Nirupama

Nirupama- 21

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

"Are you thinking that Menaka can handle this all?" she asked in the end. "She is too young and I don't think that she has such expertise in hypnotism either."

"Sure she can. Those old people deserve as much help as we can do."

"I agree with you on that." Madhuri nodded her head. "I felt so much pitiful when I looked at that old woman. If you are thinking it is okay that Menaka involves in all this in this way I have no objection to it." She said.

"Thank you very much for the confidence you have got on me." Smaran said.

"How far your investigation has come? Are you confident that you can find out the reason?" she asked him

"I am confident. There is one week time to solve this mystery as per the agreement. I sure can find out the truth in this one week."

"Really very sad. I looked at the photograph of her in that room. She appeared so attractive and intelligent. I just cannot think of why she committed suicide."

"No one can. That is why her father hired my services to know about it."

There was silence between them both for sometime. "I want to talk to you about your life now."

"There is nothing new to talk about it. I am so happy in leading a life like this."

"But I am not happy looking at you like this." Madhuri said. "Listen to me. Still there is time if you want to marry. I agree you loved your wife a lot and you never can forget her. It should not have happened like this at all. If she were alive you both would have led a very happy life. But she is not alive on this day and you remain all alone like this. That girl also does not like this. Wherever she may be on this day, she too so strongly wishes that you should remarry."

"No sister. Marrying again is not possible to me. If it is possible I would have done that years before." There was slight irritation on his face.

"I know that you don't want this topic." Madhuri said "But you are my only brother. There is no one else to us except you to me and me to you. I just cannot bear the feeling your life has become like this."

"Nothing has happened to my life. Of course it is a great mishap that my wife predeceased me. But it happened years before and I adjusted to that truth."

Madhuri breathed deeply and remained silent. She could not think of what to say.

"How your life is then? Are you feeling happy and satisfied in leading a life like this?" he asked her.

"I am. It is indeed a big loss to me I lose my husband like that. But he gave Menaka to me. She is the meaning of my life. I don't need anything else. If she did not take birth...." She smiled "I might have preferred to remarry."