The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 36

[Present]

From the moment, Maahir left his home and shifted to Kuhu's apartment, not a single second was spent when he did not think about Bulbul. At first, Kuhu did not allow Maahir to meet Bulbul as Bela did not want that and also because no one knew how Bulbul would react seeing him and so no one had the guts to take that risk and that too without her mother's permission. Both Kuhu and Rohit tried to explain Maahir to let Bulbul take some breath, have her own time of processing her grief as she was mere a child and meeting her at that moment, would make her condition even worse. Maahir didn't eat properly and did not sleep well but only cursing and blaming himself for Bulbul's sickness. For many days, Rohit found Maahir in the balcony late at night but did not interrupt him so that Maahir could have his own time but one night, he came in the balcony with a bottle of wine and said, "Andar jab itna saara bhar jaata hai na to pet mein gas ho jaati hai usi tarah se jab dimaag mein bohot kuch chalne lage to dil mein gas ho jaati hai aur ye hai iska ilaaj." Maahir was startled hearing Rohit's voice and he turned to look at him and asked, "Tum itni raat ko kya kar rahe ho?" Rohit replied, "Paani peene aaya tha lekin mujhe lagta hai mere paani se zyaada tumhe iski zarurat hai. Have it!" Maahir looked at the bottle and said, "Itni raat gaye wine peeyu main? Pata hai na kitne baj rahe hai!" Rohit replied, "Ye antacid hai, dil ka gas nikalta hai isse aur vaise bhi tu peeyega to mujhe bhi thora sa prasaad milega varna Kuhu ke chakkar mein mujhe wine peene ka mauka nehi milta hai. Ye to main kal laaya tha chupa kar rakkha tha." Maahir opened the bottle and took a sip and then gave that to Rohit and after giving a sip, he asked, "Ab batao what's troubling you?" Maahir replied, "Mujhe Bulbul se milna hai, par mujhe samajhme nehi aa raha hai ke kaise milu. Bas milna hai mujhe usse, usse baat karni hai. Kitne din ho gaye maine uski shakal tak nehi dekhi hai." Rohit shook his shoulder and replied, "Ha to jaao jaakar mil lo, kisne rok rakkha hai tumhe? Go ahead!" Maahir was taken back on listening to Rohit and then he asked, "Ye tum bol rahe ho? Itne dino se to tum aur Kuhu milkar mujhe samjha rahe the ke mujhe Bulbul ko thora waqt dena chahiye?" Rohit made a face and took another sip from the bottle and replied, "Arey yaar! Dekho tab main isliye keh raha tha kyuki Kuhu pregnant hai aur pregnant aurto ka gussa kaisa hota hai, itne dino mein to jaan hi chuke ho, aise mein unke ha mein hi ha milaana padhta hai lekin karo wohi jo dil chahe isliye go ahead and meet Bulbul." Maahir looked at Rohit for some time and hurriedly got up and seeing him getting up like that, Rohit stopped him and asked, "Kaha ja rahe ho Maahir?" Maahir replied, "Bulbul se milne ja raha hu!" Rohit grabbed Maahir's arms and replied, "Bhai time dekh le, vo bachchi hai abhi to so rahi hogi, gehri neend mein hogi." Maahir returned to his senses and understood that it was really a very bad time to meet Bulbul and so he returned to his seat on the floor of the balcony. Rohit gave the bottle of wine to Maahir and said, "Par isse pehle ki tum Bulbul se milo tumhe ek self assessment ki bohot zarurat hai. Par usse bhi pehle mujhe na tumse ek cheez jaanni hai, although Kuhu ne mujhe tumhaare baare mein sab kuch bataya hai lekin kuch sawaal aise hai jinka jawaab mujhe aaj tak nehi mila hai, I mean I'm confused!" Maahir took a gulp of the wine and then said, "Ha pucho, kya janna hai!" Rohit asked, "8 saal pehle agar Maya aur tumhaare beech mein kuch hua hi nehi tha to jab usne itna bara jhut bola to tumne sach ko dhundhne ki koshish kyu nehi ki? Tumne Maya ko dhundh kar usko galat saabit kyu nehi kiya?" Maahir became silent as after a long time, his old deepest and darkest wounds were being scratched and he remembered the moment when Bela left Maahir forever after Maya had revealed what happened in that hotel room in Oslo, though Maahir did not remember anything and also Maya had also told him that nothing had happened between them. He broke himself out of his chain of thoughts and replied, "Jab Bela ne hi mujhpar yakeen nehi kiya to kisi aur ko galat saabit karke main kya karunga? Jisko mujhpar bharosa karna tha vohi mujhe chod kar chali gayi to main kisey kya saabit karta? Mujhe kisiko bhi kuch bhi saabit karne ki zarurat nehi thi, chahta hi nehi tha kuch bhi saabit karna. Isliye...""Isliye tumne Bela ko jaane diya!", Rohit completed Maahir's incomplete sentence and Maahir looked at Rohit silently which was a sign of acceptance and then Rohit said, "I understand hum jab kisise itna pyar karte hai ke uske alava hume aur kuch sujhta hi nehi hai aur jab vo hume chor kar chala jaata hai to bohot takleef hoti hai. But Maahir... man yaha Bela ne nehi balki tumne khud ko hi chod diya hai. Tumne khud hi kabhi koshish nehi ki to tum Bela ko blame kaise kar sakte ho that she didn't believe you?"Maahir wanted to say something but Rohit stopped him and said, "Look I'm not taking any side here Maahir, main bilkul bhi Bela ki tarafdaari nehi kar raha hu. Tum dono ke is separation se tum dono par kya guzri hai main ye imagine bhi nehi kar sakta hu kyuki main tab picture mein tha hi nehi. Main bas ye kehna chahta hu ke Bela ne galti ki hai tumpar bharosa na karke lekin and I know, police ne bhi Maya ko dhundhne ki koshish ki hai lekin tumhe yuhi aise chod chad kar bethna nehi chahiye tha. Kya pata agar tumne aisa na kiya hota to Maya ka sach bohot pehle saamne aa jaata aur shaayad aaj tum dono ki kahaani hi kuch aur hoti, Bela ke is purey pregnancy term mein tum uske saath hote, Bulbul ka koi bhi achievement shaayad tum miss na karte. Ek pregnant aurat chahe kitna bhi aisho araam se, pampering se apne ma baap ke paas kyu na rahi ho, uswaqt vo sabse zyaada apne husband ko hi aone paas chahti hai aur Bela ne vo pura period akele sambhaala hai, that's not easy." Rohit took a sip from the bottle and said, "It's true Bela ko bhi tumpar bharosa karna chahiye tha, at least ek baar usko bhi koshish karni chahiye thi but I guess... uswaqt vo apni pregnancy ko lekar busy thi aur ek ma ke liye uske bachche se zyaada important kuch bhi nehi hota. Pata hai do logo ke beech mein teesra kab aa jaata hai? Jab hum usko mauka dete hai. Tumhaare rishte ke tootne ki sabse bari vajah yehi hai that you both gave up on your relationship. Bela ne tunhaara saath choda aur tumne apne aap ka aur dekho aaj vo 8 saal ki bachchi bhugat rahi hai. At least she didn't deserve this life!" Maahir was lost in his thought while listening to Rohit and then he asked, "So you think ye meri galti hai ke maine Anu se shaadi ka vaada kiya tha?" Rohit shook his shoulder and replied, "You're an adult tum apni life mein kuch bhi kar sakte ho and jis tarah tumhaari life ja rahi thi, after Bela left and not knowing about her pregnancy, tumhe aisa laga ke shaayad ab vo kabhi waapas aayegi hi nehi aur tumne Anu ko apni life mein aane diya... agar aise dekha jaaye to tum galat nehi ho. Life mein sabko khush rehne ka mauka milna chahiye, everyone deserve happiness, you too! But the problem was, tumne jaan bujh kar Anu ko apni life mein aane diya when you are still madly in love with Bela, you know that was a kind of injustice to Anu as well. Khair jo beet gaya hai usko dohraane se kya faayda hai, aagey ki socho kyuki vo zyaada important hai." Maahir said, "Par na mujhe ek baat samajhme nehi aayi ke Bela ne Mr. Mittal se Kingston ke unke 50% shares kyu maang liye? Mujhe abhi tak ye baat samajhme nehi aaya." Rohit replied, "Hoga dimaag mein kuch, vo kahaavat nehi suni 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', tumne usko chod kar Anu ko choose kiya... I mean ek aurat kabhi bhi apne husband ko kisike saath nehi baat sakti hai and in your case you're Bulbul's father too!" Maahir asked, "Phir mujhe kya karna chahiye?" Rohit replied, "What is important right now for you!" He was about to leave but he turned towards Maahir and said, "Ek baat yaad rakhna Maahir, dosti aur pyar mein hum bhale hi dosti ko chun le lekin aulaad aur dosti mein koi muqaabla hi nehi hota, apne bachche ke saath kisika bhi koi comparison nehi hota hai. Tumne Bulbul ke saath galat kiya hai so ab tumhe apni galti sudhaarni paregi. Pehle Bulbul ke baare mein jaante nehi the lekin ab jaante ho na, to ab pehle waali galti nehi dohraana. Tumne Bela se sach chupaane ki galti ek baar ki hai lekin ye galti jo tum ab kar rahe ho, Bulbul ko lekar ye to bhagwaan bhi maaf nehi karega. Isliye jaao jaakar Bulbul se milo aur kisiki parvaah mat karo. Ek bachchi jo Canada se sirf tumse milne yaha aayi hai kitna drama karke, tum uske baap ho, be a man Maahir! Vo beti hai tumhaari, duniya ka koi kanoon tumhe usse milne se nehi rok sakta hai. Koshish karo, karte raho jabtak ke Bulbul se tum mil na lo!" Saying Rohit patted on Maahir's back and then left from there letting Maahir think about what he had said to him.