Gunjan and Nupur - the two faces of today's woman

Gunjan - an idealist, an achiever. Determined when she gets going. Has small dreams but has the determination to see them through. And when an opportunity comes her way, she takes her time to decide on it, with some stops and starts ... and now, it seems - all systems go. She will give it all she's got, because that's the way she is. She always dreamed of doing something, achieving something - this is not what she dreamed of, but since it has come her way, and she has finally made up her mind, she will go all out and do her best. And excel. Again, because that's the way she is.

But she also had her dreams of her life with Samrat - small dreams again, but very important to her. What of those? Will they fall by the wayside? Or will she, like all other working women, struggle to achieve a balance between home and work, falter, find her way again and eventually find her balance on her own personal tightrope. A tightrope which any working woman can understand and appreciate, because all of us find our balance on it every single day of our lives.

I understand that tightrope because I've been on it. And as a working woman, I tell Gunjan, go for it. And I hope that she finds her balance, that she can cope with the demands of a tough profession, with those of her partner in life, Samrat. As an ardent fan of Sajan - I want her to find that balance and to be with Samrat forever, walk hand in hand with him while maintaining her own identity, finding her own place in the world. Because I believe that the Gunjan I fell in love with in the show, can do it. I fell in love with her for precisely that reason, for being a girl with dreams other than those of being a good wife and mother - dreams similar to what I had as a child, dreams of being someone, achieving something. And she gives me the motivation, that if she can do it, I can too.
But as a realist, I can see a rocky road ahead for Gunjan as she struggles to find that balance. And I pray that the Cv's somehow manage to achieve that balance and don't make Gunjan give up everything for love - not just because I love Gunjan, but because that would be the worst message to give in a youth show.

Nupur - a dreamer, an optimist. She dreamed dreams all her life, those of an ideal partner and husband, fame and fortune in a fairy tale career. One dream achieved - she found her ideal partner, her husband, but in less than an ideal way, her fairytale wedding was a set of mishaps and nightmares one after the other. But as they say, all's well that ends well, and she's happily married and settled in her new life.
But her second dream was just rudely shattered and at the moment, she's at her own crossroads. Is this all she wanted from life? To be a wife and mother? To hold the fort while her husband goes out and makes his way in life? And just be his strong support, submerge her identity in his?
Again, I understand Nupur because I've been in her shoes too. And I understand her craving for an identity of her own. But 'just' to be a wife and mother is in itself a huge job, to be a good wife and mother is probably the most rewarding job of all. It doesn't bring fame, fortune, success. It brings small, priceless rewards everyday in the smile on your husband's face when you open the door for him, the hugs of your children when they come home from school, the cuddling up in bed as a family, laughing together, playing together.
I hope she finds that happiness, that sense of completeness and feeling of fulfilment in her home and family. As a wife and mother, I hope she grows and realises that the place she's in is one that many others would envy. But as a modern woman of today, as a feminist of sorts, I hope she also finds her own place in the sun, her own identity, her own personal goals in life, a new dream to replace the one that broke.

To the Cv's - I have one request. Working women have almost never been portrayed well in Indian tv or movies. Either they are shown to neglect their families, or they give up their careers and decide to stay within their four walls as strong support to their men, and no more. This is a wonderful opportunity to show that a woman can achieve a balance - I hope you use it wisely and well.

And to all the viewers - A few days ago, when Samrat told Nupur to be happy with her position as wife and mother, there was an outcry against him for being old-fashioned and against the times. And that Nupur has the right to work, find a job for herself, make a career. Yet the very next day, when Gunjan went out to work, there was an equal outcry that she is neglecting her love, and by extension, will neglect her home and family in the future, that she can't see Samrat's feelings, or worse, that she has forgotten all that he has ever done for her in the excitement of her new life.
This is the situation that all women face all the time - that many of you will face when in life you start working - so please - give Gunjan a break! Give her time to find her balance, and let's hope that the Sajan story stays as beautiful, as full of trust and understanding as we have always seen it to be. It won't be instant - but as most of us on this forum are girls (and women), let's try to put ourselves in Gunjan's shoes for a while and feel her struggles as much as we feel Samrat's pain.
My post is mainly centered around Gunjan - not because I'm a Gunjan fan, but because I'm a working woman, and have actually heard many of the comments on this forum in real life. As do many working women, even today, which is part of the reason why it's so difficult for women to reach the top.