The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 1

[ NEW DELHI, INDIA ]

The walls of a gym of a lavish apartment was covered fully with photographs of a woman and a couple and the same man in the photograph was working out. After his workout, while he was having his protein shake, his cellphone rang. From the other side, a woman was calling him. The convo :-

The man :- "Yes Anu!!"

The woman :- "C'mon Maahir aise sukhe sukhe 'Yes Anu!' papa hamaari engagement announce karne ke baare mein soch rahe hai aur engagement ke kuch hi time baad shaadi bhi ho jaayegi aur tum ho ki abhi bhi kitne unromantic ho."

The man :- (gave a dry type of smile) "Main gym mein hu Anu and right now Iam very tired. Mujhe abhi fresh hona hai aur phir office bhi jaana hai."

The woman :- "Ya ya I know,par main ye soch rahi thi ke aaj thori shopping kar lu. Maine papa se bhi baat kar li hai to tum please mere saath aaj chalo."

The man :- "Uh...Anu...Iam sorry main nehi chal sakta, meri aaj flight hai and you know, main apne flight ka schedule change nehi karta. Tum...Kuhu ko lekar chali jaao. Vaise bhi mujhe shopping par jaana kuch khaas pasand nehi hai."

The woman :- "Ok I understand, main tumhe force nehi karungi. Main Kuhu ke saath chali jaaungi you just take care. I love you Maahir!!"

The man :- "Ya bye."

The man was Captain Maahir Sehgal, presently the co-owner of KINGSTON AIRLINES, alongwith his college friend Anu Mittal's father, Shekhar Mittal. Maahir's parents died many years ago in an accident. Anu used to love him since college days, but Maahir loved only Bela and Anu was just his friend. She even took the job of an airhostess, despite of being a billionaire's only daughter, just to be close to Maahir. He married Bela leaving Anu heartbroken. After Bela stepped out of Maahir's life, he was heartbroken and was so angry on everything that out of desperation to forget Bela and to make himself rich, he proposed a business deal to Shekhar and both together founded the new aviation company. With Shekhar's financial support and Maahir's hard work, it soon made its place among the top 25 best airlines companies around the world along with QUEENS AIRLINES. Just like Bela, Maahir, despite being the co-owner, used to fly commercial flights as the senior pilot. Anu grabbed the opportunity of his loneliness and came closer to Maahir and one day her father proposed her marriage with him. Since Maahir didn't divorce Bela, so at first he was not ready but thinking that Anu waited for him for so many years, he decided not to betray the person who loved him so dearly for the one who just left him without giving any chance to explain and so he agreed for the marriage, a sort of compromise so that at least the one, who really deserved happiness and who stood by him everytime could be happy.

[ CANADA ]

Bela returned late at night as usual and remembered that she had promised Bulbul that she would pick her up from the school and would have lunch together but could not keep her promise and so in order to make up to her, she thought of going to Bulbul's bedroom at first. She went to Bulbul's bedroom and found that she was watching TV. Bela walked upto Bulbul and was just about to start a conversation, when Bulbul snatched the words from her mouth and imitated just like her mother,"Number 1 - Iam sorry Bulbul baby, main thora late ho gayi. You know na office mein kitna kaam rehta hai and I had a busy schedule today. Main ekdam se bhul gayi aur jab yaad aaya to maine naani ko bhej diya tumhaare paas. I promise agli baar pakka jaayenge. Number 2 – Iam sorry mera baby vo kya hai na maine to tumhaare liye time nikaala hi tha aur main office se nikal bhi gayi thi par naanu ne achaanak se ek bohot important meeting reschedule kar di, to ab main kya karti? Par uske liye to main tumhaara lunch barbaad nehi kar sakti thi na isiliye maine naani ko tumhaare paas bhej diya." After finishing Bulbul looked disappointedly at her mother and asked,"Do you have anything different to say than that? Really mamma you should work on your excuses." Bela was somehow controlling her laugh on seeing the way Bulbul imitated her but once she finished, Bela held her ears and said,"Iam really sorry Bulbul!! Par maine aaj time sach mein nikaala tha par you know naanu..."Bulbul nodded her head and then clapped and said,"Ya right!!I can understand. Its Number 2!!" Bela said,"Ok aaj mujhe sorry nehi chahiye, ye bolo tumhe kya chahiye? Anything you want,you'll get it today."Bulbul squeezed her brows meaningfully which actually meant that she had something very naughty cooking inside her brain and asked, "Anything I want?" Bela nodded her head and replied,"Yup!!" Bulbul said,"Mujhe daddy ka address, phone number, email sab chahiye." Bela looked at Bulbul with disappointment and said,"Bulbul why do you do this everytime? Tumhe pata hai na I don't like it aur maine tumhe kitni baar samjhaaya hai ke tumhaara yu Maahir ke baare mein baat karna bilkul bhi pasand nehi hai mujhe aur maine tumhe ye bhi bola hai na ke abse sirf main hi tumhaari mummy aur papa dono hu."Bulbul angrily replied,"Aapne aaj tak mujhe daddy ki photo tak nehi dekhne di, kisine nehi dikhaayi, naani ne bhi nehi. Mujhe to ye bhi nehi pata hai ke mere daddy dikhte kaise hai lekin aap khud daddy ka photo pillow ke neeche rakh kar soti ho aur mere aate hi aap vo wardrobe par rakh deti ho and take the keys with you. Aap bhi meri tarah daddy se pyar karti ho na. So why don't you tell me his whereabout? Mujhe janna hai mere daddy kaha hai. Isme aapke kaunse paise kharch ho jaayenge." Bela gave a fed up look to Bulbul and replied, "Bulbul please, mujhe har roz ki ye chik chik achchi nehi lagti hai. Mera luck kharaab hai jo ye mera husband hai kyuki maine usse is duniya mein apne mummy papa ke baad sabse zyaada pyar kiya tha lekin usne..." Bela stopped and Bulbul replied, "Ok fine!! Mujhe aapke husband ke baare mein janne ka koi interest nehi hai lekin aapko mujhe mere daddy ke baare mein bataane mein kya problem hai? Aapko unse jitna hate karna hai kijiye lekin main to apne daddy se bohot pyar karti hu." Bela was so disgusted that she didn't argue with her and picked up the photo and said,"Apni umar se zyaada baat mat karo Bulbul. Jis baat ko lekar beth jaati ho, bas beth hi jaati ho. Pehle tumhaare daddy ne meri jaan khaayi ab unki kasar tum puri kar rahi ho. What is the problem with you? Kis baat ki kami ho rahi hai tumhe yaha par?" Bulbul bluntly replied,"Mere daddy ki!" Bela understood that it was useless to argue with her any further and so was about to leave when Bulbul replied,"Bye bye Mrs. Sehgal!!" Bela stopped on hearing Bulbul addressing her as Mrs Sehgal, since it was only Maahir who used to call her that. A twist of emotions filled her heart but after a few seconds she left from there. After Bela left, Bulbul said,"Chahe aap mujhe kuch bhi na batao mamma, par main apne aap se promise karti hu ke main mere daddy ko dhundh kar hi nikaalungi, chahe mujhe kuch bhi karna pare. After all jo cheez karne ki manaayi ho vo karne mein mujhe bohot maza aata hai." Bulbul gave a determined and evil smile thinking that one day she would really unite her parents.