The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 21

[Present time after the arrival of Maahir]

Maahir was standing holding Bulbul's hand on the doorstep with a sad-scared-angry three-dimensional expressions in his face seeing Ranjit standing inside the house and talking with others. At first, Madhu saw Maahir and walked towards him and seeing her he asked, "Saasumom ye Mogambo yaha kya kar rahe hai?" Madhu made a face and replied, "Pata nehi par tune vo police dogs dekhe hai na, Bela ke papa vaise hi hai, sungte sungte yaha par aa gaye aur aaye to aaye saath mein vo moya Reyhaan bhi aaya hai." Bulbul looked at Madhu and replied, "Ek hai auntynaani, abhi Dracula aur saath mein Chimpanjee free. Mujhe na itna gussa aa raha hai na ke gusse ke maare mujhe bhukh lag rahi hai." Madhu too, in that same tone, replied, "Uff! Ek problem khatam nehi hoti aur dusra aakar khara ho jaata hai." Maahir looked at Reyhaan and replied, "Pata nehi sasurji ko isme kya dikha? I mean main to isse achcha dikhta hu aur mujhe dekh kar to koi ye kahega bhi nehi ke main ek 8 saal ki bachchi ka baap hu, par heere ki kadar sabko thore hi hoti hai." Madhu replied, "Tere aane se pehle na inko tere baare mein sab bata diya bhabhi ne aur isi baat se na tabse bawaal ho raha hai ab tu aa gaya hai na to tujhe hi sab jhelna parega. Best of luck puttar!" Madhu held Bulbul's hand and said, "Aur tu... tu mere saath chal, tera na koi bharosa nehi hai, tu to bas tayyar rehti hai jhagre ke liye.""Arey ye lo Maahir bhi aa gaya." Just the moment, Bela's uncle Mr. Sarna uttered those words, everyone turned to look at their back towards the doorstep and looked at Maahir. Ranjit stood up as soon as his eyes fall on Maahir and Maahir too was standing with his feet glued on the floor. All the past memories of Ranjit humiliating Maahir on every opportunity, insulting Maahir whenever they met and even the ultimatum of sacking from the job, cursing him after he and Bela got married without his permission and the moment he taking away Bela away from him the last time they met flashed in front of his eyes. He used to bear all his humiliation silently just for the sake of Bela and even stopped her from replying him back. Ranjit tossed his eyes from Maahir's head to toe and a tint of mocking smile appeared in his lips and he said, "You're a changed man Maahir!" Maahir was confused about his exact feelings about seeing his ultimate nightmare Ranjit himself standing in front of him. At that moment, he again realized that he should not be scared of him as he had already snatched the last happiness from him and there was nothing for him to loose except for Bulbul and he also knew that snatching Bulbul from him would not be as easy as snatching Bela. Maahir could feel his feet shivering but he also realized it was not due to fear but due to the pain which had suddenly emerged out of the deepest grave of his heart. Suddenly, he felt a warmth in his hand and when his eyes fall on his hand, he found Bulbul was holding his hand and with that touch of her, all his confusions, his fear, everything just disappeared in the air, as if he felt that he had the last thing for whom he could fight against the whole world. He took a deep breath and looked at Ranjit and he himself could feel a confidence in him and so he said, "Badalne ke liye ek pal kaafi hota hai aur yaha to 8 saal beet chuke hai." Maahir's eyes fall on Bela and he found her standing with a disappointment in her face. He walked towards Ranjit and suddenly bowed and touched Ranjit's feet and then stood up and replied, "Peripena sasurji!" Ranjit was taken back at this sudden gesture of Maahir and he just couldn't say anything and seeing that Maahir replied, "Kya sasurji 8 saal baad miley hai, aur aap mujhe aashirwaad bhi nehi denge? Mujhe pata hai ke aap mujhe pasand nehi karte hai par ab kya kare achcha hu, bura hu, jaisa bhi hu abhi aapka ek lauta jamai hu, aapki ek lauti beti ka ek lauta pati hu aur aapki ek lauti naatin ka ek lauta pappa hu. Can't help!" When Maahir said all those things, both Bela and Madhu were surprised as Maahir was always the cool and the matured one among him and Bela and he never talked in that manner with Ranjit. Ranjit said, "Meri beti to nadaan hai, usey to abhi tak samajh mein nehi aaya ke ye jo 6 mahine ek saath rehne ka plan tumhaara banaya hua hai. Main tumhe bohot achchi tarah se jaanta hu Maahir but I just could not believe tum itna neeche geer sakte ho." "Really??", Maahir exclaimed in a surprising tone and continued, "Aapki beti abhi bhi nadaan hai?? Kamaal hai mujhe to laga ke vo 8 saal ki bachchi ki ma hai aur ek ma kabhi nadaan nehi hoti par ha isme uski bhi koi galti nehi hai kyuki aapne to apni beti ko kabhi bara hone hi nehi diya aur isi vajah aapki beti aaphiki beti bankar reh gayi, meri biwi kabhi nehi ban paayi aur ya phir ye kahu aapne usko kabhi banne nehi diya. Khair choriye! Gadhe murde ukhaarkar koi faayda nehi hai." Ranjit looked at Bela and pointed at Maahir and said, "Just look at him zara sa business kya chal para ye apne aap ko pata nehi kaunsa tees maar khan samajh raha hai, but you don't worry darling, tumhe ye court ka order manne ki koi zarurat nehi hai. I'll talk to my lawyers! Ye to sirf tumhaare zakhmo ko kuredna chahta hai aur samajh raha hai 8 saal baad phir se sab kuch pehle jaisa ho jaayega. I just can't imagine what you must be going through by tolerating this man for so long!" Maahir made a face and replied, "Oh please!! Look at me my dear sasurji, aapko lagta hai ke mujhe aapki beti ke saath rehne ka koi shaukh hai? Main bhi aapki beti ko apni beti ke vajah se hi jhel raha hu, varna is nakchari aurat ke taraf to main dekhunga bhi nehi. Akela main raha hu 8 saal tak, ab main apni beti ko kahi bhi nehi lekar jaane dunga, aap le jaao apni laadli ko meri bala se. I don't mind and I don't care!" Bela came to them and looked at Ranjit and replied, "Papa aap abhi abhi aaye hai na please jaakar rest kijiye aur Bulbul bhi yaha par hai uske saamne ye sab kamsekam mat boliye pata nehi kya se kya bol degi." She looked at Madhu and said, "Mamma Bulbul ko andar lekar jaaiye please!" Madhu was trying to leave with Bulbul but Bulbul left her hand and said to Ranjit, "Main apne daddy ke saath rahungi, kahi nehi jaaungi aur agar zyaada force kiya to Pratham uncle ko bol dungi phir vo police bhejegi aur aapko jail lekar jaayegi and I'll be very happy.""Bulbul!!", Bela scolded her and Madhu forcibly held Bulbul's hand and left from there. Ranjit said to Maahir, "You are not going to get away with it Maahir, I'll see the end of it." Maahir chuckled sarcastically and replied, "Jab aapki beti mere paas thi tab aap usey mujhse cheen kar le gaye abhi meri beti aapke paas hai to ye dialogue to technically mujhe bhi aapse kehna chahiye na. Phir bhi agar aap yehi samajhte hai ke maine ye sab jaan bujh kar kiya hai to ha maine hi kiya hai kyuki apni zidd puri kaise ki jaati hai ye sab maine aaphi se seekha hai Mr. Ranjit Sareen." Ranjit came closer to Maahir and replied, "Bulbul ko aagey karke agar meri beti ki weakness ko exploit karne ke baare mein socha bhi to mujhse bura koi nehi hoga." Maahir, in a very cold tone accompanied with a cold look and replied, "Aapne to meri khushiyo ko jalaakar us aag mein ghee daalkar mera ghar toda hai, mere bachche ke paida hone ke baad uski shakal bhi nehi dekhne ko mili hai, ab jo ye aag hai na isme aap log jalenge aur is baar main aapka lihaaz bilkul bhi nehi karunga." "Bas kijiye!!", At last Madhu had to intervene and she said, "Ye bohot achcha hai, pehle Bela aur Maahir ka jhagra aur abhi sasur – damaad ka jhagra, main kya yaha aapka jhagra solve karne bethi hu? Main bol rahi hu Bulbul ke saamne aap dono koi baat nehi karenge, vo vaise bhi bharki hui hai bohot zyaada ab main phir se koi tamasha nehi chahti hu. Shaadi waala ghar hai please thora shanti rakhiye dono." She looked at Ranjit and said, "Aap chaliye Bela ke papa mere saath, aap bohot lamba safar tey karke aaye hai aur..." She then looked at Maahir and said, "Tu bhi ja abhi, baad mein sab kuch hota rahega." Saying she almost pulled Ranjit away from there.