Aarushi

May 24: Nupur Talwar, mother of murdered Noida schoolgirl Aarushi, today told her story for the first time but did not explain why she had not heard anything despite being in the next room.

It’s a key question that police have thrown repeatedly but unsuccessfully at her and husband Rajesh, now arrested for the murder.

Today Nupur raised the point herself, but in defence of Rajesh. Utterly collected during a TV interview, she argued that if her husband had indeed slit Aarushi’s throat, she would definitely have heard something because she was so close.

“I had been in the house. Is such a thing possible? Do you think... can any mother sleep throughout... I think it is beyond anybody’s imagination. Utter nonsense, baseless nonsense. They (police) can say whatever they want. I know it is not true. God knows it is not true,” she said.

The mother began the interview by saying “my life has come to an end” but astonished many viewers, and impressed some, with her composure.

She didn’t herself mention that today was Aarushi’s birthday, but asked about it towards the middle of the interview, confirmed it.

Nupur was at pains to paint the Talwars as a normal, happy family who ate and watched TV together. But she later said Aarushi was used to eating pizza every day instead of home food.

Hemraj, the servant who was murdered the same night, had joyously told her that day that Aarushi had eaten palak paneer for the first time.

Nupur mentioned this as she spoke of the trusted, “elderly” Hemraj’s concern for Aarushi and how “he had cared for her”. But she said that after Aarushi’s body was found, “I thought it was the servant”.

“She was so bold,” said Anju Bindra, a schoolteacher. “Here was a woman who had lost her daughter and probably her husband. She is a professional and was extremely composed.”