Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“Its alright dear. What Dr.Rose said as well is true. It is just some people weakness. We have to consider virtues also besides weaknesses. I know very educated people also looking at beautiful women like that. This Ratnam is a village brute and there is no surprise in his looking like that.” Tanuja said.
“Alright, alright.” Rajesh interfered and said. “Anyhow neither the psychologist Vinod nor the psychiatrists Rose and Neeraja did find anything odd insinuating insanity in Ratnam in the morning.”
“We have to say that we did not observe him that minutely.” Vinod said.
“Vinod is right. Don’t think we are incompetent. If we observe him little more in the afternoon, we can say whether he is mad or not.” Rose said.
“If what that Raju said is true and Ratnam became mad, what would have caused his madness?” with a curios expression in her face Tanuja said.
“Whatever caused madness in his father Ratnakar caused madness in Ratnam also.” Rajesh said.
“Then what would have caused madness in Ratnakar?”
“No one knows the reason for it. No one knows why Ratnakar has become mad.” Rajesh hissed out heavily.
“I just cannot understand how people do become mad without any reason” knitting her brows together, Tanuja said.
“Here is one famous psychologist and two famous psychiatrists. Why don’t you ask them for an explanation?” Rajesh said.
Then Tanuja looked into the faces of Vinod, Rose and Neeraja as if requesting an explanation.
“Madness is three types. First type madness happens because of physical disturbances in the body just like brain nerves damage, cells damage, etc. This type of madness can be cured only if the damage has been cured completely. This type of madness is very typical and serious. Psychologists and psychiatrists can play very little role in curing this madness. The second type madness happens because of psychological disturbances caused by outside reasons which create emotions and feelings intolerable. We psychologists and psychiatrists can maximum cure this type of insanity.” Rose paused a moment and said again. “The third type madness is hereditary. This type of madness goes in families for generations. Children inherit it from their parents. This madness also is very much difficult to be cured.”
“Then first we have to know from what type of madness this Ratnam is suffering. To know whether he is suffering from first type of madness we have to get his brain scanned and several other tests also need to be conducted.” Neeraja said.
“I am thinking either Ratnam or his father suffered any physical damage. They are alright physically.” Rajesh said.
“That much is true. Ratnam has become mad only at his forty years or so of age and he did not suffer physically any damage till then. The same applies to his father also. He has become mad only in his old age and physically he did not suffer anything intensive that would cause madness in him.” Rajesh said.
“How can you be so sure about it so? We have to verify it from them.” Neeraja said.
“Alright, we can do so. That is not a problem at all.” Vinod said.
“But if it is not first type madness either in Ratnakar or Ratnam, what would have caused madness in them so? Is there a chance that people do become mad without any reason at all?” once again looking into the face of Vinod, Tanuja asked him.
“It seems you don’t leave this question without a satisfying explanation. Anyhow Dr.Rose is more competent to answer this question than me.” Vinod laughed and looked into the face of Rose.
“I don’t think severe madness happens either without a physical damage or without some psychological disturbance. Anyhow it is not unusual that people do become mad in their later ages. Madness in later ages of the people is called as ‘Paraphrenia.’ It may be something like that in this Ratnam and his father. Particular reasons needs not necessary for this madness.” Rose said.
“But Ratnam is not aged more than forty five years I think.” Rajesh said.
“Sudden psychological disturbance in people is not unusual.” Neeraja said.
“Anyhow what is your opinion regarding the madness in that father and son?”
“They might have faced some severe psychological disturbance or it may be hereditary. So far to your knowledge they did not suffer any physical damage.”
“If it is not hereditary or because of physical damage, what would have caused that psychological disturbance? Could it be some paranormal?” Tanuja asked.
“Never” Neeraja nodded her head in negation. “Severe auditory and visual hallucinations can cause such psychological disturbances. They may not be real but they can cause madness.”
“What causes these severe auditory and visual hallucinations?”
“Continuous obsessive thinking about something causes these.” Neeraja said. “If Ratnam and his father’s madness is not because of the first and third type, they would have thought about something continuously and that obsessive thinking caused those hallucinations which in turned caused the madness in them.”
“My mom is the best example for hereditary madness.” Neeraja said and everyone there looked at her. “My mom did not suffer any physical damage at any time in her whole life and there is no psychological disturbance to her. But she is mad from her birth itself. Not just my mom, her mom also just mad like her. In fact this madness is like that in that family for generations together. None of those people suffered any physical damage or have any psychological disturbances.”
“Neeraja’s mom has got the treatment in our hospital itself. She suffered from the hereditary madness. We tried our level best but we could not save her.” Rose said
“People do die because of madness?” Tanuja said.
“It is not so.” Rose nodded her head in negation. “Madness generally never causes direct death. Suddenly Neeraja’s mom became too much emotional and her blood pleasure became too high. She suffered brain hemorrhage and died.”
“How pathetic! Neeraja must have suffered a lot.” Looking pitifully into the face of Neeraja, Tanuja said.
“In fact it was an end to her, my dad’s and my suffering.” Neeraja said.
“So in your opinion there need not be any material reason for Ratnam and his father’s madness.” Rajesh said.
“Dr.Rajesh” Rose said. “Psychological illness differs a lot from physical illness. At all instances we cannot attribute a direct reason for psychological illness. Treatment for psychological illness also not is easy as the treatment of physical illness. Sometimes we have to combine several treatment methods to treat psychological disorders. So it is indeed difficult even after thorough diagnosis also to find out any particular reason for the madness of Ratnam and his father.”
“Alright, when Ratnam come in the afternoon taking our lunch we shall try to know if there were any incidents happened either in his life or his father’s life which might cause insanity.” Rajesh said.
“We need to be careful while dealing with Ratnam. As per the saying of Raju he is insane.” Sameera said.
“It is not confirmed yet, is it?” Rajesh asked her. “I did not find him even a little mad in the morning.”
“Oh, dad. I don’t think that Raju lied to us. He appeared to me as a gentle man.” Sameera said.
“Sameera is correct. We must not argue or talk with him more.” Tanuja said. “I still can remember how his father Ratnakar came to our house and talked with us on that day. If this Ratnam also has become as much madder as his father, he surely would be dangerous!”
“Oh, you are making the issue unnecessarily big. First let that gentleman come to our house then we shall see.” With little irritation in his face Rajesh said and looked into the face of Rose and asked her. “What do you say? Can we try to know things from him when he comes here in the afternoon taking our lunch?”
“I cannot recommend that much.” Rose said. “It is not better to probe him too much to know about some sensitive details. He may unnecessarily turn mad if we try to make him remember some unwanted things by our probing.”
“I think you all people listened what Dr.Rose has said. So be careful!” looking cautiously into their faces, Rajesh said.
As they were talking like that Sunanda came there. Sameera and Vinod both looked into her face and she forced a smile onto her lips. However much Sunanda tried to appear normal both Sameera and Vinod understood something wrong has happened. Sunanda lowered her eyelids, turned her head and went into a chair nearby and slumped herself in it. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes while the others there were indulged in talking something or the other.
&&&
“Was something happened dear?” Vinod went near to his daughter who laid herself on the bed and asked her.
Vinod saw that his daughter was going into the upstairs and followed her. Sunanda did not find him at all until he sat in the chair in that room and asked that question. By then Aravind and Anand came downstairs.
“Oh, nothing dad. Nothing happened. Why are you thinking like that?” Sunanda instantly sat straight on the bed and looked into his eyes. Once again she forced a smile onto her lips.
Vinod made room on the left side of her, sat there and put his right hand on her right shoulder. “If you are worrying for something I can know about it without your saying dear. Don’t forget I am a psychologist and I can know about people’ feelings by looking into their faces.” Looking into her face he said.
“I don’t know why but suddenly I remembered mom, dad.” Sunanda said with a small voice. Anyhow she was not entirely wrong when she said so. After the incident with Anand like that, without her intention, the memories of her mom filled her heart. “I cannot say but presently I am feeling too much about her. Life is appearing too heavy for me to live without her. It all started so sudden.” Tears started flowing down on her cheeks.
“Its natural dear. Sometimes it is quite natural to feel like that about your mom.” Removing his hand from her shoulder, Vinod said. “Sometimes our minds would be attacked by strong feelings of the expired loved ones. It appears really very difficult to bear those feelings then.”
“To you psychologists and psychiatrists, there are no hearts but only minds.” Smiling a little Sunanda said. “Tell me one thing, are not you feeling about mom even a little at any time?”
“How can you ask it like that?” instantly there came a hurt expression on the face of Vinod. “Just because of being a psychologist I am not above the feelings of ordinary human beings. I do feel about everything as you do feel.”
“I am sorry dad, I am so sorry.” Putting her both hands around his neck Sunanda said. “I never have seen you become emotional as I did, so I asked you like this.”
“The only difference between you and me is I can understand the feelings where you cannot. I can distance myself from the feelings and see them separate from me. Therefore I can deal with my feelings better than you do.” Vinod said.
“You are very typical to understand.” Sunanda laughed and said. “But one thing I can say here for sure. Mom not just loved you as long as she lived, she adored you. You have treated her like that to make her feel in such a way towards you. You both are a fine example to any other couple in this world.” With appreciation in her eyes, Sunanda said.
(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.)
