The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 29

Inside Bulbul's room, Bulbul constantly called Bela by her name, shook her hands but Bela didn't reply and was sitting in a trance. Bulbul noticed that a drop of tear fall down from her eyes and seeing that Bulbul wiped that tear and said, "Mamma maine aapko hurt kya hiya? Aap meri baat se hurt hui hai kya? Par maine to sach bola hai. Aapko agar meri baato se hurt hua hai to I'm sorry! Main kabhi aisa nehi kahungi. Mamma aap ro mat, mujhse baat karo please!" Bela was still totally silent and then suddenly she started rubbing her hands vigorously and then she started rubbing her neck, her face like a maniac and seeing that Bulbul was scared. She came down of the bed horrified and then screamed Maahir's name and ran out of the room. On hearing Bulbul's scream, Maahir and Madhu were cautious and when Bulbul came to Maahir, he asked, "Kya hua aap aise cheekh kyu rahe ho?" Bulbul took gasps and replied, "Daddy dekho na mamma kaisi kaise kar rahi hai." Maahir shook her arms and asked, "Kya kar rahi hai?" Bulbul replied, "Pata nehi daddy pehle chup thi, phir aise aise apne haath aur apna face rub kar rahi hai, mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai." Maahir sensed something fishy and so he asked, "Aisa kya hua? Kuch kaha tha aapne mamma ko?" Bulbul replied, "Maine to bas ganda waala bad touch ke baare mein pucha tha jo aapne bataya aur phir jab mamma ne pucha ke mujhe ye kaise pata to maine bata diya sab kuch ke chimpanjee ke unke saath kya karne ki koshish ki hai." Maahir cursed himself for absolutely forgetting to warn Bulbul and as Maahir guessed that right, to his horror, the thing which he scared the most had happened and then right at that moment, they all heard Bela's scream and so Maahir said, "Saasumom aap aur Bulbul yehi raho main jaakar dekhta hu aur Bulbul ko andar bilkul nehi jaane dena." Saying he left from there towards Bulbul's room. On reaching the room, he found Bela throwing things here and there and screaming badly. He somehow got close to her and got hold of her and said, "Bela dekho meri baat suno, please calm down! Please meri baat suno!" Bela stopped throwing things and then she showed her hand and said, "Reyhaan ne mera haath pakra tha na, usne mujhe chua tha, hai na? Usne mujhe yaha, yaha aur yaha chua tha na?" Bela showed Maahir her shoulder, her face, her arms to Maahir and then again started rubbing her arms and said, "Kitna mitaane ki koshish kar rahi hu uske choone ke nishaan par jaate hi nehi hai. Mujhe bohot ganda mehsus ho raha hai, bohot ghinn aa rahi hai mujhe khudse. He spoiled me, he ruined me." Maahir wanted to stop her, make her calm down but the moment he looked into her eyes, he felt Bela's helplessness, her pain which made him let her go. He wanted to relieve her from her pain and he knew the best way to do that was to let it come out and so he stopped doing anything but that thing too was impossible for him to bear as he could not see Bela in so much of pain. Bela, on the other side, could not bear the thought that Reyhaan put his dirty and filthy hands on her, the man whom she thought as her friend and who was chosen by her father for her, the moment from which she heard what happened with her, she felt as if Reyhaan was still touching her, she delusioned Maahir to be Reyhaan and felt as if he was coming towards her to get hold of her and she raised her finger and said, "Dekho mere paas nehi aana, mere paas mat aana, nehi aana. Reyhaan! Dur hato mujhse! Main apne aap ko maar dungi." Maahir was scared thinking that now Bela was becoming delusioned and now he had to stop her from taking any wrong step and as feared by Maahir, Bela really picked up a small knife from the drawyer intending to cut her wrist and at that moment, he said to Bela, "Bela dekho main manta hu ke jo kuch hua vo nehi hona chahiye tha, Reyhaan tumhaare saath jo karna chahta tha usme vo kaamyaab nehi hua, vo kuch bhi galat nehi kar saka tumhaare saath, humne time par aakar kuch bhi galat hone se rok liya. Kuch nehi hua hai tumhaare saath, doctors ne bhi bola hai bas usne tumhe jo drug diya tha usse tum behosh ho gayi thi aur tumhaare jaan par ban aayi thi bas aur tumhaare saath kuch bhi nehi hua hai. Trust me! Please ye chaaku neeche phek do, please!" Bela was still horrified and was staring with horror at Maahir and did not drop the knife. Seeing this Maahir said, "Trust me Bela tumhaare saath kuch bhi nehi hua hai, chaho to tum doctor se bhi baat kar sakti ho, vo bhi yehi kahenge. Par agar tumhaare saath..." He wswallowed the lump formed in his throat and continued, "Agar tumhaare saath vo kuch bhi karne mein kaamyaab ho bhi jaata tab bhi tum kisike liye nehi badalti, kisike liye bhi nehi. Na sasurji ke liye, na saasumom ke liye, na Bulbul ke liye aur naahi... mere liye. Hamaare liye tum tabhi bhi vohi rehti jo tum ho. Please ye chaaku phek do Bela! Tum apne papa ke baare mein socho, vo kal puri raat tumhaare sirhaane bethe the tumhaara haath pakar ke, agar tumhe kuch hua to vo jeeteji mar jaayenge, unki puri duniya tumse shuru hokar tumhi par khatam ho jaati hai aur Bulbul... vo bas 8 saal ki hai, tumhi kehti ho na ke tum uske liye kuch nehi kar paayi to kya ab tum us bachchi se uski ma cheen logi? Uska kya hoga? Pata hai vo kal boli ke main rahungi mamma ke paas phir vo jaldi thik ho jaayegi, vo to jaana hi nehi chahti thi lekin maine usko zabardasti ghar bheja. Vo itna royi hai kal ke tum soch bhi nehi sakti. Hamaare beech mein kuch sahi nehi hai Bela aur main kuch sahi hone ka expectation bhi bohot pehle hi chod chuka hu lekin tum is tarah se haar nehi maan sakti ho. Please aisa paagalpan mat karo, please Bela!" Hearing to Maahir's words, Bela stopped panicking and seeing the opportunity Maahir hit Bela's hand and the knife fall from her hand and then pulled her towards him and hugged her tight. On getting that old protective hug from Maahir which used to make her forget all her sorrows, Bela broke down in his arms and cried her heart out and Maahir patted her on her back but did not stop her from crying. Unbeknownst to them, Bulbul witnessed Bela's condition and her outburst which made her extremely scared of Bela. She was so horrified that she ran back to Madhu, whom she had locked in the guest room in order to come to Bela. Madhu, as instructed by Maahir did not let Bulbul go to her room so that she did not have to witness something which she should not see and due to that Bulbul even after being stopped by Madhu, tricked her and locked her in the guest room and then came to Bela but as Maahir had already guessed, Bulbul was scared due to that. When she returned to Madhu, the moment she unlocked the door, Madhu was so angry at Bulbul that she wanted to raise her hand but seeing that scared face and eyes of Bulbul, even Madhu was tensed and she cupped Bulbul's face and asked, "Kya hua bachche?" Bulbul in a scared tone replied, "Naani mamma kaise kaise kar rahi hai, vo hai na knife lekar apna wrist kaatne waali thi par na vo daddy ne rok liya. Mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai, maine mamma ko bata diya ke kya hua isliye aisa ho raha hai na, main aaj ke baad kabhi mamma ke paas nehi jaaungi varna mamma phir se hurt ho jaayegi hai na?" Madhu immediately hugged her tight and said, "Ye kaisi baate kar rahi hai tu? Isiliye daddy ne manaa kiya tha tujhe waha jaane se par tu meri baat sunti nehi hai na. Mamma ko kuch nehi hua aur vo tere kuch kehne se aisa nehi kar rahi hai. Tu fikar mat kar teri ma thik ho jaayegi aur aisi baate na apne dil mein nehi laate hai puttar. Chal tu aa mere saath, koi nehi sab thik ho jaayega." Bulbul started weeping as she continuously blamed herself for Bela's behavior and said, "Mujhe pata hai aap mujhe khush karne ke liye aise bol rahi ho par mamma mere vajah se aisa kar rahi hai." Madhu made her sit beside her and said, "Nehi puttar mamma bohot dard se guzar rahi hai beta, jo main tujhe samjha nehi sakti hu. Tu bas meri baato par yakeen kar kyuki maine kabhi bhi aajtak tujhe jhut nehi bola hai. Hai na? Tu bas apne daddy par bharosa rakh vo sab thik kar lega. Dekhna kal subhe uthkar mamma teri bilkul thik hai. Vo bimaar hai na to thora time to lagega na usko thik hone mein, tu bilkul tension na le." Bulbul hugged Madhu.

All the time neither Bela uttered anything not anyone spoke to her as everyone wanted to give her time to cope up with whatever happened with her. At night, Bela did not come out of her room for dinner and so Madhu had to feed her in her room. Maahir, while having food with Bulbul noticed her strange behavior but when asked she remained quiet and did not say anything which was very suspicious for him. On asking Madhu, she told him everything about what Bulbul thinks but she also asked him not to worry and to just concentrate on Bela now and she would handle Bulbul. Maahir asked Madhu to sleep with Bela but Madhu insisted him to stay with Bela for the night with the intention that may be with that their relation would be improved. After dinner, Maahir went to Bela's room where he found her sitting on the floor leaning on the side of the bed and resting her arms and face on her knee. Maahir sat beside her and asked, "Kaisa feel kar rahi ho abhi?" Bela remained quiet for sometime and then slowly replied, "Achchi rehne ki koshish kar rahi hu." Maahir said, "Tumne to kaha tha Bulbul ke janam ke baad tumne drink karna qareeb qareeb chod hi diya tha, I mean parties ya occasions ke alawa tum ghar mein to kabhi bhi nehi peeti thi. To phir us din itna pee kaise liya? Tum jab sharaab pee rahi thi tabhi usme Reyhaan ne vo drugs mila diya tha. Kyu sharaab pee rahi thi tum?" Tears fall down from Bela's eyes and she very slowly said, "Mujhe bohot gussa aaya tha Maahir! Tum par, apne aap par, Anu par. Mujhe itna gussa aaya tha ke mujhe aur kuch sujha hi nehi. Anu ne mujhe tumhaari zindagi barbaad karne ka blame kiya aur jab usko ye pata chala ke hum abhi tumhaare saath reh rahe hai to usne aise bartaav kiya jaise ke tumhaari biwi main nehi, vo hai aur tum... tum chup rahe kuch nehi bole. Tum sharminda the is baat se? Kyu? Kya main tumhaari mistress hu? Biwi hu main tumhaari, bachcha hai hamaara ek aur hamaara talaaq bhi nehi hua phir kyu main uski ye baate sunu? Jo hamaare beech hua vo to hamaara matter tha. Main maanti hu ke usne tumhaari bohot help ki in 8 saalo mein par agar vo meri jagah hoti to vo kya karti? Usne mujhe gaali di, maine phir bhi bardaasht kar liya lekin usne meri bachchi ki saath bhi bohot bura bartaav kiya hai." Maahir replied, "Galti uski nehi hai, is baar galti meri hai. Usne pata nehi kitne saalo se mera intezaar kiya hai par pehle maine hamesha usko ye baat saaf taur par jataya tha that for me she's nothing but a friend, lekin tumhaare jaane ke baad main tumse itna gussa tha ke tab mujhe tumse badla nikaana tha isliye maine tey kiya ke main bohot saara paisa kamaaunga aur Queens se bhi upar meri company ka naam hoga aur is silsilay mein Mr. Mittal ne meri bohot madat ki is shart par ke main Anu se shaadi karunga varna 50% hissedaari mujhe kabhi bhi nehi milti aur mujhe na chahte huye bhi is baat par raazi hona para. Hamaari engagement bhi shaayad ho gayi hoti agar usdin Bulbul ka phone na aaya hota mujhe. Maine to uski baato par yakeen hi nehi kiya lekin usne haar nehi maani, usne photos bheji tumhaari aur uski tab jaakar mujhe yakeen aaya. Par tumhe..." Maahir looked at her and said, "Par tumhe ab is baat ka bura kyu lag raha hai? Kyu tumhe in sab baato se fark parta hai? Tum to apni marzi se gayi thi, tumhaara faisla tha ye to ab kyu?" Bela looked at Maahir and found that those questions were not the procedure for seeking direct answers but by that he wanted to hear what he always wanted to hear from the day they met after 8 years. Bela's lips shivered as if she wanted to reply him even more desperately than Maahir wanted to hear but she could not and they stared at each other with Maahir just waiting endlessly and Bela wanting to speak her heart out but it seemed that there was a distance of a light year between them. After some time, Maahir sounded to be disappointed and then he prepared to get up and said, "Chalo utho chalkar so jaao bed par, waha saasumom ne kaha hai mujhe yaha rehne ke liye vo aaj raat Bulbul ke paas soyegi." He got up and held Bela by her arms and made her sit on the bed. He gave her the medicines and said, "Tum yaha araam karo main sofey par so jaaunga." All the time, he was there in front of her eyes, she stared at him only and when he was about to leave, Bela stopped him by holding his hand and then grabbed his hand with both her hands and then made him sit on the bed. She went closer to him and looked into his eyes as if she was trying find that same passion which she used to see in his eyes after a bad day or after a fight, the determination to set everything right and in most cases, his naughty smile which Bela could never resist. She caressed his face with her hand as if searching that same smile again. Maahir did not want her to stop and wanted to live the moment, may be it was for a few seconds although he wanted it to last forever. Both of they could not stop thinking how much they wanted to be together, how much they wanted to be close but their ego always came in between but that time, no one actually wanted to bring that ego in between them that day and the first step was taken by Maahir who kissed her to which Bela responded back. Maahir pulled her more closer to him and made that kiss more passionate.