Beware of FM 111

Everybody has a desire to know what the other person is thinking about us especially our dear and near ones. This story is about misadventures of a retired man who gets to read the mind of his dear and near ones thanks to a magical radio station “FM 111”. There have been similar stories in the past and this is my own perspective. The thoughts are my own not the concept.

. Ram was a retired officer from the civil services. He had not been a Ram throughout his life there were a couple of transgressions. His wife Lakshmi had passed away a couple of years ago due to a heart attack. He has two children, a daughter who was well married and a son who was running his own business. His household consisted of Sanjeev, a servant cum driver with him for the last 35 years. The most prized possession in the house for. Ram was “Tiger” a small Pomeranian. He used to accompany. Ram in his early morning walk and mostly slept under his easy chair or bed. Both were inseparable and the only time Tiger used to be away from. Ram was when he used to go to the temple. . Ram believed that his friends and family were satisfied and proud of him.
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It was one of those days, Ram was going to his temple, when saw a strange looking guy selling electronic equipments on the street. . Ram had always wanted to buy a portable FM radio with a headphone. He went and inspected the ware this guy had and picked up a piece which had a catchy title “FM 111”. He quite liked the piece since it was handy.

He decided to check out its working, the piece had a digital display of the station number. Out of curiosity, he tuned to frequency “111” and all of a sudden heard a voice saying “this piece has not been sold for the last one year, thank god, this old man liked it, I will agree even for a rate of Rs.100, though I will tell him Rs.175, yesterday also I could not make a single sale. If this old man buys atleast I can take my sick son to the doctor” Ram was shocked and looked up at the vendor who was busy arranging his wares silently. He could not believe what he heard and turned the instrument towards a guy sitting on a bike near the bus stop and could hear “Why is this girl so late? Afternoon I have to go out with Radha; if I get late she will scream at me”. Ram changed the channels either he was getting the regular transmission or usual blurring sound. He understood that FM111 was a special channel operational only on that radio which read the mind of the person towards whom the instrument is directed towards.

Ram purchased the radio paying the vendor an amount of Rs.150/-. While leaving the place, he saw a monkey from the branch looking weirdly at him. He turned the instrument towards the monkey but got a message “Shut up don’t try to read my mind”. Amused he walked away.

*****

Next he went to the temple, prayed to God (did not have the courage to read God’s mind) and as usual touched the feet of Guruji to seek his blessings. He arose and sat in his presence to listen to a few good words from the Guruji. Out of curiosity, he tried to find out what the Guruji was thinking in his mind and turned his FM 111 on him and heard this “Stupid, feel like kicking him when he falls at my feet, from two months I have been telling him, I want to visit all the religious places in the country, does not speak even a single word about sponsoring the trip”. Ram was surprised and he got up to say “Guruji, I will sponsor Rs.25,000/- towards the pilgrimage you want to undertake”. He collected his Prasad, flowers and got up with a smile leaving the Guruji shell shocked.

*****
Next as usual he went to the hotel of his dearest childhood friend Lakshman. It was his habit to go to this hotel, have a cup of sugarless tea, buy a bun for tiger and leave home. He got curious what Lakshman was thinking when he saw him and used his FM 111 weapon and heard this “Here comes the creep, took Lakshmi away from me just because he had a better job. He took the sugar away from my life and today is forced to renounce sugar and salt in his life, ha, ha, ha”. He welcomed him “Come Ram, my dearest friend”. . Ram told “Aree Lakshman, give me a cup of tea with lots of sugar, why should I not have sugar because somebody’s life is tasteless?” Lakshman was stunned as he handed him the bun and collected a ten rupee note. While leaving, Ram turned back and said “Yesterday, Lakshmi came in my dreams and was asking how Lakshman bhaiya is?” He could see Lakshman fuming inside.
*****
Ram never knew that Lakshman was interested in Lakshmi; otherwise he would have never done this to his friend. He loved Lakshmi dearly, a lot more than Rita his one time secretary or Rani, a fringe actress, two of his marital transgressions. For all his life he believed that his wife did not know about these two. The only man who knew this was Sanjeev. He wanted to know what Lakshmi thought about him. It was customary of him after returning from the temple, to place the prasad and flowers before Lakshmi’s photo, pray for a few minutes and then go to the lawn. He finished his prayers and tried his FM111 on her photo too and heard this “Now he prays to me, Sanjeev has told me all about his exploits with Rita and Rani; all his adventures in the record room with Rita and in the state guest house with Rani, Sanjeev told me everything. But for my stupid father, I would have run away with Lakshman the day before marriage, such a sincere guy he is”. Ram got up, smiled thinking “The treacherous Sanjeev” and walked out.

He sat in the lawn and called out for “Tiger” but he was nowhere to be seen. Ram sat on his chair and soon his daughter-in-law Reema along with his daughter Saumya came out. He turned his FM 111 towards his daughter to hear this “What sort of guy Papa found for me? He is always behind money, all my fate but for the kids I would have runaway with Sudeep, he still loves me”. Ram looked up and said “Saumya, what sort of people would runaway from a failed marriage? I am just writing a blog on this subject, wanted your views” Saumya started sweating and said “Papa, I will leave, Arjun will be coming from Sydney today”.

Next he turned his FM 111 towards his daughter-in-law who was dutifully peeling out oranges for him and heard this “When will this naukrani work end for me? Either it is peeling oranges, giving tablets, preparing vegetable soup or applying ointments. My friends how nicely they enjoy their married life! I can’t go out with Sanjay to any place because of this old man”. Ram got up and told “Bahu, next week Sanjay is going to Bangalore, why don’t you go out with him, always you are serving me, take a break, I will look after myself for a few days” . Reema replied “No papa, my life is at your feet”. Ram replied “Yes, Bahu, I know but you too require a change”. Hesitantly she walked away and in came Sanjay.
******

Sanjay came and asked “Papa, how are you? How is your health? Should I get you anything from Bangalore?” Ram tried his FM111 on him and heard this “Now there is a good chance to open a hotel on the highway, we have a piece of land there, but would it be right to ask him? Will he think I am being selfish and shameless? Chodo, I won’t get into an argument with him”. Ram said “Beta, ever since the new highway has come up, hotel business has become a good option, why don’t you use that piece of land and set up a hotel there, shall, I talk to the lawyer?” Sanjay was surprised and said “Papa, have you learnt to read minds?” Ram replied “Ha! Ha! No it was an advice”
*****

Next came, Sanjeev with Ram’s vegetable soup. Ram looked at him thinking “Namak Haram (betrayer)” Sanjeev came saying “Sir, how are you?” As he gave the soup, Ram purposely spilled it on Sanjeev’s face and turned his FM 111 on him and heard this “Who does he think I am, Rita or Rani? This is what happens to those who betray their wives, they lose all their strength. Thankfully I never kept my wife here or else God knows what would have happened”. Ram got up and said “Sanjeev, why don’t you go home for a few days, my sister Sharda (Sanjeev’s wife) will be thirsting to see you” Sanjeev went away grinning sheepishly.

Ram never thought Sanjeev had such a cheap opinion about him. Ram never knew everybody whom he cared for had a selfish motive assigned to their love. He just wanted to get rid off the FM Radio. It was proving to be a curse because his life was falling apart. He realised how difficult life can be If we can read others minds. For one last time, he wanted to use it on Tiger and yelled at him. He came running and this is what he heard “Why is papa so angry with me? I was trying to bite that bone and hence did not come when he first called me. He is so good to me. Everybody here exploits him but how can I say to him, unfortunately, I can’t speak his language, God, keep papa safe, happy and healthy, I will make papa happy jumping all over him and standing up on my legs”. Ram started crying when he heard this from Tiger’s mind. His loved ones were inferior to this creature with five senses.

He put down the FM Radio on the coffee table and wept inconsolably. Suddenly a monkey snatched it and climbed to top of the tree. Ram looked at him in gratitude and recognised it was the same monkey that he had found near the vendor. The monkey soon disappeared with FM 111 and Ram heaved a sigh of relief! The next day morning Ram was found dead in his bed.

Beware of any monkey that drops a FM radio in your home; it may turn your life upside down.


Balu