I think there is something about me that attracts these tricksters. They all seem to gravitate towards me every now and then with their multitudes of lies and tales of woe, designed and customized for each of their customers.

Every time I think, "This is the last time I will ever be duped by someone," I meet someone who manages to trick me.

This particular incident happened about two years ago. My best friend and I had been out shopping. We were meeting after a long time, so we had a lot of catching up to do. We had picked up a few books from the pavement shop and a few T-shirts and were on our way to a fast food joint to get something to eat. When we were nearing the eatery, we saw a family sitting by the roadside - a man, a very pregnant woman and two children.

The man suddenly approached us and asked, "Aapko Hindi maloom hai?"

My friend speaks fluent Hindi while I can manage a few words, though I can understand the language very well.

My friend said yes. And then the man started to pull the wool over our eyes. The man said that he was from Lucknow, that he and his family had come to Tirupati and on their way back had lost all their luggage at Chennai, that his wife was pregnant, and ultimately that they needed some money to buy food.

Well, like good Samaritans we both decided to help them. We went around and bought some food for them. And gave them Rs. 50 for bus tickets.

For the next week or so we both basked in the joy of having helped someone in need. It was my sister who broke the bubble for us. She had been out of town for a week, so I couldn't boast to her about how my friend and I had helped a starving family immediately.

I told her, "Hey! You know what, I bought food for a starving family who got stranded here because someone stole their luggage."

Immediately she completed the rest of the story for me. "The lady was pregnant and they had two other kids. And they approached you with 'Aapko Hindi maloom hai?'"

I was shocked. She continued, "Did you give them money?"

"Yes," I said.

"They did the same thing to my friend as well," she said.

I immediately gave the good news to my friend, of course. And, as often, we wondered why we got tricked every time we got together.

Now we are very wary about strangers who approach us asking, "Aapko Hindi maloom hai?" but in the process I believe we may not help someone who is really in trouble. Three months after this incident happened, a lady with two kids asked me the same question: "Aapko Hindi maloom hai?"

But this time I said, "Nahin, mujhe Hindi nahin maloom."