The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower… Twice!
Tareekh (history) mein bohat se barray barray dhokay hue hain, lekin kya aap tasawwur kar sakte hain ke koi shakhs Paris ki shaan, Eiffel Tower, ko hi bech de? Yeh koi mazaq nahi, balke 1925 mein pesh aanay wala ek haqeeqi waqia hai, jise anjaam diya tha tareekh ke sab se shaatir (cunning) fankaaron mein se ek, Victor Lustig ne. Yeh kahani na sirf insani laalach (greed) aur be-waqoofi ki misaal hai, balke yeh shayad dunya ka sab se bara fraud bhi hai jise sun kar aqal dang reh jaati hai.
The Man, The Myth, The Con Artist (Shakhsiyat, Afsana, Faraibkaar)
Victor Lustig ek aam chor ya dhokay baaz nahi tha. Woh kayi zubaanain bolne wala, intehai pur-kashish (charming) aur shaatir dimaag ka maalik tha. 1925 mein, jab woh Paris mein tha, usne akhbar mein ek choti si khabar parhi ke Eiffel Tower ki maintenance (dekh bhal) bohat mehengi par rahi hai. Us waqt Eiffel Tower naya naya tha aur bohat se log usay Paris ke chehray par ek daagh samajhte thay. Lustig ke shaatir dimaag ne isi khabar se dunya ka sab se bara fraud karne ka mansooba (plan) bana liya.
Setting the Stage for the Perfect Crime (Be-Misaal Jurm Ki Tayyari)
Lustig ne khud ko French sarkaar ka ek aala ohdedar (high-ranking official) zahir kiya. Usne jaali (forged) sarkari dastawezat (documents) tayyar kiye aur Paris ke 6 sab se barray scrap metal dealers ko ek intehai raaz-darana (secret) meeting ke liye Paris ke ek mehngay tareen hotel mein bulaya. Usne unhein bataya ke French hukumat Eiffel Tower ko girane (demolish) ka faisla kar chuki hai kyunke iski dekh bhal ka kharcha bardasht se bahar ho gaya hai.
The Bait and The Hook (Daana aur Kaanta)
Meeting ke dauran, Lustig ne un dealers ko yaqeen dilaya ke yeh ek top-secret sarkari operation hai aur woh unhein 7,000 tan wazni Eiffel Tower ka scrap metal khareedne ka “exclusive” mauqa de raha hai. Usne is saari karwai ko itna raaz-darana rakha ke dealers ko laga ke unke hath ek bohat bara khazana lag gaya hai. Lustig ne unse kaha ke sab se achi boli (bid) denay walay ko yeh contract de diya jayega. Usne na sirf unse contract ke paise liye, balke deal pakki karne ke liye ek bari rishwat (bribe) bhi talab ki, taake yeh saabit ho sake ke kon sa dealer waqai ‘serious’ hai.
Twice is Nicer (Ek Nahi, Do Baar Dhoka)
Ek dealer, Andre Poisson, is jhansay mein aa gaya. Usne na sirf contract ki raqam di balke Lustig ko ek bari rishwat bhi di. Paise le kar, Lustig foran train pakar kar Vienna (Austria) farar ho gaya. Woh intezar karta raha ke kab Paris ke akhbarat mein is fraud ki khabar chapay gi, lekin kuch nahi hua. Andre Poisson apni be-izzati ke darr se itna sharminda tha ke usne police ko report hi nahi ki. Jab Lustig ko is baat ka ehsaas hua, to uski jurrat (audacity) aur barh gayi. Woh ek maheenay baad wapas Paris aaya aur wahi scheme istemal kar ke Eiffel Tower ko ek baar phir, 6 naye dealers ke ek group ko bechne ki koshish ki.
Agarche Lustig is fraud ke liye kabhi pakra nahi gaya, lekin uski yeh kahani use tareekh ke sab se barray dhokay baazon mein se ek banati hai. Yeh waqai dunya ka sab se bara fraud tha.
