Surfing with crossdressers

Man who tweaked his gender online narrates how he fooled his ‘lover’ and triggers reactions about the rampant but seldom-talked-about phenomenon of hiding sexual identity in cyberspace.

‘As I laughed my head off, he waited for his beloved Radha with a rose’

Vinod R. Ghatkopar

My juniors at office usually do most of the work leaving me with a lot of time on hand.  Once they are through with the job, I oversee it before handing it over to my senior. Because of this, my boss and I got into the habit of surfing the net and chatting up friends on Yahoo Messenger.

I made lot of friends in the chatrooms and that is when this crazy idea struck me. I connived with my boss and created a new ID by the name 'Radha'. She was 21 years old, 5'2'' and lived as a paying guest (couldn't be better for that wolf on the prowl).

The same day, we had loads of guys contacting 'Radha' trying to befriend her. I didn't want her to look too 'easy', so I spurned a few nitwits trying to act fresh and they vanished from the room. A few stuck on and continued to woo me. My boss used to laugh his heart out reading the conversations between Radha and those who were fooled by my online crossdressing.

Slowly, it turned into a ritual and we would chat even during 'crunch time' and drop feminine hints to two of the biggest buffoons in our virtual fan club. By the end of two months, we had zeroed in on these two guys who sent the mushiest and most hilarious comments and also posted their pictures, expecting Radha's in return. But she never sent one, for obvious reasons.

I would tell these guys how interested I was in meeting them (one at a time) but have a busy schedule and a Hitler for a landlord who puts out an early curfew. One fine day, my boss insisted that we met each of these guys. It was decided that I would call this guy Manoj to Churchgate station to meet his Radha for lunch.

The victim immediately lapped up the offer and said he would take out half-a-day from office and wait near the Churchgate bus stop at 1pm.

On the given day, both of us left for Churchgate from our Nariman Point office, laughing our heads off. We reached there at about 1.15pm and there was Manoj, standing with a rose in his hand — Radha had insisted on it to identify him — and a pink shirt. By the way, Radha had let it slip that she loves pink.

We waited at the bus stop till 3.30pm and had a tough time keeping a straight face. We had to return to office and I don't know till what time the poor soul waited at the station for the love of his life to turn up.

Next day, Manoj sent a lovelorn mail of having waited for ever and blamed Radha of being a 'bewafa', sprinkled with ghazal lines. We felt sad for the guy and shortly gave Radha a suitable burial. But not before she apologised for not turning up at the venue and telling him that she has to return to Delhi as her marriage has been fixed.

They can create havoc in your life

It has happened to my friends. They can play with your snaps and create havoc in your life. There is no way to stop them as your identity and other details are exposed but not theirs. You can’t trace them. I am completely off chatrooms.   — Anita Gupta

The girl seemed weird

I came across one such person a few years ago. I thought I was talking to a girl, but she seemed increasingly weird. She was saying things which girls normally wouldn't say. I thought may be she was a lesbian or just overtly friendly. But after talking with 'her' for a couple of days, I got the feeling that the person at the other end was actually a guy. I can't say why, but it just seemed creepy. I blocked him after that. — Sakshi Singh

Use your grey cells

I consciously avoid chatrooms. People pose as Pakistani women and our boys go gaga. Really you have to lose your grey cells to fall for something like this. — Rahul Manjul

My buddies do it for fun

Some of my buddies do pose as women. It's harmless fun, though at times it can get serious. Girls are more comfortable talking to girls online. So people eager to talk to girls often change their genders. — Desmond Fernandes

I was cyber stalked

Online relationships don't last, they say. So when Tina, my chat buddy, wished me on us completing three months together, I knew we were on to something special. Tina and I met in a Yahoo chat room. She seemed to be jovial though not the most honest. As we talked, I couldn't help but spot obvious discrepancies. But I was in no mood to question her and lose the one girl I had managed to chat up in over 12 days.

As days passed, we made conscious efforts to expand our comfort zones. We exchanged intimate details and had some stimulating conversations. Some would call that cybersex.

“Can we meet his Saturday,” she asked one day.

Saturday morning, she called. She didn't sound like I thought she would. Her name was not what I thought it was. She sounded manly. Her name was Sanjeeth. But I wasn't gay, and there was no way I would meet him.

'I know where you stay, I have your number and dude… I have your pictures," he reminded me. I threatened to go to the police. “They'll never be able to catch me,” Sanjeeth said. "I'll report you anyway,” I almost pleaded.

It worked. I heard a click. Sanjeeth was gone. — Name withheld on request

Next time someone finds you hot

My friend Abiuday from Delhi had thrown a rain dance birthday party where there was as much alcohol as rain. After the party, someone called Piya Kapoor added me to her MSN list. She soon sent me message a saying, ‘Hi sexy.’ The messages got progressively suggestive and I got curious. The pictures uploaded also were of a very hot, skimpily-clad girl. So I thought to myself, ‘Wow, what the hell!’

This went on for two weeks. She claimed that she found me irresistible. She kept asking me to have cyber sex with her. Frankly, I didn't know what the hell that meant so I kept evading her request. To safeguard myself against a huge prank, I asked her questions about myself.

She said she had met me at Abiuday's party and even described my attire.

I called Abiuday who reconfirmed that Piya was his classmate and was completely smitten by me. He even suggested that we meet up on my upcoming trip to Delhi.

So I reached Delhi. I walked into Mocha to meet my gang. As soon as I entered, everyone chorused, "How is Piya Kapoor?", "When you going to bed with Piya Kapoor?"

It sunk in, slowly at first and then with alarming speed. I turned crimson and Abiuday came up and held my hand and said, "Hi, I'm Piya Kapoor." Wisecrack.

The prank doesn't end here. This happened one-and-a-half year ago and still every time I met one of them, they go, “When you going to bed with Piya Kapoor?” — Sidharth Sood