Murder in Retrospect.Last Chp P139,140 Feb13 - Page 32

You deserve all these praise dear for giving such a beautiful FF.

Originally posted by: harinisriram39

You deserve all these praise dear for giving such a beautiful FF.

Chapter 5

"I am definitely going mad and I need help", exclaimed Pia in anguish.

"Calm down Pia. We will consult someone if need be, but what if there is a perfect valid explanation to everything that you have been going through", Abhay said trying to control Pia.

Pia: What explanation Abhay?

Abhay: Well Pia, T told me and Misha whatever you told her and according to Misha who you know is a psychologist herself, the only possible explanation to all the things is that you have been in that house before and that's why your sub-conscious mind remembers the things that were there in the house before.

Pia: and what about last night?

It was Misha who spoke up now: Pia, there is only one explanation for last night and that is that you actually witnessed a woman named Maya getting stabbed by someone when she was talking to some Mr. Malhotra in the same house that you have recently bought.

Pia: Are you mad, I have never been to even Mumbai before, leave alone that house. What are you trying to say that this is some previous birth's memories coming back to me?

Misha: no Pia, not previous birth, but this birth itself.

Pia: but you know Misha that I never have been to Mumbai..

Misha: I know that only from the time I know you, and you were 3 years old that time. But who knows you might have been here before that with you father. In fact, the way you described that murder, makes it crystal clear that you witnessed the murder when you were a child.

All of them looked at Misha with confused faces and Abhay asked her: how can you be so sure that Pia witnessed this murder when she was a child?

Misha: because she said that she witnessed the entire thing happening downstairs looking through the banisters. A normal adult would have witnessed it over the banisters not through it. Only a child is small enough to see things through the banisters.

"But if I had been to Mumbai before I would have surely remembered it. And if I really witnessed a murder, then I surely would have never forgotten it. Things like that can't be forgotten Misha!" Pia tried to express her doubt and Misha came into her professional child psychologist mode to explain her:

A child's brain works differently from adults Pia. If you would have witnessed this murder as an adult, then yes you would probably have never forgotten it, but you witnessed this murder as a child at a time when you did not even know what death was. This incident would have surely scared you and confused you but before you could tell anyone about it, maybe you were sent to us - complete strangers and you did not know how to explain what you saw. And so, in order to save you from nightmares, our child brain shut off the entire incident and its memories out of its consciousness. But the memories remained buried in your subconscious state of mind which was never waken up as you were away from the whole scene and among people who loved you, cared for you and with whom you were happy. But when you came to the city and saw the same house again, your subconscious mind was waken up and you felt connected to the house. Who knows maybe apart from that horrible incident, you might have good memories in this house. That you were a child then is also supported by the fact that you chose to stay in the kids' room till Abhay's return. Probably that room belonged to you when you were here and that's why you felt comfortable there.

Pia: But Misha, how is it that I don't remember a thing about being in this city.

Misha: As I already said Pia, that's because your child brain chose to forget it and move on rather than brood over it. And you know Pia, as I grew up and took interest in psychology, I remembered that as a child you always used to tell about some memories of yours with your father till the time you just turned 3. But you don't remember a thing about your third birthday and the time spent from the time you turned 3 till the time you came to us. And my studies always pointed out that probably that part of your memory has been wiped out or lost. I often wondered what could have happened that resulted in such a selective case of amnesia, but today is the reason I found the explanation. Because what you saw that night was so horrific that in order to prevent itself from going mad, your child brain forgot everything related to people and places and events which led up to that incident.

Pia: But how can we be so sure Misha.

It was Abhay who spoke up: We can ask Madhu aunty that from where did your Dad sent you to them? And ask her if she knows anything about you being in Mumbai.

They all agreed that it was the best idea and so Misha called up Madhu and asked: Hey mom, do you remember where Pia used to stay before she came to us?

Ya Ya I know you told us that her father was an army officer and that you guys never really saw him as Panchi maasi found it more romantic to elope with him rather than have a decent traditional wedding with him, but still you guys did communicate with him after Panchi's maasi death, didn't you? So, do you remember if he ever told you about him and Pia being in Mumbai?

What!! Oh thanks Mum

No, No, nothing like that, it's just that Pia found a few things here a bit familiar and so was confused. Thanks for helping mum. It will be a big relief for her.

Misha turned to face the others and told them that Madhu confirmed that Pia was indeed in Mumbai just before coming to us. So that confirms my theory.

It took a few minutes for all of them to grasp the situation. It was T who spoke up first after letting out a big sigh of relief: Thank God! Everything cleared up. We don't need to worry anymore. Pia is not mad. She just witnessed something horrible as a child. I suggest you guys move to some other house and forget about everything.

Abhay and Pia both looked at her shocked and it was Abhay who spoke up: Forget about it!! How can we forget about it? A murder took place in out house and Pia witnessed it. We don't even know who the victim was and whether or not she got justice and her murderer convicted. How can we rest till we have found out all this and ensured that the real culprit is indeed convicted?

Jeh and T looked at them with shock on their faces and it was Jeh who spoke up: Abhay, that murder happened 18 years back. How are you going to find out about it when you don't even know who this Maya was? And besides if that murderer was not convicted, then raking this sleeping murder again would be inviting trouble. Whoever committed this murder in retrospect, would not like to get his life disturbed after 18 long years and we raking this could be inviting trouble.

It was Pia who spoke up: Whatever you may say Bro, but I know I cannot rest till I find who Maya was and why was she killed and who killed her. I don't know why, but somehow I feel that Maya still awaits justice and that is why I chose to buy the same house where I witnessed her murder. Probably she was waiting for me to come here and get her justice.