An Experiment With Picnic

Ah! The month of January is now upon us. The weather is nice, cool and comfortable. This is the month for picnics. People from our city love this month as they can have a nice little outing with family and friends. Cooking food in the outdoors is fun and then enjoying a hearty meal under the trees sitting on the glades of grass. If you ask anyone for a picnic, generally they greet with a yes. 

I am a psychiatrist and I have been treating patients with mental stress. Now I have been doing a doctoral thesis examining the grey side of the human behaviour under the influence of intoxicants. The housing society where I live has about twenty families. I thought out a plan to try out my experiment with my neighbours. Then on the basis of my experience, I shall make a write up for the thesis. 

At the open house meeting of our housing society, I with the permission of the chair made the announcement. I was a little timid in making the announcement of the picnic fearing what the reaction would be from the members although it would be an all-expenses-paid. I would bear all expenses as part of my doctoral funding. 

The response I got was astounding. There was no one who didn't show interest. I got volunteers to help me out with the arrangements. The date was fixed and the logistical arrangement was taken care of by enthusiastic members. The menu for the lunch and snacks was decided with lots of animation and ingenuity. Even those members who didn't get along well were also seen cooperating. Catering and gourmet and the set of people tasked to the job was also assigned. 

On the designated day my group and I reached the picnic spot. It was a beautiful place near the riverfront with a built-in place for having a banquet type arrangement. There was a big Pantry and there was a huge hall for serving meals. Outside beside the river was a big lawn bordered by a flower garden. The children got to their play on the lawn. 

The kitchen staff began their arrangements for the preparation of the lunch. The ladies took the chairs outside on to the lawn and began chatting and gossiping actively. The gentlemen selected a place under the tree to play their game of cards. Some had brought chess boards with them and started playing lively the game of chess. 

Now while the lunch was getting ready, my work began. Secretly, I mixed the measured amount of a permissible intoxicant in the food for the adults. I gave orders that the food for the children be separated. In fact, the children were made to sit down for lunch and while the catering team was busy with the serving, I did the job of mixing the dope. 

After lunch, the children were made involved in indoor games in another big room so that their parents would be free from their interference. Two of my assistants I had given the task to help me out in case some of the people got wild after the effect of the intoxicant. 

The menfolk who are habitual tipplers generally find the picnic a good excuse to manifest their habit. Taking this into consideration, I had specially requested the menfolk aside, that I would treat them to a separate bachelor's party and therefore they should abstain from any alcoholic drinks at the picnic. Because the results would go awry if there is double dose one of the intoxicant and the other of the alcohol. 

The lunch was soon served to all the adults. It was a sumptuous spread and everyone enjoyed the fare heartily. I was now waiting patiently for the results to unfold. 

Within fifteen minutes, I found the results pouring in. Strange behaviour began to be seeing. It was not known that one of our esteemed members had a crush for another members wife. They both started exchanging platitudes and started trying to get involved in PDA or public display of affection. 

The treasurer of our housing society had taken a tidy sum of money on loan from the president of the society that became public today. They began quarrelling like they generally quarrel between debtor and creditor for return of the money and protesting for more time for repayment. Their spat turned ugly and almost led to fisticuffs when my assistants intervened. 

The previous treasurer revealed in the open House that during his tenure he had embezzled funds by a good amount and had doctored the accounts in such a way that nobody could ever know. He owned up to this fact nonchalantly and without prejudice. Everyone listened and supported his move. All of them said that they would have done the same thing if they were in that position. 

A very respected senior bureaucrat revealed boastfully how he had duped the system and had taken a trip to Europe with his family. 

A distinguished academic shared his experiences as a paedophile and said how he was enjoying it. The priest in our society was quite candid about his removing cash from the donation box from the temple in our complex. 

The ladies had their experiences to share. How one of them had gone to a movie with another friend's spouse. Another boldly shared her many relationships before her marriage and how she had enjoyed it. 

This could have gone on for hours but due to shortage of time, we had to curtail it. Tea and snacks were served and by the time it was the sunset we were returning home. The tea was refreshing and helped everyone to return to their normal self. Nobody remembered what had happened in the time between lunch and tea. Only my recorder had the details. I was enriched with this amazing experiment at the picnic. My doctoral thesis got quality material.