I am a writer.
My first book was published it was a dream I had lived for years. Readers loved it. It became the bestseller of the year. That book gave me respect and financial strength. But I felt I needed more promotion.
So, I tried a unique idea a giveaway.
I announced: Whoever gives the best review of my book on social media will win a prize of ₹25,000.
It wasn’t just a way to promote the book; it was my way of honoring those readers who truly understood my writing.
Within a few days, many reviews came in. But one review touched me deeply. A young man named Rahul had posted a video review on Instagram. He not only understood the depth of my book but also connected with my thoughts.
I was very happy.
I immediately sent him a message on Instagram:
"Hi Rahul, your review was truly outstanding. As promised, ₹25,000 is yours. Please share your WhatsApp number so we can connect."
Rahul sent the number: 8913*****3, and I saved it but by mistake, I saved the last digit as 6 instead of 3
8913*****6.
I thought I was talking to Rahul. I sent the same message:
"Hi Rahul, ₹25,000 is ready for your review. Please share your bank details."
The reply came: "Thank you sir, here are the details: XXXX"
Without checking, without confirming… I transferred the money.
A few days later, I got a message from the real Rahul:
“Sir, what about the prize money?”
I was shocked. “What? I’ve already sent it!”
Soon, the truth came out. The person I was talking to wasn’t Rahul it was a fraud named Rauf. He pretended to be Rahul, sent his own bank details, and took the prize that was not his.
I told the real Rahul the truth that I had messaged the wrong person and given away his prize by mistake. I said sorry and told him I would contact him again soon.
But before I could say anything else, Rahul blocked me.
I didn’t think much of it… but the next morning…
Rahul posted on Twitter:
“This author is a fraud. Promises giveaways but never delivers. Plays with emotions for publicity.”
The post went viral.
Overnight, I became #FakeAuthor.
People abused me. They mocked me. My relatives said, “You went to earn a name and came back with shame.”
I locked myself in my room.
I stopped writing and went into depression for days.
For me, the loss wasn’t just ₹25,000. It was my identity, my confidence, and my trust in my own words.
A single digit mistake changed the course of my life.
But today… I am writing again. Because stories don’t end where darkness begins. They begin where someone dares to write the truth, even in the dark.
I am a writer. And this insident is not just about mistakes it’s a lesson.
Every digit matters.
And even today, I still think if only I had taken Rahul’s details directly on Instagram… if only I had double-checked the number… none of this would have happened.
A few weeks had passed.
I got a message from a reader named Shadab.
He sent a photo of someone and said:
"This is the guy who took the reward in Rahul's name. His name is Rauf, sir. I know you never meant to hurt anyone. What happened was a fraud... and I’m a witness."
I asked, "How do you know?"
And what he told me next opened my eyes.
He started speaking
Rauf was sitting with me near the sea. In the middle of our laughter Rauf laughed and said, "Bro, just imagine my luck a man walked up to me and gave me money. I didn’t even ask his name. I just became Rahul!"
I laughed and said, "Who was it? Show me."
Rauf took out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and showed me a picture.
I understood everything in that moment and said,
"Hey… isn’t this the same writer? The one people are making fun of on Twitter?"
He quickly tried to hide his phone and nervously said,
"No no, it’s someone else. Why would a writer give me money?"
Now the truth was in front of me.
There was too much to say, but one thing was clear
the mistake was mine, but the fraud wasn’t.
Rahul called me a cheat without knowing the truth… and everyone else believed it too.
But now I had the truth.
And truth has power it might take time, but when it arrives, even silence starts to speak.
I wrote a new post, along with a video of Rauf’s apology.
"Not every mistake teaches a lesson.
Sometimes, it turns out to be a blessing.
Every digit matters."
I wrote everything
Why I thought of the giveaway, how I saved the wrong number by mistake, how a clever man broke my trust, and how a conversation between friends brought everything to light.
The post ended like this:
I am a writer. I make mistakes too.
But I believe in accepting my mistakes, not hiding them.
Rahul, if you’re reading this the reward is still waiting for you.
And dear readers, if you can read me again as a writer, that will be my real reward.
I shared the post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The first hour was silent.
Then a comment came:
"I’m Rahul. And now I respect you even more than before."
I saw Rahul had unblocked me.
He messaged:
"Sir, I was in a rush too. I believed everything without knowing the truth.
I’m sorry."
My eyes filled with tears.
I replied:
"More important than sorry is the lesson.
We both found it."
In the next few days, my post was shared by thousands of people.
I received offers for interviews, but I refused all of them.
I didn’t want fame.
I just wanted one thing the honesty of my writing and the respect of my readers.
And now…
I’m working on my new book.
The title is:
Every Digit Matters
This time, it won’t just be a story.
It will be the return of a writer’s soul.
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