The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 22

"Papa mujhe aapse baat karni hai!", Bela said standing at the doorstep of her mother's bedroom next morning as she felt that she didn't have the opportunity to clear things out with her father. Ranjit looked at her with the corner of her eyes and got busy with his mobile phone and Bela stepped inside as she understood that Ranjit was very upset with her. She sat down on the bed beside his chair and said, "Main jaanti hu papa aap bohot upset hai aur aapko haq bhi banta hai. Ye sach hai ke main aapko bina bataaye yaha aayi hu lekin mujhe sach mein ye nehi pata tha ke Bulbul Maahir ke saath uske ghar mein reh rahi thi, mujhe to ye bhi nehi pata tha ke Bulbul ne Canada mein rehte time hi Maahir ko dhundh kar nikaala hai aur vo waha bhi usse phone par baat karti thi, I didn't know all these things, mujhe sab kuch yaha aane ke baad pata chala. Phir main to Bulbul ke saath waapas bhi aa jaana chahti thi lekin isi dauraan Suhaani ka fiancée Pratham vo court se ye order lekar aaya hai ke hume divorce ke decision se pehle 6 mahina ek saath rehna parega aur isi beech mein agar kisine bhi is order ko nehi maana ya kisi ek ne bhi dusre ke saath rehne se inkaar kiya to Bulbul ki custody dusre ko hi de di jaayegi and I don't want to lose Bulbul. To aap hi bataiye main kya karti? Mere paas kya option tha?" Ranjit put down the mobile phone and asked, "To don't you think tumhe mujhse ye saari baate kehni chahiye thi? Don't you think you should have told me as soon as all these things happened? But what you did instead? How can I trust you now Bela?" Bela had tears in her eyes the moment Ranjit said that to her as he was the one who meant a lot for her and especially when she and Maahir separated, Ranjit meant everything to her, her emotional support, her pillar of strength and so she said, "Please papa aap aise mat boliye, agar aap aise bolenge to main kaha jaaungi? Mujhe pata hai ke aap bohot naraaz ho mujhse lekin meri koi galti nehi hai papa, I swear, mujhe nehi pata tha ke ye sab ho jaayega." She broke into tears and this was the one thing which Ranjit could not tolerate and that was Bela's tears and so he hugged his daughter tight and replied, "It's ok baby! You don't have to worry!" Bela was crying very badly and replied, "Jo kuch bhi mere saath 8 saal pehle hua hai na papa, main un sabko dubaara se nehi jhelna chahti hu. It tears me apart when I see Maahir everytime roaming in front of my eyes aur usse bhi zyaada bura tab lagta hai jab dekhti hu ke Bulbul mujhse zyaada uska naam leti hai. I raised her papa, I raised my daughter, vo aise hi aakar meri beti mujhse nehi cheen sakta hai, main aisa hone nehi dena chahti hu." Ranjit patted Bela on her back and replied, "Maine kaha na it's ok! Sab thik ho jaayega, main sab thik kar dunga. You just don't have to worry!" Just at that moment, one of the servants came and gave Bela an envelope that came for her which made Bela surprised since she didn't tell anyone about her address in India. She opened the envelope and was shocked to see her passport inside it and while wondering how her passport came inside the envelope, when she opened her passport, she was shocked to find that her visa has been extended to 6 months. Bela was so shocked that she yelled out loud, "What the hell???" Ranjit asked, "Kya hua Bela?" Bela gave him her passport and replied, "Mera visa 6 mahine ke liye extend ho gaya hai. Mujhe to pata bhi nehi... I'm sure ye us Maahir ka kiya dhara hai. You were right papa, sab kuch us Maahir ne kiya hai. Par mujhe ek baat samajhme nehi aayi ke usko mera passport mila kaha se?" Ranjit gave a deep sigh and said to Bela, "I knew it, vo koi na koi khichdi zarur paka raha hoga and don't ask these silly questions Bela, tumhe nehi pata is ghar mein aisa kaun hai jo hamesha sirf Maahir ki hi side leta hai?" Bela understood that it was Madhu who gave her passport to Maahir and so without wasting any more minute, she came outside of the room screaming Madhu's name and when she came to the hall, she found her standing with a glass of juice which she was giving to Maahir and seeing that, Bela clapped sarcastically and replied, "Wow!! Bohot khaatirdaari ho rahi hai apne so called jamai ki!" Madhu replied, "Ek lauta jamai hai to khaatirdaari to zarur karungi." Bela showed Madhu her passport and asked, "Mamma ye kya hai?" Madhu smiled looking at the passport and replied, "O aa gaya!! Chalo achcha hai, maine hi diya tha hum teeno ke passports Maahir ko aur dekh to chutki baja kar 6 mehine extend karwa diya hamaara visa." Bela, at first thought that Madhu would be embarrassed a bit for doing so but she was surprised to see that Madhu was accepting that without any guilt and so she asked, "Aap jaanti hai mamma aap kya keh rahi hai? Aur ye teeno ka passport matlab?" Madhu, in a straight voice replied, "Teeno ka matlab tera, mera aur Bulbul ka. Dekh puttar, main na apni naatin ke bina us bhoot bangle mein bilkul nehi rahungi aur vo bhi is umar mein aur dusri baat court se order aaya hai to chahe tujhe achcha lagey ya na lagey main tujhe is umar mein jail mein bhi jaate huye nehi dekh sakti hu so maine jo kiya tere bhale ke liye kiya." Ranjit asked Madhu, "I just can't believe it Madhu tumhe apni beti se zyaada aaj bhi iski pari hai? Can't you see how painful it is for her to bear this man?" Madhu raised her hand on his face and stopped Ranjit and replied, "Aap to na beech mein paro hi nehi, ye jo meri beti ki zindagi mein saare siyappe ho rahe hai na aadhe to aaphike vajah se huye hai, ab to usey apna problem khud solve karne dijiye, bachchi nehi hai vo ek bachchi ki ma hai. Jo hai vo usey khud handle karegi." Maahir listened to everything they were talking while coming out to leave for office and when he saw the boggled condition of Bela he was amused and said to Madhu, "Kitni ajeeb baat hai na saasumom, sasurji apni beti ki khushi ke liye hamesha apni ek taang meri zindagi mein araakar rakkha hai aur ab jab main apni beti ke liye agar inki beti ki zindagi mein apne per ki ungli bhi rakkhu to main galat ho gaya. Aapke husband bare hi double standard type hai saasumom!" On hearing that statement from Maahir, Bela was very angry since she could not bear her father's insult and said, "I'm warning you Maahir, if you dare talk like that about my papa!" Maahir mocked Bela and said, "Sach karvi lagti hai Mrs. Sehgal mujhe pata hai par agar beizzati karne ka shaukh hai to beizzati sehna bhi aana chahiye na, Bulbul sahi kehti hai mamma na Dracula ke saath rehkar Gorilla mamma ban gayi hai." Just then he remembered something and said, "Arey dekho tumse baat karne ke chakkar mein main to Bulbul ko bye bolna hi bhul gaya. Agar main usse bina miley office gaya na to pura ghar sar par chara legi aur ha Bulbul se yaad aaya, main na tumse chahe jitna bhi gussa hu lekin ek baat ke liye main na tumhe genuinely thank you bolna chahta tha mujhe itna pyar sa, adoreable sa bachcha dene ke liye, ekdam pari jaisi hai meri Bulbul, tote ki tarah baate karti hai aur hamesha aise phudakti rehti hai, kuddti rehti hai mere ghar mein aur mujhe hamesha ek taang par khara rakhti hai aur bas 'daddy ye, daddy vo'. Uske aane ke baad mujhe ye realize hua ke mera ghar khandar tha uske bina aur uske meri zindagi mein aane ke baad mujhe na ye bhi samajhme aaya hai ke har baap apni beti ko lekar itna possessive kyu hota hai and for that reason, mujhe aajkal sasurji par gussa bhi nehi aata. So, on that note I take your leave, have a nice day! Main Bulbul se milkar aata hu." Saying Maahir went to meet Bulbul inside before leaving for office.