95. Stars at Noon

The greatest fear in Lalit’s household was not illness, not unexpected guests, not even rising grocery prices — it was the monthly electricity bill. Lalit always advised everyone to use electricity wisely, but when the bill actually arrived, it felt as if stars had fallen from the sky in broad daylight.

One morning, the postman delivered an envelope and handed it to Lalit. He smiled, thinking, “Perhaps this is some good news.” But the moment he opened it and saw the electricity bill inside, his expression changed. For a second, he felt dizzy — as if he were seeing stars at noon.

He began reading it slowly. On the first page, it clearly stated: “Total Amount Due: ₹9,500.” His eyes widened in disbelief. “We couldn’t have used this much electricity!” he muttered. Determined to uncover the mystery, he turned to the detailed consumption report.

There were charges for running the air conditioner at night — but Lalit clearly remembered that there had been a power cut that evening. There were fan usage charges — yet he distinctly recalled switching it off before sleeping. There was even a charge for television usage, though the TV had been switched on only briefly, and mostly for watching advertisements!

Furious and confused, Lalit marched to the electricity department office. “Sir, this bill is incorrect. We haven’t used this much electricity,” he argued.

The officer smiled calmly and asked, “You do have a refrigerator at home, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course,” Lalit replied.
“Well,” the officer said, still smiling, “the refrigerator works continuously — quite comfortably, I must add. That contributes to the bill.”

Defeated but not convinced, Lalit returned home and declared to his wife, “From now on, we must save electricity seriously.”

His wife replied casually, “You can start by learning to unplug your mobile charger.”

The next day, Lalit officially announced new house rules: no unnecessary lights, no careless usage. He himself began switching off lights whenever he left a room. Yet deep inside, he couldn’t stop wondering whether the next bill would once again make him see stars in broad daylight.

By the end of the month, Lalit had tried his best to reduce electricity consumption. Still, he knew one thing for certain — whether the bill came lower or higher, the fear of opening that envelope would always remain.