Dream merchants

Patience is the key word in salesmanship. The salesman must tirelessly keep pushing the product. But what I encountered recently was somethi...

Patience is the key word in salesmanship. The salesman must tirelessly keep pushing the product. But what I encountered recently was something extraordinary. And threatening!

I go for a regular morning walk, which follows a brief stretching exercise inside the park of our apartment block. My doctor had advised me against over-stretching. Ignoring the advice, I promptly pulled a thigh muscle. It was nothing serious but I was limping. My companion suggested a long walk in a less crowded area.

Next morning we set out for the spacious MCD-maintained Jahapanah city forest complex, about two kilometres from our apartment. After some time, we decided to return since the pain had persisted. As we approached the gate, a broad smile greeted us. It was the general secretary of our apartment.

A lawyer, he also has a knack for homoeopathy. I briefly described to him the pain that I was feeling. I was about to turn back to go home when I noticed, waiting nearby and watching us, a smartly dressed middle-aged woman. She seemed to want to say something to us. As I turned towards her, she told me that her grandmother suffered from a similar pain and was fully cured by their 8216;8216;family medicine8217;8217;! It was obvious she had overheard us. I was interested in her medicine: was it Ayurvedic? My colleague, in the meantime, had walked away, and guessing my impatience, the lady asked me for a contact number. As I reeled out the number, the lady smiled and said she would memorise it! I doubted she could.

I was proved wrong when she rang up two days later. I was keen to know if the treatment she mentioned earlier was an Ayurvedic treatment. She said it was an 8216;8216;overseas8217;8217; medicine, somewhat expensive, and the treatment 8216;8216;may8217;8217; be extended. She was prepared to visit us to work out the 8216;8216;details8217;8217;, she said. I hung up after telling her that I needed to consult with my wife. The second time she phoned, I was prepared with my polite 8216;No8217;. I smelt heavy expenses in the prolonged treatment with overseas medicine.

Months later, we encountered a similar situation thanks to a regular agent selling loose tea leaves, incense, resins, and even seasonal packed manure. My wife and I looked frail, he told us. We would be rejuvenated with the 8216;8216;special medicine8217;8217; he procured from a specialist. It was 8216;8216;naturopathy8217;8217;, a 8216;8216;yogic8217;8217; remedy. Also to be consumed regularly, was a liquid medicine, grown, processed and packed in America. He pointed to his dark mop of hair that he claimed was grey earlier 8212; a result of the same liquid!

This world abounds in clever salesmen selling miraculous cures. I congratulated myself for having skipped their traps. So far.