The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 30

Next morning, Maahir woke up first and the first thing, on which his eyes fall after opening was Bela. A smile automatically formed in his lips on seeing Bela lying beside him after so long. The time after their marriage was still as fresh as it was years ago. It was a routine for him then to wake Bela up after he had made the breakfast because whenever she tried to help him in household chores, it used to be a mess so Maahir asked her to manage the financial expenditure of the family as a help to him instead of doing that physical chores since Bela was so adamant to help him. After marriage, every morning, when he used to wake up, he used to feel very happy to see her face as the first thing as seeing her face makes his day beautiful with an even beautiful start. He remembered last night how both of them lost control and submitted to their passion instead of holding on their ego. He slowly caressed her face which was covered by her beautiful hair and the moment he tried to move her hair, he became cautious thinking that they had actually spend the night together and what would be Bela's reaction after she gets up. The moment that thought came into his mind, he immediately got down from the bed and left the room. Like Bela, last night, Maahir was panicked thinking about what had happened. His hands were shaking due to anxiety and he was walking in the hall so anxiously as if waiting for something in which his life depended on. While walking, he clashed with Madhu, who was going to the kitchen to prepare milk for both Bela and Bulbul. Maahir immediately apologized and seeing his face, Madhu was shocked as it was pale as white and seeing that he asked, "Maahir teri shakal aisi kyu ho gayi hai?" Maahir suddenly became very cautious and checked on his face and asked, "Kyu meri shakal ko kuch hua hai kya?" He was about to leave to check on his face, but Madhu replied, "Teri shakal mein koi problem nehi hai main bas ye puch rahi hu ke tu itna bokhlaaya hua kyu hai. Aisa lag raha hai jaise kisi baat se bohot zyaada dara hua hai tu." Maahir forcefully smiled and replied, "Arey nehi nehi aisi koi baat nehi hai, main to bas aise hi, vo... aap kaha ja rahi thi?" Madhu pointed towards the kitchen and replied, "Arey Bela aur Bulbul ke liye dudh lene ja rahi thi. Abhi Bela ko bohot taaqat ki zarurat hai aur teri maharani ko neend mein dudh peelane se vo nakhre nehi karti hai." Maahir gave a sigh and replied, "Bela ke liye le lijiye, Bulbul ke liye lene ki zarurat nehi hai, vo... kal maine apne doctor se baat kiya tha Bulbul ke check up ke baare mein to aaj hi sab tests ho jaayenge isliye kaha hai khaali pet aane ke liye. To main usko utha kar brush kara deta hu aap Bela ko dudh dekar Bulbul ko please ready karwa dijiye." Madhu agreed and replied, "Thik hai tu Bela ke liye dudh lekar uske paas ja, Bulbul ko uthakar, brush karwa kar main ready kar deti hu." Maahir was extremely scared due to that but still put that smile on his face and replied, "Arey nehi saasumom, aap jaaiye na aapki bhi to Bela se thik se baat nehi ho paayi upar se kal jo kuch bhi hua uske baad to..." Madhu noticed that Maahir was, for some reason, avoiding to talk or any kind of communication with Bela and so she asked, "Sahi sahi bata kya hua kal raat ko? Tabse dekh rahi hu kuch chupa raha hai, bokhlaayi hui shakal bana kar rakkhi hui hai, jaise koi chori pakre jaane ka dar ho. Mujhe bata de mujhse kaisi sharam?" Maahir again gave that forced smile and was about to lie again but Madhu looked at him in such a way that he could not hide and in a surrendering tone, replied, "Vo na kal raat ko na vo...vo thora... gadbad ho gaya..." Making a guilt-ridden face Maahir bowed down his head and Madhu understood everything and the moment she understood the scene, she was happy without any limits and she said, "To tune aisi shakal kyu banaakar rakkha hua hai? Kaunsa crime kiya hai tune? Husband-wife ho ye to bohot normal si cheez hai. Par jo kuch bhi ho main bari khush hu, mere bachcho ke beech mein ab sab kuch thora thora karke normal jo ho raha hai." Maahir nodded his head and replied, "Aap na samajh nehi rahi hai saasumom, baat itni easy nehi hai. Aapko to pata hai na ke hum dono ke beech mein abhi kuch bhi normal nehi hai, aise mein jo kuch bhi hua uske baad Bela kya sochegi, mujhe ye baat soch soch kar bohot pareshaani ho rahi hai. I'm scared! Kahi vo ye na samajhle ke maine uske situation ka faayda uthaya hai usse to baat aur bigad jaayegi." Madhu understood his dilemma and replied, "Dekh puttar tum dono bachche nehi ho aur tum dono ke beech mein jo kuch bhi hua vo zabardasti to nehi tha, tum dono ki marzi se hua so is matter mein meri beti bhi utni hi involve hai jitna ke tu hai. Itna mat soch iske baare mein kyuki sabse bari baat tum dono ek dusre se pyar karte ho. I can understand itne saalo ke duri ke baad achaanak ye sab... to main tujhe yehi kahungi is tarah se guilt mein rehne se achcha hai, Bela ke uthne ke baad usse baat kar le to saari pareshaaniya hi khatam ho jaayengi. Isiliye keh rahi hu tu ja uske paas vaise bhi teri sahaabzaadi ko uthaane mein bohot mashakkat karni paregi to tujhe waqt mil jaayega." Maahir was somewhat relieved to some extent after telling spilling everything to Madhu and he too thought that whatever Madhu told him was right, instead of being guilt-ridden it was better to talk face to face with Bela. So, after taking the glass of milk which Madhu prepared for her, Maahir went to Bela's room to talk with her. Inside the room, Bela had woke up but still not opened her eyes and with closed eyes, she put her hand on the other side of the bed and found it empty. She opened her eyes and looked at that empty part and then a few moments of the past night flashed in front of her eyes and a chill of content glittered in her eyes. But that moment of content disappeared quickly when she remembered what Reyhaan wanted to do with him and that thought brought chills through her bones. When Maahir came into the room, she was extremely scared at first but was somewhat relaxed on seeing him. Maahir thought that he might have to wake her up but was a bit surprised that she had already woke up and also her scared expressions didn't go unnoticed by him. He put the glass on the table and then asked, "Kya hua?" She stammered, "K-kuch nehi! Kuch bhi nehi!" He asked, "Are you alright?" Bela gave a blank look to Maahir and he immediately understood that he had asked the wrong question since that fact which was disclosed can never be 'alright' for a woman. Maahir looked at her and then said, "Mujhe kuch baat karni hai tumse, par agar tum... I mean thik ho to...varna...." Bela replied, "Nehi main thik hu... in fact mujhe bhi tumhe kuch kehna hai." Maahir stood beside Bela's bed and said, "Pehle tum bolo..." Bela cleared her throat and replied, "Vo... kal raat... jo hua vo... Mujhe samajhme nehi aa raha hai ke main kaise kahu... I'm really very sorry... Pata nehi kaise sab kuch... I mean..." Maahir was shocked at first but gave a deep sigh of relief on seeing that she didn't blame him and she was thinking exactly the same way he was thinking and so he sat in front of her and said, "Please sorry mat bolo, jo kuch bhi hua usme hum dono hi involved the and we're adults aur technically not divorced so... aisa kuch... I know the equations have changed between us but whatever happened that was not illegal so forget it aur ye dudh pee lo, saasumom ne bheja hai, main Bulbul ko lekar hospital ja raha hu, agar tumhe kuch chahiye ho to...""Kyu?" Bela almost lightly screamed and asked, "Bulbul ko lekar hospital kyu jaana hai? Kya hua usko?" Maahir nodded his head and assured her and replied, "Usko kuch nehi hua hai, vo..." Maahir hid the actual reason behind taking Bulbul to the hospital and replied, "Vo saasumom ne bataya hai ke tumhaare ghar mein sab har 6 mahine mein regular check up aur tests vagera karate ho to abhi 6 mahine bhi purey ho chuke hai upar se Bulbul ka bhi to environment vagera sab change hua hai na aur usko school mein bhi admission karaana hai to soch raha tha aaj le jaa kar uska check up aur saare tests kawa lu to." Bela believed whatever Maahir said and replied, "Ok! Thik hai! Lekar jaao par na dhyaan rakhna needle dekhte hi vo bohot dar jaati hai." Maahir thought that since Bela was awake and she had come to know about Reyhaan's truth and most important of all, she had grasped it, although it would be difficult for her to cope up with that but he was relieved that she knew the truth which released a big burden from his chest and so he said, "I know tumhaare saath jo kuch bhi hua ye itna asaan nehi hai tumhaare liye isliye main us baare mein zyaada baat nehi karunga. Par tum yakeen maano main khud tumhe is baare mein bata deta ek baar tumhaari tabiyat thori thik ho jaati to par Bulbul ko main ye baat bataana bhul gaya aur us bichaari ne nadaani mein bata diya, ab na vo bohot dari hui hai." Bela was confused and asked, "Kyu?" Maahir replied, "Nehi usko aisa lagta hai ke uske is baare mein tumhe bataane se tumhaari tabiyat kal kharaab ho gayi thi. Actually when you panicked after knowing that, usne dekh liya tha. Isiliye usne saasumom ko kaha ke vo ab kabhi tumhaare paas nehi aayegi taaki vo tumhe fir se hurt na kar de. So... I think you should talk to her... I mean agar tum is baare mein baat karne mein comfortable ho to. Main uska father hu but ladki hai na to moms ka alag tareeka hota hai betiyo se deal karne ka, saasumom kar leti I know but I want you to pacify her, ab ma ki jagah to koi nehi le sakta hai na. Hamaare vajah se ya haalaat ke vajah se hi sahi lekin hamaari beti bohot zyaada bhugat chuki hai aur abhi bhi bhugat rahi hai. Uske liye ek normal life bohot zaruri hai, pata nehi aisi zindagi usko hum kabhi de paayenge ya nehi lekin... main apne taraf se puri koshish karna chahta hu and I need your help." Bela was shocked on knowing that Bulbul was blaming herself for Bela's condition and with that revealation, she forgot her own pain and was about to run to meet Bulbul but she was stopped by Maahir and he said, "Abhi nehi, main pehle hospital se uske saare tests karwa kar le aata hu, ghar mein aane ke baad baat kar lena. Pehle tum dudh piyo, apne medicines lekar araam karo. Ok? Main tayyar hone jaata hu." Before Maahir was about to leave, Bela grabbed his hand from the back and asked, "Main vo ek baat janna chahti thi... ke Reyhaan... uska kya?" Maahir replied, "Usko police ne arrest kar liya hai aur kuch dino mein vo log aakar tumhaara statement le jaayenge." Bela seemed to be a bit lost for sometime and then asked, "Agar vo sach mein kaamyaab ho jaata to?" She looked at him and asked, "To mera kya hota?" Maahir looked at her eyes and replied, "Tum jaisi thi hum sabke liye vaisi hi rehti bas fark itna padhta ke Reyhaan ko main jaan se maar deta." Saying Maahir left from there and on the other side, Madhu somehow made Bulbul get up and get ready for going to the hospital. On hearing about the hospital, Bulbul screamed and asked, "Kyu? Main kyu jaaungi hospital? Mujhe kya hua hai?" Maahir came to her and replied, "Aaj aapka check up hai, vo 6 mahine ho chuke hai na last check up ke aapka to vohi karaane ja rahe hai. Chalo!" Bulbul angrily replied, "No! Main nehi jaaungi! Waha doctors injection lagaate hai ye bara sa, mujhe nehi jaana hai." Maahir replied, "Ale thora sa blood lena hota hai to syringe to andar daalni paregi na par ha agar uske alava doctor ne aur koi syringe lagaane ki koshish ki to daddy ne uske daat tod dene hai. Mera bahadur puttar hai na. Chalo!" Bulbul pouted for a moment but she got ready to leave with Maahir as she didn't have any option. He took his car keys and when opened the door to leave from there, he was shocked to find Ranjit standing on his door step seeing whom, not only him but Madhu and Bulbul were shocked. Maahir didn't even ask the reason of Ranjit's visit as he knew he just came there to meet Bela but Ranjit himself replied, "Vo mujhe Bela se milna tha." Maahir replied, "Vo mujhe pata hai! Andar aaiye please!" Bulbul remembered the incident when he beat her brutally and grabbed Maahir's hand and hid on his back and seeing that Maahir replied, "Beta aap kyu dar rahe ho? Daddy hai na!" Ranjit wanted to say something to Maahir but instead Maahir replied, "Dekhiye sasurji! Aap na mere baare mein koi galatfemi mat paaliyega, aap apni beti se kabhi bhi milne aa sakte hai, lekin aapne jo jaanwaro jaisa sulook meri beti ke saath kiya tha vo main kabhi nehi bhulunga, dekhiye aaj bhi vo aap se darti hai. Hospital mein maine jo kuch bhi kiya vo mera farz tha aur jo kuch bhi kaha that was a father to father talk otherwise mujhe aapse koi lena dena nehi hai aur abhi jaha aap khare hai na vo ghar meri beti ka hai to aap ye samajhne ki galti bilkul bhi mat karna ke ye lawaaris hai." Madhu gave a look to Ranjit and made a face to him and then Maahir bid goodbye to Madhu and took Bulbul away with him from there.