Many Times Over

I have been making the same mistakes twice since my childhood.

When I was 10 years old, I hit my head hard on the swing and I kept sitting on the ground till the swing came back all the way and hit my head again.

About a year back, I bought strawberries from a street-side vendor in Park Street. At home, when I tried to take out the strawberries from the crate, I realized that there were only about 4-5 rotten strawberries on the outside. The rest of the crate was stuffed with cauliflower leaves! Yet, I trusted in the basic goodness of human nature and bought another strawberry mini-crate a couple of months later. Again, the cauliflower leaves in the crate. But of course.

After having dodged Mahindra Club Holidays about half a dozen times, I laid my foot in their trap eventually. Yesterday. We had to listen to a lengthy harangue by one of the sales executives of Mahindra Club. Inspite of politely refusing to sign the 25 year(Am I going to live that long?) long membership about 10 times, this guy kept bugging and bugging and bugging. The 'free' goodies were:
1. A 3day/2night free accomodation with Club Mahindra resorts at any of 15 destinations - the aim was to sign on new (and gullible) customers so that this puny stay could be extended.
2. A voucher with VLCC - if you spend over INR 1000, you will get 'services' worth INR 400 absolutely free. The catch is VLCC does not have any service that costs 400 rupees. Their most menial services like manicure/pedicure costs around 300 INR - which is only marginally lower than 400 INR. I have been a customer with VLCC so I know all this.
3. A 7.5% discount on Lawrence & Mayo frames, glass lenses and contact lens. I get my glasses and contact lenses done form L&M. So, I know how outrageously priced they are. This stupid discount doesn't mean a thing.
4. 2 'tickets' with Inox worth 100 INR apiece. Come on, which ticket at Inox is priced at 100 rupees? The morning kiddie show?

I knew what was in store for me. Club Mahindra desperately wants to boost membership. So, it is giving out worthless freebies to bring in the naive crowd. But, I am not one of them. Or am I?