The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 32

[Day before Bulbul was admitted in the hospital]

Bela was sitting still on the chair in the hall with the court notice for divorce in her hand while Maahir was sitting in the opposite direction on another chair on the opposite of the table. Both were sitting quietly on their chair and not even looking at each other. During these 4 months, Maahir and Bela had thought themselves of rekindling their relationship, forgetting their past and even were mentally prepared for that but destiny played a cruel role against their happiness again, before they could express their feelings to each other. She didn't know exactly what to say or how to react because she knew that one day this was going to happen due to their impending divorce case but she was deeply hurt by it as she expected that things would be alright between them. But more than hurt, one thing she knew and that was she was extremely angry on Maahir but she could not complain, but it was very difficult for her to control her emotion. That storm of conflicted emotions due to her complicated relationship with Maahir was making her vulnerable from inside. On the other side, it took almost a week for Maahir to hand over the divorce papers to Bela. On the pretext of being out of town, he did not come home for a few days as he was struggling with himself badly. Just like Bela, he also hoped for patching up with her and to start afresh but he too could not imagine that tragedy would strike his life again and this time it was really his fault. Staying away from Bela for 8 was very painful for him but separating from Bulbul, the thought was itself tearing his soul apart and the worst part was he had no shoulder to cry on nor he could express that to anyone and he also knew no one was going to support him in his situation, not even Kuhu. It was only he and himself, who would be bearing that immense pain of loosing his child alone and quite possibly for eternity. All the time, not even Bela, but only Bulbul's face was roaming in front of his eyes and he could not imagine his life without her. In the present, after a long time of silence, Maahir asked, "Kuch to bolo?" Bela nodded her head on both sides and then Maahir again asked, "Kuch to bolo, kuch bhi bol do... tum jo ye chup ho kar bethi ho vo aur bhi zyaada unbearable hai mere liye." Bela made fists with both her hands with desperate attempts to control the cyclone of rage inside her and asked, "Kya sunna chahte ho?" Maahir replied, "Jo tumhaare dil mein hai!" Bela looked at Maahir with blank expressions for sometime and replied, "Mere dil mein sirf Bulbul hai aur kuch nehi! Usko kaise batana hai socha hai?" Maahir replied, "Bulbul ki custody main drop karne ke liye tayyar hu. Better yehi hoga ke vo tumhaare saath rahe, she's habituated to you." "Are you doing any kind of favour to me by dropping the custody?", Bela almost hissed due to extreme suppression of anger. She had a complete eye to eye contact with Maahir and continued, "Tumhe kya lagta hai ke court tumhe ek 8 saal ki bachchi ki custody de dega aur vo bhi mere rehte? You were always at the loosing side there Mr. Maahir Sehgal. Agar main chahu to tumhe Bulbul ki shakal zindagi mein bhi kabhi dekhne ko nehi milegi, custody to bohot door ki baat hai." Maahir nodded his head in acceptance and said, "I know isiliye main is baat ko lekar koi contest hi nehi karunga. Anu ne kaha tha ke vo Bulbul ke saath adjust..." "Don't you dare take her name with my daughter!" Bela got up from her chair and grabbed Maahir's shirt's collar with both her hands and looked at Maahir in such a way, which made a chill ran through his spine. She was really looking like a wounded tigress at that moment. She left his collar and said, "Vo hoti kaun hai meri beti ke saath adjust karne waali? Vo ma hai uski? Ehsaan kar rahi hai vo ye sab kehkar? Meri beti koi lawaaris nehi hai, vo Bela Sareen ki beti hai aur uski ma uske liye kaafi hai. Jis tarah se 8 saal paala hai usko, baaki ki zindagi bhi mere saath hasi khushi beeta degi vo. She never needed her father and she doesn't need one now." She took a deep breath and said, "Meri Bulbul ka hamesha sirf ek sapna tha ke vo apne daddy se milegi isliy jabse usko tumhaare baare mein pata chala to usne yaha aane ke liye kya kya nehi kiya, flight nikalne nehi di, kitna tamasha kiya, koi agar tumhaare baare mein ek lafz bura bolta tha to vo sabse lad parti thi aur ye sab usne sirf tumhaare liye kiya. Tumne ek baar bhi nehi socha uske baare mein? Vaise tumhaari bhi kya galti, mera nehi socha to meri beti ka kaise soch sakte ho?" Maahir silently listened to all the allegations and as Bela did not want to see Maahir's face for any more second, left from there. She went back to her room where Bulbul was studying when Bela stormed inside and pulled out both their bags and started packing their luggage. Bulbul was surprised seeing Bela packing her things and she asked, "Mamma hum ghumne ja rahe hai, par mere school mein to abhi vacations nehi huye hai?" Bela did not reply her and continued packing their bags and Bulbul again asked, "Mamma hum kaha ja rahe hai?" Bela did not answer her questions directly and said, "Beta apne books saare pack karo, abhi ke abhi. Hume abhi ke abhi yaha se nikalna hai." Bulbul was offended at that answer and asked again, "Mamma bolo na hum kaha ja rahe hai?" Bela, who was already disturbed with that divorce notice, got annoyed and yelled at Bulbul, "Maine tumse kaha hai na ke apne books pack karo, ek baar mein baate samajhme nehi aati hai kya tumhe?" Although Bela used to be very angry on Bulbul at Canada but for a long time Bulbul was not habituated to that avatar of Bela and so she was scared. She immediately ran out of the room with Bela doing a failed attempt to stop her and as she followed her, she found she was standing and grabbing Maahir's waist and looking at Bela and complaining to Maahir, "Daddy dekho na mamma hamaara bag pack kar rahi hai aur jab maine pucha to vo mujhpar shout kar rahi hai. Aap bolo na kuch mamma ko!" Bela said to Bulbul, "Bulbul abhi ke abhi idhar aao, der ho rahi hai hume. Abhi hume Suhaani maasi ke ghar jaana hai." Bulbul angrily replied, "Mujhe auntynaani ke ghar nehi jaana hai hai vo mujhe bilkul bhi pasand nehi hai." Bela didn't want to tell Bulbul what happened and so she returned to her room, packed Bulbul's books and all of their luggage and then came out with their bags and found Bulbul was still standing wrapping her arms around Maahir's waist. Bela closed her eyes to have a grip on herself and thought that just like Maahir she would not do any injustice to Bulbul by hiding facts from her although she knew that Bulbul would be hurt to, might be get shocked too but she wanted Bulbul to become strong just like her as she knew how her pain had converted her into a strong woman. She could have dragged Bulbul out with her from there but she decided against it and then came to Bulbul with the divorce paper which Maahir gave her and said, "Bulbul tumhaare daddy ne mujhe ye divorce papers diye hai kyuki vo Anu aunty se shaadi karna chahte hai isliye hume yaha se jaana parega beta kyuki abse yaha Anu aunty rahegi." Bulbul replied, "Nehi aap jhut bol rahe ho, daddy ne mujhse kaha hai ke vo chipkali se kabhi bhi shaadi nehi karenge. Hai na daddy aapne to mujhse promise kiya tha na?" She looked at Maahir to confirm that from him and when Maahir looked at her innocent eyes, he could not speak as the pain was tearing him apart, but he also knew that he could not give the perfect life and the happiness which Bulbul deserved and she could be happy only with Bela as Bela did not commit any mistake like he did that time and so for her well being, Maahir slowly removed Bulbul's arms from his waist and then said, "Aapki... mamma..." He tried to compose himself as his voice was breaking and replied, "Aapki mamma bilkul sahi keh rahi hai, main Anu aunty se shaadi karne waala hu." Bulbul looked at Maahir all shocked but she did not want to believe and again said, "Daddy aap prank kar rahe ho na mere saath? Aap chipkali se shaadi kar hi nehi sakte ho, mujhe pata hai, mamma jhut bol rahi hai na..." A tear fall from Maahir's eyes and he pretended to be angry and said, "Bulbul maine kitni baar kaha hai ke baro ke baare mein aise baat nehi karte hai aur Anu aunty se main sach mein shaadi kar raha hu aur aap abhi aur isi waqt mamma jaisa keh rahi hai aap vaise karoge." Bulbul again wrapped her arms around Maahir's waist and said, "Par daddy aapne to kaha tha na ke ye mera ghar hai aur phir main to abhi koi shaitaani nehi karti hu, saari baate sunti hu aur I promise main school mein bhi kuch nehi karungi, main field mein khelne bhi nehi jaaungi. Please mujhe ghar se mat nikaalo! Canada mein Dracula bhi mujhe ghar se nikaal denge abhi aap bhi nikaal doge kya? Tab main kya karungi? O daddy daddy baat karo na mujhse, please!" The way Bulbul pleaded broke both Bela and Maahir's heart into pieces but Maahir had to control his emotions and to put up an act of being cold hearted but from the core of his heart, everytime, he was praying to be killed rather than doing this. He, in a hurry to make Bulbul leave from there, angrily said, "Bulbul leave me and go with mamma! Right now!" On getting that reply from Maahir, Bulbul still stared at Maahir for some time and seeing that he was not looking at her, she slowly unwrapped him, still looking at him with disbelief. She could not believe that the person whom she had loved so much after Bela, was doing that with her. She looked at him in such a way as if still trying to believe that Maahir wasreally doing that to her. Bela understood Bulbul's pain since she herself experienced the same thing, she knew what was it like to be cheated by someone you believe and so Bela sat on her knees and pulled Bulbul in her arms and hugged her tight and said, "Isiliye main tumhe yaha aane nehi dena chahti thi, but you did not listen to me. Maine tumhe bataya tha that your daddy cheated on me but you did not believe me. Main tumhe isi heart break se bachaana chahti thi aur isliye main Canada chali gayi thi." She wiped her tears and broke the hug and said, "Ek baat yaad rakhna Bulbul tumhaara is duniya mein mere alava koi nehi hai. Tum sirf aur sirf meri beti ho aur meri hi rahogi and we will not stay here for even one second." Bulbul did not react and looked at Bela with the same blank expression. Bela got up and then walked towards Maahir who was standing showing his back to them and then stood facing Maahir and said, "Aaj Bulbul ko jo shock diya hai na tumne agar is shock se meri bachchi bahaar nehi nikli ya phir agar usko kuch bhi hua to I promise you Mr. Maahir Sehgal, main tumhe aur tumhaari chaheti Anu ki zindagi barbaad kar dungi. Do not dare to pull the Bela Sareen out of me! Tumhaare divorce papers main bhijwa dungi sign karke. Ek baat aur aayinda Bulbul se milne ya phone par baat karne ki koshish mat karna, otherwise I'll take legal action against you!" Saying Bela left from there holding Bulbul's hand. After they left, Maahir ran towards the door and leaned on the door and cried out. As he slowly sat on the floor, he kept on saying, "I am sorry Bulbul... I'm really very very sorry... I don't deserve you... I do not deserve you..." He lied down on the floor on his stomach and cried his heart out.