The 'Un' Attached String

Chapter - 29

Maahir was sitting on a chair thinking about the moment, he was holding Bela in his arms inside the hotel room when she was unconscious. Although, during the past 8 years, Maahir immersed himself in his new venture of Kingston which gave him all the success, which he misjudged to be the attainment of the status of 'moving on' but that moment, where he was holding Bela, he realized how much he mistook his 'moving-on-from-Bela' feeling and he never ever had moved on from her and he still loved her with that same passion. He tried to remember his exact feelings which he was going through in that hotel room and those feelings were of fear of loosing her, guilt of not being able to save her at the right time and again of fear of what he would do and how he would live if something happened to her. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't even realize when Madhu came and sat beside him and his chain of thoughts broke when she put her hand on Maahir's shoulder. He looked at her and said, "Oh... sorry maine dekha hi nehi..." Madhu replied, "Main jaanti hu tu Bela ke baare mein soch raha hai." Maahir said, "Pata hai saasumom main abhi tak sochta tha ke main life mein bohot aagey badh chuka hu, par aaj mujhe ye ehsaas hua ke meri life to aaj bhi wahi hai jaha 8 saal pehle thi, main to aagey badh hi nehi paaya." Madhu smiled sadly and replied, "Is ek baat mein na tum dono husband wife ek jaise hi ho, Bela bhi exactly yehi sochti hai lekin ye sach nehi hai. Agar ye sach hota to tum dono waapas aaj phir se miley nehi hote. Kudrat ka apna tareeka hota hai do logo ko milaane ka, jab vo thaan leta hai to koi na koi zariya vo dhundh hi leta hai, tum dono ke case mein vo Bulbul hai. Main hamesha se ek baat jaanti thi ke tu aur Bela ek dusre ke liye hi bane hai bas intezaar karti thi vo sahi waqt kab aayega jab tum dono waapas se ek dusre ke saath hoge." Maahir said, "Kaisi do raah par aakar khari ho gayi hai meri zindagi, jaha se aagey ka raasta dikhaayi hi nehi de raha hai. Par agar usko kuch bhi hua na saasumom sach mein main..." Madhu replied, "Tu zyaada soch mat puttar sab na matarani ke haatho par chor de dekhna sab achcha hi hoga. Meri bachchi ko kuch bhi nehi hoga. Par na..." Madhu looked a bit angry and said, "Main Bela ke papa ko kabhi bhi maaf nehi karungi. Aaj meri bachchi jis takleef se guzar rahi hai na uske zimmedaar sirf aur sirf vo hai." Maahir replied, "Sasurji ko aap judge kyu kar rahi hai saasumom? Vo to apni beti ka bhala hi chahte the na, ab kisike shakal mein ye thore hi likha hua hota hai ke vo aadmi kaisa hai? Vo mujhe pasand nehi karte hai uski unke paas apni vajah hai. Par na ma baap agar apne bachcho ke liye koi galat faisla bhi lete hai na tab bhi unki niyat achchi hoti hai, vo apne bachcho ka bhala hi chahte hai." Madhu smiled sadly again and replied, "Aisa tu sochta hai, itna sab kuch hone ke baad bhi aisa sirf tu hi soch sakta hai, lekin Bela ke papa ko to tujhme kuch achchai hi nehi dikhti." At that moment, his eyes fall on Bulbul who was sitting on a chair but was unable to sit straight as her eyes were becoming heavy due to sleep. He wanted to go to her when the doctor came and informed that Bela's stomach had been flushed and she was moved into a cabin and that she had to be kept under observation for the night and if everything was alright, she would be discharged next day and that only one person was allowed to stay with her for the night and also warned them of not disturbing her by gathering a chaos around her. After the doctor left, Bulbul whose sleepiness flew away said to Maahir, "Daddy mujhe mamma se milna hai." Maahir replied, "Beta doctor uncle ne kaha hai na ke mamma ko abhi koi disturb nehi karega. Mamma ki tabiyat phir aur kharaab ho jaayegi." Bulbul replied, "Main mamma ko tang nehi karungi main sirf mamma ke paas bethi rahungi unka haath pakar kar, phir dekhna mamma jaldi thik ho jaayegi." Maahir tried to explain her but Bulbul was adamant to meet Bela and Maahir thought it would not be right to keep her away from her mother and so he took her to meet an unconscious Bela in the cabin. When Maahir took Bulbul to Bela's cabin, he asked her not to cry or make any sound as it might disturb Bela to which Bulbul complied and then she slowly without making any sound went towards Bela and then hugged her by wrapping her hands around Bela's neck and then put her head on Bela's shoulder and silently cried hugging her. Seeing that Maahir, too could not hold back his tears and Bulbul said to Bela, "Mamma jaldi thik ho jaao na please, main phir kabhi shaitaani nehi karungi, aapki saari baate maan kar chalungi. Please jaldi se thik ho jaao." Maahir came to Bulbul and put his hand on her head and said, in a very low tone, "Bulbul chalo beta mamma ko sone do hum bahaar chalte hai, naani bhi mil legi na mamma se." Bulbul replied, "Nehi main mamma ke paas rahungi, doctor uncle ne kaha hai na ke koi ek reh sakta hai, main rahungi mamma ke paas." He somehow took her out while others met Bela and then picked her up in her arms and wiped her tears and said, "Aww mera bachcha, mamma ke paas rehna hai, mujhe koi problem nehi hai, par kal jab mamma uthegi aur unko pata chalega ke Bulbul ne bina khaana khaaye aise mamma ke paas bethi thi, unko to bura lagega na aur phir jo vo gussa karegi mujhpar, pata hai na mamma ko kitna gussa aata hai aur meri pitaai ho jaayegi. Aapko achcha lagega agar mamma meri pitaai karegi to?" Bulbul asked, "Mamma aapki pitaai karti thi?" Maahir realized he should not have disclosed that to Bulbul as it would hamper his reputation and so in order to cover up and replied, "Vo to maine aise hi keh diya par daat to paregi na? Aap chahte ho daddy ko daat pare?" Bulbul nodded her head and then Maahir said, "To aap naani aur baakiyo ke saath ghar jaao, aur aapne to khaana bhi nehi khaaya hai, to khaana kha kar aap so jaao, kal subhe jaldi jaldi aa jaana tabtak main hu na, main mamma ka khayaal rakkhunga ur phir maine pehle bhi kaha tha na ke Bulbul apna khayaal nehi rakkhegi to ghar jaane ke baad mamma ka khayaal kaun rakkhega? Hai ke nehi?" Bulbul agreed to her father and then Maahir kissed on her cheek and said, "Mera samajhdaar bachcha!" When everyone came out, Maahir asked everyone to return home and he would be there to take care of Bela in the hospital but Ranjit didn't agree to leave. Madhu didn't want to talk to him and so neither asked him to come home nor she asked him to stay and left from there with Bulbul.