The Week That Was

My weekly bak bak ... but before that, I haven't been to the forum for two days, and I'm really shocked  at what's happening here! Why all the negativity, people???!!! The show IS moving ... there is so much progress story-wise ... and I'm frankly appalled at the calls for a new lead ... NO WAY!!! SaRun and Arhi MAKE the show ... Barun and Sanaya are irreplaceable and the PH is smart enough to know that ... this is the only show which is consistently high on both online forums and on TRP's, TVR's, TAM's ... the works! Ignore the negative posts, people ... report them and don't reply ... they will sink to the back pages quietly, because this forum moves so fast!

Anyway, LOTS happened this week in terms of story progress ... very little Arhi, which is why everyone is restless ... but by the end of the week ... both Arnav and Khushi are single, ready to mingle ... and that is the most important fact! Also, this is supposed to be a mature love story, and after all the crazy nok-jhoks and childish antics, we're getting to the mature part, and it is not going to be a fun ride ... it will be a roller coaster.

So here goes !!!
The Week That Was 12-16^th Dec

This week was about the final break of one relationship, and the reluctant attempt to save another one. Two parallel tracks – Shyam-Khushi-Anjali and Arnav-La.

12^th Dec – More Deceit, More Worry

As Shyam tries more mind games with Khushi on the one hand, Arnav and La's distances grow on the other. In RM, Shyam is introduced by a beaming Anjali and Nani to a still shell-shocked Khushi, watched by a worried Arnav.

Khushi rushes off, Shyam follows her – more mind games as he tries to portray himself as the poor misunderstood victim trapped in an unhappy marriage. Khushi doesn't want to believe him, but she wavers.Could he possibly be speaking the vestiges of truth? He has, after all, never misbehaved in their house at all. She has no idea about Babuji.

On the other hand, Arnav is going frantic with worry for Khushi, … where did she go, is she all right, why was she crying? So much so that for the first time his mask slips in front of La and Anjali. Nothing else matters, La's sari and jewelry least of all. Why is Khushi not picking up her phone? Is she all right? Why hasn't she reached home yet? And he's going crazy with worry.

13^th Dec – Don't you ever, EVER do this to me again!

After this line, I kind of lost track of what was happening 😍 Khushi was made of sterner stuff though 😆 she managed to stay standing and not melt into a puddle of goo … probably helped by the fact that Arnav, after letting loose with his worry, recovered himself enough to tell her she was needed for work … in a fairly decent imitation of his usual brusqueness. So Khushi again lost as to what exactly he was worried about … stop giving mixed signals, Arnav!

Besides, Khushi really had a far bigger problem on her hands … the Slimeball. And what should she even say to Arnav, in answer to his questions? So she managed to tell him that she was fine, and not to worry, she would talk to him later.

And La overhears the entire conversation – was that Chamkili Arnav was so worried about?!

Gupta house and the master manipulator at work – although he is promptly thrown out of the house – finally!!! Shyam manages to plant a few seeds of doubt in the household. And he goes as he came … slimily, silkily, smooth-talking, his threat couched in sugar and honey … he will try to keep the Payash relationship intact with all his might, but he can't answer for what might happen if his truth gets known in RM. But his arrows seem to go wide off the mark … Buaji and Khushi and Payal are determined to tell Anjali the truth as soon as possible. But will they? Or rather, will Khushi?

Didn't agree with why Khushi was the chosen one … at the very least, Buaji should have accompanied her as the elder of the family. Though I have no doubt that after Anjali's hysterics the next day, Buaji would have taken the same decision as Khushi did.

Arnav-La again – this time he does something La cannot ignore … he forgets their engagement date. And when she reminds him, he is genuinely sorry … for hurting Khushi. La, beginning to smile with relief at his heartfelt words, feels her world come to a stop suddenly at Khushi's name … or maybe not so suddenly after all. The crystallization of a realisation that has been growing for days and which she was trying to ignore.

ASR, it's Lavanya.

Quietly spoken, holding her dignity intact, but her hurt evident. You've got the wrong name.  Or maybe – you've got the wrong girl.

14^th Dec – One Clean Break, One Messy non-Break

Again, the two parallel tracks of the week – the Arnav-La break up, accepted gracefully and with tearful dignity by La … yes, she did see it coming, but was hoping that if she buried her head in the sand, tried not to see the signs, they would go away. And she asks Arnav not to announce the break up till Payash are safely engaged … Nani wanted Arnav to get engaged first, Mamiji agreed after so much difficulty, too many if's and but's … she doesn't want to jeopardise the other engagement. Looks like Khushi's training has been very successful, for it has made a better La emerge out of the superficial, self-centered brittle shell of the old one … Arnav is impressed and truly regretful … what can he do? He likes and respects this new La, he just doesn't love her.  

And on the other side, Anjali and the Haadsa of the Mangal-Sutra  … haadsa???!!! saved by the bell, or rather by an alert Khushi … a sign from Devi Maiyya? Khushi certainly thinks so … besides, as she watches Anjali go to pieces at the mere thought of her precious mangal-sutra breaking, she realises that she can't bring herself to tell her about Shyam. It would quite literally, kill Anjali.

Anjali and Shyam are soulmates for sure. Both are psychotic! But Anjali has more reason to be … she went through the same trauma as Arnav did, the trauma that made him turn his face away from religion and faith, that drove him behind a cold emotionless mask, made her a blind, almost fanatical worshipper, and broke her spirit, making her purposely turn a blind eye and deaf ear to anything unpleasant. Added to that the fact that her first marriage broke under what appear to be tragic circumstances on her wedding day (from the flashbacks), and her handicap … her self-esteem is almost zilch. No wonder she feels grateful to Shyam for marrying her, and falls to pieces at even the thought of his not being by her side.

Okay, I don't understand her completely, (understatement!) but if Arnav could become ASR because of their childhood trauma, Anjali went through the same, and even worse, if you look at her broken marriage and her handicapped leg … so I can make some excuses for her blind eye and ostrich in the sand attitude to her husband's activities! And I can definitely excuse Khushi not telling her the truth … after that hyper reaction, am sure Buaji would have felt the same!

15^th Dec – One More Chance – and a Phone call

Anjali is a sweetheart, all said and done … the only person who actually showed concern for Khushi's feelings over her broken engagement, asked her if she was all right, fussed over her … she didn't know that in all the mess, the one thing Khushi had to be grateful for was her engagement breaking! 😆 But seeing how upset Anjali gets about her - Khushi's - rishta breaking, Khushi could easily gauge how she will react to hear about her own … again, Khushi couldn't do it. Anjali worships the Slimeball … maybe, just maybe, he can reform, if given a chance.

I liked Buaji for offering to chop Slimeball into tiny pieces if he dared to threaten Khushi! 😆 Garima was a waste of space! 😡 Payal was still unhappy – she's sensible and also realised that in the long term, it would look bad for her … she is getting married into that house, and what would the reaction be later when, if ever, the truth comes out. Khushi managed to placate her, although Khushi herself was worried about her decision. One of those very difficult situations when you can never be sure whether the decision was right or wrong, and in either case, someone will get hurt.

The week basically progressed the main story by leaps and bounds, but that meant we had an Arhi drought … probably the cv's realised that, so … Arhi phone call!

A cute Payal Khushi scene … why, Jiji, what did you think I was talking about? Hawww!!! And then Akash calls, Khushi takes over from the blushing lovebirds and proceeds to flirt big time with her jeeju, batting eyes, winks, sharmaoing naughtily, the works 😆 … blushing jeeju runs for his life and instead hubby comes on the line 🤣  Nonplussed hubby listens incredulously, but quite willingly 😉 as Khushi asks him to put a ring on her finger, and then gets annoyed when she compares him unfavourably with his brother! He was actually more annoyed at the fact that she didn't recognize his voice with the two words he spoke ;-) Loved the way he repeated … "haan, main bol raha hun" … still not bothering to give his name!  😆

Last scene worth mentioning – tiny scene of Khushi with her Devi maiyya … bless jiji  and Akashji … afterthought … and Lavanyaji and Arnavji too … and her eyes cloud slightly … but no, she decided not to think about him at all.

16^th Dec – Saying Goodbyes

The best episode of the week … filled with poignancy and pathos, a pervading sadness, in spite of the happy occasion.

Khushi saying goodbye to Arnav … a farewell gift, for after tonight, he will officially belong to Lavanya in the eyes of the world, and that bitter-sweet relationship they share will be over. And she has another reason to stay away from him now … the secret she has to hide about his brother-in-law. So she says farewell in her congratulations … with a smile … or tries to. And tries to ignore the pain in her heart, a pain she doesn't want to face, doesn't want to put a name to. He is not hers, he never was and now he never will be. Arnav first surprised – a gift? For him? And then she explains it's an engagement present, and he is silent … for what can he tell her? that the occasion for the gift has disappeared? That it's not, need not be, their last goodbye? That it hurts him to see her hurt, to see her smile to cover that hurt … but he can't say anything yet, he owes that much to La. And she turns to leave, and stands for a moment longer, maybe hoping he will stop her … for there is so much unsaid lying in the thick, heavy silence between them.  He looks after her … but he does not stop her … not yet …

 

Arnav saying goodbye to La … after tonight she will be out of his life … she entered his life and his home for all the wrong reasons, and he regrets that, regrets the hurt he caused her … He was unfair to her, but now he's trying to make up for it … he made the wrong decision so many times out of anger, but now this is the right one.

La saying goodbye to Khushi … tonight she hands over the man she loves, to Khushi, the girl whom he loves and needs even more … the girl who taught them both so much, changed them both so much.

Sweetest moment of the day – Khushi gives La her gift, clarifies immediately … they're not gold … La six months ago would have turned up her nose, now says, teary-eyed … no, they're not, they're even more precious … because they will be for her the memory of a friendship so unlikely and yet so precious. That little moment said so much as to how far La had come, and how much her values had changed … their friendship was one of the sweetest things on the show.

Another sweet yet poignant moment … Khushi worried about La, knowing that something is wrong … and La hiding her upset and trying to smile for her … a role reversal … yes, she learnt a lot from Khushi!

The Khushi-La scene was the best for me today, even better than the Arhi one ... that doesn't often happen!

Most satisfying moment – Khushi blasts Shyam, low-voiced, furious … threatens him to behave himself in future … and to stay away from her! And with Buaji giving him those dagger looks, and barely restraining herself, Shyam realises he is still not completely clear of the woods yet.

So major progress this week … the Arnav-La break up was the biggest, Khushi did not reveal the truth to Anjali was the other, both were expected, the first was eagerly awaited, the second was necessary for the show to progress 😉  Khushi and Arnav both showing growth in their characters … Khushi starting to understand the painful truth that sometimes one has to compromise on one's morals and values of what is the right thing to do - not every decision can be absolutely right or absolutely wrong, there are shades of grey in the world … and Arnav starting to actually think about other people and respect their feelings and emotions, and make decisions based on emotions, rather than factual deals.

And we wait for next week to see whether an Arhi engagement happens, or an Arhi separation … or both!

Comments, feedback, your views please? The week was mostly story-based, not scene based, so the recap is the same. Looking forward to the discussions - keep them positive, people, because now the story has finally gained momentum!

If you want PM's, please buddy me ... makes it much easier! Otherwise I forget! 😛

 

Absolutely lovely post Diya. I loved all the episodes last week. The show did indeed progress leaps and bounds. Now can we please get some Arhi moments next week. Both are single and should be ready to mingle 😛

Thanks Diya for the excellent recap as usual. Was waiting for your weekly updates. Here is my take on the week's episodes.

I too thought that story-wise last week was good.  It had some unexpected twists like La accepting the reality of her situation and Arnav not only realising that he was not doing right by her but also coming forward to apologise for his behaviour and try to rectify the situation before it gets out of hand.  I've always been harping that Arnav should bear his heart to La and make a clean break failing which La should slap him.  Glad both did not give me cause to complain.

Of all the episodes of the week the one that struck me the most was December 14th. 

This episode invited some of the strongest reactions of our forum members. Some did not like Arnav hug La, some did not like Khushi hide the truth from Anjali and some despised Anjali for her weak nature and her making mountains of mole hills (the mangalsutra snapping incident).  Some had problems on all three counts I think.  Anyway I felt this episode brought out the striking contrasts between the three women.  If one has to sum up the episode, it was about three weak women and one strong man.


The episode starts where it left off the previous day, with Arnav confessing to La that he regretted hurting her but he did not do it deliberately. Here he lets Khushi's name slip, thereby unintentionally making it clear to La that he was actually confessing to Khushi and not to her. 


They say that when we are disturbed, we let out what we feel deep within our hearts, as our guard is down. We need to go back in time to see what was Arnav's mental state when he made that inadvertent confession. Arnav has been worrying about Khushi ever since she broke down in front of him near the pool. He knew the cause of her agony was her fiance.  When he tried to trace her after she left so abruptly and she did not respond to his calls, he nearly lost his mind. So when she picked up the phone, he demanded to know if she was all right.  Khushi just brushed him aside assuring him that she was alright but did not explain her sudden departure and what was disturbing her.  (Many did not like what she did although I can fully empathise with her given all that she has been through in the last couple of hours or so and her dilemma about her future course of action.)


Arnav realised that he has only himself to blame for Khushi's brusque attitude. He was the one who backed out after nearly kissing her.  He was the one who announced his intention to get engaged to La in order to escape what he was feeling for Khushi which, in turn, prompted her to accept an engagement with another man. To cover up his frustration at being 'jilted' by her he was the one who kept rubbing it into her that she and her fiance cannot afford the goodies of life. So when her fiance did something to hurt her, why would she pour her sorrows to him? 


If she was being brusque, he deserved it for he did not give her that confidence to come to him with her problems. It wouldn't be surprising if  he thought that she did not tell him her problems because she feared he would ridicule her choice of man to get married to.  I suspect this was what was weighing on his mind when he attended the phone call, taking time to registered what was being said. His absent minded agreement to having a meeting on the very day he was getting engaged did not go unnoticed by his girl friend who demanded an explanation.  Although he started off addressing her, mid way he lapsed into his thoughts and continued his conversation with Khushi who, though physically absent, was occupying every ounce of space in his mind. La did not need any further indication of what her place was in his life and after identifying herself to a lost Arnav, she gracefully leaves the place without waiting to hear him out.  Arnav is understandably disturbed and for the first time acknowledges to himself that he wasn't doing right by her. 


I guess I got carried away there and rambled more than I intended to. Anyway, let me come back to the point on the episode being about three weak women and one strong men.

Weak woman No.1:  Anjali - As you rightly pointed out Anjali's psyche has been shaped by her past tragedy of not only losing her parents but also being jilted at the alter and her present handicap. I can to some extent empathise with her because I had lost my father in an accident when I was merely four years old. To this day I fear if my loved ones return late.  I especially fear for my hubby's safety every time he goes on a road trip alone.  I have a morbid fear of driving and have not learnt to do so till date.  Athough I am a strong modern woman, I still carry my mangalsutra in my handbag when I am not wearing it around my neck.  Although I know my hubby's life is not hanging by it, I still feel more assured if it is somewhere close to me. Maybe I do not take my subconscious fears to the extent that Anjali does but then I can gauge where  she is coming from.  So when her mangalsutra snaps she immediately assumes the worst and fears for her husband's safety. She cannot imagine a life without him and lets Khushi know just how vulnerable she really is. 

Anjali's weakness stems from her fear to know the truth. Ignorance is bliss for her.


Weak woman No.2: Khushi - Khushi is not normally a weak woman.  In fact she is by far the strongest woman of the show but she too has her weaknesses.  Her weakness is her tender heart which cannot see anyone unhappy and that too people who are closest to her.  True to her name she always strives to bring happiness and not sorrow in the lives of people around her.  Although she knew that truth is bitter and came determined to break it nonetheless for it was the right thing to do under the circumstances, she couldn't go through with it because she was weakened by Anjali's emotional outburst.  As you rightly pointed out the truth will literally kill her.  She also believes in signs and when she instinctively held the falling mangalsutra, she presumed that it was a sign from DM that she has to be the guardian of Anjali's wedded life.  Once the truth is out, there is no guarantee for Shyam's life given the way Arnav feels about his sister and about her.  A man who duped both the women closest to him is sure not getting away easily.

Khushi's weakness stems from her love for people and the need to see them happy.  Knowledge (of Shyam's struth)  is not power for her because she chooses not to use it.


Weak woman No.3:  Lavanya - A woman who has turned her life around for the man she loves finds out that she is not the focus of his life, never has been and never will be. She knew all along that she wasn't getting a fair deal in this relationship and yet chose to turn a blind eye to it for fear of losing the man she loved. She was satisfied with so little he was offering till Khushi came and asked her to demand more. Even after he had announced their engagement, she never felt secure for he was always distant.  She had accepted it because she thought he was a man who exhibited no emotion other than anger, but when she saw the strength of his emotions for another woman, she knew she had lost him even without actually gaining him.  She couldn't come to terms with the reality and did not want him to say it out loud when he came to apologise to her and make a clean break. She begged him to maintain his silence as she tried to hide her grief by discussing about an engagement she knew wasn't happening.

La's weakness stems from her inability to confront the truth after knowing it. Knowledge (of her relationship with Arnav) is not power for her too, although for her it is not about choosing to not use it but about not being strong enough to make the decision to use or not to use.  


Strong man:Arnav: I loved what they did with Arnav's character in this episode.  The man who is normally emotionally weak, showed strength of character by coming forward to La to admit that he can never love her as she deserves to be loved.  He knew he has used her as a pawn in his ego battle with Khushi and he needed to stop it before he hurts her more.  His insistence to voice the truth even though she did not want to hear it helped her to accept the inevitable.  Her plea for a hug stung at his conscience and he gave her a heart felt hug that he had never given her in all the months they were going steady. Drawing strength from that hug she decided to move on but pleaded that they hold back the announcement of their break up till Payash engagement is through.  As you said, La has really come a long way from the selfish girl she was and so has Arnav and both, thanks to Khushi.  It is Khushi's sensitivity which has rubbed off on these two.

Arnav's strength stems from his acceptance of the consequences of his actions and willingness to make amends. 


Khushi had a major role to play in shaping the way Arnav and La handled their relationship.  If it had not been for her, we would not have had Arnav's awakening to the havoc he wreaks around him by his thoughtless and self-centered actions.  If it had not been for her, we would not have had La coming in touch with her own feelings and,in turn, be sensitive to others' sentiments.  I feel that Khushi would also play a major role in helping Anjali handle the truth at a later stage although what she chose to do now (maintain her silence) can create a hurricane in several lives. In short, Khushi is the fulcrum over which many lives revolve.
Edited by Opti - 12 years ago

R Edited by -Nithi- - 12 years ago

Originally posted by: DiyaS

I'm frankly appalled at the calls for a new lead ... NO WAY!!! SaRun and Arhi MAKE the show ... Barun and Sanaya are irreplaceable and the PH is smart enough to know that ... this is the only show which is consistently high on both online forums and on TRP's, TVR's, TAM's ... the works! Ignore the negative posts, people ... report them and don't reply ... they will sink to the back pages quietly, because this forum moves so fast!

Exactly my thoughts Diya!

Moreover, this is a public forum, there will be posts made by people of all views and thoughts.

I simply ignore the posts that I do not agree with. 

Live and let live...

Anjali and Shyam are soulmates for sure. Both are psychotic! But Anjali has more reason to be ' she went through the same trauma as Arnav did, the trauma that made him turn his face away from religion and faith, that drove him behind a cold emotionless mask, made her a blind, almost fanatical worshipper, and broke her spirit, making her purposely turn a blind eye and deaf ear to anything unpleasant. Added to that the fact that her first marriage broke under what appear to be tragic circumstances on her wedding day (from the flashbacks), and her handicap ' her self-esteem is almost zilch. No wonder she feels grateful to Shyam for marrying her, and falls to pieces at even the thought of his not being by her side.

Okay, I don't understand her completely, (understatement!) but if Arnav could become ASR because of their childhood trauma, Anjali went through the same, and even worse, if you look at her broken marriage and her handicapped leg ' so I can make some excuses for her blind eye and ostrich in the sand attitude to her husband's activities! And I can definitely excuse Khushi not telling her the truth ' after that hyper reaction, am sure Buaji would have felt the same!

I totally agree Diya! We defend ASR's nature by saying that he went through a lot, so he has become like that. The same can be said about Anjali...in fact I've written this many times already, her personality has been defined not only by the bad things that happened to her brother and her, but also by her physical handicap.

She fears losing her loved ones again (which can be deduced from her hysterical reaction to her mangalsutra breaking and her fearing for her husband's safety) and also wants to live in the illusion of her perfect world...she's in denial of all the suspicious things about her hubby.

Anjali is a sweetheart, all said and done ' the only person who actually showed concern for Khushi's feelings over her broken engagement, asked her if she was all right, fussed over her 

I loved Anji for this - her own family did not exactly console her...while Anji reached out to her. She had done the same on her parents' shraadh puja day too.She's a very affectionate and loving person. I hope in the future if Arhi get married, the creatives continue showing her this loving towards Khushi...

Last scene worth mentioning ' tiny scene of Khushi with her Devi maiyya ' bless jiji  and Akashji ' afterthought ' and Lavanyaji and Arnavji too ' and her eyes cloud slightly ' but no, she decided not to think about him at all. 

True!

The best episode of the week ' filled with poignancy and pathos, a pervading sadness, in spite of the happy occasion.

Khushi saying goodbye to Arnav ' a farewell gift, for after tonight, he will officially belong to Lavanya in the eyes of the world, and that bitter-sweet relationship they share will be over. And she has another reason to stay away from him now ' the secret she has to hide about his brother-in-law. So she says farewell in her congratulations ' with a smile ' or tries to. And tries to ignore the pain in her heart, a pain she doesn't want to face, doesn't want to put a name to. He is not hers, he never was and now he never will be. Arnav first surprised ' a gift? For him? And then she explains it's an engagement present, and he is silent ' for what can he tell her? that the occasion for the gift has disappeared? That it's not, need not be, their last goodbye? That it hurts him to see her hurt, to see her smile to cover that hurt ' but he can't say anything yet, he owes that much to La. And she turns to leave, and stands for a moment longer, maybe hoping he will stop her ' for there is so much unsaid lying in the thick, heavy silence between them.  He looks after her ' but he does not stop her ' not yet '

What a nice description of the scene Diya! Loved how you added so much depth to that scene! 👏 

Another sweet yet poignant moment ' Khushi worried about La, knowing that something is wrong ' and La hiding her upset and trying to smile for her ' a role reversal ' yes, she learnt a lot from Khushi!

The Khushi-La scene was the best for me today, even better than the Arhi one ... that doesn't often happen!

Most satisfying moment ' Khushi blasts Shyam, low-voiced, furious ' threatens him to behave himself in future ' and to stay away from her! And with Buaji giving him those dagger looks, and barely restraining herself, Shyam realises he is still not completely clear of the woods yet.

I liked how she blasted him, though I wish she would have told Anji that she broke off the engagement because her fiance was not a good person. She did not have to volunteer any further information other than that, because as Anji herself said, it was her private matter. I think the creatives purposely omitted that so that the list of contributors to the major understanding of Khushi gets bigger!

Khushi and Arnav both showing growth in their characters ' Khushi starting to understand the painful truth that sometimes one has to compromise on one's morals and values of what is the right thing to do - not every decision can be absolutely right or absolutely wrong, there are shades of grey in the world ' and Arnav starting to actually think about other people and respect their feelings and emotions, and make decisions based on emotions, rather than factual deals.

And we wait for next week to see whether an Arhi engagement happens, or an Arhi separation ' or both!

I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for the first one...the phone conversation of Khushi and Arnav kind of ignited my hope.

I also hope La leaves for good...though I read an article which speculates that she may come back in a negative avatar 😕

I really don't want that...but with soaps, you never know!