The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 1

[ India ]

Maahir was working in his office, when Kuhu came to meet him. Kuhu Kapoor is a common friend of both Maahir and Anu and she is a very nice person. Among the two she is closest to Maahir and more than friends she is like a sister to him. Maahir may hide everything from everyone but never hides anything from Kuhu. On seeing her, in his office, Maahir smiled and asked,"Kya baat hai?Achaanak mere cabin ka raasta kaise bhul gayi madam?"Kuhu sat on a chair opposite to him and replied,"Main nehi bhuli raasta par lagta hai ke tum apni is dost ko bhul gaye."He put aside his work and smile at her and asked,"Really??Vo kaise?"She shook her shoulders and said,"C'mon Maahir apne aap ko dekho,kya the aur kya ho gaye ho.Jabse Bela gayi hai tumne to jaise apne aap ko andar bandh kar liya hai.Aisa kaise chalega? Upar se you are going to get married to Anu. Isiliye maine baar baar tumhe samjhaaya tha ke usse shaadi karne ka ye decision itni jaldbaazi mein mat lo."He made a straight face and replied,"Main thik hu Kuhu. Iam perfectly alright. Mujhe kuch nehi hua hai. Ab Bela meri zindagi mein nehi hai isiliye I don't think about her anymore."She, in a mocking tone, said,"Shes not in your life isn't it?Har roz,drawyer kholkar tum uski photo dekhte ho.Tumhaare ghar mein aaj bhi uski photos lagi hui hai.Tum aajtak usey apni zindagi aur apne dil se nikaal nehi paaye aur tum mujhe keh rahe ho you've moved on.Pata hai aisa karke tum Anu ko punish kar rahe ho.I mean she waited for you for 12 years,kitna pyar karti hai tumse aur is tarah se bina Bela ko puri tarah apne dil nikaale tum Anu ko shaadi ke baad khush kaise rakkhoge? I know Bela se tum bohot pyar karte ho aur apna pehla pyar jo tumhaari biwi thi usey bhulna is not so easy aur is baare mein main tumhe bilkul judge nehi karungi isiliye main nehi chahti hu ke tum dono shaadi karo. Isse koi khush nehi rahega yaar."He replied,"Sab thik ho jaayega you don't worry."Kuhu replied,"I hope so too Maahir. By the way maine tumhaare liye ek special sweet dish banaayi hai jo tumhe bohot pasand hai. Ye lo!!" Kuhu gave him a box and he happily said,"Bundi ka raayta na?Thanks!!"He took a spoonful and then said,"Its yummy!!You know desi khaane ki baat hi kuch aur hoti hai." Kuhu replied,"Ha vo to hai. Vaise maine koshish ki hai par shaayad Bela jitna achcha nehi bana paau." Maahir put his full concentration of the food which he was having and so without looking at Kuhu he replied,"Bela ko kaha khaana banana aata tha. Khaana to main hi banaata tha. Usko to roti tak thik se banaani nehi aati thi. Bohot mushkil se to roti banana seekhaya tha usko aur vo bhi usko gol to banaane aate the nehi to bowl se kaatkar shape..." Maahir's eyes fall on Kuhu and found Kuhu was giving him a meaningful look and Maahir felt very embarrassed and Kuhu said,"8 saal ho gaye hai aur tum aajtak Bela ki choti se choti baat nehi bhul paaye to abhi kya usko khaak bhuloge?" Maahir shrugged and Kuhu continued,"Pata hai kabhi kabhi sochti hu ke agar you know... tum dono alag nehi huye hote to kya pata aaj main bua ban chuki hoti and I wonder agar sach mein tum dono ka koi bachcha hota to vo kiske jaisa hota." Maahir immediately replied,"Hota nehi hoti... I always dreamt of a daughter, ek pyaari si pari jaisi aur main na usko uski ma jaisi... you know 'ziddi' type nehi banne deta. Apne jaisa banaata, uske per kabhi zameen par hi nehi parne deta aur usko itna saara spoil karta." Suddenly at that moment he started having hiccups and Kuhu gave him water.When his hiccups were stopped,she said,"Shaayad tumhe koi yaad kar raha hoga."He sadly smiled and replied,"Anu hi hogi aur kaun."Kuhu replied,"May be thats Bela."Maahir nodded his head and then finished the sweet dish.

[ Canada ]

Bulbul was very angry at the way Reyhaan was trying to be so caring with her and to be her father. She knew that Bela was not interested in getting married to him but the way he was advancing in his way along with the full support of Ranjit, Bulbul was scared that this time, Reyhaan might get successful. Bulbul, filled up with fear, anger and impatience which clouded her heart and brain, went to Madhu's room where she was resting and reading a magazine. On seeing Bulbul in that expression, Madhu asked,"Ki hoya puttar? Aisi sadi hui shakal kyu banaakar rakkhi hui hai?" Bulbul jumped into the bed and said,"Naani mujhe na dar lag raha hai. Agar mamma ne us bandar se shaadi karne ke liye ha kar diya to? Mera kya hoga? Main sach keh rahi hu ke main na kisi aur ko daddy nehi bulaaungi aur phir hamesha ke liye apne daddy ke paas chali jaaungi phir kabhi nehi aaungi." Madhu made a 'haww!' face and asked,"Bulbul ko dar lag raha hai? Puttar teri dictionary mein ye word hai kya? Mujhe to pata hi nehi tha." Bulbul made a face and replied,"Naani dekho main itni tension mein hu aur aap mere saath mazaak kar rahi hai? Main apni mamma ki dusri shaadi hote huye nehi dekh sakti hu." She almost pouted when Madhu made her sit on her lap and said,"Oho mera bachcha teri ma ki dusri shaadi nehi hogi beta, main keh rahi hu tujhse." Bulbul said,"Pata hai naani I challenged that man ke main apne daddy ko dhundh kar nikaal kar hi rahungi par main aisa karungi kaise? Mujhe to kuch nehi pata hai unke baare mein sivaay iske ke unka naam Captain Maahir Sehgal hai aur vo ek commercial pilot hai meri mamma ki tarah. Maine to aajtak unki ek photo bhi nehi dekhi, net par search karti hu to itne saare pictures aate hai, mujhe to pata bhi nehi chalta hai inme se mere daddy kaun hai." Bulbul was extremely frustrated at her father and seeing that Madhu replied,"Dekh puttar teri ma ne mujhe apni kasam di hai ke main kabhi bhi tere papa ki photo main tujhe nehi dikhaaungi isiliye maine aajtak tujhe uski ek bhi photo nehi dikhaayi. Par na ek baat hamesha yaad rakhna koi bhi insaan agar sachche dil se, purey man se koi bhi kaam karne ki thaan le na to usey pura karne se usko koi nehi rok sakta hai aur phir tu to hai hi in sab mein expert. Tere dimaag mein to khuraafaati ideas ki ugaai hoti rehti hai, aisa koi kaam hai jo tu nehi kar sakti to ye piddi sa challenge kya cheez hai? Lagaa apna dimaag." Bulbul desperately wanted to search for her father but at that same moment she was scared and tensed for her mother about the fact how she would behave when she would find out about this new mission of her. She said,"Vaise to mujhe dar lagta hai nehi kisi se lekin main mamma ko upset nehi karna chahti hu. After all unke paas mere liye waqt ho ya na ho lekin I love her and I know she loves daddy too. But she had a heartbreak due to daddy so mujhe unka dil dubaara se dukhaane mein bara bura lagta hai." Madhu understood her dilemma and said,"Ek baat das tu menu, teri ma ne itne saal shaadi kyu nehi ki? Bol? Isi liye na ke usey tere papa se pyar hai abhi bhi aur tu hi to kehti hai ke vo abhi bhi uska photo apne takiye ke neeche rakh kar soti hai. To phir? Chahe vo kitna bhi gussa kyu na ho usse par vo khud bhi uske saath rehna chahti hai. Main ma hu na uski main jaanti hu. To phir bata agar tu apne ma baap ko milaayegi to ye to bohot achcha kaam hua na aur achche kaam karne ke liye thori bohot tedhe raaste use karne parte hai, usme koi galat baat nehi hai aur phir tu to unme se hai jo agar ghee seedhi ungli se na nikle to ungli tedhi nehi purey ghee ka jar ulta kar deti hai." Madhu knew one thing about Bulbul that if she had been given the right motivation in a perfect way, she is an unstoppable monster to achieve her goal as she knows exactly which string had to be pulled in whose case. Bulbul thought about it and said,"Aap sach keh rahi ho naani? Achcha kaam karne ke liye tedha raasta use karna galat nehi hota? To phir ab dekho Bulbul Sehgal kya kamaal karti hai. Main aapko kehti hu naani, ab agar mujhe heaven ya hell dono ko khod kar bhi nikaalna pare na to bhi main apne daddy ko nikaal kar hi chodungi aur us monkey man ko main aisa sabak seekhaungi na ke zindagi bhar yaad rakkhenge ke Bulbul se panga lena kitna bhaari parta hai." Madhu patted on her back and said,"Shabbash puttar!! Ae hui na gal!!" Bulbul made a naughty grin and replied,"Naani aloo ke paraathe khilaao na varna mera dimaag kaam nehi karta hai. Breakfast mein bhi vo kachra khaana para tha aur dimaag ko double tez dauraane ke liye double aloo ke paraathe usse na mere dimaag mein bad waale ideas bhi jaldi jaldi aate hai." Madhu said,"Teri ma sahi kehti hai tu bohot nakhra karti hai khaane mein. Sahi mein ek din aloo ke paraathe kha kha kar aloo ki dukaan ban jaayegi. Theher main bana kar laati hu." Saying Madhu left to prepare food for Bulbul.