Secret

Prakash wanted to investigate the roots of his wife. He tried to find answers to few unresolved questions. Finally, he came to know devastating secret behind those answers. What is it?
Prakash was working as a manager in State Bank of India. His father had died when he was doing his schooling. His father have had a construction company. He earned so much money in that business. Even after his dismissal, Prakash didn't face any financial problems to continue his studies. He completed CA, after that he got placed in SBI. Prakash was a soft spoken person. He was very sensitive. He cannot control his emotions, if he sees any one in trouble. Right from childhood, he had a habit of donating money to poor and participating in welfare activities.
After joining in the job, his mother asked him to marry. He told his wish as he wants to marry an orphan girl. His mummy first surprised, eventually she realized, and she knows his character particularly well from childhood, lastly she agreed. As for his wish, she found a girl from an orphanage center.
Her name was Savitha. She was beautiful and the same natures like Prakash. After marriage, every one said, both were made for each other.
Two years over, both lived pretty happily during that time. Both participated in various welfare activities and helped poor people.
Feb 29th is Savitha birthday. Since she borne on leap year, she celebrates her birthday once in four years. This birthday was her first birthday after marriage. Prakash was envisaging what gift he should give to her. He wants to make sure that, this gift should be particularly special to her. She should not forget it in her life. After so much pondering, he adjudicated what to do.
Savitha had joined in orphanage center, when she was 2 years old. From that day onwards, she brought up in that place. She does not know anything about her parents. Whether they are alive or died. She always says, where ever they are, let them live peacefully.
She thought her parents might have some reasons to abandon her. Thus, she never bothered about to meet them. However, during marriage time, Prakash noticed that she felt unhappy because she does not have parents at that time. He decided to find out who are her parents, and bring them to her during her birthday as a gift.
He had just 3 months time to do it.
He determined to spend some time in weekends to get the details of her parents. First he consulted orphanage center where Savitha brought up, and inquired about whom indeed dropped Savitha at that center. They took some time to see all past records, and they gave a name . The person who left her was a woman. Her name was Kamalama, and her age was anywhere between 40 to 50. Her village was Raja palem. After verifying that information, he asked the person, whether Kamalama has exact address than just village name. He said the house number and street name were not written in the records. Prakash said thanks and returned from there with those details.
In next week-end, he searched about Raja Palem in Internet and found where Raja Palem is located. He went to the municipality near to that village. He offered some money to the clerk and gathered that village voter list. He rounded the voters whose name is Kamala & Kamalamma. He comes up with total 20 names. He conceived that if that old woman was 40 to 50 years old when she left Savitha, now probably she will be around 70 years old. He looked at the list again searching for 70 years woman. Unfortunately, he did not discover anyone. Then he shortlisted 5 names out of 20, whose age is between 40 to 50.His notion is at least those age people might know something about real Kamalamma. With those details, he went to Rajapalem.
Rajapalem is a small village. Roughly 500 houses most will be there. He went to the first house listed in the voter list. He knocked the door. One old woman came out from that house. He introduced himself, and said he is searching for Kamalama whose age is roughly 70 years. She said she did not remember anyone with around 70 years old and having that name. She gave addresses of other women in that village with the same name, but age is less than 70. He already had those addresses in his list. He showed his gratitude and left that house.
He searched in all remaining houses. Every one said there is no one called Kamalama in that village whose age is above 60 years. He is terribly upset.
He sat under a tree in the village center and thinking what to do next. After some time, a young woman came to his place. She asked him, whether he is searching for a woman called Kamalamma. He said yes. She said her name is also Kamalamma named after her grandmother. Her grandmother had the same name. She lived in a nearby village called “RajyaPalem”. She was living in that village along with her parents and grandmother. She came to this village after her marriage. He immediately asked her to introduce her grandmother. She said her grandmother died 5 years ago. After hearing that, his facial expressions changed. He tried to keep his feelings inside. He wants to confirm, whether she is the woman whom he is looking for. He asked what her age was when she died. She said she was around 64 years.
He concluded she is the exact woman whom he is investigating for. She might have told”Rajya Palem”, but orphanage center people might have written it as “Raja Palem”. Thus, he is searching at the wrong place.
He asked her, whether she knows anything about Savitha. She said she does not know. He asked her to take him to that other village, and acquaint about him to her parents. She agreed.
That day afternoon, both went to “Rajya Palem”. She introduced her parents to him. He asked them, whether anyone knows about Savitha. They said no. Then he asked again, around 25 years ago Kamalamma left an orphan in orphanage center. Anyone knows about it. Kamalamma daughter asked the name of the orphanage center. He said the name and where it is located. Then gradually she remembered and said, “Yes! I remember”. She recalled that incident and told, “My mother was working as a daily labor in a Construction Company. I was also working along with her. That day Aug 15th Independence day, we got chocolates at the construction area, that time there was an accident happened on the road near to the place where we work. Two people died on the spot, and one little girl around one and half year old left abandoned. Those people who died are actually that girl parents. My mother took that girl. After that she waited almost 6 months to see if anyone would come to accept that girl. However, no one came. My mother was already having several kids. She could not able to manage that little girl. Thus, she decided to leave her at Orphanage center”.
He quietly listening everything. While listening, his face colors are changing.
She asked why he was catechizing about that information now. He said his wife is that little girl, whom her mother rescued and left at Orphanage center.
He spent some time and said how grateful he is for providing that information and left that place.
He adjudged not to talk about that matter to Savitha. She may not comprehend the fact that her parents indeed died in an accident.
After hearing what happened to Savitha parents, his mood got changed. He did not feel happy. He thought so much like, finding Savitha parents and brings them to her on her birthday. He called Savitha and said, he is going to his mother house, and he will arrive late to home.
He went to his mother house. Her mother surprised seeing him at that time. She noticed that his mood was not good. Whenever he is not feeling well, he spends some time in his room. He had grown up in that room from his child hood. He went to his room and spent some time. After some time, he roamed whole house. He saw the store room, where all his childhood toys and his college books were kept. He determined to check them. He entered into that room. He saw his most favorite toy, which was kept at the top of the cupboard. He tried to get it, but it was at bit high. He pulled it forcefully and it felt down. He saw along with it a book also felt over. He noticed it as a diary. He took it and recognized that is his father dairy. First he hesitated to read it, but then decided to do it.
His father wrote about his happy life in several pages, like how cheerfully he was living with his wife and child. In one page, it’s written like.
“This is miserable day in my life. I did a terrible mistake. I committed an accident near the construction sector. I drove my car real fast and unknowingly hit a family. I know there was a girl also in that family. I did not stop the car. I did not know what to do in that moment. I sensed someone would have died. If I stop the car, then people may take me to police station. I scared and escaped from that place. I know god will not forgive me for making that mistake. What to do? If I surrender myself to the police station then what will happen to my family and family reputation. God, please give me strength to forget it”.
Prakash stunned after reading it. He looked at the diary date. It has noted as Aug 15th. The same day, Savitha parents died in an accident. He slowly comprehend that his father was responsible for that accident. After six months, his father also died with depression for doing that mistake.
Prakash thinking, after these many years, He justified his father mistake by marrying Savitha. He gave a new life to her. His eyes have filled with tears for knowing that his father died because of a disgrace on himself. He wiped his tears, took a deep breath and closed the dairy. He kept at the same place where it was there before. He came out of the room. His mother asked whether he feels better now. He shook his head. He said he wanted to go his home and exited the house.
He reached his house. Savitha is waiting for him. He looked at her. She appeared different now. He thought inside, “Father! Where ever you are, be rest in peace. I justified your fault”. Savitha looked at him and said “What are you looking?” He said nothing and hugged her.
That day Savitha’s birthday. Prakash arranged a party at Orphanage center. He said, he is going to adopt that Orphanage center from that day onwards, and that is a gift, he is giving to his wife.