The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 14

B2 : "Mamma maine counting khatam karli!"

B1 : "Now slowly open your eyes!"

Bulbul slowly opened her eyes as asked by her mother. The scene which unfolded in front of her eyes, in normal case, anyone would have described it as serendipity and of course it was but Bulbul never thought even in her worst nightmare that the consequence of her wish was going to be that severe that to her utmost shock, Bela, herself was sitting on her knees in front of her. Bela uttered, "Surprise!!" On seeing her mother, undoubtedly Bulbul was so happy that she screamed, "Mammmmmaaaaaaa!!" and then hugged Bela tightly by her shoulder and Bela too hugged her back and said, "I love you so so much and I missed you so so much!" Bulbul kissed on Bela's cheeks and then asked, "Mamma aapne mujhe pehle kyu nehi bataya ke aap aane waali ho?" Bela replied, "Ha to main tumko surprise karna chahti thi aur maine to ghar mein kisiko nehi bataya, tumhaari naani tak nehi jaanti hai and... tumhaare naanu bohot chik chik karenge isliye unko bhi nehi bataya." Bulbul was shocked and she replied, "Iska matlab aap ghar se bhaag kar aayi ho? That's really cool!" Bela replied, "Yeah!! Main to in fact bhul bhi gayi thi ke adventure kya hota hai aur ek secret batau... main na ek baar tumhaare papa ko bhaga kar apne saath ghumaane lekar gayi thi. By the way tum airport mein kar kya rahi ho?" The moment Bela asked that question, Bulbul remembered that Maahir was going to pick her up from here to go for shopping. The moment Bulbul realized that, all her happiness of getting to see her mother just got kicked in the ass and she was horrified thinking the outcome of the knowledge of her meeting Maahir and staying with him would be known by Bela and how she would react on finding Maahir. All the time she wanted her parents to meet but now when her mother literally arrived at Delhi partially fulfilling her dream, Bulbul was very much scared. Bela again asked, "Bulbul tum airport mein kiske saath aayi ho beta? Aur tumhe airport mein ghusne kaise diya?" Bulbul swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and started thinking of brewing a fake story and said, "Vo... naani ko yaha ke manager pehchaante hai na to... maine unko kaha ke mujhe airport ghumna hai to unhone mujhe permission de di aur kaha ke jab bhi main ghumne aau, unhe ek phone kar du to koi problem nehi hogi." Bulbul looked at Bela and she understood that Bela believed her story and so Bulbul gave a sigh of relief and then she said, "Aur main to maamu ko maine kaha ke mujhe airport ghumna hai to vo mujhe lekar aaye par abhi maamu kaha hai mujhe nehi pata." Bela got extremely angry at Daksh and said, "Ye larka kabhi nehi sudhrega, meri bachchi ko yaha par chor kar chala gaya." Bulbul went to a distance and called Daksh but he didn't receive the phone at first attempt but after giving 2-3 calls when he actually picked up the phone, Bulbul told him about Bela's arrival and also told him about the exact location of their position. The moment, Daksh arrived there, Bela pulled his ear and asked, "Tu kaisa aadmi hai?? Tu meri beti ko aise akele airport mein chorkar kaise ja sakta hai? Agar gum jaati to, kuch ho jaata to?" Daksh, somehow released himself from Bela's grip and while rubbing his ear replied, "Di yaar!! Main chota bachcha thore hi hu jo aap mera kaan kheech rahi ho? Main aas paas hi tha aur aapki beti ko kuch nehi hoga, atom bomb hai ye. Vaise aapne bataya nehi apne aane ke baare mein?" Bela replied, "Surprise dena chahti thi main achcha abhi baate bandh kar main abhi bohot tired hu, mujhe ghar jaana hai." Bulbul looked at Daksh and then made a worried face and seeing that he understood the reason of Bulbul's worries but at that moment, he too could not do anything but to drag the luggage trolley. After booking a cab, Daksh helped in loading the luggage and then Bulbul and Bela left in the cab and then Daksh too left from there.

Unbeknownst to them, Maahir, too had just reached there while Bela and Bulbul got into their cab and he saw them getting into the car but just didn't see Daksh and Bela's face and thought that Bulbul was going with some stranger. Seeing that, Maahir immediately came out of the car and shouted at the cab driver to stop but it was too late for him and the cab started to leave. He immediately started his car and followed the cab and said, "Ye ho kya raha hai mujhe to kuch bhi samajhme nehi aa raha hai? Bulbul kisi stranger ke saath aise kaise ja sakti hai aur mujhe to unki shakal tak nehi dikhi. Din dahaarare bachcho ko kidnap kar rahe hai ye log. Ha vo baat alag hai ke meri beti ko to kidnapper khud ghar par chor jaayega bina ransom ke but... Ye Bela ne bhi na kuch nehi seekhaya meri bachchi ko ke strangers ke saath aise nehi jaate hai ab chahe kitni bhi daring ho hai to vo choti bachchi hi na upar se ye Delhi hai. I'm not gonna spare them... public place mein Maahir Sehgal ki bachchi par haath daalna.. Ek baar pakar lu uske baad police ko call karunga." He continued driving following the cab. On the other side, Bela, while wrapping her arm around Bulbul's shoulder asked, "To shopping karli?" Bulbul replied, "Ha har occasion ke liye ek ek dress ab uske liye ek ek matching shoes kharidna baaki hai." Bela pulled Bulbul's cheek and replied, "Shopping mein tum bilkul mamma par gayi ho. Don't worry ye waali shopping main kara dungi abhi ye batao, how do you feel in here?" Bulbul replied, "Amazing! I'm having a very good time here, mujhe bohot mazaa aa raha hai aur yaha mujhe vo Canada waale khaane bhi khaane parte hai main jisse bohot bore ho gayi hu." The cab driver entered the colony where The Sarna's lived and seeing that colony, Maahir who was driving exactly behind them was taken back and he wondered about it. The cab stopped just in front of the house and Bela and Bulbul came out, with the unloaded luggage and Maahir who was stuck for a moment arrived as soon as the cab left. He immediately came out of the car and found Bulbul with a woman who was being hugged by everyone but still didn't see her face. On seeing Bulbul, he pulled her by her hand behind him and asked, "Who the hell are you and how dare you touch my daughter? Aise din mein meri bachchi ko kidnap karne chali thi tum?" Bela was taken back with the sound of the voice so familiar and she turned back facing Maahir in front of her. Bela's luggage dropped from her hand and Maahir too left Bulbul's hand as soon as their eyes met after 8 long years.