“A True Liar” is a short story by Manu Bhattathiri about Velu, a man who treats lying as creative work but reveals the truth when he talks in his sleep. When he uses a lie to protect Thambi, a vulnerable tea-delivery boy, Velu must face the cost of putting his unusual talent to practical use.
Who wrote “A True Liar”?
Manu Bhattathiri wrote the story, published by Scroll.in on June 23, 2016, as an excerpt from his collection Savithri’s Special Room and Other Stories. Scroll.in describes the collection as a set of short stories in Karuthupuzha, a fictional town “a la Malgudi.” That is the publisher’s comparison; it does not establish a direct influence or equivalence.
Read the story excerpt on Scroll.in, which includes the full text of “A True Liar.”
What is the story about?
Velu sees lying as an act of invention rather than a way to gain an advantage. He tells people stories while awake, but in his sleep he speaks the truths hidden beneath them. His mother knows about the habit, and later his wife Kamala does too. The men who gather at the barber shop—including barber Sureshan and grocer Poulose—do not understand what his sleep-talking means.
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Velu sums up his view of invention in one line: “When you tell the truth you are just a messenger carrying what is given to you, but when you lie, you are a creator, a god even.” This is Velu’s dialogue, not a statement attributed to Bhattathiri outside the story.
Thambi’s trouble changes Velu’s rule
Thambi, an orphan who delivers tea, is beaten by his employer and denied payment by the police. Velu recognizes that directly confronting the tea-shop owner could put Thambi’s job at risk. Instead, he decides to influence his father-in-law, Sukumaran, a constable, with a lie so the police will protect the boy.
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The story does not disclose the exact lie Velu tells Sukumaran. Its importance lies in what it represents: Velu uses deception for a practical purpose, breaking with his stated insistence that he does not lie to gain an advantage.
The price of keeping the secret
Afterward, Velu stays awake to keep Kamala from hearing the truth in his sleep. Exhaustion costs him his driving job temporarily. Later, he falls asleep at the barber shop, but his friends hear only unintelligible murmurs.
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Thambi’s situation improves: the police pay him, his employer gives him a raise, and people in town treat him more kindly. The story places these gains alongside Velu’s personal cost, without explaining the lie itself.
That contrast gives the story its central tension. Velu regards lying as a form of artistic creation, yet the choice that matters most is not a story told for its own sake; it is a deception used to help someone vulnerable. His effort to conceal the truth from Kamala then turns that choice into a private burden.
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Where can you read the story or find the collection?
The full excerpt is available on Scroll.in. It comes from Bhattathiri’s collection Savithri’s Special Room and Other Stories. The publication identifies the book as the source collection; it does not establish a current edition, price, or marketplace listing.
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