The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 32

Madhu and the rest of his brother's family were gossiping and laughing when they found Bela and Bulbul standing at their doorstep with their luggage. On their whole way from Maahir's apartment to Sarna House, Bulbul did not utter a single word and sat quietly inside the cab and the worst part was all the time, she was sitting with a blank and expressionless face and did not even weep for a single time. On seeing both of them at the doorstep, all were shocked. Bela's face was swollen which was a proof that she was crying all the while. Madhu put her hand on Bela's arm and asked, "Kya hua puttar? Tu aise saraa samaan..." Bela somehow trying to control her tears and said to Mrs. Sarna, "Maami agar kuch din hum sab yaha... I mean jaise hi mujhe rehne ke liye dusri jagah mil jaati hai..." Mrs. Sarna stopped Bela in the middle and replied, "Ye sab tu kya bol rahi hai puttar ye tera bhi to ghar hai. Jaise mere liye Suhaani aur Daksh hai vaise bhi tu hai. Ye saari baate chod pehle tu andar aa ja, baaki saari baate baad mein hogi." They all brought Bela and Bulbul inside the house and seeing Bela's condition, the others decided not to ask or say anything to Bela right at that moment as she clearly was exhausted and so they let her rest for the night. At the dinner time, Madhu brought dinner for both Bela and Bulbul who were staying at the same room. Bulbul, on the other hand was sitting on the bed quietly looking everywhere. After that confrontation with Maahir at his apartment, from the moment Maahir asked them to leave, it created a huge shock for Bulbul and she was unable to process it and after which her mind became completely twisted and stopped functioning normally. Everyone around her were her near and dear ones but to her everyone appeared to be strangers even her own mother. Bela sat in front of Bulbul with a plate of food and took a spoonful of food in front of Bulbul and smiled forcibly but Bulbul stared at her in such a way as if she was looking at someone else. Bela said, "Bulbul beta khaana kha lo, dekho mamma bethi hai na tumhaare paas. You're never gonna be alone baby!" Bulbul kept on looking at Bela in that same strange way possible but didn't take food from her hand. Bela tried a lot but it was of no use and that was when Madhu intervened and said, "Tu chod tere haath se nehi khaayegi vo bore ho gayi hai tere haath se kha kha kar, aaj to meri bachchi naani ke haatho se khaayegi. Kitne din ho gaye hai ke maine Bulbul ko khaana nehi khilaaya. Hai na? Naani ke haatho se khaayegi na?" Bulbul now kept on looking at Madhu now and then when Madhu tried to feed her, without any reason, Bulbul opened her mouth and then took the food which made Bela both relieved as well as sad. After feeding Bulbul, Madhu made Bulbul brush her teeth and change her into her sleeping robes. After that Madhu sang a lullaby for Bulbul which she used to sing for her when she was a baby and even for Bela and after some time, Bulbul fell asleep. After she had fallen asleep, Madhu went to Bela who was sitting on the couch with the plate of food in her hand. Madhu slowly but in a low voice asked, "Kya hua hai Bela? Maahir se jhagra hua hai kya? Maine Bulbul ko aise kabhi nehi dekha hai?" Bela remained silent for some time but Madhu insisted and said, "Thik hai tere aur tere pati ke beech mein kya hua mujhe nehi janna hai par Bulbul ki ye haalat kyu hai ye mujhe janna hai, tum dono se kahi zyaada haq mera hai uspar. Uske liye tujhe mujhe batana parega ke kya hua hai." Bela looked at Madhu and replied, "Anu ne suicide commit karne ki koshish ki hai mamma aur is vajah se Maahir ko usko ye promise karna para hai ke vo usse shaadi karega. Isliye vo aaj divorce paper lekar aaya tha mere paas. Usne kaha ke 6 mahine mein already 4 mahine khatam ho chuke hai so divorce ki proceedings jitni jaldi shuru ho jaaye utna hi achcha hai aur usne ye bhi kaha ke vo custody chodne ke liye bhhi tayyar hai." She took a deep breath after she told her mother everything and Madhu said, "Maahir aisa nehi kar sakta hai... vo..." Bela stopped Madhu and said, "Nehi mamma ye to hona hi tha, hamaare beech mein ye 6 mahine hi to the aur mujhe to ye pehle se pata tha aur humne ek dusre se aisa kuch commit bhi nehi kiya tha that we'll be together so ye uska fault nehi hai par... par mujhe Bulbul ki bohot fikar ho rahi hai. Aap nehi thi na mamma aapne nehi dekha, maine aaj tak Bulbul ko kisi cheez ke liye plead karte huye nehi dekha. For her it was always like 'Either you do or I'll do it my way' but aaj vo kis tarah se bol rahi thi ke 'daddy main koi shaitaani nehi karungi please mujhe jaane mat dena' but Maahir was so adamant in his decision. Aaj meri bachchi ka dil toota hai mamma, she's been badly traumatized. Usne tabse lekar abtak ek lafz nehi bola and worst vo royi tak nehi, chillayi bhi nehi, bas khamosh ho kar bethi hai. Maahir ne mere saath jo kiya so kiya par agar Bulbul ko kuch hua na mamma to I swear..." Madhu stopped her and said, "Kuch nehi hoga Bulbul ko hum sab hai na uske saath aur tu abhi ye khaana kha le, tujhe bohot bari jung ladni baaki hai abhi. Agar tu abhi apna dhyaan nehi rakkhegi na to Bulbul ko tu sambhaal nehi paayegi puttar." Bela slowly started eating and after a few bites, said, "Pata hai itna sab kuch ho gaya hai meri life mein na ke phir bhi bewakufon ke tarah maine ek pal ke liye soch liya tha ke shaayad sab kuch pehle jaisa ho jaayega, shaayad..." Bela's lips shivered and she said, "I knew aisa kuch nehi hoga par phir bhi pata nehi kyu bohot dard ho raha hai andar, bohot... Aisa lag raha hai ke mera kuch mujhse zabardasti cheen kar le ja raha hai. Mujhe aise feel nehi karna chahiye tha lekin main kya karu, main control hi nehi kar pa rahi hu... main..." Bela could not speak more but Madhu understood everything and Bela put her head on her mother's chest and cried but covering her mouth so that Bulbul does not wake up.