Nirupama

Nirupama-28

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

"How can you say that? You know that Niranjan also well?" Menaka again frowned.

"Yes. My husband and I also know that Niranjan well. He is a good friend to my husband. He comes to our home whenever he comes to Ranganath's house." She said.

"How often he comes to Ranganath's house?" Nirupama became inquisitive.

"Weekly once or twice. He is a relative to Nirmala. There is no surprise in his coming like that to their home."

"I agree." Menaka nodded her head. "So, Nirupama also used to treat him as if he were her father."

"I cannot say it to be so. She respected him a lot. But she treated him as her uncle or friend rather than father. Because she loved her father also that much." Bittoo's mother said.

"Thank you." They both talked some more time. Bittoo's mother gave coffee and snacks to Menaka. After finishing them Manaka got off from the chair.

"Thank you aunty. I shall come to your house again."

"Please come as often as possible. I am feeling quite happy talking with you. I am feeling just like I am talking with Nirupama."

***

When Menaka entered into the home, Ranganath was on the sofa. She smiled at him and about to go upstairs, then Ranganath said.

"Menaka, one minute." Ranganath said.

"Tell me uncle" she went near to him and asked him.

"Come with me. Don't make any sound." He said and led her slowly to the window of the kitchen. "Just look through the window he said."

Menaka looked through the window into the kitchen. There Nirmala cutting the vegetables with a knife sitting on a mat. Menaka wanted to say something to Ranganath in low voice then she found that Nirmala was talking in herself.

"Niru, its not right. I don't like your saying so."

Then Menaka understood that the old woman was not talking in herself but she was talking with imagined Nirupama there. She felt a chill through her spine.

"Its already too late Niru. You must be got married in this year itself. I am not going to give much chance at all to you."

Ranganath and Menaka looked into each other's faces.

"No. I am not going to hear your father in this regard. No recommendations work out. You must be got married within this year itself. If you want to study do that after marriage."

There was some silence as if Nirmala was listening to her daughter.

"Did you like that girl? She is indeed very good. I know that you do like her a lot."