Mangalore: Deceptive Damsels Put Men in Distress!
by Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 20: Damsel in distress! The subject is the favourite movie theme for many Indian cinema producers both Hindi and other languages because it is a commercially marketable plot at any given time. Cinemagoers in India, therefore, are quite familiar with the plot having witnessed them in movies umpteen times. But these days it does not remain only as a cinema plot. Today it is a reality not just in metros and bigger cities but even in a city like Mangalore. There are instances of attractive women being used as a trap and lure men and loot them by a gang in Bangalore and other bigger cities. However, one would be surprised that in Mangalore too, there have been one or two incidents of this nature and this write up is just to sound an alarm bell to men not to allow their hearts rule over their minds especially in their over enthusiasm to help damsels in distress.
This incident that occurred in Mangalore recently, involving a friend of mine is almost like a scene lifted from any of the Bollywood movies or from any of the freaking soap operas. My friend, a robust looking man in his late 40’s, was returning home after attending a wedding party in Bejai hall at around 10.15 pm. He hails from Mangaladevi and he took the inner road from Bejai via Bunts Hostel to go home. Just when he came out of hall an attractive and well dressed woman tried to stop the car just a few metres from the hall. Though he had crossed her he could see her coming running in the rear mirror when he applied the brakes. The girl spoke in Hindi and requested him to drop at Jyothi to enable her catch the last bus to Kasargod. He felt the girl was really in need of help and without suspecting anything my friend acquiesced and the girl barged into the front seat of the car. She immediately began the conversation saying whether he would take her home if at all she missed the last bus. My friend now says that he sensed something amiss then and there and tried to explain to her that he has a wife and a grown up daughter at home and ‘he is not that sort of person’ to take her home. He also says that he asked her to get down as soon as he reached Bunts Hostel and he stopped the car near the peepal tree in front of the bus stop.
As soon as he stopped the car the girl suddenly pulled his hand towards her and tried to hug and kiss him even before my friend could realize what was happening to him. Before he could even resist (as he claims) she had put both her hands around her shoulders even as a few people in the bus stop were gawking at them. Finally this well built man succeeded in getting out of the clutches of the woman after herculean efforts. I am not quite sure whether he rally resisted but let me trust him on his face value. Though he denies, it looks as though he too might have been carried away by the sudden rain of kisses and hugs that came on a platter without realizing that it might have come at a price. My friend says he recovered from this onslaught and told her to get down then and there but she again implored him to drop her at Jyothi circle which my soft-hearted friend did dutifully (may be as a reward) and went home thinking that he was saved from ‘unwanted trouble’, as he puts it. The story does not end there.
He might had a good sleep repeatedly dreaming the incident that occurred that night within a matter of 5 minutes from Bejai inner road till Jyothi circle. It was only the next morning after waking up from a sweet slumber and when he went for bath he realized he was taken for a royal ride by that girl when he found 3-pavan gold chain missing from his neck. After mulling over the lost chain he tried to recall the events of the previous night and they began to flashback in his mind and he realized how he was looted (in today’s gold rates it is about 50,000 and more) within a matter of five minutes. She must have flicked the chain when she had hugged him. The girl who seemed like a damsel in distress had walked away with the loot with impunity and must have had the last laugh.
My friend lodged a complaint with the Kadri police Station as the area where the incident happened comes under their jurisdiction. Though the police made enquiries nothing has come of it so far. It was then my friend came to know about another similar incident that happened in Car Street where a doctor was also hoodwinked in a similar mode just a week before this incident. But the doctor had not filed any complaint in this regard and so it is known only to his close circle of friends.
Though there has been no incidents reported in this regard there might be a few cases of this nature and the victims (men) might not have registered any complaints as it is the question of their reputation or prestige. Or those who might have been duped might not have realized it that it might be the handiwork of a nimble-fingered damsel who must have kissed and hugged to walk away with the booty. Surely, the girl had some back up support, without which such a daredevilry is highly improbable as it is fraught with danger.
This is a wakeup call for all those men or even women, especially when they are travelling alone at late nights. For men apart from facing the risk of duping, they may even face the risk of other charges like attempt to rape, murder, kidnap etc., if by chance the girl is caught while robbing. The flipside of this is that when any woman or man is really in need of succor, such help may not be forthcoming. So the next time before extending a helping hand to damsels in distress, men, you better think with your mind.