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

"I cannot guarantee it. She stays hours together whenever she goes to her friends' houses." Nirmala said. "But don't forget coming here again. Nirupama is a very interesting girl. You really like her."

Smaran nodded his head. "I think Nirupama helps you a lot in your work."

"She helps of course." Nirmala laughed. "But it all depends on her mood swings. If her mood is good she does not let me do any work. If it is sour she yells and quarrels with me and would not help me even a little bit."

"Do her friends come here to talk with her?"

"Why don't they? It is a strange question. They come here and she goes there. Especially that Sukanya. I don't see such close friendship between any friends. That Sukanya also is a lovely girl."

"I think now also she went to that Sukanya's house." Leaning back in his chair and crossing his fingers, Smaran said.

"You guessed it right. They both sure would have involved in endless talking and playing. I don't know how long she stays there. My husband should go there to fetch her back."

They talked like that for some more time. So far not very much useful information but he felt satisfied as he made her talk like that.

Suddenly Smaran got up from the chair and said. "My time is up. I cannot stay any longer. I do come here again." Ranganath also stood up to accompany Smaran.

"Remember that you owe a visit here again." Nirmala said from behind.

"Sure I do." Smaran laughed and said without turning back.

"That is the way she behaves." When they both came out, Ranganath said.

"You don't worry. It is not serious madness." Smaran said.

"But she is always imagining Nirupama so."

Smaran was about to say something but stopped. "When I do come here again we talk at length. But one thing I can say precisely here. You need not worry about your wife's madness."

After that he did not stay there

***

Menaka was completely involved in the novel she was reading at that time. That book was very much interesting to her. Very rarely such type of books came into her possession to read. She was that much indulged in what she was reading that she did not come into this world until her cell phone rung long. She snatched it with a jerk and felt a pleasure shock as it was her uncle that her mother's brother. Hurriedly she pressed the answer button.

"What is that book you are reading?" her uncle Smaran asked her. "That made you not attend my call this long."

"Tell me your dreams" by Sidney Sheldon. I think you also read that book." Menaka felt so happy talking with her uncle. She always felt like that while talking with him.

"I read all Sidney Sheldon's books." She could hear his laughter. "We discuss about his books later. But there is an important assignment for you if you want."

"Really!" Menaka sat bolt straight on the bed. Sometimes Smaran would involve Menaka also in his investigation works and Menaka liked it very much. "May I have the details?"

"Sure. But not over phone. You should come to me."

"I shall be with you just in half an hour. Bye" Menaka end the call and threw the cell on to the bed. It took her just ten minutes to dress herself up for the outside journey.

"Where you are going?" while she was coming out, her mother Madhuri came across her and asked.

"To uncle's office. He asked me to come." Menaka was still cheerful and joyous.

"Alright then, go" her mother never would object her daughter's going to her brother's home.

Menaka did not wait even her mother finished saying that and came out of that place. Madhuri just remained looking at the way that Menka went out. After the death of her husband, Menka has become all to her. There was no other aim to Madhuri except to show to her daughter better future with a better husband.

After her, the other person who would that much bother about her daughter was her brother Smaran. He was even more unfortunate than she, lost his wife in a road accident when she was third month pregnant. He always would treat Menaka just like his daughter and never bothered about his own children. In the recent days of the death of his wife, Madhuri tried her level best to make him marry again but he never listened to her.

***

"It is indeed very pathetic. I just cannot understand why this beautiful girl ended her life so." Menaka's mood changed a lot after she saw the photograph of Nirupama and heard the story.

Just half an hour before she entered into the office of Smaran and he not only explained everything about the investigation but has sown the photograph of Nirupama also.

"Not just you, her parents and her close friends also cannot understand it. I am hired to know about it. Particularly her father wanted to know the reason that compelled his daughter to commit suicide. He firmly believes that there was a strong reason for his daughter's committing suicide like that." Smaran said.

"I am also thinking in the same way." Saying so, she looked at the photograph of Nirupama again. "See. How beautiful she is! Appearing very intelligent also. I never believe a girl liker her commit suicide for a silly reason."

"You just strengthened my belief. Yes there is a strong reason that compelled her to commit suicide and you and I are going to discover it." With a convincing voice Smaran said.

"What should I do in the whole of this?" throwing the photo into the envelop Menaka asked him.

"I tell you. Be patient." Smaran leaned back in the chair and hissed out. "You need to go to that Ranganath's house and stay there for some days."

"What should I do there then?" Menaka knew her uncle asked her to do that with some reason. "I know that you don't ask me to stay there without some purpose."

"Observe carefully. Especially that Nirmala. You have to give to me reports occasionally over phone or by coming here. That house is also not very far from here"

"I do it." Menaka smiled. "When I have to move myself into that house?"

"Tomorrow evening. Tell your mother that you are going to be away from your home for some thirty days or so."

"Do I need to stay in their home that long?"

"The time I have given to solve this assignment is one month. The fees that has been agreed is two lakhs. I am going to give you fifty thousand rupees out of it to you."

"I am not money minded. I am doing it mainly to help you." But her face was lit with pleasure when she heard it.

"There may be some more things you need to do. I tell you about them when the time comes." Smaran said as if he did not hear what she said.

"Alright. I will do as you are going to ask me." Menaka nodded her head. "Anyhow, the first task is I have to land myself in their home by tomorrow evening." She said.

Smaran nodded his head. They discussed some more time on that matter then

***

"I don't think that Nirmala does agree to this girl to stay in our home." When Smaran said about Menaka's staying in his home, Ranganath said. "How she would? She is imagining my late daughter Nirupama in our house alive and your Menaka's staying with us proves that is wrong. She would be disillusioned."

Smaran smiled and said. "First let me put my request before you both and see what happens. I think she would agree to it."

"I have no objection." Ranganath nodded his head. "Moreover I shall feel happy for this girl's staying in my home. She is appearing just like my daughter."

Menaka smiled sadly on hearing that.

***

"I am very happy that you have come to our home again." Looking at Smaran and Menaka, Nirmala said. "May I know who this girl is?"

"She is the daughter of my sister. Her name is Menaka" Smaran said. Menaka smiled at Nirmala.

"The daughter of your sister?" suddenly there were frowns on the forehead of Nirmala. "Its alright. But the last time I forgot to ask. What about your family? Where they are living now?"

"There is no family to me." With the same expression in his face Smaran said. "When my wife was third month pregnant, she died in a road accident. After that I just did not like to marry again. The only relatives in the whole of this world I have are this girl's sister Madhuri and this girl. My sister's life also is not very much happy. Her husband used to practice as an advocate and when this girl was just four years aged he died with a disease. After that this girl has been just like a daughter not only to my sister but to me also." Smaran said.

Then Ranganath looked into the face of Smaran with a surprising expression and Smaran nodded his head indicating whatever he said was true. Ranganath's heart filled with sorrow.

"I think you are going to stay in my home atleast two or three days now." Nirmala said. "My husband is your close friend you said."

"I am sorry, there are urgent works to me to attend." Smaran said. "Anyhow I came here to make a particular request to you people."

"Oh, don't talk like that." Nirmala said with little anger in her voice. "Just simply say what we have to do for you."

"My sister is working as a bank manager and she has to go out of staion on some urgent work. She has to stay away for minimum one month or so. Till now she never let her daughter to stay all alone in the house. I just cannot say where would I go and when I do return to my house because of my business works to keep this girl with me. So I want to request you both to let my niece to stay in your house until my sister returns home." With a requesting expression in his face, Smaran asked.

"Is it is something that you need to request us like this?" this time the anger in Nirmala has become even more. "Why cannot you simply say that your niece is going to stay in our house for one month or so?"

Quickly Ranganath and Smaran exchanged glances and there was a smile on Smaran lips saying he knew it before itself.

"Shall we give her the downstairs room then? It would be more comfortable to her." Ranganath asked Nirmala.

"Why downstairs room? Don't you remember that our daughter went to her aunt's home and she would not come back until one month or so over? This girl is going to stay in Nirupama's room itself."

Everything was so surprising to Ranganath. Why he could not understand his wife as Smaran did?

"You take these people and show Nirupama's room. First of all this girl...." Nirmala paused and looked into Menaka's eyes. "What is your name?" she asked her

"Menaka" Menaka threw her charming smile again.

"Indeed nice. Oh, yes. This girl should like that room first. If this girl does not like it then we think which other room to give."

(..........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