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

"After finding our daughter hanged to the ceiling fan in her room, my wife became mad. She is not agreeing that our daughter dead and she is thinking and behaving just like our daughter is still alive. I am feeling happy that she is happy just in such a way and I am not trying to convice her that our daughter is no more."

"How pathetic! Really very sad!" nodding his head with a sorrowful expression Smaran said. "I cannot think anything more to ask now. Come by this tomorrow and everything will be ready by then. And I am going to keep the photograph which you have given to me."

Ranganadh nodded his head, stood up extending his hand and Smaran took that. Ranganath and Smaran shook their hands and they both felt that a contract has already been made.

***

The next day at the same time Ranganath went to Smaran's office and Smaran handed over him the already prepared contract. Ranganath signed on the contract without bothering to go through it completely even Smaran urged him to do so and handed over to Smaran rupees one lakh cheque along with the signed contract. Smaran pocketed the cheque and put the contact copy in a box file after he also signed on that. Then he leaned back in his chair and said "Now again business. What was the date and month of Nirupama's suicide?"

Ranganath said the date and month to Smaran.

"Six months fifteen days." After hearing what Ranganath said, closing his eyes, calculating in himself Smaran said.

"You are right." Now there was no expression on Ranganath. They both were discussing it business like and Ranganath liked it.

"Neither you nor your wife found anything different in your daughter even on the date of her committing suicide."

"Again you are right. Not even little different. She was her usual self. Bloody usual self she retired into her bedroom after saying goodnight to me and to her mother." The expression changed on the face of Ranghanath and sort of heaviness settled on it again.

"You said that your wife has become sort of mad and she is thinking and behaving as if her daughter is still alive. How she is in other matters? I mean is she doing her regular work...."

"She is alright in all other matters except in thinking that her daughter is still alive." Ranganath sighed heavily. "I already told you that I am not trying to make her understand her daughter is no more. I just want to let her feel like that and be happy."

"But you can ask her and see how your daughter was just fifteen days or so before her committing suiside. Even she does not agree that her daughter is no more, she sure can say how your daughter was before committing suiside."

"I have to think about this." Ranganath said. "But my daughter is more intimate to me than her mother. I don't think that my wife could find any difference in my daughter if I could not."

"Did your daughter have any close friends?"

Ranganath gave a list to him. They were four in number.

"Among these, Sukanya was the closest to her. Our families have been living in the same town quite nearby for a long-time. They both were friends even from their very childhood. My daughter used to share everything with Sukanya. Sukanya also confided in my daughter in the same way. They both were classmates, school-mates and college-mates also. Sukanya preferred to study economics and my daughter preferred to study psychology in their post graduation."

There was some silence ensued and Smaran opened his mouth and about to ask something.

"I can guess what you are going to ask. No. My daughter did not leave even a hint either with her close friend or with her other friends or with anyone else. No stone left unmoved. Even the police were also made enquiries."

Smaran stooped forward and hissed out heavily again before asking his next question.

"Why your daughter preferred to study psychology?"

"The reason is a person named Niranjan. Niranjan is a relative to us from my wife's side. He is very close to our family and a well wisher to us. He is a retired psychology professor and came one year back into this town bought a house nearby to our house and settled here. My daughter and he used to move so close as my daughter and I used to move. He is like a father figure to my daughter. My daughter was impressed by him that much she joined in M.A. psychology to study."

"And I need not ask that your daughter did not say anything to him either about that thing which crushed her heart that much and led her towards ending her own life."

"If she did" what amused him Smaran could not understand but there was a smile on the lips of Ranganath. "I need not come to you at all."

Smaran too smiled. "I start my investigation with your wife." He said.

"There may not be any use asking her any questions. She does not know anything more than I do in that matter. Moreover....." Ranganath paused for a second before saying. "......if she comes to know that some investigation is going on to know about the cause of our daughter committing suicide she would become terribly upset and may turn real mad."

"You don't worry. I don't let her get any doubt that some investigation is going on in that regard. I know very well how to deal with her." Smaran said.

"But .... She may be disturbed even more. She may not like answering your questions." Now there were frowns on the forehead of Ranganath.

"I have to do it. I am thinking it is necessary." Smaran's voice was firm. "I said I do this carefully."

"However much carefully you may do, I just don't like her being asked any questions." There was dislike in the face of Ranganath.

"Mr.Ranganath, you signed on the contract and you know the terms of it very well. If you don't let me do what I want, I drop the assignment now itself." The firmness was just so in the voice of Smaran.

"Alright...alright..." Ranganath capitulated. "When do you want to talk with her?"

"On this day evening itself. After agreeing an assignment, I don't delay at all. There are other assignments also I have to look after simultaneously."

Then Ranganath gave his house address and phone number to Smaran before leaving that place.

***

On that day evening Ranganath was talking with someone by the time Smaran went to his house. He greeted Smaran with a smile and said.

"This is Niranjan, our relative and psychology professor. I think I have told you about him."

"Yes, you did." Smaran also smiled and made handshake with Niranjan. He was appearing aged about sixty two years or so. He sprouted black beard and it covered almost all his face and his eyes were completely inconspicuous behind the black glasses of his spectacles. Those black spectacles were odd on his face and Smaran could not think why Niranjan wore those out of fashion black spectacles.

"You are Mr.Smaran, detective. You are going to investigate to know the reason that compelled Nirupama to commit suicide. Ranganath just told me about that."

Smaran nodded his head continuing his smile.

"Smaran wants to talk with Nirmala. I told him about her condition but he is not listening."Ranganath said.

Immediately there were frowns on the forehead of Niranjan. But they were cleared fast and he said "Let him talk. There would be no danger whatsoever by it."

"Thank you very much." Smaran did not at all expect this from Niranjan.

"Anyhow I do go now. There is some important work I need to attend. I do meet you both later." Getting out from the chair he sat, Niranjan said.

"I want to come to you to talk in one or two days, if you don't mind." Smaran said looking at Niranjan.

"Please give me that pleasure soon. I always be at home in the evenings and Ranganath will say to you where I am living. It is walkable distance from here." Niranajan said before moving away from there with fast pace.

"This gentleman is really very much in urgency." Ranganath said with a smile. "You saw how fast he went off."

Smaran nodded his head and asked "Where is your wife now? I don't trouble her much, you need not worry."

"She went to a grocery shop and be back at any time. Just wait few minutes." Ranganth said."I already told you. She can do all the other works in the normal way. The only abnormality in her is; she does believe that her daughter is still alive."

'Interviewing his wife might not be that much a difficult task' Smaran thought. "Alright then. I forgot to tell you. Don't introduce me as a detective to investigate into your daughter's suicide. Tell her I am your friend came to you from a faraway place. I do try to get my answers somehow or other."

"This is appearing good. I do as you say."

Smaran was about to ask something more but then Nirmala entered into the home with the grocery bags in her hands. She looked curiously at Smaran.

"He is my boyhood friend. Came from a very faraway place. His name is Smaran." Ranganath said.

"I know all about your friends. You never have told me about this person." There was still curiosity in her face.

"I told you that he is in a faraway place till now. He did not come to our marriage either. How I can tell you about him then?" Ranganath smiled.

"Its alright. That does not matter. I ask Niru to make coffee for you both." Taking the grocery bags into the kitchen Nirmala said.

Ranganath and Niranjan exchanged glances.

"That's the way. She is going to ask her daughter who died six months back to make coffee to us." Ranganath said with a sorrowful tone.

Smaran deeply breathed and remained silent. He was feeling curious to see what was going to happen next.

After some time Nirmala came there with coffee cups in a tray. "I forgot. Nirupama went to her friend's home. It takes sometime to her to return." Handing over the cups to them both she said.

"What your daughter is studying now?" taking small sips of the coffee she gave to him Smaran asked her.

"First year psychology post graduation. One of our relatives made her do that. Otherwise she wanted to study economics." She too sat herself in the nearby chair.

"Who is that relative? Why Nirupama obeyed him that much?" Smaran continued his questioning.

"He is a cousin to me in fact, name Niranjan. I would have married him if I had not this man."Nirmala smiled. "He is a retired psychology professor and Nirupama impressed by him a lot. In fact he is a very interesting man."

"I met him here. He was here just before your coming home." Smaran said.

"Oh, he stayed here until you came!" Nirmala smiled. "He came here before I left for groceries."

"But I cannot talk with him much. As soon as I entered here, he left."

"Is it is so? I don't know when he comes here again. No problem. My husband shows you his home tomorrow. You really like his company. A very interesting guy." She said.

"But I am not going to stay until tomorrow. I do leave in half an hour or so." Smaran declared.

"But why? You are my husband's close friend. I am expecting you to stay in our home atleast one week."

"I cannot stay now. I have some urgent work to attend. I sure shall come again and stay here then."

"Atleast stay until my daughter comes to home. I introduce her to you."

Involuntarily Ranganath and Smaran exchanged glances again.

"I cannot stay more than half an hour now. If she comes before that time I shall be quite glad." Smaran said.

Smaran noticed complete relief in Nirmala's face. The frowns on her face were cleared without a trace.

(..........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