BELA

I clutched the witness box tightly,tears spilling from my eye's.I can't dare to look straight up.I sniffed and wiped my tears and slowly looked straight.

Mahir!

Standing in opposite witness box with red puffy eye's,full grown beard,looking at me with hurt,anger and...love.

Love?

Love for me?

He is missing me when he realized what he lost and find himself destroyed!

I turned my gaze away from him.I can't look into his eye's for a long time,that pain will start eating me up again,pushing me into all bad memories.

Never in my life I expected that we both will be standing in opposite witness box,in a court.

"You both want to part ways with your own consent",the judge said and I looked at him with teary eye's.

Own consent?

He made me do it,he put me in this situation!

"According to mutual consent,Section 13B you both have to live together for six months and sort out your differences in the mean time.And if still after six months you both want to part ways,we will grant you divorce",the judge said.

We are already divorced,emotionally!

All the time my vision was only on Mahir who was looking at me,tears flowing,realizing his mistakes.

Maybe or maybe not!

"And as a mother,I want to give you an advice",the judge said and I looked at her.

"You both have a daughter..her age one year?"the judge asked.

"Fifteen months old",Mahir said looking at Mahira.

I looked at Mahira who was sleeping in my mom's embrace.My heart pained looking at her,I sniffed and wiped my tears.

"Yes",I said nodding my head.

"I feel there is a lot of love in between you both and considering your daughter,you both want to fight for her custody?"the judge asked.

Mahir looked at me with the same love,when we first met.

Fight for our daughter's custody?

Mahira's custody?

Mahir wiped his tears and looked at Mahira once again.I felt anger raising inside me,
"No..my daughter will not go through this custody and all",I said coldly.

"I will not give my daughter to anyone",Mahir said gritting his teeth.

We both were boring holes at each other,anger evident on our face!

Once upon a time,we used to look at each other with lot's of love!

"And that's why as a parent I'm advising you both.Sort out your differences atleast for the sake of your daughter.You both have six months with you and you both should live together",the judge said.

It's been three months since we both parted our ways,with a full blown fight in between us!

"The court is adjoined for the next session",the judge said and I wiped my tears.

Everyone were leaving,I and Mahir were still standing in the witness box,looking at each other with pain and guilt.

This wouldn't come till here if you were right in your place Mahir.

I'm meeting him after three month's and the emotions running within my body after seeing him is something which I can't explain.And he won't understand even if I explain it.

My parent's and his parent's were sitting and looking at us.I snapped my head towards my parents when I heard Mahira crying.

Mahir looked in their direction and his shoulders slumped.He stepped back from the witness box and was about to go to Mahira.

I immediately got down and walked towards her with long steps,
"Mahira...",I said taking her in my arms.

"Mumma..",she cried rubbing her eye's.

"I'm here baby..mumma is here..",I cooed her,rubbing her back and hugging her to my heart.

I sobbed hugging her,my parents and in laws looked at me with hurt.I ran my fingers in her hair and kissed her head,
"I'm here baby..mumma is here only".

Mahir was looking at us with teary eye's,it's been three months since he saw us both,and now meeting us straight in a court room.

A shameful thing in our relationship!

"Mahira...",Mahir came towards us and I held her tightly,stepping back from him.

And Mahira opened her eye's listening to his voice,she turned immediately and looked at him.

"Dadda...dadda..",she started jumping in my arms.

Mahir looked at me to give her,I held her and stepped back again,
"Mumma..dadda..take me..dadda..",Mahira was pulling herself towards him.

Mahir stood in front of me and forwarded his hands to take Mahira,
"No..no..",I looked at him with hurt and stepped back.

"Bela..",dad said looking at me.

"Bela..please..I want to held her for once...please",Mahir said,his voice breaking.

I sobbed hugging Mahira and Mahira was moving in my arm's,
"Dadda..mumma..see..dadda..",Mahira was telling.

Mahira is missing him and he never realized until and unless coming this far!

"Bela..beta..just once..please",Sumi maa said joining her hands infront of me.

"Dadda..mumma..let go..dadda...",Mahira was dragging me towards him.

Mahir came close and Mahira was leaning on him,helding his shirt collar,
"Dadda..",she was trying to go into his arms.

He kept his hands around her and I left Mahira.They both hugged each other immediately and I turned away wiping my tears.

I sobbed wiping my tears,my heart bleeding,looking at Mahira and Mahir like this.

"Mahira..my baby..",I heard his broken voice.

I turned around and looked at them,Mahira held his face and kissed his nose,
"Dadda..nosee..",Mahira said rubbing her nose tip on his.

"Mahira..dadda missed you baby..dadda missed you",he said hugging her.

"Maiia...lobess...uuu...dadda..",she giggled hugging him.

"I'm sorry baby..I'm sorry",Mahir hugged her and I wiped my tears.

I went near them and stood in front of them,
"Mahira..come to mumma,we should go",I said trying to take her from me.

"Mumma no..you go..I and dadda..",she said hiding her face in his neck.

Thick tears of anger were spilling from my eye's,
"Mahira..baby..come to mumma..dadda..will come again",I said trying to take her.

"Noo..dadda..",she cried clutuching his collar.

I tried to remove her fist from his collar and all the time Mahir was looking at me with disbelief,
"Mahira..come to mumma..I'm saying this last time",I said sternly.

"Bela..stop it",my mom said and pushed me a bit back.

"Mahira..naani is going out..who wants to come?"my mom asked.

Mahir nooded,he hugged her one last time and kissed her head,
"Mahira..go with mumma and naani now,dadda will come again",Mahir said and Mahira looked at him.

"Pinky dadda?"she asked and I sobbed turning around.

"Pinky baby..pinky..I will come again",Mahir said kissing her forehead,all the time his voice breaking.

"Now go..naani is waiting",Mahir said wiping his tears.

"I lobee..you..dadda..don..goo...",she said and I looked at them.

"Yes,I will come back to you baby..pinky promise and I love you too",Mahir said.

How many more fake promises for me and my daughter?

My mom took Mahira from Mahir and looked at me,she nodded and went out along with her.My dad kept his hand around my shoulder and I looked at maa and papa.

"Bela beta..this is the last chance you both got.Please think about this,don't take decisions in a hurry",Sumi maa said.

I wiped my tears looking at Mahir,
"Yes beta,at least think about Mahira.You both got this one last chance and we want you to sort these difference out",papa said.

"Bela and Mahira will come to Mahir's house next week",dad said and I looked at him.

"You have to stay with Mahir,Bela.You have six months time to mend things up and honestly we don't want to see you both parting ways",my dad said.

"Bela..please...",Mahir was saying and I cut him off.

"OK..only six months..as per the court rules.Nothing more..more than that",I said with a tint of anger.

"Nothing more than that?"Mahir asked in a disbelief.

"Yes..and I should go,my daughter must be waiting for me..she has only me...",I said looking at Mahir.

His face was showing hurt,eye's still glistening with tears,turning them into angry tears.

"Maa..papa..I will talk to you both later",I told them and walked out giving one last look to him.

I walked out crying,trying to compose my self.But it's not helping,the pain,the agony,the hurt,we were not meant to be in this situation.

We both got another and last chance to sort our difference out,within six months.

But are we even in a position to look at each other's face's?

I should go back to our..his home along with Mahira.We both should stay together for the next six months,but will our problem be solved?

Why Mahir?Why did you put us in this position?

My heart was paining when Mahira was crying and hugging him.He don't know for how many days and nights Mahira cried for him.

I'm ready to go to his home only for Mahira.If not her,I would not go.And Mahir,I saw his need for me and Mahira in his eye's,but it's too late.

If not now,then it's never!

Only these six months will decide our three people's further life!

MAHIR

Six months more to mend my mistakes.

My heart constricted when Mahira was crying.Why couldn't I hear her cries all these months?

Bela looked at me one last time and walked out.I closed my eye's,trying to blink back my tears.

I tried,I tried not to break down today.But I couldn't,after seeing Mahira and Bela..I couldn't.

"Mahir beta,she is still blinded with anger and hurt.Please don't take this to your heart",her dad said looking at me sadly.

"Why will I not take it uncle?She is even my daughter..even I also have feelings",I yelled,my voice coming out in bits.

"Mahir..this is not your home,calm down",dad said and I closed my eye's.

"Mahir beta,I understand.But you did mistakes equally,it hurt her a lot",her dad said.

"Mistakes?Mahir is the one who is at fault and we can't lie in this matter",my mom said.

She is right!

"Mahir,past is past..you have to mend your mistakes now.You got one last chance to save your marriage and family,don't let it go",mom said and I wiped my tears.

"Mahir,I'm telling as your father..we all know how much you and Bela love each other,how much you love your daughter.This is the time you got to make it up,make use of it beta",her dad said patting my shoulder.

He looked at me one last time,spoke to my parents and left.I was sitting on the court bench,closing my eye's and rubbing my temples.

"Mahir..look here",dad said and I looked at him.

"Mahir,everyone will make mistakes.We are humans and we do make mistakes.But we can even make them alright",dad said.

"Yes Mahir,we know how much you both love each other and we don't know what went wrong between you both.And Mahira,how did you stay without her all these months Mahir?"mom asked.

I feel ashamed that I'm watching over my daughter like a theif since last three months,and know one knows about that except Bela's dad.

"We are not making you feel guilty Mahir,we are just advising you to mend your mistakes.We were in abroad all these months due to our business and came here immediately after hearing this.

And we don't want you and Bela to get separated.Did you both think about Mahira?What will happen to her if you both get divorced?"dad asked.

My eye's stung with tears again!

"Take your time and think about this Mahir,these six months are very important to you and Bela,even for Mahira.You both will be deciding Mahira's future with this",mom said.

We all left the court and I came back to my flat.I slumped on the couch and looked around.

This home is not like a home since three months.

There are no sounds of Bela's voice,no sounds of Mahira's giggles,laughter and cries.There is no happiness.

This house is looking dead without them both,without my Bela and Mahira.

I went to my room and opened her closet,I took one of her saree and caressed it with my cheek.I wiped my tears with it and kept it inside.

I just felt like she was caressing my face!

I walked towards Mahira's crib and sat beside it,
"I'm sorry baby..I'm sorry",I sobbed caressing her crib.

I wiped my tears and cleaned her crib neatly,putting all her dolls properly in it.I'm not sleeping in this room since the day Bela left along with Mahira.

I cleaned the entire room and went to our balcony,our favorite place.

I sat on the swing,Mahir's favorite place!

They will be coming here next week,staying with me.Just like how we used to be...or maybe only they both.

The mistakes I did,my yellings on Bela,Mahira crying for my solace..all were eating me up since these three months.

I felt Bela's pain in these three months!

I just want them back,I want my wife and daughter back.

I went back and lied down on the couch closing my eye's.

"Bela..what are these fights daily?I'm tired of it",I yelled.

"Fights?I am taking up fights with you,on purpose?"Bela yelled back.

"It's better we part ways instead of these fights daily",I shouted banging my hand on the table.

"Wha..what did you say?"she asked in disbelief.

"Bela..no..I..I didn't mean that..listen to me...",
"No..you just said it...you..you said it",she sobbed.

"Bela..no..listen to me once",I stepped towards her.

"You are right..you are tired of these fights daily and I'm sick of them.We..we should part ways..as you want",she cried stepping back.

I opened my eye's with a jerk and sat up straight.I looked around and realized I had a nightmare in the afternoon.

I wiped the sweat off my face and gulped some water.I've been getting nightmares since last three months,since Bela and Mahira left me.

I rubbed my forehead and sat straight.My phone was buzzing and it was a call from my office,my nerve ticked looking at it.

"Hello...",I spoke sternly.

"Sir..you are needed in the office,the Asian project have a one last...",I cut my PA in middle.

"The project is over for fuck sake..don't get it to me anymore and I will not come to office",I shouted and hanged up.

I called my dad and was waiting for him to lift the call,
"Mahir..what happened?"dad asked.

"Dad..the Asian project is already over and I lost everything because of that.I can't handle that anymore,I don't want to loose my one last chance for saving my marriage",I shouted.

"Mahir..calm down.I understand,I will inform in office about this and I will handle this project along with Yuvi and Vyom.You take a break from office",dad said and I closed my eye's.

"Thank you..I don't want any calls from office in these next six months",I yelled.

"Yes Mahir,I said I will take care.Stop shouting",dad said.

I was controlling my anger to my level best.I hanged up and threw the phone on the couch.

My work became the biggest obstacle in my life!

My heart was in my mouth when I saw Bela in the court today,standing against me...for a divorce!

"Bela..",I sighed looking at our picture hung on the wall.

I was looking at the camera,grinning  and Bela was showing her tongue to me.I smiled looking at that picture,it was taken on our honeymoon,a two week long trip we had after our marriage.

I looked at Mahira's picture hung on the wall,her big eye's,cute little mouth,her soft and silky hairs,smiling widely,showing her incisors.My baby waited for me,for my fatherly love all these months.

She loves me so much,she forgets even about Bela when I'm with her.And I forgot her?My own daughter?

"I'm sorry baby..dadda will get you back..you will never feel a void again..I'm sorry baby",I said helding her picture.

Me and Bela met in collage,she being my junior,two years younger than me.I was smitten the moment I saw her and already decided my future with her that day.

We dated for three years,got married happily,had Mahira after two years of our marriage.What else could a man can expect more than this?

God gave me all the happiness I wished for,but I couldn't handle that happiness properly,making it slip from my own hands.

Things got bitter in between us,only because of me.

And now only I can make it alright!

I should own my love,my Bela back,my daughter back..I should build  my family back.

Bela's eye's always used to look at me with love and adoration,but today I saw agony.

Complete anger on me!

I'm the reason for it,I'm the reason for the mess I created.

I just want my love back,my Bela!

I want my family back!

___________________
Hey guys!

Here's the first chapter,hope you all are excited to read further and hope you all loved it too.

I'm so happy to write TOSA again🙈

I'll give an update twice a week,so I expect everyone to not pressurize me regarding updates😅

And as always I say,please read,vote if you like,share if you love it,don't be a silent reader❤

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