The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 7

[Canada]

Next day, in the morning, Bulbul woke up all by herself and got ready for school and when Madhu came to her room to wake her up, she found Bulbul was packing her school bag. Madhu was surprised seeing Bulbul getting ready all by herself and asked,"Kya baat hai aaj tu khud se ready ho gayi?" Bulbul didn't reply and continued doing her work. After finishing packing she picked that up on her shoulder and looked at Madhu and said,"Naani mujhe school ke liye late ho raha hai, mujhe breakfast dedo, mujhe bhukh lagi hai." Saying, Bulbul did not waste any single minute and went out of her bedroom leaving Madhu all confused at her behaviour and she said to herself,"Aaj khud se uth kar tayyar bhi ho gayi, sab kuch khud hi kar liya. Ho kya gaya isko?" Madhu stopped thinking about it and came downstairs following Bulbul. In the dining table, Bulbul put her bag on an adjacent chair and sat on her own seat and then she was served cornflakes with milk. Bela, while applying butter on her bread, said, "Bulbul chupchap kha lena koi naatak-" She was about to give a bite on her toast when her eyes fall on Bulbul and she stopped midway on seeing that Bulbul, without making any noise and drama for not wanting to have the cornflakes, just picked up her bowl and swallowed the whole cornflakes as if she was drinking water which made both Madhu and Bela open mouthed and they were surprised even more as Bulbul didn't utter a single word. After finishing her bowl, Bulbul put it on the table and was about to pick her bag when she saw Reyhaan coming to their house. Bulbul was already extremely angry on Maahir after she came to know about his remarriage plans but she was quiet till now burning from inside but the moment she saw Reyhaan coming, her anger crossed all the boundaries. Reyhaan wished everyone and Ranjit was very happy on seeing him and said,"Welcome Reyhaan!! Please have a seat!!" Reyhaan was about to take his seat beside Bela, but Bulbul out of rage threw her empty bowl and spoon on the floor breaking the bowl and startling everyone. She said to Reyhaan,"No you are not at all welcome!! Jab dekho tab muh utha kar chale aate ho aur aa bhi jaate ho to meri mamma ke bagal mein bethne ki kya zarurat hai? Aapko pata hai na in fact maine aapko ye baat directly bhi batayi thi ke mujhe aap bilkul bhi achche nehi lagte ho phir bhi aa jaate ho kyu aapko ghar mein khaana nehi milta hai?" Seeing Bulbul's arrogant behaviour, Bela was surprised as she knew Bulbul was extremely blunt by her mouth and she would never think twice to voice out her dislikings but that day she herself was not able to recognize her own daughter. Bela asked,"Bulbul ye kis tarah se baat kar rahi ho tum?" Bulbul replied,"Main jo bhi bol rahi hu bilkul sahi bol rahi hu aur mamma aap bhi har roz inke saath kyu jaati ho office? Aapke paas to aapki car hai na? Mujhe bilkul bhi achcha nehi lagta hai ye sab. Aap hi mujhe kehti ho na ke kisi bhi strangers ke saath baat mat karna phir aap kaise ek stranger ke saath itni baat kar sakti ho aur car mein bhi uth kar chali jaati ho? Main sach bol rahi hu agar aapne inke saath shaadi karne ke baare mein socha bhi na to main ghar se bhaag jaaungi aur phir aap mujhe kabhi bhi dhundh nehi paaogi." On hearing that Bela screamed,"Bulbul!! Jo muh mein aa raha hai tabse bake ja rahi ho." Ranjit angrily looked at Bulbul and asked,"Bulbul ye kya badtameezi hai?" Bulbul got up from her seat and replied to Ranjit,"Jab aap aur mamma baat karte ho to main to kabhi bhi beech mein nehi bolti hu phir abhi jab main apni mamma ke saath baat kar rahi hu to aap beech mein kyu bol rahe ho? Main jaanti hu aap jo Reyhaan uncle ko har roz mamma ke peeche laga kar rakhte ho na gum ki tarah vo isiliye taaki vo mamma ko pataa sakey par main ye sab kuch nehi hone dungi." On hearing her words, everyone were totally dumbstruck. Madhu, on the other hand muttered to herself,"Shaabbash!! Aaj pehli baar apni ma aur uske baap ko chup hi kara diya lekin ek baat samajhme nehi aa rahi hai ke aaj achaanak se ye jwaalamukhi phoota kyu?" Bela was about to say her something, but Madhu gave her a signal not to say Bulbul anything at that moment. Bulbul took her bag and walked out of the house and Ranjit apologized to Reyhaan for Bulbul's behaviour and Bela too felt sorry for him. When Bulbul was going to get into her car, she found that Reyhaan and Bela walked together towards his car and Reyhaan opened the door of the car for Bela and suddenly a stone came flying towards Reyhaan's car and broke the glass of the back door of his car which made Bela scream out of fear. When Bela looked on the other side, she found Bulbul glaring at them angrily and Madhu quickly came to Bulbul and asked,"Bulbul ye kya kar rahi hai tu? Agar mamma ko lag jaati to?" Bulbul replied,"Main itni bhi bewakuf nehi hu naani aur kya mamma ko ek baat ek hi baar mein samajhme nehi aati hai ke mujhe inka Reyhaan uncle ke saath office jaana pasand nehi hai. Ye apni car mein kyu nehi jaati hai?" Madhu understood that Bulbul, that day was in a total termination mood and if she tries to go into any kind of reasoning with her, the results will be even more drastic and so she went to Bela rather and said,"Bela beta tu dusri car lekar chali jaa, please!!" Bela replied,"But mamma aap dekh rahi hai kaise..." Madhu held her hand and said,"Main sab dekh rahi hu puttar. Par tu to jaanti hai vo kaisi hai, usko gussa aata hai to daay baay kuch bhi nehi dekhti hai par tu to bari hai, ma hai uski tu to samajhle. Mujhe lagta hai ke kuch hua hai, kisi aur baat par gussa hai aur phoot tum logo par raha hai. Subhe se hi ajeeb harkate kar rahi hai aur dekha nehi tere papa tak ko chup kara diya. Tu abhi chali ja apni car lekar varna pata nehi ye larki aur kya karegi, jab school se ye waapas aayegi na to main usse baat karungi. Abhi tu ja!!" Bela gave one last disturbed look to Bulbul who was still angrily staring at her and then took her own car and went to the office. After that Madhu said to Bulbul,"Dekh puttar teri ma chali gayi na apni car lekar abhi to thand rakhle aur chal school varna late ho jaayegi. Subhe subhe aisa siyappa kar diya tune to." On hearing that, Bulbul yelled at Madhu,"Siyappa na aapki beti ne aur aapke son in law ne meri life mein kiya hua hai. Jhagra ye log karte hai aur...Mujhe kuch bhi achcha nehi lagta hai. Sab selfish hai, sab apni life mein busy hai, meri kisiko parwaah hi nehi hai." Saying she got inside her car and the driver drove her off to school. Madhu said,"Samajh gayi main....Zarur Maahir ke saath koi problem hui hai, varna raat tak to thik thi aur subhe subhe aise jhannayi hui hai. Is ladki ka na gussa naak par chara rehta hai. Lagta hai mujhe hi ab Maahir se baat karni paregi." She took a deep breath and nodded her head disappointedly.