An untellable secret
(Some secrets may better remain secrets for ever)
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“But in aunty’s opinion Nirupama is in her aunt’s home far away from here. Then how she is talking like that with her in the home itself?”
“That is what I too cannot understand.” Ranganath said.
“Her madness took a new turn I think.” Niranjan said. “If what I am suspecting is true she needs to be treated without much delay.”
“What you are suspecting in fact?” Menaka asked him fearfully.
“It is not just her imagination now. She is started believing her imagination completely. I think deep inside of her also she started believing her imagination.”
“My god! If it is so, it is indeed quite dangerous I think.” Menaka said.
“You are thinking in the same way I am thinking.” Niranjan said.
“Why should not you start treating her straight now instead of asking my help in this regard?” Menaka asked him.
“If I start treating her in my own way she knows in no time that I am treating her for her madness and it does have reverse result then. If there is no other way at all I have to try it whatever may be her reaction to it. But once you are in the home and became successful in hypnotizing her like this, I am thinking it may be better start treating her through you. I sure do interfere and start treating her there is no doubt but it needs to be started with you first.” Niranjan said.
“Then how I can be helpful to you in this?”
Ranganath and Niranjan looked into each other’s faces and Niranjan breathed heavily and hissed out. “You should just try to take her in to the reality. Even prior to that you have to see whether she is really imagining her daughter or just forcing that imagination on to her deep in herself knowing the truth.”
“Appearing a little difficult and dangerous also.” Menaka thoughtfully said. “Go on. I want to hear more.”
“Your opinion is quite true. We are indeed stepping onto a very dangerous ground. But it is the best way to get the best result in my opinion. Whatever we are doing we are doing it for the benefit and good of the old woman.”
“What happens if we do leave her like that? Would not she come out of it somehow or other at sometime in future?” Menaka frowned and asked.
“I think it may not happen like that.” Niranjan said. “What happens from now on is her imagining her daughter becomes more and more severe and at some point Nirmala becomes completely deranged. It happens so because part of the mind accepting her imagining like that and part of the mind starts fighting it is not so.”
Menaka hissed out heavily and said “Whatever you have said appearing quite possible.”
‘Thanks, you have accepted my view.” Looking thankfully into the face of Menaka, Niranjan said.
“How should not I? You are a retired professor in psychology and a successful psychologist. You would not say anything without reason and observing keenly.”
“Once again thank you. Now we are not going to waste anymore time. I already told you but tell you once again what needs to be done by you.” He paused for a moment.
Ranganath and Menaka did not say anything. Menaka prepared to listen carefully.
“First you try to make the old lady realize that her daughter is no more. Just try to give her indirect directions. Ask her whether she received any phone calls from her daughter. If the answer is no, ask her why her daughter did not phone at all for all these days. If yes…..: he paused for a moment and said. “……ask her what her daughter talked with her. Basing on the conversation she tells you just see any incongruity in it and mention that to her. You are just going to show her that her daughter is no more.”
“As you have said…” Menaka paused for a moment as if to give reiteration to whatever she was going to say and said “…..very dangerous mission. It is not just like prying into her thinking and feeling but also wounding her heart to some extent. She may start disliking me also.”
“I agree. But it is important to see that she would not become completely mad.” Niranjan said.
“Please Menaka you must help us in this regard.” Ranganath who was calm all the time said with a pleading in his eyes.
“There is no question I don’t help you uncle.” Menaka said with firmness in her voice. “Whatever may be the consequences even it is dangerous to my own life, I would do that if it cures aunty and gives some happiness to you. Don’t worry at all.”
“Thank you my child. I am really feeling happy to hear this from you.” Ranganath said.
“No interference from now on, until I complete.” Niranjan said. “Next you have to take her into this room. Ranga you said that she did not come into this room after that fateful day.”
“You are absolutely right.” Ranganath said.
“That means deep inside she knew that she had seen her daughter’s dead body in this room. Taking her into this room give her the taste of reality in a heavy dose.”
“But it is the bitterest and most dangerous thing! I myself am feeling sometimes very bad thinking that Nirupama committed suicide in this room. How she would feel once she comes into it? Cannot we skip this step?’ making herself more comfortable on the bed Menaka said.
Ranganath sat just beside her and Niranjan took the chair just opposite to her.
“You just try. If she is not willing to come into this room don’t force her. Just say or ask her to come into this room with you. If she agrees take her into it. If she does not agree forget about it. Anyhow carefully observe what she would say and how she would behave once you say it.”
“Alright.” Menaka nodded her head.
“Niranjan, how it would be if she tried to make her realize the truth while she is in trance? As this girl hypnotizing her too, it would be quite easier to do so.” Ranganath asked Niranjan.
“At the same time quite dangerous also. If we do so we are by-passing the whole affair and taking a shortcut. That is to make the old lady realize the truth or accept it in the blunt way. It is possible to make her realize it. But it would have quite serious affect. I would not feel surprise if she instantly turns completely mad after she knows in a blatant way that her daughter is no more.”
“But in your opinion she already knows that her daughter is no more.” Niranjan said. “You said that she is forcing that imagination on herself.”
“Considering your observation recently we cannot say anything in a specific way. She may be really imagining Nirupama. For all safety, we have to take an indirect route Ranga.” Niranjan said.
“As you say. I have no objection. You always want our good.” Ranganath resigned.
“Try to spend sometime in this room with her if she agrees to come with you into this. Try to say something or other to her mentioning that her daughter was dead. Take her to the photograph onto the wall and show her, her daughter. Just see how she reacts.”
“Alright.” There was fear in Menaka’s heart and eyes also.
“All this you do only if she agrees to come here. If she does not agree forget about this step. Now I tell you what you should do while she is under hypnosis. Are you taking her completely into hypnosis with your hypnotism?” Niranjan asked her.
“It is mostly to put her into sleeping. But of course she is responding fast.” Trying to remember how Nirmala was behaving under her hypnotism Menaka said.
“That means you have become successful in hypnotizing her. It was because she was quite willing to become hypnotized and she already experienced it through her daughter. But now….” Niranjan stopped for a moment and looked carefully into the face of Menaka. “It is very important step. Don’t hypnotize her into sleep. Hypnotize her to be awaken but under your control. You have to give the suggestions that ‘you would not fall into sleep at all but listen to me quite carefully. You accept whatever I say. Your mind is completely in my control’. Like this.” Niranjan said.
“Can I be successful? I doubt. I am not having much experience in this. I never have hypnotized anyone except aunty.” Menaka doubtfully said.
“You need not worry about. It is very simple. You are not going to give her dangerous suggestions. What all you do while she is under hypnosis is just prepare her to accept the truth.”
“I see.” Menaka nodded her head.
“Prepare the suggestions in the way you like Menaka. You may better write them on a paper first. And give them to the old lady in soothing and persuading way while she is under hypnosis. It is important to give those suggestions repeatedly whenever she is under hypnosis. Once we made her mind to accept the truth, she would not be affected in the worst way when she realizes it fully. Then there would not be much damage even she is really imagining her daughter.”
“I understood.” Menaka nodded her head. “When I have to start this?”
“How often you are hypnotizing her?” Niranjan asked her.
“Everyday. After lunch she prefers to go into sleep through hypnotism.” Menaka said.
“Don’t change that time. You are going to do it exactly then.”
&&&
“They indeed put a heavy burden on you. And I never have thought that you do become this much successful in hypnotism.” Smaran said after hearing everything Menaka said to him.
“You are too much. I have not at all become an expert in hypnotism. But what you have said is true. They put a heavy burden on me.” She hissed out heavily.
“I agree with you. I think it is more than your capacity. But you can cope with it. I am having confidence on you.” He paused for a moment and then said. “There should not be such a change in her. Did Ranganath found her behaving like that!” remembering what Menaka said to him Smaran said.
“Indeed he did. I too felt quite sicken while he was explaining that to me.” Menaka said. “But for one thing I am feeling fear. Can I handle it properly? Can I be really helpful to them?”
“I am saying again that you sure can. You need not even doubt it at all.” Smaran said. “You have become so far successful in putting that old woman under hypnosis. So the rest also would be possible to you.”
“You are also talking just like that Niranjan.” Menaka irritatingly said. “Hypnotism is not a big issue. Anyone can do that. Moreover that Nirmala is quite willing to be hypnotized and she undergone hypnotism before. So it is not difficult to anyone to put her under hypnosis. But what these people are asking me to do is not a small issue at all. There is lot of danger involved in this.”
Smaran did not say anything for sometime. “Why did not you say a no to it then?” he asked her.
“I could not. When that Niranjan and Ranganath came to me and asked like that I just could not say ‘no’ to them. But now as I am thinking about it I am feeling fear and becoming doubtful.”
“Don’t worry. It is all going to be quite nice. Just do it in the way you have been asked by that Niranjan. Just remember one thing by doing this you are helping those people a lot.”
Menaka remained silent and then said. “As you are also saying like this, I sure try it in the best way possible.”
Exactly after half an hour or so Menaka left that place.
***
When Smaran completed his meditation and opened his eyes, he found his sister sat opposite to him.
“Sister, when did you come?” looking at her surprisingly Smaran asked her.
“Just half an hour or so before.” Looking at his brother admiringly Madhuri said.
“Then why did not you call me out. I would have come out of my meditation and talk with you.”
(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.)
