An untellable secret
(Some secrets may better remain secrets for ever)
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“You are right.” Niranjan nodded his head.
“Why Niru left such puzzles to us?” Ranganath said.
“It is not a puzzle and Niru did not suppose that it should be found out by anyone else either.” Niranjan said. “It is something that she involuntarily expressed herself out in such a way I think.”
“You are absolutely right.” Smaran said.
“One thing I can say sure for here.” Niranjan said. “Whatever it may be that compelled her to commit suicide, Nirupama did not like it to be known to anyone else.”
“You are right once again” Smaran nodded his head
“If it is the case, why don’t you people leave it just like that? What we are going to get by knowing about it? We cannot get our Nirupama back anyhow.”
“Never” Ranganath said. “Whether Nirupama likes it or not, I must know the truth why she had committed suicide.” The firmness in his voice surprised Niranajan and Smaran also.
“Its alright then.” Niranjan nodded his head. “I am always ready to provide whatever help you people do want to know about it.”
“Thank you very much for that” Smaran said.
***
“Sorry, mom. I just could not phone to you for the last two days” Menaka apologetically said. She herself phoned to her mother with the fear otherwise her mother phone to her and scold her profoundly.
“Alright, it does not matter.” Her mother said. “Is everything okay to you there?” she asked.
“More than okay in fact.” Menaka said. “You just don’t know how nice these old couple are to me. They are really feeling as if I am their own daughter.”
“Menaka, I want to come and see those old couple. Is it will be okay to them?” Manaka’s mother asked her.
“Mom, what you are talking? I cannot understand at all.” Menaka surprisingly said.
“I came to know everything through Smaran. I don’t know why but I am feeling overwhelming pity over those couple. If you think that those couple don’t think otherwise I shall sure come there and talk with them.”
“What is there to think otherwise? These old people indeed need all the outside help in fact.” Menaka said. “When you can come here anyhow?”
“On this day itself. First I talk with Smaran and see what he says” Menaka’s mother said.
“That is not going to be a problem. You may come straight without informing him either. But the most important thing is, the old woman still thinking her daughter is alive. So you have to talk and behave with her accordingly.”
“That is what made me feel more and more pity.” Her mother said. “Alright I do behave cautiously and as you asked. Moreover….” She paused for a moment and then said “I say that I have to go out of station again.”
“Why….why do you need to say like that?” Menaka once again felt surprise.
“Smaran said to me that he made you stay there saying I am out of station. So I am thinking that it would be wise and more convenient if I say I have to go out of station again”
Menaka laughed and said. “You are really fantastic! I have forgotten about it completely. Okay I do wait for you here.”
Then after saying bye Menaka hung up. It was still surprising to her that her mother has chosen to come there to see the old people.
As it was becoming evening six in the evening, Menaka’s mother Madhuri came there. Menaka introduced her mother to Ranganath and Nirmala.
“We are so glad that you have come to our house in this way.” Ranganath said.
“How nice? You are also as beautiful as Menaka” Nirmala said.
“Thank you very much” Madhuri’s face beamed with happiness. “Menaka told a lot about you both. I am very happy that you both are looking after Menaka such nicely. I have to go out of station on important business work and I really worried where to put my daughter as my brother also seldom stays at home. We are relaxed that you are treating Menaka as if she is your daughter. I hope that Menaka is not creating any trouble to you both. She is little naughty.”
“Not at all, not at all.” Nirmala hastily said.” She is the best girl we came to know so far. Comparing with Menaka my daughter is more naughty. She is not now at home. If she is, she likes Menaka a lot. They both can become good friends.”
“I think you both would have no problem whatsoever to have Menaka in your home some more time as I need to go out of station again.”
“You need not say it at all so.” Nirmala said. “If she wants she can stay with us forever. I started liking her a lot. Even after Niru’s coming to home also there is no necessity to her to go anywhere. I already said, they both can become good friends.”
“What my wife said is absolutely true. Don’t worry about anything at all and let Menaka stay in our home as long as she wants.” Ranganath said.
“Mom, would you like to come and see my room?” Menaka asked her.
“Sure, why not you lead me there?” Madhuri said.
“You both go into Menaka’s room and enjoy yourselves there. Once you come down I treat you with coffee and tiffin.” Nirmala said.
“Don’t bother yourself preparing anything for us.” Madhuri said. “I have taken something before coming here and I am not feeling any hungry at all.”
“It is not so. First you both go up and come down. I shall decide whether to give you something or not.” Nirmala said.
Then Menaka led her mother into the upstairs room.
“Strange lady. I just cannot think that she is mad. She is appearing alright in all respects to me.” Once Menaka and Madhuri settled in the upstairs room, Madhuri said.
“No one can think that she is mad and in one way she is not mad at all.” Menaka said. “What is the only peculiar thing in her is, she is imagining that her daughter is still alive.”
“Very sad and astonishing! I never have seen something like this till now in my life.” Madhuri said with surprise.
“Mom, you know one thing? That girl Nirupama committed suicide in this very room itself. She hanged herself to this ceiling fan with her chunni.”
“My god! What you are saying? And you are staying in this very room itself!” her eyes became wide. “Are not you feeling odd? Are not you scared?”
For a moment Menaka thought to say about her experiences to her mother. But she felt fear that her mother would become too much fearful and compel her to leave that house, so she preferred not to say about that.
“No mom I am hundred percent alright here. I am feeling quite normal. Just because one common girl committed suicide in this room, do we feel fear to stay here?”
“May be you are right, I cannot say. But if I were you I would not at all prefer to stay here.” Looking around carefully Madhuri said. Then the photograph on the wall caught her eyes.
She got off from the bed and went near to the photo. “I think this girl is that Nirupama.”
“You are right mom.” Menaka came near to her mother and said. “This very girl is that Nirupama. This is the girl who has committed suicide and made me stay like this in this room.”
“Beautiful, really beautiful” Madhuri said. “I thought you are the beautiful girl until this moment. But seeing this girl I have changed my opinion. She is the most beautiful girl.”
“I agree with you without any reservation.” Menaka smiled and said.
“What the bloody reason that made this beautiful girl to commit suicide?” Madhuri said.
“That is what I want to know and engaged the services of your brother.”
Hearing that voice they both turned back. Ranganath stood there.
“I am very sorry. I should not intrude into your room like this.” he apologized.
“Not at all. It is your room and this is your house.” Madhuri said. “I am really very sorry that it has happened to you like this. Your daughter must not have done like that at all.”
“Everyone is feeling just so.” Menaka said.
“Come we three go there, sit and talk” Madhuri said leading towards the bed there. Menaka and Madhuri slumped on the bed and Ranganath made himself comfortable in the chair near to that bed.
“My brother and Menaka told about you both to me. I just cannot restrain myself to come and see you both. My heartfelt sorry once again to you.”
“It is indeed your greatness that you have decided to come and see us.” Ranganath said. “But nothing on the earth change what has happened.”
“Exactly. I am going to say what you have said just now. We cannot undo what has been done. As it is so…..” she paused for a moment and then said “You must come out of your grief.”
There was no answer from Ranganath.
“At the same time you have to take your wife out from her grief.
Ranganath smiled sadly. “Are you thinking that my wife is worrying for anything? She is very happy imagining that her daughter is still alive. I am feeling bad as I could not imagine myself so.”
“It is not so. That happiness is not true happiness. In my opinion she should not be left imagining herself so.” Madhuri said.
“What would be the good in taking her out of that imagination by force? Why do we make her realize the scorching reality? At the dawn of her life, what she is going to get becoming fully sane? Let her be half mad like that and be happy.”
“But Niranjan uncle is saying that she is forcing herself imagining so and deep inside she knows the truth.” Menaka said. “In my uncle’s opinion deep inside of her she is troubling and suffering.”
“If it is so, is there any necessity to take her out of her imagination? She herself knows that she is imagining.”
“Quite peculiar indeed” Madhuri said. “I cannot express myself so but this is not the way. She should not be left so and you should not remain like this.”
“I am alright. There is nothing needs to be done for me.”
“Anyone can say how much you are worrying and how sad you are by looking into your face.” Madhuri said. “You must come out of that sadness.”
“That is not possible at all. The only hope of our life has gone away. Seeing what I have to live now? The same applies to my wife also.”
“I just don’t know what to say.” Madhuri said. “But I am feeling a lot for you both. I am ready to give or do anything even for a little happiness for you couple.”
Menaka looked surprisingly into the face of her mother. Her mother was a materialist and always pragmatic. What indeed made her talk like that she could not understand.
“If it is so and you are feeling like that towards both of us please let your daughter stay with us as long as possible. I am feeling just like my daughter is with me while I am with your daughter. My wife is also feeling just like that I think.”
“As you wish it sir. My daughter is going to stay with you people as long as you want her with you. I am giving you my word.” Madhuri said.
“Really, really I am feeling very happy on hearing this.” Ranganath said. There was some happiness on his face then. “I do go down and see what my wife is doing.” He got off from the chair and went downstairs.
“Mom why you became that much emotional? I never have seen you like this before.” Menaka asked her surprisingly.
“You are right. It is indeed very first time that I have felt myself like this. I just cannot control myself looking at this old couple. I have decided so strongly to help them in some way or the other.”
“So you have no objection for my staying in this home now.”
(I hope that you enjoyed upto here. I shall publish the next chapter as soon as possible. Please don’t forget to rate and review.)
