30/4 - 241 ... Trying to Forget

Monday 30th April

I was moaning over the weekend about Arnav having forgotten that he was supposed to have conflicting emotions for his wife, and seems the cv's heard me. So Bitwa is presented with a stark reminder that he's supposed to hate his wife, not love her ... and he goes ballistic ... but not quite. The big difference - he can't quite bring himself to be as cruel and vicious as he used to be ... he can't even talk to her ... so he tells her to stay out of his way, or else he will ... will what? What's stopping him from lashing out at her as he did earlier?

Maybe the fact that he thought she hid his file, only to realize almost immediately that she didn't, maybe the memory that he accused her of stealing his car parts, only to realize that she didn't ... maybe the slow, subconscious realization dawning that he has misjudged her on previous occasions, could this possibly be another one .. even though the evidence is so damning? For once, it seems he doesn't want to believe his eyes, wants to forget that damning piece of paper, wants to forget that terrace scene ... and while he tries desperately to forget, he doesn't want to see Khushi either, because he doesn't want to say anything he might regret.

Again saw a huge resemblance between Buaji and Khushi, the way they both try to cheerfully sweet-talk the obnoxious in-laws and pretend there is nothing wrong. Obnoxious in-laws were exactly that - obnoxious.

Liked Khushi in the kitchen, trying her best to keep her tears and upset at bay ... and wondering what exactly she had done to drive Arnav into such a rage so suddenly ...

Needed some more continuity and clearer dialogues between Arnav and Aman - need to re-watch, because it wasn't very clear till the end what Arnav was trying to do ... was he trying to confirm that the dulha was his employee before he fired him?

All in all, a fairly decent episode, the cv's remembered they have a story and our leads are in the middle of a big MU.

*edited*
(today is a holiday here, so will edit in bits as I get the time)
Arnav's remembers Khushi's friends saying she's remembering her wedding and his fb's of the reality... regret, guilt, sorrow for what could have been ...
then Buaji comes in with his file, and Arnav tries to forget the memories and Khushi and gets busy in work ... (rather abrupt changeover) ... and remembers he had another file ... starts looking for it, remembers Khushi's words and jumps to completely erroneous conclusion that Khushi has hidden it ... so fragile still is the level of trust between them ... starts turning things upside down to find where she could have hidden it, and then discovers that she hadn't after all. And a flicker of regret that he misjudged her yet again ... sees the wrapping paper poking out of a drawer, and probably in an attempt to right the mess he created in his unjustified annoyance, he starts to replace it properly. And realizes that it's a used paper, been folded and kept carefully for re-use ...
(A very realistic touch - I used to keep old wrapping papers for re-use for ages, now I keep gift bags for re-use ... my contribution to recycling and saving the environment.)

And he smiles at the pagalpan of his biwi (I often wonder did Arnav actually go through tough times after being thrown out of his home, or is his bitterness more about betrayal alone) ... and makes to replace it ... till he sees the card ... 'Dear Khushiji, with love from Shyam' ... and suddenly remembers what he's been in danger of forgetting the last few days while he was falling in love with his wife all over again ... She's a cheat, she betrayed him, she's in love with Shyam, not with him ...

Prretika's baraat arrives, complete with obnoxious in-laws, who lose no time in making comments about the small hall, the crowd, the juice in steel glasses ...
Buaji and Garima try to smooth things over, inlaws are not appeased, Khushi tries to do the same in her usual friendly chirpy manner, again to no avail ... and is told to keep quiet by BG, because her attempts are not working. More obnoxious inlaw comments ... more smoothing over by Buaji ...

Arnav back in his own private hell ... trying to forget that he loves a girl who loves another man ... Khushi comes to call him ... and reminds him again of the worst moment of his life ... when he saw Shyam hugging her on the terrace ...
She's worried at his silence, maybe sensing something wrong already, even without seeing his face ... 'Kya hua? Aap thik toh hain?'
And when he turns around to face her, the rage in his eyes is back, and she sees it immediately and her voice falters ... a much softer, uncertain, almost scared 'Kya hua? Batayie na?'
(Again, one of things I love best about Sanaya - her voice modulation ... the sudden change in tone)

Maybe he would have burst out at her again ... but sounds indicate the arrival of the baraat ... and he reins back his anger ...
'Why are you so angry?' ... and then remembering the last time she saw him, the scene with her friends questioning her about their marriage, the half-truths she told ... is he angry because of what she said? 'It's because of what my friends ...'
He doesn't want to get angry, to lose his temper, not now, with the baraat at the door outside ... maybe he also needs some time to think ... he misjudged her twice over recently ... did he misjudge her again ... but his temper is too hot to allow him to think clearly, the memories brought on by that piece of card are too sharp ... and for the first time, Arnav shows signs of actually controlling his anger, by pushing her out ... he will not talk to her right now, he wants to be left alone ... the memories are too piercing, he knows he will lash out again ...
She persists, confused again at the sudden change of mood, the sudden rage, what is the reason ... 'Why are you so angry with me? It was them who started the talk ...'
'Leave me alone ... before I do something ...' unspoken - something that I might regret later ... almost pushing her out savagely ...
'Tell me why ... first ...'
'Because I ...'
Would he have told her if Garima hadn't come in just then? Truly, Arnav needs to be pushed to the edge before he will spill the truth ... Khushi has been right in that all along ...
Garima's entry means they have to stop ... to silence what they might have said, to push the emotions underground again ... because other things are more important and more pressing ... Khushi leaves, Arnav says he has too much work to join, again accepted uncomplainingly by Garima ...

More complaints from inlaws ... why hasn't the damaad come out to meet them, the hall is too warm, the ice cream has melted ... Khushi again tries to smooth things down, not realising her words add to their annoyance, they dont want to be reasonable and understanding, they want to be pampered and their whims pandered to - after all, they are the ladke vaalas. their nephew is a big man compared to the mohalla vaalas.
I dislike in-laws like this intensely - unfortunately they still exist - people who think that just because they're the ladkevaalas, it gives them carte blanche to say and do what they please and insult the girl's family without anyone saying anything. And I dislike that the girl's people are supposed to accept this rude behaviour uncomplainingly.

Khushi in the kitchen, worried about Arnav's sudden anger ... Buaji tried to call Arnav, he refused her too, Khushi tries to pacify Buaji that he has a lot of work (thank God, I was afraid cv's would make her irritate him again, but fortunately we got the more serious Khushi I like) ... Buaji suspicious if Khushi did anything to make him angry again ... what can Khushi tell her? When she herself doesn't know what happened to change his mood so suddenly, and he, as usual, refuses to tell her ... 
Loved the little Buaji-Khushi scene, Khushi so disturbed and upset, and as always, she has no one she can share her upset with ...

Nandini and Buaji go to get the groom's sherwani from Khushi's room ... Arnav, in his anger is getting ready to leave GH pronto ... and witnesses firsthand the rudeness and demands of the obnoxious inlaws ... loved his slowly changing expressions here, as his anger with Khushi fades to an awareness of what's happening in the rest of the world ... and is replaced by an anger of another sort entirely ... Buaji's attempts to smooth over the food remarks were uncannily similar to Khushi's attempts ...
And Arnav decides to investigate - steps out and sees the groom's face ... and steps back inside to make his checks (now why couldn't he do the same with Shyam?) ... obnoxious inlaws make more comments on melted icecream, and Arnav steps out just in time to shut up Khushi before her attempts make matters worse ...

I sympathized with Khushi's attempts to soothe the inlaws although they were misplaced - I have  a very hot temper and low tolerance with boys' people who try to act superior to the girl's people ...
But as Arnav says - she can't handle everything herself ... they needed to be handled Mami style, with quiet authority and show of power ... not with friendly reasoning ... 

And he appeases the inlaws temporarily by quietening Khushi while his ever-faithful Aman gets to work ...
Noticed that he introduced himself as 'Arnav' ... not with full name ...
And he catches a glimpse of the waiting worried bride just as Aman calls with confirmation ... a reminder of his sister? Or of a more recent bride?

Khushi confront shim again in the privacy of their room ... why did he shut her up ... why is he siding with the ladkevalas, allowing them to get away with their rudeness ... but he still doesn't want to talk to her, to see her face ... he's still trying to forget ... both the terrace scene and the card which brought it back so suddenly ... he'll do everything that is necessary to save the marriage, but he can't still stand to see her face and the memories it brings back ...

And then the boy receives the message ... and Arnav goes to reinforce it ... I need people with the drive and the capability to work hard, and those who have the courage and confidence to state their point.
All the things he likes in Khushi too ... especially the last ... even though she gives him the hardest time with it ...
The drive and capability to work hard ... isn't that what he's seen Khushi do over the last few days too, the reason he keeps telling her to slow down, she can't do everything, she can't handle everything ... because she always wants to help out everyone ... even if it's beyond her own capabilities ...

And the last ... learn to respect your wife and her family ... he has followed the latter half in spades in this visit ... has given the utmost respect to Khushi's family after the first day, not just respect, has learned to give them affection also, a return of the affection he has received in bucketloads ...
although he still doesn't give Khushi respect in public ... there he needs to follow his own advice ...

And precap - so another potential MU will clear very quickly and Khushi will learn that he went out of his way to save Preeto's marriage ...
Making her see Arnav more clearly? And also wonder why he seems to do everything for everyone ... except for her.

Random Ramblings

Am annoyed about the news of BS working on a movie, so am rambling here big time. I probably won't make any sense - ignore this post if you don't agree - it's purely a venting spot :)

Maybe I'm just being selfish, but I hold to my first reaction - it's a tad unprofessional of Barun to take up a movie, however small a role, while he's working as lead on a daily soap. Movies are a huge commitment, it's easy to say that he will give 4 hours there and 8 hours on IPK - what about nitty-gritties like travel time and waiting time? Bollywood and Tellywood are not so organized in India that the shoots start and end on time and the timing can be coordinated like clockwork ... from my one stint at watching a movie shoot on location, I remember that hours are spent just waiting around for the scenes to be set up. And if Barun is not the lead, which is likely, then he would be the one waiting around on the leads, they wouldn't work to his convenience - neither them nor the rest of the unit. So IPK would definitely suffer - yes, I am being selfish here, I'd rather watch a halfway decent show every day than wait for a movie I know nothing about.

And if IPK suffers, it would probably be better for Barun to leave the show than work on both sides half-heartedly. Which brings me to another issue - the timing of the movie. It's almost a year since IPK started, and the actors would have signed contracts for one year - which means renewal is coming up. Is Barun going to renew his contract with IPK? Or will he decide to strike while the iron is hot, take advantage of the huge fame that IPK has brought him and cash in on movie offers?

Again, IMO it would be a short-sighted move. But two sides to the coin here. The recent actors who have had this kind of adulation and success on the small screen are KSG and Gurmeet C - both were on Star One, so it was difficult to gauge their actual popularity in the general audience. GC is still on TV, although he has made it known that he will shift to Bollywood once this current soap is done. He seems to be the more sensible one, taking it very slowly and carefully and not letting his tv commitments suffer due to his movie ones. Though I believe he did do a movie role during the fag end of Geet, and was missing for some chunks, it was worked into the storyline, and he committed to the movie only when he thought Geet would have ended - it got extended, so he managed both.

KSG has come a cropper - he let all the fame and adulation go to his head, became completely unprofessional,and has all but disappeared from the small screen, while his big screen attempts haven't borne much fruit either. But again, both were on SO - popularity more among the online audience - difficult to judge popularity among the wider audience. (I'm not talking about the other telly actors who tried the switch - although many were on mainstream channels, I don't remember this kind of mass adulation for any of them  - although I might be mistaken, I was out of touch with Indian tv for years.)

While Barun is on Star Plus, a mainstream channel and there's no doubt about his popularity among the general audience. However, the big question is still Bollywood per se ... it doesn't work on talent alone ... it works on connections and on luck. And 90% of the movies made are pretty crappy - I don't think I've seen one impressive movie this year (apart from Kahaani), and we're almost into May already. A lot of Bollywood actors are making the reverse shift - from big to small screen. So what holds such a draw for the tellywood actors?

Leaving that aside, and going back to Barun and the timing of this news ... so is he planning to leave IPK? And is that why the story has stagnated in the last two-three months? When Shilpa was leaving DMG, the same thing had happened ...( again, another actress who got a lot of fame and adulation, she ventured into Bollywood and end of her story!)

Or - another possibility - the news is completely false. Don't the actors have to sign a contract, and wouldn't they be forbidden to take up any outside work during the duration of the contract? And due to the nature of work in daily soaps, and the time involved, it would be very difficult for any lead to manage work outside of his own show.  And why would the PH and/or the channel allow him to do so? Both would be involved here. The PH I can understand - they would be ready to make some allowances, because of his extreme popularity, they know the show's popularity is due in a large part to Barun's portrayal of ASR, as well as the BS/SI chemistry ... but the channel also? Just in terms of legalities, would they not put their foot down? And as it is, from reports, he takes more takes for his shots - again the timing issue - would he be able to manage the time? So would they allow it? Wouldn't that be a breach of contract? Am pretty sure one of the contract terms would be no outside work unless approved by the channel and the PH - that's a very standard term in any work contract.

And I have never heard of a lead actor of a daily doing a movie alongside - except for Ram Kapoor - but BALH has solid parallal tracks, RK is already an established actor and has been doing movies for some time, he does only supporting roles. None of those apply to Barun - except maybe the last.

Just hope it's not another case of the sudden fame and popularity going to an actor's head, and making him make the wrong moves. And frankly, if he does decide to take the plunge for movies then I would be happier in the long run if he was replaced in IPK. The character ASR is the draw for me - Barun has played him very well and brought him to life, but it's a complex character, and needs the full commitment of the actor. If Barun can't commit completely to it and the show, it would be better for him to leave it. The character is (? or was) so well written, any decent actor would be able to do the role ... and many would jump at the chance. Though it would be tough to build that chemistry again.

Final conclusion - I hope the news is false. :) Though I then can't explain why Barun is looking so tired ... Sanaya should be the one more tired, with her extra work in SPT and canning her shots before her UK trip. Which is what makes me fear the news is true. Unless BS has taken our advice and started khufiya dance lessons - now that would definitely tire him out! :)

Shiddats, Spoilers, Scenes wishlist, Sanaya in SPT

Shiddats realized this week -

We wanted Buaji admonishing Khushi to respect her husband - got a whisper of that one when Buaji twisted Khushi's ear - would have liked it to be longer ;) yes, even though I like Khushi! :)) When she's stupid, she needs to be smacked!
Arnav apologising to BG about calling G Amma.

We  wanted Arnav-Buaji/Garima  bonding - we got that :)

Khushi's hormones awakening - we got that ... a few glimpses.
We wanted Arnav to help out with the Guptas' finances - he did that. And G ladies realizing the guy may be short tempered, but he has a heart of gold under the bluster.

RR finally got to the locker - and we had a great legal eagles discussion and a good laugh at the collective stupidity of RRR and ODB! :))

Shiddats for the week ahead ... may the force be with us :)

ODB puts mangal sutra and sindoor for ODG in front of witnesses ...
ODB starts thinking ... ;)
ODG starts thinking ... ;)
What?! No harm asking for the impossible! =))

The Shyam revelation comes this week ... no further postponement please. And Khushi stops her 101 ways to annoy Arnav because she finally knows the reason for the marriage - or she thinks she does.

BS to find a new hair stylist, scissors and a razor ... fast.
Khushi ditto - not the razor/scissors, just the hair stylist ;) ... and lose the bump of false hair behind her head. The wedding look is much better.

Arnav to realize the importance of marriage and divorce in middle class homes ... in words, please.

Chai ki pyaali and star gazing ... am not giving up on this one till they're actually back home in RM ... but if the dhamaka takes place right after the wedding, won't happen. If dhamaka takes place when they're back in RM, we still have a chance.

Adding from last week - Bitwa seeing bangles and saree he bought for Bitiya, kept carefully by Buaji/Garima ... again, in words! - the importance they hold for her. And then some thinking/confusion starting in Bitwa's mind ... again, in words and expressions please. We like things to be spelled out clearly.
Also Arnav to recognize the importance of relationships to Khushi, and start questioning how that fits in with her wanting to break up his Di's marriage ... just START, please!

Khushi to start wondering about Arnav's extreme patience in dealing with her at GH, and wondering about the reason ... actually, even I'm wondering the same thing ;)

*edit*
Uploaded the Star Parivaar Tyohaar video with only the Sanaya parts.

Direct link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rpu9vD0Z14&feature=youtu.be

27/4 - Epi 240 ... Sabki Baratein Aayeen, Doli Tu Bhi Le Aana

Friday 27th April

No better title for today's post than the song Sandy posted below ...

First fifteen minutes of the episode was the usual comedy crap ... seriously, which neighborhood, however friendly, lines up to get their appliances fixed by visiting damaad? Surprised Arnav ever agreed ...
Two scenes I would have liked ... a longer version of Buaji giving Khushi an earful ... she deserved it after this stunt!
Arnav grabbing the hose from Khushi and hosing her down in his turn, just for fun ... and to get his revenge for the mechanic prank! Even though (just for once) Khushi had nothing to do with the cow dung :)) Would have made for a better Rabba Ve ... this one didn't do much for me. And Sanaya would have gotten her wish to get wet in the summer! =))

Arnav-Buaji scene was funny ... the cross-connection over the bluetooth and Buaji's assumption that Arnav was hard of hearing, that was why he agreed to become mechanic!
Smart boy Arnav - deal to get back to Shantivan the next day - clarified by Nandini mausi that sangeet and wedding is the same night. So sangeet and wedding and the dhamaka about Shyam happens on Monday? Tuesday?

Mami and bhoot ... filler ... my first thought was how come Mami slept with make up and jewelry on - cv's have usually shown her sleeping like a normal person in a nighty.
Garima Payal convo ... small one. 

And the last scene lifted the episode from very average to good - Khushi describing her 'dream' wedding with a smile on her lips and tears in her heart ... and Arnav listening in ...
Just a couple of hours ago, I said I wanted the conflicting emotions in Khushi to show more clearly ... got my wish. CV's please keep this up! With the dhamaka coming up, should happen! 

Sanaya ... bang on in the last scene ... the silent scenes with the fb's could have been longer ... again felt a little rushed. 
Barun ... a little confused ... was Arnav feeling guilty? He shouldn't have been ... he should be angry, because it should bring back memories of why he married her in such a rush ... not feel guilty that he broke her dream. The way seeing Shyam or Anjali-Khushi bonding brings on anger, memories of their wedding should do the same.

26/4 - Epi 239 ... The First Shared Smile

Thursday 26th April

 I've often said that laughing together, teasing together is the cement of any relationship. Hence the title today.

Buaji holds forth about Khushi, Arnav could have gotten an insight into this crazy girl, but he's irritated by frying chillis and misses most of it. See Khushi, how self-defeatist your pranks are?! Give them a break, girl!

Ladder scene ... badly edited ... sometimes they were at the same level, sometimes Arnav was two steps below ... kya yaar!!! But the rabba ve still worked somehow ... and the fall was pretty good as well. Lots of rabba ve's happening ... which means the dhamaka is not far off now.

Loved the first shared smile ... hayyeeee ... have waited for forever for that to happen!!! :">

Mechanic Khushi vs mechanic Arnav - she has as big an ego as he does ... and does NOT believe in the adage 'my hubby strongest' ... she thinks she's the strongest! And he loves getting the better of her ... but really Bitwa, [-( when will you learn? Don't challenge your biwi - she was NOT brought up in the Sati Savitri Bhartiya Nari tradition! You poke her, she pokes right back!

Loved that little scene of Khushi entering the room searching for Arnav, and he's calmly sitting on a pile of gaddas, not the least concerned ... well, can you see anywhere else for me to sit?
Point taken, patidev. :))
Can the Props team find something for Bitwa which looks even remotely like a real laptop? And can Arnav start handling it as though it's a real one?

Shyam finally manages to access the locker ... Arnav's will leaves everything to Anjali. Could he really be that dumb?! Or is it a trick?And why would Shyam be dumb enough to think Arnav would give him anything?
SN - nothing to Akash or Nani either?

Precap - the world and its neighbor thinks Arnav is a mechanic?

*edited*
Okay, I'm on Khushi's side mostly ... but did she fry the chillies just to irritate Arnav? Or to actually get a start on a meal for the crowds? Could be either, so I'll give her the benefit of doubt (I did say I'm on her side ;) ) ... and she was singing just because she knew the crowds and tamasha would annoy Arnav ... which was why she pulled the stunt of getting his unwitting agreement in the first place!
Buaji holds forth on Khushi's good qualities of always looking out for others, sharing everyone's joys and sorrows, her big heart ... all lost on Arnav because of the frying chillies! Somewhat akin to Anjali telling Khushi about Arnav's habits, and it being lost on Khushi ...
Buaji says - khuhi has doosron ke liye izzat ... Arnav makes a face ... no izzat for him, that's for sure! 
Apparently frying chillies is to ward off the evil eye, and the person who sneezes is the person cursed, so the sneeze rids him of the curse ... in that case, has Arnav's curse of MU been partially lifted?

For a shatir businessman, Arnav sure took a long time to figure out how exactly he'd been had! =))

Nandini mausi and family ... give an inch and take a mile - I thought Buaji agreed to house some guests, not to hold the wedding from her house? :))

Didn't Khushi tell Arnav that Pritika was getting married? Why was he so baffled at hearing the same thing from Buaji and Pritika's father? 'Shatir' businessman ka dimaag on vacation! Or maybe he was just confused by all the commotion - and why everyone was saying he had agreed, when he had no recollection of the fact! Liked the way Arnav gets totally caught up in all the work to be done ... koi kuch kehta hai, koi kuch ... poor guy follows orders like a lamb!

Buaji enlightens him as to how exactly he 'agreed' ... the penny drops, including Khushi's role ... but he can't say 'no' to Buaji now ... how the mighty have changed ... :)) Won't say 'fallen' ... here it's more like 'risen'!

And Khushi comes out, busy as a bee ... meal prepared for the children, hubby dear, move out from here ... Arnav as sulky as ever, why will he follow her orders?
He finds out why ... as the speaker blasts in his ear ... and Khushi sweetly explains ... that's why :))
And goes on the tease him ... your ear has gone red ...
Your nose is red ... throwback to his teasing of the morning ...
Urgghhhh ... they lost a golden moment here by rushing through this scene ... should have lingered on Arnav's slow  realization that she's actually teasing him back, and then his smirk ... and her smile ... nope, she didn't mind his teasing or his nearness, far from it ... the flashback just hinted at it, but his expressions weren't given enough time ... it would have been a lovely moment of togetherness, like the smile that came later. And then his rushing after her would have made more sense ... loth to lose the moment ... and the togetherness ... the teasing, mischievous, loving sprite of a wife, and the loving, doting hubby ...

Anyway, Khushi rushes to her next job, getting more flowers ... Arnav rushes after her ... she climbs a very rickety ladder ... worried hubby tells her to come down at once, she actually agrees, and mysterious gust of wind is back, conveniently blinding her with her dupatta ... so HH to the rescue ... till he gets lost in her again ... Rabba ve ...
Loved their expressions here, Arnav as usual unblinking, fixed intense gaze, Khushi soft, her lips trembling, eyes averted ... their expressions made the RV work, in spite of the up and down dance on the ladder by Arnav (*head desk* - editors are sleeping on their job! Or maybe they're just in a frantic rush to can Khushi's shots before Sanaya leaves)
And loved the little squawk of alarm Khushi gives as they both crash to the ground ... standing like that on a rickety ladder, what do you expect?! :))
And another RV follows, both lost again in the moment, in each other, in the falling flowers (while I watch the tipping basket and try to catch the hand that's so obviously tilting it =)) )
And they're both getting so accustomed to the physical closeness, wanting it, that neither even tries to escape it ...perfectly comfortable in each others' arms ... till the falling basket brings them to their senses ... somewhat.
Bloody hell, guys, take this inside your bedroom, would do much more good there! :"> :))

LOVED the shared smile as they both realize what happened to the flowers ... and why ... neither denying that they were perfectly comfortable with what happened ... loved the slight shyness in Khushi's smile, the slight ruefulness in his ... attraction accepted and acknowledged to self and each other for first time ... over and out. That's why a shared smile is SO important!:">

And next problem hits and breaks the moment :( ... the spoilt generator ... Khushi immediately off again to help, Arnav a tad exasperated, again you have to be the one to fix things ...  (what he really wants to say - stay here with me, dammit!) ...
And Arnav's turn to be the hero, as Khushi can't do the needful, so he does ... much to the admiration and applause of all and sundry ... the Guptas' new son-in-law is not just a pretty face, he's a very useful person!
Where did Arnav babu learn mechanics and engineering, btw? Thought he couldn't even change a car tyre at last count :)) But when Khushi challenges his ego, anything is possible!

And of course he loves to rub it in ... after a small RV moment (the third today ... this means the storm is coming soon for sure, but after a few more close scenes) ... rub off the dirt mark from her cheek ... well, he's her hubby, he can touch her whenever he likes ... and he likes pretty often these days ;)

Don't try to do everything, you can't, I can ... I'm smarter than you, I'm Arnav Singh Raizada ...
Bitwa, oh Bitwa ... when will you learn? =)) Bitiya rises to your challenges ... but always!!! Has she ever let you get away with that one without giving you a fight?

And Khushi doesn't waste any time on this one ... Suniye ... oops, has he run away? no he's just hiding ... :))
What nonsense, why would I hide from you? Do you see anywhere else to sit?
Ah, ok ... that explains why he's sitting next to Sallu ... there's someone to meet you ...
I don't want to meet anyone ...
He should have been suspicious when she agreed so meekly ... he really should :))

First customer of Arnav Mechanic is here - one bratty boy with spoiled engine ... done in two minutes with miracle screwdriver, the same one which repaired the generator :))
And bratty boy leads him to his next customers, all waiting in line =))... mixie, fan ...
Loved the way Arnav slowly removed the cotton from his ears in disbelief as he saw the waiting line ... WT* is happening here?! =))
SN - Anjali said Arnav doesn't like kids. As with most assumptions of Anjali's, this one seems pretty off the mark as well ... Arnav has been remarkably good with the kids so far ... Khushi's tuition kids, the girl in the temple, the pooja kids on Ashtami, and now this one ...


Shaymuu - the next victim of amnesia ... itni tapasya kabhi nahin ki kisi cheez ko paane ... has he forgotten the six months of staying at Buaji's like a PG and all the play-acting to get Khushi? And why and how did he expect to be named in Arnav's will? Another 'shatir dimaag' bites the dust!
All discussions on the will ... see below!!! =)) 

Pic of the day - thanks for the link, Jaya!

25/4 - Epi 238 The House Party is On - ed

Wednesday April 25th

Haila!!! Our man totally wanted to have one gol guppa ... as long as it was fed by My Fair Lady's own fair hands!!! Ek kha loonga indeed! ODB is getting totally turned on by Biwi eating gol guppas and feeding the rest of her family!!!
I wanna know ... did she feed him all the rest too? Is that why he landed up having so many? =)) *MIG* alert!!!

Hey bhagwan ... give the girl some brains! Just accept that he brought the gol guppas as an apology ... if you say it, you really think he'll accept it?!

Manorama and Bubbly drama ... *yawn* Manuu thinks Payal is a bhoot ... Mamiji, ever seen such a well-nourished hrisht-pusht bhoot in your life?

Buaji's friend comes with the wedding invitation ... want more of the contrast in weddings ... Khushi wangles an unwitting approval from Arnav regarding house guests ... and the party is on.
Arnav gets a bit of his own back equally unwittingly though, when he manages to use the AC at night, freezing Khushi half to death in the process.
The 'ek aur kambal de deti, Buaji' was very UN-Arnav-ish! Totally Barun!

And Bitwa is still in full on flirty mood ... had a good night's sleep in AC comfort, garam garam ginger tea early morning, and icing on the cake, Biwi is sulking with his AC ... so he's ready to push Biwi's buttons again and see her blushing pink ... your nose is red ...
(SN - do the Guptas have wi-fi? Or does he carry his portable internet?)

I like these Rabba ve moments much better than the forced bathroom ones we were getting earlier! 

And Biwi finally gets a bit of her own back as the house guests descend, and the peace of the house is disrupted completely ...
SN 2 - when does Arnav actually have a full uninterrupted conversation with Aman?

*edited*
'Ek kha loonga' - Starts with family enjoying the golguppas and Arnav actually sitting with them all peacefully, sipping his tea ... a change from RM, where he sits aloof from everyone and leaves asap, and no one bothers, because that's the way he is ... they all know it. Here they don't know it, and because they don't, their warmth and affection envelops him all the time and doesn't allow him to stay aloof. And he doesn't seem to mind at all.
We had a discussion here ages back that in the Gupta house, children are treated as children, and adults as adults - loving, protecting, coaxing, scolding adults ... even though Khushi was the bread winner for so long, she was still very much the child in the house. In RM, Arnav didn't have that luxury - he was the head of the house, even with Nani around, he was the ultimate decision maker, and all his decisions were accepted quietly, including the ones about eating alone, about not eating teekha, about spending time alone in his room, away from the family ... because that was the way he was - a loner.
Here, those decisions are not accepted, are not even taken - he's invited to eat with the family, eat first as an honored guest initially, and then as he relaxes into the family, eat with them, sit with them even if he doesn't eat everything ... treated like a child, in other words. No heavy burden of decision making here, of looking after Di all the time, of watching out for KJ and deceiving biwi, of keeping the malice of Mami at bay ... no responsibilities at all, other than his usual office ones. On the contrary, he is invited to relax, to think about nothing at all, and just enjoy himself, while being cossetted and fussed over like the damaad he is ... damaad also means he's the son in the house, the child ... with two mother figures to do all the fussing. And Bitwa seems to be lapping it up and relaxing visibly ... to the point of forgetting all about snakes, misunderstandings, contract marriages and all such nasty things ...

So he brought the golguppas as an apology, not just to BG, but also to his hot-headed biwi ... she almost refused his apology first, then her natural sunny nature - and gluttony ;) overcame her, and she gave in and forgave him ... as always. And he relaxed again, and was able to concentrate on more important things, like how sweet and childlike and innocent his wife looked stuffing her mouth with the golguppas ... and how she fed each and every member of her family herself ...
So when BG, true to their nature, didn't accept his not eating the golguppas he himself had brought, and prodded him to eat them, he refused initially, they still didn't accept, so he had to make silly excuses - my mouth doesn't open wide enough (cut to Khushi opening her mouth wide to stuff yet another gg ;) ) ... it's too spicy for me ...
And buaji smartly says ... let Khushi feed you, then you won't say no ...

BG did ask Khushi what happened between ArHi after that taut encounter earlier, but Khushi brushed it aside and took Shashi out for a walk. So BG need some reassurance that things are okay between ArHi again. Arnav bringing the golguppas was some reassurance, he apologised to them, but he was more angry with Khushi, what happened there? So Buaji's insistence on Khushi feeding Arnav was her way of checking the lie of the land between them ...
Arnav said sorry to BG, but he can't bring himself to say it to Khushi. Though he's finding it easier and easier to apologise these days, the exception is Khushi ... he still can't find the words. It's easier to say it without words, with deeds ... words would mean a commitment, a baring of emotions, emotions which run too deep for comfort.
He did say 'I love you' once to La when she insisted ... because it didn't mean anything. He can't bring himself to say it yet to Khushi.

But watching Khushi eat the simple snack with such pleasure, feed her family happily, raises those emotions in him again ... Buaji tells Khushi to feed Arnav, and Khushi is still awkward after that charged encounter earlier, and maybe BG's scolding to let Arnav be, stop pestering him did have a temporary effect ... so she doesn't want to take a chance either, of pestering and being hurt again. So she starts to say 'no, leave him alone, if he doesn't want ...'
But he does want. Wants a share in that love she distributes so freely ...
'Ek kha loonga ...' unspoken the words ... if you give it to me ...
If you give me that love you give to all the others, if you give me your forgiveness the way you always do when I get angry with you without good reason ...

And she does ... hesitatingly, because she's not sure, she's never sure what he wants from her, that's why she needs the words. His actions are too confusing ... she still needs a road map of words.
Yet she is learning ... very slowly, but she is ... seeing that he is reaching out to her, the only way he knows can, trying to say sorry without saying the words ... and she starts to understand ... he needs reassurance from her as much as she needs it from him.

Mami-Bubbly ... After some essential self-praise, Mami realizes that her bahuriya is missing from Bubbly's pictures. Rather than being happy, Mami is disturbed .. 'phamily tree pe chadhi, toh giri kab?' ... and puts on her detective hat. So it appears that just when she has accepted her bahuriya, the next opponent of the Payash marriage is in place. Good, good ... Payash have had it all too easy till date. And we need fillers.

ArHi - starts with such a typical hubby-wife convo - why are you making faces? I ate too much ... who told you to eat so many golguppas? ... while she carries on with her work ... this could have been a convo in my bedroom =))
And finally Bitiya is learning something about her hubby ... that his most erratic actions do mean something that he's not comfortable saying in words ... so 'I forgive you'
Much to his indignation ... he's not ready to accept that he did anything as an apology to her ... she asked for it, she provoked him ... although he does accept shame-facedly that he said sorry to BG ... and changes the subject immediately by talking about his clothes ...
Again tells her not to make too much out of his words, and stop dreaming ... poor Khushi, even when she tries to ascribe good motives to him, he shoots them down himself ... and shoots himself in the foot every time with them. Khushi, next time, stay quiet about his motives even when you understand them inside out ... you know the guy's ego by now!

Nandini mausi visits ... Arnav shows his comfort level in the GH by being very much around when guests arrive, calmly watering plants as though he's in his own house ... accepted and accepting his surroundings ...
Nandini starts talking about the woes of a middle class wedding, the budget constraints, the dreams and aspirations every parent has for their daughter's wedding, the boy's people are rich, will they measure up ... some slight flickering on ArHi's faces - will this escalate over the next few episodes? Hope so!
Arnav back in room, looks for middle class management of mosquitoes - the racquet ... he sure is well settled here!
Nandini talks about booking guesthouse, Khushi immediately offers their home, Buaji agrees, G wants to check with damaadji ... Khushi sees Nandini's disappointment ... Arnav pokes head out to ask about racquet ... says he'll switch on AC instead, Buaji says it will be a problem for him, he says he'll be fine ... Khushi realizes the cross-connection and takes immediate advantage of it ... Bitwa, be very careful not to piss off your firecracker biwi, you should know she loses no time to get back at you!
So Nandini is reassured she can bring her guests here ;)
Arnav spares a moment to wonder why Buaji thought putting on the AC would be a problem for him, then shrugs it off ... Arnav bitwa, that's your problem, you don't think enough!

ArHi morning ... *MIG alert* why was Bitwa so happy early morning? Methinks he had a very good night ... cool cool AC, hot hot biwi snuggling up trying to keep warm ... back to Shweths' feeling hot hot, doing not not ... =)) ... and cherry on cake, he's still getting pampered silly, with garam garam adrak chai early morning ... no wonder he's in the mood for some teasing.
SN - why were they both all ready ... why not still in night clothes? Time constraint?
Arnav cracks joke about biwi needing kambal (SN - that was ALL Barun!), biwi glares, Buaji cracks up ... loved the expression of alarm on his face at Buaji's cackle ... yeh kuch zyada ho gaya!

And Bitwa looks at biwi, who's still sulking, and bitwa is promptly game for more teasing ... comes close, much to the alarm of Khushi ... and then brushes a finger off her nose ... your nose is red ...
She runs away, all scattered thoughts and feelings ... and Arnav smirks ...
Umm, has he forgotten this is a contract marriage? There is a big MU looming between them, which neither is doing anything about resolving? Scratch that, Khushi is still thinking about it off and on, Bitwa seems to have dropped it out of his conscious thoughts completely.

House Party ... and the guests arrive, along with all the mayhem associated with a big fat Indian wedding. And Arnav discovers what he's in for :)
Rather enjoyed the last scenes, with the chaos and crowds and children running around - reminded me of the last wedding I attended within close family ... there's nothing as much fun as a wedding!

24/4 - Epi 237 Facades Start Cracking

Tuesday 24th April

Nearly titled this post Pani Puri ... then realized that took up barely the last five minutes of the episode, and lots more other stuff happened, including many shiddats :) 

So Arnav gave complaint about missing body parts ... er, auto parts :))
Then did some useful eavesdropping for once, and discovered the extent of the Guptas' financial problems ... and as usual, took immediate steps to sort things out as far as possible.

Will do the 'call her Amma' scene in detail tomorrow - need to re-watch to get all the nuances, including the ArHi scene that followed. But good to see both Arnav and then Khushi finally start giving way and exposing their hurt ... Arnav does expose his hurt partly in front of the G ladies, but Khushi still keeps it together in front of BG and breaks only in front of Arnav ... correction, Khushi - you haven't just hidden your anger about Arnav's antics from Arnav's family members, you have also hidden it from your own.

Manorama-Payash-Bubbly scenes were fillers ... Payash-Bubbly track starting full swing. Bubbly will cut Payash out of the pictures ... scene idea lifted from KKHH ;) And Chief Villain has gone missing again after his weekly appearance - he's not in the family pictures? I thought he returned with Mamaji? Is he already attacking Arnav's safe?

Arnav brings pani puri ... as an apology? Liked the Maa scene ... Shweths, you rock!!! :)) Spot on!!!

And Khushi doesn't want to eat pani puri brought by Arnav, but can't resist ...aww, can't say I blame her.
Can't help wondering though why Arnav felt so bad about hurting Khushi ... has he forgotten about Shyam's supposed relationship with her?

Sanaya was awesome ... every time I see her in an emotional intense scene, I realise anew why I like her so much. And Barun was superb as well ... so were the G ladies ... all in all, a very satisfying episode.

*edited* 
On re-watch, I realized that the police apparently have found the missing auto parts, and Arnav realized his accusations to Khushi were unfounded. Thereby already starting his guilt trip.

And then he overhears the conversation between BG and the grocery storekeeper, his guilt deepens ... how their grocery budget has been blown haywire by his visit, his impulsive purchase of an AC when they had arranged for a cooler for him, which they accepted without complaint as they acknowledged that they were unable to provide him the comforts that he was used to, the expensive meal he ordered to his taste, not theirs, which they refused to allow him to pay for ... to the point that now they need to pawn something to arrange for their groceries ... all without letting him know, wanting him to feel comfortable as best as they can manage.

And Arnav Singh Raizada's guilt trip starts in earnest, as do his first shaky steps on the RTR ... an acknowledgement of the trouble and difficult he has put them to with his unthinking demands and expectations, and his steps to make up for it ... in a way that is more appropriate ... thinking of them and their needs foremost, and not his own ...
Khushi and Arnav are alike in this way too ... when they realize they have made a mistake, they take steps to make up immediately ... she does it with words and deeds both, and he does it with deeds alone, as words still don't come easily to him.

I remember an unforgettable line from a very forgettable movie I saw ages ago, with Abhishek B, Sushmita Sena and Rani M ... Sushmita is the other woman, and when Rani and she have a face off, Rani tries to bow out of the picture, saying that Sushmita is more suited to Abhishek in class, sophistication and even in height ... Sushmita tells her, "A man should always be taller than his woman, so that he bends his head to listen to her ... and a woman should always be shorter than her man, so that she holds her head high to talk to him." Sounds even better in Hindi ... "aadmi ko hamesha apni biwi se sar jhuka kar baat karni chahiye, aur ek biwi ko hamesha apni pati se sar itha kar."
So true ... and it holds true for class as well ... a person truly high class in thinking, not just in society, will bend to accommodate and understand those lower than him ... that in fact, shows his higher status ... while a person lower in status should hold his head high in pride and look up straight. When a person thinks himself to be of high status and refuses to look downwards, it shows that in his own mind, he is actually of lower class, and needs to always pull himself upwards.

So Arnav learns the true meaning of class for the first time ... and bends to understand the needs of the Guptas ... not a single expensive unfamiliar meal, but groceries for the entire month ... not given as the largesse from a rich man to a poor household, but bought by a member of a family for his own family ... he is the 'damaad' and it is his right and only natural ... not denting their pride and self-respect, but keeping it intact ...
Loved the little teasing and humor from Arnav for the first time (something I wanted for ages) ... I eat a lot, and you feed me a lot ... upholding the self-respect of the Guptas by keeping it light and humorous ...
And loved Khushi's expressions here again ... especially when he calls himself 'damaad' ... a tearful joy, mixed with hope ... does he mean that? Does he really feel he belongs here? Time and again she clutches at any and every straw of hope that her marriage could be a real one, not just a limited contract ...
(Agaian Sanaya shot for her scenes separately here, and again, her expressions were perfect ... well done, Sanaya! =D> ) 
And that's why she asks him again ... call her Amma, not Aunty ... you called yourself the 'damaad', you call Buaji Buaji, why can't you call Amma, Amma?

I tried to think back ... the only knowledge Khushi has of Arnav's parents is from the barsi, and the night they talked under the stars ... she knows that he misses his mother tremendously, that he loved her a lot ... but she has no idea of the bitterness involved, of the trauma of the past, of the hurtful memories. And she can understand him missing his own mother ... as an orphan who still misses her own parents, even in spite of having a loving foster family ... in her own way all she wants is to give him a mother too ... share her foster mother with him as it were ...
So her shock when he snaps at her so brutally about his mother being dead is understandable ... the last time he snapped at her about his parents was at the barsi, when he told her they were dead and she wouldn't understand ...she still has no clue about the trauma involved.

And that's why I felt BG were less than understanding to Khushi ... and were unnecessarily harsh with her ... upset that she pestered Arnav about Amma, but not understanding in the least why she did so ... the problem is Khushi herself sets up people to misunderstand her, because she keeps everything light and funny ... and never tells anyone her true feelings ... not even her own family. So all BG saw was her pestering Arnav to do something he apparently didn't want to do, and his being very understanding and patient about it, they saw a man trying his best to adjust to the changed conditions he found himself in and not complaining ... not knowing the earful he gave Khushi every night about it ... and definitely not knowing the discomforts she had gone through in RM ... they thought she had lived in the lap of luxury since her marriage ... not knowing that for the longest time, she never even had a bed to sleep in, had almost been barred from entering the kitchen, had to fight to win back the love and respect of Nani and Anjali ... while Arnav got it at GH unasked ... Because Khushi never told them.
But still, they could have told Khushi to stop pestering him about Amma far more gently ... the way they spoke to Arnav later about it ... she was already upset about the way Arnav snapped at her, they didn't seem to see that upset at all. All they saw was their damaad's anger at her pestering.

ArHi - Arnav pacing up and down in his room ... furious and upset, beset by old memories again ... angry, hurt ... and yes, guilty ... as he sits and pretends to work at his laptop, it seemed that he was waiting ... waiting for Khushi, because he wanted her to come, he needed her, to blow up at her, vent his anger, because she is the only one he can vent it on ... his anger was not so much at her pestering but at his own memories, and she is a convenient scapegoat, because she will take it ... she never runs away from his anger, but absorbs it into herself ...
And she comes in, just as he is expecting her to ... she says sorry for hurting him, even though she had no intention to do so, she doesn't know why it hurt him so much ... after all, she lost a mother too, and found a mother again in Garima, and that's all she really wanted for him too ...

And because he knows it wasn't her words that hurt, nor her intentions, but his own memories, he stops her from saying any more, from delving any further ...
You don't know what you said, what you made me feel ... that much is true, because he never told her ... you don't understand and you will never be able to ... now that part is not true, just try her, Arnav, and see how she will understand your every pain and sorrow and heal it for you ... how much you hurt me  ... it wasn't she who hurt him, but the memories her words brought back ...
And in his own torment, he says words he didn't mean to, and didn't really mean at all ... he might have meant them just one day before, but now he really doesn't ... yet they come out ... much to his almost instant regret ...I'm stuck here with you in this ghatiya place ...

And she's hurt deeply ... she thought he was on the road to accepting her ... her family, he called himself their damaad, he helped them with their groceries, seemed to understand their difficulties ... yet again, it's all about ghatiya place and how he's had to adjust ... her dreams, barely half-formed as they were, splinter again ... no, he will never accept her, and she's a fool to keep dreaming and hoping, time and again ... because she will always be 'ghatiya' for him ...
And her hurt spills out too, yes, he faced discomfort here, but its discomfort for him, it's a way of life for her ... the power cuts, the erratic water supply, the limited budget for rations, which can be blown to pieces by a single meal ... she thought he was on the road to understanding, but it appears not ... 

His regret surfaces ... I didn't mean it that way, Khushi ...he really didn't.
And dimly, she does understand, when she sees the regret in his face ... yes, he is angry with her, and he took it out on her family, her circumstances ...
But then her own hurt surfaces ... I'm angry with you too ... for many more reasons apart from the physical discomfort (which she has suffered equally even at RM) ... yet she has never let it show to his family ... has adopted his family as her own uncomplainingly and wholeheartedly, his Nani as hers, his Di as hers ... what's between them is between them alone ... so much has she accepted his family as hers, that she hasn't even told them the truth of their wedding ... while he has time and again brought her family into the equation, threatened Payal's happiness, refused to accept her Amma as his, grouched about the meals, the AC, the mosquitoes ... all she has ever done has been to him, and him alone ... troubling, fighting, teasing, tormenting ... his family is clueless. If she wanted to bring his family in, she could have told them on day one - your grandson/brother forced me into this marriage ... and left him to deal with it ... but she never did. In fact, she has hidden the truth from both families, his and her own. Despite not knowing the reason.

Why? Because she is still craving, clinging to that shred of hope that one day this marriage will become real. As much as he can't leave her, she can't leave him.

And she again does the same - hides the truth from her family ... as she puts on her smiling mask  and takes Babuji out for a walk ... she needs the time out ... away from the disapproving worry of BG, from the anger and regret of Arnav ...

RM ... Bubbly is doing the first part of her job ... becoming KMH for Payash. Family pictures in full swing ... I stand corrected, RRR was in the last family picture. And Payal will be cut out. Bubbly darling, if wishes were horses, you and Mami would be riding.

GH - BG making pakodas for Arnav ... (me wants!) And Arnav has disappeared ... reappears with golguppas for the family.
Another milestone on the learning curve - appropriate treats ... this family enjoys golguppas and street food much more than expensive pasta ... wealth is not necessary to furnish the small joys of life - how true! Reminds me of my hubby when we visit Delhi ... my mom loves golguppas, my dad, being typical angrez in his tastes, never did, so my hubby would go out and get them for her! 

And it's Arnav's way of apologizing for his earlier outburst ... realizing the truth of Khushi's upset, and that he did disrespect and hurt Garima by his outburst. Although again BG accept his apology gracefully ... and G assures him he can call her what he wants ...
When Buaji said that about Khushi, don't take her too seriously, she is pagal, I felt Arnav was upset on her behalf ... is he seeing that even her own family is never privy to her deepest feelings? That not only has she hidden her problems from his family, but also from her own ... the reason for his unconditional welcome and love and affection from his in-laws is only because they don't know what she has gone through in RM.

Khushi enters, and Arnav sees the mask firmly in place, the chirpy Khushi without a care in the world back in place ... eyes only for her favorite golguppas ... was he stupid to think that she was so hurt by him? She's obviously not ...
And Buaji says that Arnav brought the golguppas, and the mask slips again ... she refuses to eat them, even though obviously longing for them ... but then her lack of malice back, ok, she'll eat one ... golguppas are more important than her upset at LG ...
And he watches her eat with enjoyment ... the simple pleasures of life ... that's Khushi ... his unspoken apology accepted ... he still finds it difficult to apologize to Khushi in so many words.

My thoughts ...
(Been out, need to catch up with the last few posts, but it's almost time for the next episode so keeping this brief. More discussion on Wednesday's post.)

ArHi scene - will Arnav remember Khushi's words that she has never hurt a member of his family, and never ever will?
Also, has either of them given a thought to the fact that time is running out? They seem to be getting more and more used to each other, opening up more and more with each other ... the more these arguments and tears, conversely the closer they seem to become. 

Golguppa scene - Arnav looked like he wanted to eat up Khushi, gol guppas and all ... are we heading to another romantic moment, followed by the bombshell? 

23/4 - Epi 236 ... The Family That Eats Together, Stays together

Monday 23rd April

Very decent episode - a few touches reminded me of Delhi ;) - Arnav's saying 'switch on the motor if the water has gone' ... and Khushi's calling out 'bijli aa gayi!'
And I liked that they seemed to take the scenes slowly today ... not rushing through, as has been my complaint the last few episodes. 

The pump bath scene was quite funny ... found it hilarious the way the neighbors were happily holding forth with casual conversation while Arnav was being bathed ... Khushi bitiya, don't you feed him, how thin he is ... come over for breakfast one day, beta ... all the the day's work for them to see someone bathing under the community pump, kids and all, might as well issue a meal invitation while we're about it =)) Khushi reminding him that this was not humiliating, people bathe like this all the time - exactly what I was saying! And Arnav stalking off as soon as he possibly could, with the ASR dignity in tatters :))

Arnav discovering there is still no 'bijli' ... again, so familiar in Delhi until just a few years ago! And electricity comes back just in time for him to order a big meal.

Liked the Garima and Buaji scene a lot ... the two ladies whispering over the huge bill ... and somehow putting together the money to pay it ... LOVED the touch that Khushi sends money home for her family from her dabba business - a girl has as much right to support her parents as a son has!
Loved the way Arnav was thoroughly embarrassed that the women had paid, he hadn't meant for that to happen at all, and he felt really bad ... loved the way Buaji and Garima refused to take money from him ... loved the way Khushi was angry and hurt initially and ready to believe the worst as always, that he'd ordered his own food to humiliate the Guptas ... and then melted instantly as she saw he had ordered for everyone, keeping their tastes in mind ... loved the way Arnav ordered 'teekha' for Khushi, he knew her taste, even though it differed from his own ... loved the way he showed Buaji and Garima how to eat with a fork, and they happily followed his lesson and enjoyed the unfamiliar food ...
In short, loved the entire dining room scene ... and all the little details and nuances ... :)

When his driver called him for the car, my first thought was - this guy never gets to eat his meals! And as Khushi is always ready to believe the worst of him, so is he ready to believe the worst of her ... Liked Arnav's line - I can bathe in public, but I can't yell at you in public?! No, you can't, Arnav bitwa ...live with it!
My guess is that Appyji has done the needful, to keep the spare parts safe in his shop ...

RRR is back ... yippee!!! Villain back to villainy, now maybe we can get some movement in the story! And RRR is up to his tricks again, he finally manages to get the key made ... but Mamaji seems to be his nemesis ... now Mamji sees him getting the key made, and what's more, an obviously duplicate key made from a soap impression! 

The precap ... this was some major movement, so I liked it ... but Khushi was not being purposely irritating when she was telling Arnav to call Garima Amma ... so I wonder how it will play out ...

*edited* with a few added thoughts.
The bath scene - on second watch, my thoughts are the same - no big deal. And Arnav too changed his mind slightly when he also saw that no one was laughing or belittling him ... it was all in the day's work for them. Which was why his only reaction to Khushi was just a sulky 'don't talk to me,' rather than a full blown tantrum.

At the start, loved the way Khushi was happily standing at the door, waiting for his reaction, and turned instantly to guilt when Buaji and Garima appeared - like a little bachhi, scared of being found out, because she knew she would get an earful from them ;) And the switching between concerned wife for the benefit of the G ladies, to the barely hidden gleeful grin as she turned back to the door ... again, her expressions were hilarious, changing so swiftly ... well done! And after his calling for his fancy bath gel, she gives him Lifebuoy for a bath! =)) How the mighty have fallen! =))
And her saying, Indra can help ... Arnav says, ok, call Indra, I'll speak to him =))
It was quite funny the way the neighbors casually struck up normal drawing room conversation all through the bathing - how are you, dear? Fine ... the water went, so I brought him here ... completely understandable for everyone :) What does your husband do? ... He runs AR ... the community pump, a place for washing clothes, filling water, bath if necessary, and a meeting spot for the community :) Loved Arnav's expression when he first opened his eyes and saw where he was, with all the activities going on all around him, and Vimla aunty asking him, how are you? as though they were back in the Guptas' living room :)) Vimla aunty's helpful 'wash the soap behind his ears, beta' ... another =)) moment!


Arnav alone scene waiting for the electricity to return, frustrated when he couldn't do a thing without it - again bang on and so realistic. Feel the same way every time I go to Delhi, except that with inverters, the problem is not so much the fan and light, it's more the absence of internet - that doesn't work on the inverter.And the relief when the electricity was back ... how dependent we have all become on electricity! Can't function without it for an instant!

The entire dining room scene was done with a BD - Sanaya shot for her parts separately. Must say, her expressions are bang on. So she has already started shooting for her scenes separately to make up for the days she will be away.
The way Khushi was holding on to the dabba that Arnav ordered for her was really sweet - as though she has just received some manna from heaven. This girl is so hungry for the slightest sign from Arnav that he actually cares about her.
Garima was cute, the way she watched Arnav carefully and then tried to use her fork ... and Khushi's slight tearful laugh as she saw her amma try the unfamiliar fork, and Buaji try the mac'n'cheese, was very sweet. 
So will Khushi realize that another of her pranks rebounded on her? She asked her mom and buaji to prepare tasteless food for Arnav, but her mom and buaji ended up paying when he ordered food from outside. And showed Arnav in a different light as well ... that he ordered for everyone, not just for himself, and actually put some thought into the process. Though not sure whether Buaji and Amma actually liked the Italian food - mac and cheese and fusilli? Or were they just being polite?
Again, Arnav bitwa showed better behaviour today - slowly getting used to the Gupta house, and actually trying to be nice when Buaji switched on the cooler for him - yes, I'm fine, buaji. Liked him today - very much in character - unable to reach out because of his own inhibitions, but genuinely trying his best. Reminded me of the temple scene with the little girl and the pigeons. And Khushi saw that ... again felt bad for her. The more of this sweetness of Arnav that she sees, the bigger her heartbreak is going to be. Why is he nice to everyone else except for her, why does he believe in everyone else but not in her ...

Car scene - on re-watch, am very sure again that Happyji, to be helpful, and to keep the car safe, has removed the wheels etc. Have heard of people doing that when they go out of town for a long vacation, especially for their foreign cars - wheels and steering wheel. Haven't heard of the seats also being removed - that's a first :))
So Arnav has realized that she is doing her best to irritate him - but has he realized the reason? That it's to get the truth out of him, or to get herself thrown out of RM? The first he should wonder at, and that should drive him to the realization that she is not in cahoots with Shyam ... so that's not gonna happen. Maybe he has a dim idea of the second, and that's why he's holding on to his temper ... and also maybe, he's just affected by the goodness and acceptance of the G neighbors. He's left with nothing much to fight against ... except Khushi, of course.
But the trust has not built up fully on his side - he's quick to believe that she could have stolen the wheels etc to irritate him. Not to steal them per se ... that much he does know.

Shiddats, Spoilers and Scenes Wanted - more added

Posting Shiddat list early as we seem to have got some of our shiddats granted ... or they're on the way.

From Sandy
- Khushi in pink night suit - CHECK
- Arnav nihaarofying her -CHECK
- same bed - CHECK ;)
- wake up having trespassed royally on each other's sides-CHECK - well, she trespassed, and he didn't seem to mind, plus he already trespassed on the recliner. One all, say I.
- Khushi nihaarofying Arnav (hopeful!) - CHECK
- Arnav without waistcoat look - CHECK =))
- Khushi getting more aware of Arnav - CHECK

From Shwetha - Arnav buying food for the entire family - CHECK 
Arnav - GH ladies bonding - CHECK


Me - ditto to all ... want a Jodha Akar type scene with Khushi niharofying Arnav in vest showing his dole shole :))
Long awaited shiddat for Khushi to become more aware of Arnav ... bitwa is already well on his way, judging by the bed scene.

Arnav seems to have lost his waistcoat for good with the heat in the GH ... pun intended ;)

Still on the wishlist
 ... by the end of the GH stay, Arnav gets to know Shyam was Khushi's fiance, and she was unhappy with her engagement ... SHIDDAT
This is a strange one, but I do want this ... Payash Bubbly get some more screen space - because SaRun are still looking exhausted. Yesterday, except for the 4-5 minute Payash scene, the rest was all ArHi at the GH.
Shyam to get on with his games with duplicate key - and find the locker empty. The villain needs some screen time too.

Since our shiddats seem to be working big time, am adding two more -

Arnav's hair stylist to lose the gel bottle and find his scissors and razor FAST ... BS is looking not Devdas, but merely unkempt now!
A better wig for Khushi, without the weird bump on the back of her head. And more clothes. Preferably not in uniform style x( ... you have a beautiful heroine, make her look good!!!

Also want -
Arnav to realize about the reality of marriages and their importance in middle class homes

The chai at night and star gazing scene - *SHIDDAT* may the force be with this one!!!

Khushi in saree and Bitwa getting lost in her again ... a big Rabba Ve before the dhamaka please!

Adding SBB/SBS links here as I find them

SBB 26th April
SBS 26th April 2012

Hello Hi Bye Bye

Bye Bye to two shows on Star Plus which I watched fairly regularly and enjoyed ...

Maryada, for its strong characterization, strong female leads and fantastic villain. Loved Devyani, Uttara, Vidya and Priya, liked Imli, absolutely loved Roshnee Devi and Brahmanand Jhakhar - their clashes were the highlights of the show. Fabulous acting, great screenplay for the most part and four strong parallel tracks, which were separate, yet interwoven, so that the screen space could rotate between all the actors. It helped that I had no favourites among the actors, and could enjoy all the tracks equally. My favorite was definitely the Vidya-Gaurav track when she discovers that he is gay and how she deals with it. Daksh Ajay Singh - another fantastic actor - his character was beautifully etched out - a thorough gentleman, so at variance with his earthy, rather rough appearance. He is an actor I will be looking out for - would love to see him again. Roshnee Devi - Mona Ambegaonkar was simply deliciously evil as the crafty cunning politician perpetually at loggerheads with the frankly evil Brahmanand Jhakhar. Loved her Hinglish attempts.

Sasuraal Genda Phool - a cute family show on the lines of previous comedies like Dekh Bhai Dekh and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. Initially I made the mistake of watching it expecting a love story =)) ... Suhana and Ishaan soon disabused me of that idea - zilch chemistry, and definitely not the stuff romantic couples are made of. Once I accepted that this show was a comedy, I loved it. My favorite characters - Badi Maa, Supriya Pilgaonkar, and Papa, Suraj Thappar. Tracks I loved and which hooked me to the show - the Radha Bua-Deepak track, and the Panna-Raunaq track. Loved the brother-sister acting of Inder-Panna, especially when Panna was in trouble with her in-laws, when her husband went missing - Inder was such a lovely elder brother, strong, silent, yet fiercely protective. Loved the way they showed Panna's MIL changing over time, till she ended up supporting her DIL over her son - but with very good reason. Again, acting of the entire cast was great. The family moments were lovely - the madcap Kashyap family and their antics. What I liked best was that they behaved like a normal family ... no secrets, isko mat batana, usko mat batana ... everything was shared and discussed by the entire family - like it happens in real life. Special mention of the 'Suhana has a brain tumor track' here - the entire family was told without a fuss, they all shared in the sorrow and the pain of anticipation, supported each other through all the tension of getting the tests done, waiting for the reports and the relief when the tumour was found to be benign. I compare it with the inane track in EHMMBH where half the family, including the real sister, still doesn't know about her sister's cancer, and feel like beating my head! Also had one of my old favorites - Mahesh Thakur, and the twinkle in his eye - he's a terrible single father, has brought up two completely spoilt daughters, but I still like him! Will miss the crazy Kashyap family - my regular watch while waiting for IPKKND to air.

Hello Hi to Phir Subah Hogi - haven't caught the show yet, but I mean to - it has one of my most favorite actors, an AWESOME actor Varun Badola - the guy is simply fabulous! And the show seems to be a serious one ... look forward to watching it. Have seen Narayani Shastri in a show earlier, she's not bad either, but the main draw for me is Varun. I remember when we were watching Koshish - Ek Aasha, halfway through, my husband asked me - is this guy really retarded? His acting was SO realistic and good. And of course, he was the hero - or anti-hero - of one of my all time favorite shows - Astitva.

20/4 - Epi 235 ... Something missing - the Emotions

Friday 20th April

Quick update - Somehow the episode was not satisfactory ... badly written, or poorly acted? Didn't click, in spite of the Rabba ve scenes ... too many things happened, with no time for reflection in between ... jumping from awareness to irritate Arnav to awareness to irritate Arnav ...

The sleeping scene was on the whole, disappointing, Khushi and Arnav show absolutely no awkwardness when getting into bed together for the first time ... although the argument before was cute ... Khushi rolling all over Arnav in her sleep, and Arnav's only reaction being irritation didn't gel with me ... so the morning rabba ve although nice, didn't have as much effect as it could have had. The part I liked - the way Khushi says 'how would you know how I sleep, we've never slept in the same bed' ... and the sudden return to conscious awareness and awkwardness was good ... but again, their recovery was too quick. Why were the cv's in such a hurry to get over the RV scenes?

Now I really wonder if the channel is deliberately interfering and consciously damping down the chemistry :(

Khushi recovered so quickly to think about her next plan when Arnav says he's going jogging ... she recovered so quickly after the morning post-jog moment to think about her next plan ... is the screenplay badly written or deliberately kept this way? Since all the action is on her front, Arnav is doing nothing but react, it is even more noticeable. She seems to be totally in control of her feelings ... or at least able to control them whenever they show signs of going haywire ... is this deliberate on the part of the cv's? I refuse to believe it is poor acting skills ... the first few months of the episode are enough to rubbish that theory. So either the screenplay or the direction is faulty ... or there is interference from Big Boss SP - 8 pm show, can't have very suggestive scenes, children are watching.

Don't know what it is, but something is wrong. Wish the show would shift to a later time, so that it could stay with an "adult" tag ... then we might get the serious love story we were promised, and what this should be. It was never intended to be very light-hearted ... for whatever reasons it is being made light-hearted, and that's why the disconnect - it's not working.

No major OTT stuff today, just Khushi back to her antics - we badly need some introspection from Khushi now - does she even know why she's doing what she's doing? Why the need to make Arnav so uncomfortable? Just to rattle his ego and make him uncomfortable? To get back at his remark about class? When just yesterday she was almost in tears at the thought of the looming end of their marriage?

No, cv's ... you need to do much better than that. Whenever the Khushi characterization doesn't work, the episode is unsatisfactory.  And no Rabba ve's or shirtless Arnav's can make up for it.
SN - though, I have to say, the guy is built! :) And is not too beefy - my main turn off with all the muscle men on screen.

*edited*
Since we have already dissected the episode threadbare, am just adding my thoughts for each scene as they come.

Neighbors and Guptas - already discussed - the graciousness of the neighbors, they have to forgive the damaad and not expose his faults - will this ring a bell for Arnav as to why they hid Shyam's faults? Out of love and concern for Anjali? And for Akash and him - both damaads of the G house? Not only do they not blame Arnav, they go out of their way to set his mind at ease ... no problem, they can manage for one night for the damaad's sake. The breeze is cool, it won't be a problem.
As discussed below, in spite of all provocation, Khushi has not told Shyam's truth - she could have been vindictive and told Arnav - you threaten to break my sister's marriage, I will turn around and break your sister's marriage, by telling what your precious Jiju has been up to. But she has continued to hide it - not, as Arnav thinks, to hide her own guilt, but to save Anjali's marriage for as long as possible, especially in view of her pregnancy. And of her hyper Pati Parmeshwar persona.

 Guptas and Arnav - Arnav feels guilty, he tries to set things right as usual. Khushi stops him ... but stops short of blaming him in front of her family too, although she can't hide her annoyance completely. But she also says, it will be ok in the morning, don't bother. Very realistic again - a wife torn between expressing her annoyance at her hubby (which is her right) yet not in front of either the neighbors or even her own family.
Buaji offers to fan him, Garima tells him to open the windows, use the coil, Khushi negates the coil ... and also says they should all sleep. Garima gets the net in place of the coil - solution to one problem at least.

ArHi - Arnav's feelings of guilt are tempered by Khushi being annoyingly bright and chirpy again ... damping down her earlier annoyance in favour of more subtle barbs. Did she do that on purpose? And does get in one snide remark on his downing the electricity for the entire neighborhood - but she kept it to when they were finally alone together. His guilt keeps him quiet, and now he can't even throw her out or onto the floor, because there is only one net - they have to share the bed. So he lays the Arnav Rekha in place. Found it interesting that he is the one laying down the boundary, not Khushi. He wants to keep his distance, because of the misunderstanding ... she has no such MU, so keeping distance doesn't strike her. Neither did it the night they shared the recliner - again she was the one who had the idea of sharing it. All she wants to know is the reason for the hate in the marriage ... the love, the closeness, is very welcome. She has never really shied away from it or ever tried to avoid it.

Another amicable squabble about which side to sleep =)) soooo familiar! Every new place we go to, my hubby and I have the same discussion - which side is the right one, as we're used to sleeping in a certain position for years now!
Loved the way Arnav finally lost it and told her he doesn't get to sleep in his own bed at home either ... and Khushi's remarkable lack of concern =)) as good as told him, that's your problem, not mine! Bechare Chotey! Countered immediately with brute force this time - Shut up, I'm sleeping here.
And loved it when she makes a face and goes round the bed, and Arnav immediately asks her - where are you going?! What are you doing?! He can't believe she actually gave in! Shows how he enjoys their squabbles - like the Bali in Dilli night, when he was actually disappointed she didn't fight back.
And Khushi's sweet smile, folded hands, and wickedly demure Pati Parmeshwar, I'm just obeying you, that's all!
The next little exchange was damn cute ... Arnav's alarmed - what's that noise?! 
Khushi, unperturbed - my side of the bed makes a noise.
Arnav, resignedly - of course. How can anything to do with you ever be quiet?! 
I love his sarky one-liners!

Khushi rolling all over the bed - hubby does the same thing so I found it funny at first, but it got a bit exaggerated ... and no reaction from Arnav other than irritation?:(

Morning scene was much better :) ... although the way Arnav pushed Khushi's leg off him was a little bleh, but he made up for it by the way he started to push her hand off too, and got lost in niharofying his sleeping biwi :"> And liked the little touch of her hand holding on to his collar - that's been pretty much a constant in all the sleeping/unconscious scenes too ... as though Khushi in sleep needs the reassurance of holding on to something or someone. And the way his hand goes to hers to throw it off, but continues to hold on to it, as he niharofies her ... :">  and leaves her hand just as he sees her awaken, and lies back straight, guiltily, as though caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.
And the way Khushi awakes to see her hand on his, startled ... sees him awake too ... and withdraws her hand far more slowly ... straightens herself, her dupatta ... very aware suddenly of where they are in the same bed. Total awkwardness ... neither is yelling at the other for encroaching on their space ... till Arnav has to break the awkwardness the only way he can ... by grouching about a sleepless night, leaving the reason unspoken - was it the heat, the mosquitoes, or the space. He doesn't tell her directly that he minded her encroaching on his side at all. Khushi's reply is also not fighting, it's more apologetic ... I sleep like this only ... Arnav picks her up on that one ... you don't, and she fires back - how would you know? This is the first time we've shared a bed ...

Oops ... awkward silence again ... neither really in a hurry to move ... unspoken dreams, if things were different between them, this would not have been the first time ...
till Arnav finally decides to break that awkwardness ... to go jogging.
He informs 'aunty' ... Khushi calls out more like out of habit than anything ... 'call her Amma' ... her face has this fond affectionate look ... how she loves riling her man and getting his response.

And then she gets another idea ... although I do know where she's going, I wish she would give it a rest! But then how would the story proceed?! Arnav atm is giving excellent imitation of good SP bahu ... silent suffering bhartiya nar, because he loves his patni parmeshwari.

Akhada scene ... again interesting to see that the men's good-natured ribbing 'agar mard ho' didn't get Arnav riled up enough, but Khushi's 'inse nahin hoga ... aap nahin kar payenge' did the trick instantly ... that Sallu poster is grating on Arnav apparently :)) And what biwi says and thinks of him matters the most.
And the tables turned on Khushi as HH gets into action ... surrounding men admire, and long awaited shiddat realized - Khushi niharofies HH with her jaw dropping ... about time her hormones kicked in! Good going, Bitwa! Loved that half-smirk he gave her ... wish it had been longer :)
Men congratulate bitwa, he's least bothered, all his attention and eyes on biwi and only her ... she offers him water, he tells her to hold his (what's it called) danda ... to prove his point again, as she almost drops it and he echoes her words back to her ... forget it, you can't do it ... and he sambhalos it himself. Point proved ... he can do everything ... he's her Mr Perfect.
And then pours her offered water on himself, and Bitiya is totally gone now :"> :"> :"> lost completely in her Hotwa Hubby ...
(This is why I was irritated at how quickly she recovered ... there should have been a visible effort on Khushi's part to get back to her plan, maybe a break of scene. And why the emotions felt truncated.)

Payal-Manorama-Bubbly ... seems the makers have changed this track slightly - to show how Bubbly actually wants to be mothered, but everyone insists on treating her as grown up and able to make her own decisions ... no one wants to mother her, scold her, or treat her like the child she actually is. And Bubbly doesn't much care to be like Mami, for sure! :))

ArHi again ... Arnav wants to shower ... liked the way Garima offered tea, very natural and sweet ... and then the saga of Going for Shower starts ... first delayed by Buaji, then by Khushi, one inadvertantly, one very much on purpose ... Khushi back to her 'irritate Arnav into talking' track. I have to remind myself that Khushi actually has a reason for her irritating ways ... she is very successful at being irritating!

One last thought - with Sanaya off to UK at the end of the month, this does seem to be a good time for the ME and one part of the MU to be exposed - Arnav's reason for marrying Khushi to become known to Khushi. Arnav goes back to RM without Khushi, as she refuses in her hurt to come back with him. So we get a day or two of Arnav without Khushi at RM, missing her, and now actually investigating Shyam seriously, after Khushi's reaction to his truth.

19/4 - Epi 234 ... How the Other Half Lives ... edtd

19th April Thursday

A very decent episode - a serious toned down Khushi automatically makes for a good episode, I find. Just one person alters the entire tone of the episode. And with a sensible screenplay, the actors' acting improves too.

Before I go on, a comment on IF caught my eye ... ever since SPA and the popularity of BS/SI exploded, the PH (?or the channel) has been exploiting them to the detriment of the show. BS/SI get more screen space now than they ever did, and the villain is missing for days on end. The other actors are used just as fillers, without any thought given to their scenes - wasting their talent. And they all are a very talented lot ... we don't mind watching scenes of Payash-Mami, Nani, Anjali ... as long as they add to the story.
Again, time for the PH/channel to realize that although BS/SI are hugely popular, what caught the eye and the imagination of the viewers was their characters and their story ... destroy those characters, and the TRP's will fall - the popularity of the individual actors may not wane, but for the cv's, its the TRP's which are important.So again - wake up, cv's - get your characters in place and your story moving.

Quick update -
Arnav and munh dikhayi ... cute scene, nowhere near as OTT as shown in the SBS. The neighbors were all sweet, non-intrusive, definitely not as rude as the Raizada neighbors, and genuinely happy for Khushi. Harvard and Haridwar =))

The mention of 'saat janam' and the Rabba ve ... the pain and longing in her eyes, which for once she couldn't cover with her usual smiles, the way he couldn't quite meet her eyes ...

Anjali-Bubbly-Payash ... so it's their one month anniversary. And Bubbly is disappointed that the gift is not for her. Anjali is busy with her pregnancy book - only one month has passed, so no baby bump yet.
SN - does this mean it will take another ten months for five months in IPK-land and the MU to clear? God help us ... will anyone still be watching this show?

The AC arrives, along with other toiletries and essentials. Liked this scene - the bigda Raizada for the first time, realizes he made a boo boo, and didn't exactly do things gracefully, Garima and Buaji's hurt and embarrassment, Khushi's hurt upset ... the way the G ladies then tried to make him feel less guilty, the way Arnav did actually feel guilty ... the way Khushi remembers her own suhaag raat when Garima says he and the Raizadas would also have made some adjustments for her ... all the feelings were portrayed really well ...

Sleeping arrangements are sorted out ... someone has been listening to Shweths :))
Khushi back to her usual efficiency, dealing with mosquitoes - no coil because of Arnav's allergy.
The AC comes on ... Arnav agrees to share the bed ... and the light goes off. Correction - the lights go off - of the entire neighbourhood.

So will the bigda Raizada stay overnight at all? Or will they go back home to RM?

*edited*
A better episode - some introspection on the part of Khushi starts - some insight into her feelings and how she covers them always with a smile. 

Arnav sweating it out in his sasural - has his RTR started? He pushed Khushi out into the cold, now he feels the heat.
A slight ironical smile at the sight of Khushi's Salman Khan posters ... especially the one with Khushi in a doli :))

Buaji and Garima peep in, sensibly not taking their madcap Khushi's word for it that he will welcome meeting the neighbors, and pretty cautious about asking him ... liked the way Arnav has no hesitation in calling Buaji 'Buaji' ... probably recognizes another strong character and accords her with the respect she deserves.

Buaji saying 'hum nahin hain' ... cute! :)) Nervous of upsetting the senior damaad (even though he's technically the younger one, but he's older, hes Payal's jeth and the head of the family), also she has heard about his temper.

Arnav welcomes the visitors, much to the G ladies' surprise ... till he discovers who they are - all the neighborhood women. And a reverse 'munh dikhayi' ... I always love the turning of tables on the men =)) He had a much easier time than Khushi or Payal did ... the G neighbours are much better behaved and more well meaning than the R neighbours ... and they genuinely wish for the couple's happiness.
Also loved the reverse interrogation on Arnav's education and means - he might be good looking, but  is he able to support their beloved Khushi? And Arnav's incredulous look on the questioning - 'are you kidding me? I'm an MBA, dammit!'
Khushi taking her role as interpreter very seriously - 'what the' translated into such a long sentence, same with 'whatever' ...
Liked the humour in the scene, balanced and not OTT, the play on words was cute - Harvard and Haridwar, chain of shops and shop of chains ... :) Pata hai ... nahin, Lata hain ... Arnav was more ASR here, annoyed at having to meet the neighbours he had absolutely no interest in ... buster, all girls go through this, it's time some men did too :) The feminist in me speaking :)
And the slight one-upmanship between Buaji and Taiji ... 'my damad has studied bijiness, he has so many factories and people working for him' ... 'My Lallan also has people working for him' ... =))

And then the poignant moment ... as Taiji gets up to bless Arnav, pulls cheeks, kisses forehead ... Arnav mentally goes 'what the' again, Taiji tells Arnav to keep Khushi happy, and Khushi translates his 'whatever' as a 'yes, he'll always keep me happy ...all through this lifetime ...' expressing her unspoken dreams and longing for Arnav to say those words ... and Taiji gives them a blessing for saat janam ... and Khushi's mask slips ... seven janam? This marriage won't even last seven months ... 

And they both instantly look at each other, then look away, he with a mix of guilt and probably the beginning of realization as to what marriage means in her society, and what he's done to her ... Khushi with hurt, longing, looking away, and then back to him, as though looking for something that could give her some hope, but there isn't ... tries to say something, probably searching for something flippant as always to cover her feelings, but this time she can't think of anything ... so she just leaves ... they walk in opposite directions, turn back for a last look as always ... but for the first time, they turn at the same time, and see each other ... she still hoping, still searching, but she knows she won't find what she's looking for, as his eyes hold a trace of guilt, but nothing more. :'(

Anjali discussing the growth of the baby with a nine year old? Seriously?! Bubbly gets her gift for Akash, and gets her first reality check about Akash's changed priorities ... it's their one month anniversary, and his gift is for Payal, not for her. (SN - one month or three? Apparently in the UK/US feed, Akash said it was their three month anniversary). 

Back to GH - Arnav's toiletries and AC arrive ... the neighbours are all excited about the generosity of Madhumati's damaad ... Buaji and Garima are embarrassed and hurt ... Khushi is upset at the perceived insult to her family ...
Barun's dialogue delivery needs work!!! The way he told the delivery guys, I've been waiting for so long ... ufff!!! Needed to be FAR more forceful and authoritative ...even the way he first told Khushi that he was getting the AC installed, it will be useful even after he leaves ... He shouldn't have been feeling guilty already ... this part should have been all forceful and unthinking, uncaring ASR ... and later as he sees Buaji's and Garima's expressions, the "uh oh, I made a boo boo here" should have started. Don't blame Barun - direction was poor here.

Garima, Buaji and Khushi were excellent ... I was holding my breath in apprehension that Khushi would let loose and fire from all cylinders ... thank god she didn't, she held her tongue ... but reality starts to bite ... she made this impulsive decision to bring Arnav to her maayka to teach him a lesson, show him how the other half lives, show him that being poor doesn't necessarily mean low class ... she didn't stop to think she would be exposing her own family to hurt and embarrassment. And of course, being Khushi, the anger comes out only for Arnav ... not that I blame her - after so many years of marriage, I still feel the same if ever I feel any perceived slight from my inlaws or husband to my maayka!

The next part in the room was excellent, as Arnav starts to get the AC installed, the workers make an unthinking remark about whether the walls will hold up ... now Barun was spot on, as Arnav sees belatedly the hurt and embarrassment of his in-laws and starts to fire at the workers in his usual ASR way, Buaji and Garima interrupt and assure the workers that they can continue their work as the walls are strong enough, Buaji says the cooler was coming anyway, trying to tell Arnav that they had done their best for his comfort, Garima interrupts to tell her that their best was not good enough for him, as he was used to much better ... Khushi feels worse and worse ... and so does Arnav. Anger breeds anger, contempt breeds contempt ... but this gentle understanding and instant forgiving is alien to him. He has insulted his in-laws and hurt their feelings ... without meaning to, unthinkingly, that's true ... but he has ...

Buaji and Garima were fantastic here ... hurt, and covering it with a smile of understanding, assuring Arnav he could do what he liked to make himself comfortable, because his comfort was the most important thing ...

The delivery man hands over Arnav's towels and toiletries, Buaji and Garima feel worse ... and Arnav feels so guilty that he actually feels the need to explain ... Buaji tells him with a smile that his comfort and happiness is the most important thing, Garima agrees ... Arnav must be feeling lower than an insect right about now. Face to face with hurt feelings, covered with a smile and understanding forgiveness ... will he ever see the parallels in Khushi's behaviour?

And Khushi is angry and upset ... she can hide her own hurt, her pain when he insults her, but her family is another matter. Again - like all girls, insults to maayka are intolerable. Even though this is a situation of her own making ...
Garima sees her upset and tries to comfort her ... don't worry, Khushi, everyone has to adjust ... even in your new house, he would have adjusted for you, isn't it?
And Khushi remembers how he threw her out into the poolside, and kept his room and its comforts to himself ... he adjusted? Her upset grows, but she hides it again ... doesn't say anything. Arnav sees her hurt, but he keeps quiet as well ... slow realization here ... his unthinking actions can hurt. Something she told him ages back ... 

Hope this GH stay teaches Arnav a lesson in understanding Khushi better, and Khushi starts to realise that her own anger has consequences which can reach back to bite her, and by extension, so can Arnav's ... they will both have learned valuable lessons.

 At night Khushi comes in to realize that Arnav has taken over her room ... the same way that she took over his ... so he's doing tit for tat ... she wanted to show him the reality of her world ... he's making her world his own. In a way, he's showing her the reality too - the reality of how he operates ... the reality of his world ... hope this doesn't degenerate into Khushi teaching him another lesson, because both are learning things about each other here.

Later - Arnav says he won't sleep on the same bed ... Khushi, not being Sati Savitri bhartiya nari, has no intention of taking the floor, or (to give her credit) of letting him take it ... paints a not so rosy picture of hard beds and mice nibbling his hair ... horrified, he says he'll sleep in his car ... Khushi amiably agrees, but points out what kind of impression he will create ... he has already proved he is the 'damaad' of the house ... the last said with a bite in her voice.
Second time Khushi has pointed out the consequences of his actions, and let him take the decision ... she is learning how to handle him for sure. Now if only she would rein in her own temper and curb her own antics. Or maybe it will be Arnav's turn to teach her that.

Arnav troubled by mosquitoes ... Khushi gets out the electric racquet, because he's allergic to coils, and gets busy ... Arnav is horrified ... she tries to slap at a mosquito on his nose, he stops her ... the AC will help with the heat and the mosquitoes ... and he will take half the bed ...

AC on ... lights off ... of the entire neighbourhood.

Have a feeling they will return to RM soon ... unless the electrician actually manages to fix the AC problem.