We’ve all been there. That moment of dread when a weekend plan you’d rather avoid solidifies. Most of us resort to the classics: a sudden “headache,” an “urgent work call,” or the ever-reliable “my stomach feels funny.” But that’s the minor league of excuse-making.
Today, we bring you the viral story of a man who went for the World Cup of avoidance, and the result is a cautionary tale that’s making jaws drop across the internet.
The Ultimate Excuse: A Staged Car Theft
Meet Somesh Patel, a 34-year-old marketing manager from Gurugram, India. Somesh was faced with a challenge many partners know all too well: a full-day, no-holds-barred shopping trip with his wife. We’re not talking a quick trip for groceries. This was an expedition for curtains, cushion covers, a new lamp, and the dreaded “just looking” phase that can stretch for hours.
Faced with this monumental task, Somesh didn’t just feign a fever. He orchestrated a plot so elaborate, it would make a scriptwriter blush.
According to police reports, just as the couple was about to leave for the mall, Somesh ran back inside, breathless and panicked. He announced their beloved family car had vanished—stolen right from its designated parking spot.
How the Elaborate Plan Unraveled
His wife was horrified. The shopping trip was instantly forgotten, replaced by frantic calls to the police. Somesh played the part of the distraught victim to perfection, recounting the “theft” with a tremor in his voice. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed, and police began their investigation.
But here’s where Somesh’s master plan began to unravel faster than a cheap sweater.
The police, doing their due diligence, decided to check the CCTV footage from the society’s gates. They weren’t expecting to find what they saw. The footage clearly showed Somesh himself, cool as a cucumber, driving the car out of the complex a full hour before he reported it “stolen.”
Their next step was to trace the car’s Fastag (an electronic toll collection system). And bingo. The system registered the car passing through a toll plaza on a highway heading away from any shopping malls. Armed with this undeniable evidence, police quickly located the “stolen” car, parked neatly on a quiet lane in another town.
The Aftermath: Facing the Music (and His Wife)
When confronted, Somesh’s award-winning performance crumbled. He confessed to the entire charade. His motive? He simply could not face another six hours of trailing his wife through home decor stores and holding a mountain of shopping bags.
The scheme, born from a desperate desire for a peaceful Saturday, has backfired spectacularly. Not only is Somesh Patel now facing legal consequences for filing a false police report and wasting police resources, but he also has to face something far more intimidating: his wife.
So, to anyone contemplating their next great escape from a shopping expedition, let this be a lesson. Stick to the basics. A headache is temporary. A police record—and the story of how you faked a car theft to avoid buying a doormat—is forever.
