The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 24

By the time, Maahir had returned, all the guests were gone and when he stepped inside, the situation was very calm and quiet, something of the sort of an uneasy calmness before a huge storm which made Maahir uncomfortable. He went inside and found all the people were doing their own work but was giving him a strange look which made him even more suspicious but he just drove that thought away from his mind and looked for Madhu and when he found her, he said, "Saasumom bohot jaldi nehi chale gaye sab log? Khair kuch khaana vaana bacha hai ki nehi mere liye bohot bhukh lagi hai kasam se and I'm sure aapne mere liye thora to bachaya hi hoga." Madhu was going to say something when Maahir again said, "Bulbul kaha hai? Usko to khila diya hoga nehi aapne? Vaise bhi main soch raha tha jaldi aa jaau but you know Kuhu pregnant hai to main zara usko saare davaayi khila kar aate aate late ho gaya, main jaakar pehle kha leta hu phir na Bulbul ke paas jaaunga meri choti madam ka radio bhi to jaldi bandh nehi hota." Just when Maahir was about to leave, he again found all were staring at him and that time, he could not ignore that and he asked Madhu, "Saasumom, jabse aaya hu ek cheez maine notice ki hai ke sab mujhe bohot ajeeb tareeke se ghur rahe hai. Kuch hua hai kya? Aur bari uncomfortable type ki shaanti hai, kya ho gaya?" Madhu just could not find the right amount of words to say anything and she just stammered, "Maahir beta vo... vo... Bulbul ne na... vo..." But Madhu didn't have the guts to speak anything and Maahir said, "Saasumom Bulbul ne kuch kiya hai kya? Par vo to hamesha hi kuch na kuch karti rehti hai, kuch zyaada serious ho gaya hai kya isbaar?" Madhu lowered her eyes and did not say anything and seeing that Maahir understood something drastic might have happened and without wasting any more time, he just ran to Bela's room. When he got there, he found Suhaani and Daksh standing and Bela was putting ointment on Bulbul's cheek. The way he entered gathered everyones' attention and all were surprised, scared and boggled to see him and overlooking everyones' gaze, when Maahir's eyes fall on Bulbul, he was shocked to see Bulbul's swollen horrifying face and seeing that he looked at others and asked, "Ye kaise hua? Kisne... kisne kiya aisa?" All of them were standing mum and Bela hugged Bulbul from a side while Bulbul was giving a traumatized but speechless look to Maahir. Suhaani then said to Maahir, "Vo jiju vo hua ye hai ke..." She described everything that happened and how Ranjit slapped Bulbul that way. While Maahir was listening to the things he was just burning with rage and anger without any limits and tears were falling down off his eyes. He made a fist and then went out wiping his tears and seeing the way he was coming out, Madhu understood that he got to know everything. He reached upto Ranjit Sareen and said, "Aapse na baat karte huye bhi ghinn aa rahi hai mujhe lekin baat karni par rahi hai. Aapko pehle main insaan samajhta tha lekin aaj meri ye galatfemi dur ho chuki hai. Aapke saath mujhe jo karna chahiye na vo main kar nehi pa raha hu kyuki do cheezein mujhe rok rahi hai, ek to aapki umar aur dusra aapke saath mera rishta. Aapne hamesha mujhse nafrat ki, mujhe beizzat kiya par maine kuch nehi kaha lekin ye jo aapne kiya... aapka haath nehi kaapa kya itni choti bachchi par haath uthaane se pehle? 8 saal ki hai vo, bohot choti hai. Aap haiwaan hai kya?" Reyhaan tried to ease down the situation by intervening in the middle but before he could say anything, Maahir just gave a hard punch on his face and as he fell down, Maahir said, "Tu to beech mein ghusiyo hi mat! Teri himmat kaise hui Bela ke saath aisi ghatiya harkat karne ki?" He pulled up Reyhaan and grabbed his collar and said, "Bachchi ki ma hai vo meri aur usse bhi upar biwi hai vo meri! Hamaare beech mein chahe kuch bhi hua ho, but abhi bhi biwi hai vo meri, she's bluddy Mrs. Maahir Sehgal. Gandi nazar to dur agar uske taraf kisi ne aakh utha kar dekhne ki koshish bhi ki to jaan se maar dunga. Alag rehne ka ye matlab nehi hai ke koi bhi aakar meri biwi ke saath aisi ghatiya harkat karega aur main usko chod dunga." Maahir left Reyhaan's collar and again rubbed his cheeks and then joined his hands and said to everyone, "Thank you all very much for your hospitality aur aaj yaha aap sabke rehte huye jo meri beti ke saath hua vo main kabhi bhi nehi bhulunga." Saying Maahir left from there and came back to Bela's room and found Bulbul sitting all scared and silent and all were trying to talk to her. On seeing Maahir, Bela came to him and said, "Tabse chup bethi hai dekho na, tum to hamesha kehte ho ke vo tumhaari saari baate sunti hai, you can communicate with her better, please bulwaao na usse kuch." Seeing that pleading Bela, Maahir's heart ached and it broke into pieces on seeing Bulbul. He walked upto the bed and sat in front of Bulbul and held her hand and the moment, Maahir touched her hand, Bulbul trembled with fear. Seeing that, Maahir just could not hold his tears back and joined his hands in front of her and said, "I'm so sorry baby! I'm so sorry ke main aapko protect nehi kar paaya, main kuch nehi kar paaya aapke liye, mujhe please maaf kar do." He broke into tears in front of Bulbul and seeing him cry, Bulbul somehow reacted and slowly crawled towards Maahir and in a very low tone said, "Daddy mujhe ghar jaana hai varna phir kal mujhe maarenge." Everyone gave a sigh of relief as Bulbul spoke after a long time and Maahir hugged Bulbul tightly and replied, "Nehi rahenge beta, bilkul nehi rahenge hum abhi aur isi waqt apne ghar waapas jaayenge." Maahir broke the hug and said to Bela, "Bulbul ka saara samaan abhi aur isiwaqt pack karo, main apna samaan pack karne ja raha hu, we're leaving right now." He was about to leave but stopped in the middle and said to Bela, "Jo kuch tumne mere saath kiya hai vaisa main to tumhaare saath kar nehi sakta, tumne meri beti ko mujhse dur rakkha hai par main apni beti ko uski ma se dur nehi rakh sakta, isliye agar aana chaho to chal sakti ho." Saying Maahir left to pack his bags and then after completing his packing he came back to Bela's room and picked Bulbul up in his arms and dragged his bag out of his room. On reaching the hall, when Bulbul's eyes fall on Ranjit, she squeezed more in her father's arms to which Maahir said, "Beta daddy hai na ab koi kuch nehi karega aapko." He met only Madhu and Madhu patted Bulbul's back and said, "Sorry puttar, naani bhi aaj kuch nehi kar paayi." While Maahir and Bulbul were leaving, he heard Ranjit's voice, "Bela tum kaha ja rahi ho?" Maahir turned and found Bela was dragging two bags with her and walking behind Maahir and when Ranjit called her, she stopped and looked at her father and then slowly walked towards him and said, "Aapko pata hai papa, Bulbul hamesha mujhse kehti thi ke mamma, mujhe Canada nehi rehna hai vo mera ghar nehi hai, jaise aap apne papa ke saath rehti ho, mujhe bhi apne daddy ke saath rehna hai. Main hamesha usko samjhaati thi ke beta aisa nehi kehte wahi tumhaara ghar hai. But you know what papa aaj mujhe ye realize ho raha hai ke vo saari baate main usko nehi, apne aap ko kehti thi aur ye yakeen dilaane ki koshish karti thi ke vo mera ghar hai varna jo aadmi meri beti ko khaane ko lekar taana maarta ho, usse kabhi seedhe muh baat nehi karta ho, hamesha uske khoon ko lekar taana maarta ho uske saath koi ma reh hi nehi sakti hai. Aapne mujhe apne ghar mein rakh kar bohot ehsaan kiya hai mujhpar lekin saath hi saath aapne mujhe Maahir se shaadi karne ki sazaa di hai, Bulbul ko ignore karke kyuki vo hamesha aapke liye Maahir ki beti hi thi, meri nehi. Maine usko janam diya hai papa aapne phir kyu usko meri beti samajh kar pyar nehi kiya? Jo ghar Bulbul ko Canada mein nehi mila vo ghar usko Maahir ne diya, she felt accepted and secured with him. Main Reyhaan se shaadi kabhi bhi nehi karni thi papa, ek shaadi tootne ka matlab ye nhi hai ke dusri shaadi se vo problem solve ho jaayegi. Main ja rahi hu Maahir ke saath kyuki beti hone ki izzat to mujhe aapne di nehi shaayad us ghar mein ma hone ki izzat mujhe mil jaaye. Aur ha..." Bela looked at Ranjit in such a way which clearly indicated how much hurt she was and also angry with his act and said, "Bulbul aapko Dracula bulaati hai na, vo sahi bulaati hai kyuki aap sahi mein monster hi hai, mere papa 8 saal pehle hi kho gaye the." Saying she just left from there with Maahir leaving a shattered and astonished Ranjit behind.