Sobs of a motherless girl at regular intervals broke the eerie silence at the Adarsh Nagar home of Smita Devi on Monday, around 36 hours after she was tossed out of its balcony by her husband.
Smita's mother, Urmila Devi, is finding it difficult to console her five-year-old granddaughter Shreya. She has been weeping ever since her mother was murdered in the small hours of Sunday.
"Shreya has not taken food (meal) since Sunday morning. She has been insisting on meeting her mom. How do I make her believe that her mother is no more and has been killed by her father (Sushil Sharma)? Her cries at regular intervals have shattered us from within. We are unable to control our emotions," said 54-year-old Urmila.
The condition of Smita's two-year-old son, Abhinav, is worse. He has stopped taking milk after the incident.
"He stares at every visitor to the house as if he wants to know about the whereabouts of his mother, whom he has not seen for the past two days. Both the children are with us as their father, Sushil, has been taken into custody by the police," she added.
Baliram Sharma, the father of Smita, alleged that her son-in-law's greed for money ruined the family. "I had gifted my house at Adarsh Nagar (Bhagwat Nagar) in Patna to my son-in-law as the couple was earlier living in a rented accommodation. His addiction to drugs and alcohol invited the tragedy," said Baliram, having his roots in Makdumpur in Jehanabad district.
Sushil was staying in the new house with his parents. "They have fled the house after the incident fearing police action," Baliram said.
Sushil's father Devdutt Sharma and wife have also been made accused in the FIR lodged with the Agamkuan police station by Baliram.
Baliram said Sushil always took advantage of Smita being his only child.
"He (Sushil) often demanded money on one pretext or the other. I am a retired person and have limitations. But he was not ready to consider it and kept mounting pressure on Smita for money. That was the cause of the dispute between the two on Saturday late night, which led to the incident," he said.
Sushil (30) threw his 25-year-old wife from the balcony of their three-storied building following an altercation. He also attempted to kill his daughter but she survived. "Shreya had fled the spot and went to a neighbour's house," Baliram quoted a resident of Adarsh Nagar saying.
Sushil was produced before a sub-divisional court in Patna City on Monday, which remanded him in judicial custody for two weeks.
"He has been lodged in the Patna City sub-divisional jail," Nagendra Pal, the acting station house officer of Agamkuan police station, told The Telegraph.