It was a cold, snowy night in London. The city was wrapped in a white chill, and the bars were getting busier by the hour.
Fijo Varkey Mandan was a well-known writer, famous both in India and abroad. Once, after attending a cultural event, someone asked him: “Why did a smart person like you choose the pen name Mandan (which means ‘fool’)?”
Fijo looked at him sharply at first, but seeing his innocent expression, smiled mischievously and said: “There are already so many half-baked writers out there. I thought at least one real ‘Mandan’ should be in the group!” In truth, Fijo carried that name with pride. He had chosen it thoughtfully, believing it would help him stand out in the literary world.
As the wind blew through the window panes, Fijo was working on a story about a scam on his computer when his friend Vipin called. “Check your email. I’ve sent you a video about your father. Please watch it,” said Vipin, his voice sounding tense.
Vipin also gave the phone number of the man who made the video — someone named Jayan. Fijo opened the email and watched the 3.5-minute video, eyes wide in shock. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Every hair on his body stood on end.
In the video, Jayan accused Fijo of copying a four-and-a-half-page travel article from his blog. Fijo was stunned. After a few minutes of thinking, he called Jayan.
“Hello, Jayan speaking,” came the voice from the other side. “I’m Fijo. I saw your video and heard your accusations,” Fijo said calmly, though seriously.
“What do you want?” Jayan replied angrily, “I want one crore rupees. If not, I’ll make sure your writing career is finished!”
That’s when Fijo understood everything. This was a planned scam. He’d heard of such gangs in Kerala, using blog posts to blackmail foreign-based writers for money. Though furious inside, Fijo listened quietly. Then he responded: “I don’t write fiction — I write books based on facts and information. In this digital age, it’s normal for writers to refer to the internet — Google, Wikipedia, and such. That’s not considered a crime. So what exactly is your problem?”
Ignoring his doctor’s advice to avoid cold drinks, Fijo opened the fridge, drank some cold water, and calmed himself. First, the video shocked him. Then, asking for one crore rupees for a four-page write-up? It felt like the world went dark. He thought maybe it was time to start taking his blood pressure pills regularly.
In today’s world, people don’t need guns or knives to rob you — just a video and a fake story will do. People will go to any length to grab others’ money, Fijo thought bitterly. It felt like a modern invention of the Malayalam language — cyber theft with a twist.
Fijo also realized that some overseas writers had become puppets in the hands of such scammers. In Kerala, blackmailing had become a business. Sadly, many in the literary world were still unaware of these schemes.
Jayan, disappointed that he didn’t get his one crore, turned to social media. He gathered people online to shame Fijo publicly. Rumors spread. Four pages turned into forty. New stories were made up. And the public? They just love drama — especially without knowing the truth.
Some senior writers who respected Fijo noticed the attacks and called him with words of support. Fijo knew he had enemies, but he also had many readers and well-wishers behind him. One of them told him: “Writers are meant to face challenges. People throw stones only at trees that bear fruit. But attacking someone this badly — that’s a new low. Even after five years, if people still come after you like this, it’s clearly planned.”
No one knew if Jayan’s goal was money, revenge, fame, or just jealousy. But what he didn’t expect was that Fijo would keep writing, fearlessly. His books continued to reach readers, especially among good-hearted Malayalis, without any trouble. The literary world welcomed Fijo’s work with open arms, and this success hurt Jayan deeply. Yet, he didn’t stop. He kept spreading his hatred and jealousy on social media.
Fijo sat back and thought about the many Jayans out there — heartless people riding wild horses on the internet, spreading lies.
Silence spread all around. But in the foggy moonlight, Fijo didn’t let the negativity affect him. He simply went back to his computer — to continue writing his story about a scam.
Karoor Soman, Charummood
