In the village, Shyamu Kaka was famous—not for any good work, but for his remarkable talent of disappearing suddenly. The villagers jokingly said that Shyamu Kaka had earned a “PhD in taking French leave.”
Whenever any task was mentioned, Shyamu Kaka would first say, “I’ll be back in a moment.” And then he would return in such a way that nobody knew where he had gone.
One day, a cleanliness drive was going on in the village. The village head said, “Everyone must help with the sweeping today.” As soon as Shyamu Kaka picked up a broom, he quietly said, “Oh, I just remembered—I have some urgent work at home.” And in a blink, he vanished.
The neighbor asked, “Where did Kaka go?”
The village head laughed and said, “He took French leave.”
The next day, there was a village meeting. Shyamu Kaka was already sitting on a chair. But the moment the village head said, “We need to contribute money today,” Kaka said, “I must make an important phone call,” and left the chair empty in an instant.
People understood that Kaka’s phone calls were always urgent whenever money was mentioned.
Once, there was a fair in the village. Everyone was enjoying the merry-go-round. Shyamu Kaka was also sitting on the swing. Suddenly the ride stopped, and the ticket collector asked for the fare.
Shyamu Kaka said, “Brother, I’ll come back in a minute.”
And he stepped off the swing and disappeared as if he had melted into the air.
After the fair ended, people asked, “Where was Kaka all this time?”
Someone joked, “Kaka must be training to master the art of taking French leave.”
But the truth was that Shyamu Kaka was not a bad man; he was simply a little afraid of responsibility.
The villagers say that the art of taking French leave is not for everyone. It requires quick steps, a light smile, and the wisdom of disappearing at the right moment.
And Shyamu Kaka proudly used to say, “When the work is too heavy, taking French leave is the smartest choice.”
RAJEEV VERMA 