(Source- getty images)
(Recap – In the first part, I narrated the anecdote of “swarm of houseflies” in sub urban areas of Bombay. There I too roughly sketched, what a “mind game” in fact is.”)
At the time, when I was being related about the facts of anecdote of “mind game” played in Bombay, inside my office consultancy desk, from my an old acquaintance. I didn’t know, the another anecdote of the ‘mind game’, too, very shortly was to be narrated to me, by some one else. And that too by the green grocery vendor, who happened to install his wheeled barrow just in front of my office. The time of occurrence of the incidence was of recent time . Here, I am talking of the time of the decade of just the same last century, but it occurred about in the year of 1980.
How I came to know about this
Often being tired by being sunk into my office chair, I intermittently used to come out of my office, just to activate my body limbs. The ‘green grocery vendor,’ happened to run his business on the ‘wheeled barrow.’ This barrow, he installed in front of my office. Obviously, he did so with my overt consent. So, when ever I step out of my office, he often extended his pleasantries. This helped to initiate an affinity with him. Often, we shared some chats. Gradually, the chat session began to become lengthier, when talking about common topics. That time was an old one, withal my office located in sub urban area of a small sized city, there hovered an ambiance of akin to town area.
On one day, in a generous mood, I happened to relate him about the “mind game,’ played upon the people of Bombay sub urban area. I concluded the narration, by saying, ” such kind of ‘game players’ are always shrewd minded, and victims innocent one.” Upon this, he responded with a stolid tone, ” Saheb, about eight years ago, almost two hundred people too got robbed off in the same style, in my own village. I too was one of them.”
Naturally, this raised my curiosity to know about the incidence. I asked him to give a detailed account of the entire incidence. The story he narrated, was the good example, how ‘ mind game’ player read the psychology of ‘victims’ at first hand. In fact, hearing the whole narration, inside my heart, I saluted the acumen of the ‘ mind game player,’ of the incidence. Just I narrate the whole account of the incidence, in my own words.
Account of the Story
This green grocery vendor basically was the denizen of District Allahabad ( now new name as Prayagraj.) That district located at a far distance about 600 Km away from my this Himalayan foot hill city. Just hearing the fame of the bright name of my district, he had migrated here and began to run his green grocery business. Eight years ago, he happened to inhabit in his parental village in Allahabad. His village was a backward village in hinterland of his district. At that time, he happened to earn his livelihood by doing petty jobs as laborer in filds of affluent people.
On one day, he received a letter, on his name from the local post office. One thing, I would like to clear, such letters were sent only to peoples, who some how had had the ability to read and write. Further , the manner in which, these letters were delivered too was worth appreciation. These postal letters occasioned to get delivered daily, scarcely in number. These postal letters were the main tool of the mind game.
In this game, the sender first chose a village with the ample information, who could ably read such letters. Look into his skill of reconnoiter. He didn’t haste to deliver all letters in one installment. Interestingly, on daily base such four to five letters were delivered. And that too persons, who situated at a considerable distance from one another in the village. Gradually, about two hundred people of the village received letters randomly.
Secrecy of letters
The contents of letters in itself was so forceful. This impelled every such receiver of letter, to keep secret to himself only. No one ventured to share the contents with any one. No body intended that the treasure, he was going to obtain by virtue of the letter, be shared to another. The “contents of letter” was an outcome of the reading of ‘ innocent psychology’ of villagers. The contents of letter, ran as , “Are you aspirant to possess a contrivance, through which you could ably watch other people ostensibly. But other people may not trace out your person! If Yes, remit the Rupee five hundred on the address given below. Mind it! You are the only chosen person by our team!”
In deed a “great trap “
What a great idea it was! Whomsoever received this letter, jumped to the sky. In fact, it was the marketing of the concept of the “invisible man.” Every such recipient of the letter, dared not to disclose about the contents of the letter to any one. Be that even his real brother or wife. Every such trapped one, by applying all his meager means, firstly made the arrangement of rupee five hundred from hither and thither. After that, he secretly moved to the city General Post Office and remitted the money. No one opted to send the money from the local postal office. After this , all people waited eagerly confined to their own reverie.
Every such aspirant took himself as the god chosen one, to be benefited by this contrivance. Every one of them had had his own dreams, to get realized after obtaining this contrivance. Some one had had the plan, to rob off the hoard of money, from the coffer of the local usurper. Another had to settle the score of old animosity with his rival. Others had the scary plan to declare the entire place as haunted one, by intimidating people as an unseen ghost. Though majority of men had had a common dream, to watch youthful women to watch in bathing condition, without coming into their notice. Every one was engrossed in his fancy.
The fateful day
The day arrived, when people began to receive the contrivance. Horrendously, it disclosed almost to the entire village that every one had sent the money to obtain the same contrivance. Since, local postal office received “parcel delivery in bulk” to deliver, almost to the entire village. This open delivery in bulk, at once made people to realize, all they had been made fool through some scandalous scheme. But, now it was mandatory for people to open the parcels and look inside. After all, at that period of time, Rupees five hundred was a substantial amout.
From every such parcel, a “Burkha” got recovered. Such ‘complete veiled attire’ is put on by Muslim women, when out of the home. Shocked by this, entire village gathered at the village main square to lament for the cheating and their own foolhardiness as well. Elders of village, when heard the entire episode, they enjoyed the situation laughingly to the content of their heart. They reacted, “You asshole, what you can do against this cheating. The player of the game did no wrong in the eyes of the law. He fulfilled his promise. Just you put on ‘Burkha’ now. You can not be seen by others, but you can ably watch others. Ha ha ha ha aha….
Do you know Sir, what price a burkha cost at that time? Rupee thirty only! The robbed off, deceived people, even dared not visit the Police Station to lodge the FIR.
Note – Later on, it was revealed, this was not the only village got cheated as such. During the same time span, after a distance of some good deal of miles, so many other villagers too made target successfully in the same sequence. Penned by — Vinay Pharasi …..
