My Missing Necklace

I screamed out loud when I touched my neck and couldn't find my necklace there. Unfortunately there was no one around to respond to my exclamation.

After my husband Rahul came around, I disclosed it to him first. After all it was a gift to me from him on our twenty fifth marriage anniversary . That was a couple of years ago. ' Be calm and look around, you must have put it somewhere close by which is not oblivious to you,' Rahul said nonchalantly.

But I could not be pacified by Rahul 's consolatory words.

It was a thin necklace made of 22 carat gold and it was my favourite piece from among my jewellery collection. I could not afford to lose it.

But I could not recollect where I had put it last time when I saw it. I was getting annoyed and frustrated. Any loss hits you emotionally and if it is very dear to you the pain goes and hits you in the heart.

Feeling helpless, I did not trust anyone except my own self.

Gold is now so expensive. Anyone can steal it and dispose it at any gold outlet in the city and satiate his or hers desires. Beside Rahul, there is my mother in law, my twenty something son and daughter and two domestic helps.

I promised to myself I'm not going to spare anyone and my suspicions were on every one. I first interrogated my domestic helps. Though it was embarrassing for both, myself and the domestic helps but I was helpless.

My questions to them started simply first and then I put the heat on them directly.

They both became defensive and vehemently denied the charge that they had any hand in the missing necklace. But I was adamant. The questioning reached a deadlock. They would not yield to any amount of pressure saying that they had been working in the household for so many years with dedication and without complain. They had no hand in the incident. I threatened them with dire consequences even going to the Police. Rahul who had just come in from outside heard my 'going to the Police' phrase and immediately reacted.

He took me aside and told the domestic helps to go about their work. Rahul said, 'Calm down, Gargi, you are now behaving too childishly'. 'You just cannot indict anyone without having definite proof,' reasoned Rahul to me. For the present I went silent but promised to return aggressively in a few days if I did not find the necklace.

Couple of days later when I couldn't find the necklace, I went straight to my mother in law who then was busy with her daily Puja at our Puja room.

I remember mother in law few months ago had requested a gold necklace for the family's idol the image of Bal Gopal. Rahul had then promised but the promise remained unfulfilled. I put the question right to her now, 'Ma, my gold necklace is mi

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ssing, by any chance is it anywhere here in the Puja room?.' 'Are you any way putting the blame on me, Gargi?,' defending herself. 'I had canvassed to the family for a gold necklace for our Bal Gopal, but that does not mean, I will steal your necklace,' said mother in law clarifying her position. 'How can you shamelessly blame granny and that too without any proof,' defending her granny my daughter Ria spoke up.

I got Ria in front of me. I turned myself towards her and said, ' Were you not asking for more pocket money as you said you now being in college needed to meet expenses of your friends and yourself? '. Ria took a few steps back as she was unprepared to hear this. My son Sid who was nearby came ahead in defence of her beleagured sister and said,' This is unfair of you Ma putting the blame on Ria for your missing necklace'.

'Then, finally it's you Sid, the only one who has escaped my questions yet on the missing necklace,' I said playing with my words. 'Was it not you, who wanted money for the football tournament and wanted a sponsor,' I continued dangling a question at him. ' Now Ma, don't put the blame on me squarely,' he protested. 'How can I think of stealing your necklace to fund our football championship sponsor money' he continued showing his hurt. Then wickedly he added, 'Will Papa also face your barrage of questioning?' To this he got a soft tap on his head from his Dad and then his Dad turned looking at me, 'Yes, Gargi, I am ready for your questions.'

This statement from Rahul made the whole household including mother in law and the domestic helps and the children to open their Jaws in amazement and expressing their utter surprise. According to them the donor of the necklace, Rahul, could never be the thief.

But, Rahul had to face my question that was going on in my head. I said to him, 'Rahul your club was not asking you for funds for their upcoming Puja celebration and for which you had put across me for support?,'

'But that doesn't mean Papa will sell the gifted necklace to fund his club's expenses,' cried out Ria and Sid in unison. 'My son always puts the family's interest ahead of personal commitments,' blurted out mother in law defending her son.

All my efforts to trace the necklace fell on it's face. 

After two days when I was removing the pillow covers for the weekly laundry, my necklace fell from the cover on the bed. I immediately jumped up in joy but muted my excitement for facing everybody's flak.

My efforts were not successful and I was caught suppressing my joy.

Then the full household was jeering at me and wanting a full house treat as a punishment. I promised them a treat each according to their choice this coming Sunday.