was pounding. I ran into the kitchen of the old house in South Delhi, opened the wooden cupboard, and just as they had said: a small iron box lay quietly inside. I opened it – brand new currency notes, still sealed and neatly arranged.

I calmly put them in my bag and returned to the living room as if nothing had happened. Nisha came to me, a mockery in her voice:

“You’re still so poor, I don’t know why my father called you here…”

May be an image of 4 people and chess

I just smiled, walked out the door, turned back, and said something that silenced the entire house:

“My father called me… to return all the money he’d hidden all his life. As for you, just stay there and fight… for the counterfeit notes in the black bag.”

With that, everyone’s eyes fell on the bag that was still lying on the table. Nisha’s face turned pale, and she ran to tear it open… and to be honest, they were all counterfeit notes. Screams echoed through the house, and I picked up my bag and walked straight away – this time, with my head held higher than ever before.