NIRUPAMA

(Some Secrets May Better Remain Secrets Forever)

'I cannot bear this', 'I want to pluck my eyes out' only these two sentences were the clues which the late girl Nirupama left in writing one on a wall and one in a book quite unintentionally and involuntarily to know about the reason for her committing suicide. Her father Ranganath, detective Smaran and his niece Menaka along with Nirupama's friend Sukanya pretty well understood that Nirupama did not want the said secret to be known to anyone else. But since her father Ranganath hell bent upon knowing about the said secret, detective Smaran and his niece Menaka ruthlessly investigated the matter only to unearth the said ghastly, shocking and astounding secret which the dead girl terribly wished to keep only with her in her grave forever.

x x x x x

"Nirupama was such a sweet and nice girl. I too loved her a lot. She treated me as she treated you. I too have been affected by her death as you have affected. But one thing that needs to be understood is we cannot take her back at all."

"Is this is the treatment that you do give to me?" Ranganath irritatingly said.

"Yes, this also a sort of treatment. Accepting the facts. Unless, otherwise you become completely normal again we cannot change Nirmala."

"Are you thinking that it is possible I can become completely normal again?"

"May not be completely. But almost. It is possible. I can make it possible. You may not be important to yourself. But you are important to Nirmala. You are important to me. We both need you a lot."

Ranganath nodded his head helplessly.

"Shall we both go to your home now? You asked me to start treating your wife. I do see whether anything I can do for her."

"Come then." Ranganath and Niranjan came to the Ranganath's home together.

"You both have come together? It is indeed fun." Nirmala laughed and said when she had seen them both.

"Get something for us. We are feeling hungry." Ranganath said.

"It is indeed after a very long time you are asking like this." Nirmala said. "Alright I fix something nice for both of you as fast as possible." She retired into the kitchen.

"Are you really feeling hungry? Why you did send her into the kitchen now? I want to talk with her to see what type of treatment she has to be given." Niranjan said.

"I don't know why but I really felt hungry." Ranganath said. "Alright. You do start something after we have finished our lunch."

"Where is that girl now?" looking around Niranjan asked.

"I think she is in the upstairs room."Ranganath said. "You know one thing? She is hypnotizing Nirmala now. It seems Nirmala is enjoying it a lot."

Niranjan laughed and said. "Is that so? It is indeed good." He paused for a moment and then said. "If it is so we may try something through Menaka to change Nirmala. It would be more effective than my direct treatment."

"Are you thinking like that?" Ranganath asked him.

"Yes. Anyhow why Nirmala got the idea of being hypnotized by Menaka or Menaka got the idea of hypnotizing Nirmala?"

"You may be known that Nirupama used to hypnotise Nirmala and Nirmala mentioned that to Menaka. Menaka said to her that she too knows hypnotizing. So it started like that."

"How did you know about it?" Niranjan asked him.

"Nirmala herself said this to me." Ranganath said. While they both were talking like that Nirmala came there.

"You both may please come into the kitchen. I served the food for you there."

"We are coming." Ranganath got off from the sofa. Niranjan also followed him.

"How is my cooking? Is it is any better than before? You always complain about dishes prepared by me." She said while looking at Ranganath.

"Why Ranganath? Nirmala is an excellent cook. Why do you complain about her cooking?"

Ranganath laughed and said. "It may be good for you but not to me." He started eating and after few seconds or so he said. "It may not be excellent. But yes, it is better than before."

"It is excellent! Why did not you find it like that I cannot understand." Niranjan said.

"Anyhow what gave you the skill to cook this much better? Is it is because of the hypnotism by Menaka?" Ranganath asked her.

"You mentioned it? Yes, I must say I am enjoying a lot being hypnotized by her. She is putting me into sleep within seconds by her hypnotizing. When it comes to hypnosis our Niru also could not put me into sleeping as fast as this girl did. But...." She paused a second and then said "My perfection in cooking is not because of that hypnotism."

"I must talk with this girl and know what technique she is using. I also use hypnotism on the patients come to me sometimes but many a time it does not affect fast." Niranjan said.

"Where is that girl? Why did not she come for her lunch now?" Ranganath asked his wife.

"She went to that Sukanya again. They both have become very good friends recently." Nirmala said.

"I must have a talk with her when she comes to home." Niranjan said.

While talking like that in between themselves they have completed the lunch quite jovially.

***

"It is really surprising that you both are waiting for me. What is the matter?" when Niranjan and Ranganath entered into the room of Menaka and said they are just waiting for her Menaka asked.

"It is so important a matter that we have to take your assistance." Niranjan said.

"Tell me what it is. I am always ready to provide whatever type of assistance you need from me." Menaka said.

"First let me congratulate you that you have become quite successful in hypnotizing Nirmala" Niranjan said.

Menaka laughed and said. "In fact I don't know any hypnotizing etc. I just have read about it. I doubt whether aunty really being hypnotized or just acting like that to satisfy me."

"No. She is not acting to make you feel happy. She has been really being hypnotized in the best way by you and she said so that to us. She also said you have been hypnotizing her even better than Nirupama." Ranganath said.

The mention of Nirupama once again changed the mood there and Menaka nodded her head. "I don't think so. May be I am a little successful in hypnotizing her but I cannot think I am doing it better than Nirupama."

"Its alright that does not matter." Niranjan said. "You have become successful in hypnotizing the old lady so that we want to use this to treat her mentally."

"I just cannot understand! How my skill is going to be helpful in it?" Menaka really confused. "Moreover I have to say I am not a psychologist. At the same time I know very little about hypnotism also."

"That is not necessary. Nirmala is being hypnotized by you quite easily and that is enough"

"Alright. What I should do then?"

"A lot in fact. It is not just doing with your hypnotism. It has to do something with you also."

"I want to hear it in full." Menaka impatiently said.

"Sorry, I cannot tell all of it straight away. To make you understand how important it is we need to explain the matter as much as possible." Then Niranjan explained to her how Ranganath found Nirmala talking to imagined Nirupama in the home itself.

"But in aunty's opinion Nirupama is in her aunt's home far away from here. Then how she is talking like that with her in the home itself?"

"That is what I too cannot understand." Ranganath said.

"Her madness took a new turn I think." Niranjan said. "If what I am suspecting is true she needs to be treated without much delay."

"What you are suspecting in fact?" Menaka asked him fearfully.

"It is not just her imagination now. She is started believing her imagination completely. I think deep inside of her also she started believing her imagination."

"My god! If it is so, it is indeed quite dangerous I think." Menaka said.

"You are thinking in the same way I am thinking." Niranjan said.

"Why should not you start treating her straight now instead of asking my help in this regard?" Menaka asked him.

"If I start treating her in my own way she knows in no time that I am treating her for her madness and it does have reverse result then. If there is no other way at all I have to try it whatever may be her reaction to it. But once you are in the home and became successful in hypnotizing her like this, I am thinking it may be better start treating her through you. I sure do interfere and start treating her there is no doubt but it needs to be started with you first." Niranjan said.

"Then how I can be helpful to you in this?"

Ranganath and Niranjan looked into each other's faces and Niranjan breathed heavily and hissed out. "You should just try to take her in to the reality. Even prior to that you have to see whether she is really imagining her daughter or just forcing that imagination on to her deep in herself knowing the truth."

"Appearing a little difficult and dangerous also." Menaka thoughtfully said. "Go on. I want to hear more."

"Your opinion is quite true. We are indeed stepping onto a very dangerous ground. But it is the best way to get the best result in my opinion. Whatever we are doing we are doing it for the benefit and good of the old woman."

"What happens if we do leave her like that? Would not she come out of it somehow or other at sometime in future?" Menaka frowned and asked.

"I think it may not happen like that." Niranjan said. "What happens from now on is her imagining her daughter becomes more and more severe and at some point Nirmala becomes completely deranged. It happens so because part of the mind accepting her imagining like that and part of the mind starts fighting it is not so."

Menaka hissed out heavily and said "Whatever you have said appearing quite possible."

'Thanks, you have accepted my view." Looking thankfully into the face of Menaka, Niranjan said.

"How should not I? You are a retired professor in psychology and a successful psychologist. You would not say anything without reason and observing keenly."

"Once again thank you. Now we are not going to waste anymore time. I already told you but tell you once again what needs to be done by you." He paused for a moment.

Ranganath and Menaka did not say anything. Menaka prepared to listen carefully.

"First you try to make the old lady realize that her daughter is no more. Just try to give her indirect directions. Ask her whether she received any phone calls from her daughter. If the answer is no, ask her why her daughter did not phone at all for all these days. If yes.....: he paused for a moment and said. "......ask her what her daughter talked with her. Basing on the conversation she tells you just see any incongruity in it and mention that to her. You are just going to show her that her daughter is no more."

"As you have said..." Menaka paused for a moment as if to give reiteration to whatever she was going to say and said ".....very dangerous mission. It is not just like prying into her thinking and feeling but also wounding her heart to some extent. She may start disliking me also."

"I agree. But it is important to see that she would not become completely mad." Niranjan said.

"Please Menaka you must help us in this regard." Ranganath who was calm all the time said with a pleading in his eyes.

"There is no question I don't help you uncle." Menaka said with firmness in her voice. "Whatever may be the consequences even it is dangerous to my own life, I would do that if it cures aunty and gives some happiness to you. Don't worry at all."

"Thank you my child. I am really feeling happy to hear this from you." Ranganath said.

"No interference from now on, until I complete." Niranjan said. "Next you have to take her into this room. Ranga you said that she did not come into this room after that fateful day."

"You are absolutely right." Ranganath said.

"That means deep inside she knew that she had seen her daughter's dead body in this room. Taking her into this room give her the taste of reality in a heavy dose."

"But it is the bitterest and most dangerous thing! I myself am feeling sometimes very bad thinking that Nirupama committed suicide in this room. How she would feel once she comes into it? Cannot we skip this step?' making herself more comfortable on the bed Menaka said.

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyed it so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapter as early as possible.)

#investigation #detection #psychology #hypnosis#hypnotism #love #romance #romantic #suspense #thriller #sentiment #family#suicide #psychology #hypnosis #self-hypnosis #psychiatry #psychiatrist