22/11 - Epi 126 ...Check?

22nd Nov Tues

Back later with a detailed take ... but a thought just struck me ... is Arnav doing this hurried engagement to goad La into breaking off their engagement? Or to goad Khushi into revealing her feelings?
If the latter, he may be doomed to disappointment ... because Khushi is far stronger than he is. In fact, that's what is riling him the maximum ... that she is able to act unaffected by his engagement, while he is shellshocked by the news of hers ... maybe that's why he's testing her more and more.
And will either the Arnav-La break or the Khushi confession - whichever happens - coincide with Khushi finding out Shyam's truth and breaking off her engagement? But distancing herself from the Raizada household in guilt?

Many ways this can go ... interesting! Pace is building up.

Episode starts with the two sisters, both musing over their love lives ... Khushi's rajkumar is always in a temper ... and Payal's is unavailable. Interesting that Khushi sees Arnav as her rajkumar ...

Arnav-Anjali - for once, Anjali sees beyond her nose and realises that Khushi was upset. And Arnav is worried for Khushi ... but angry too. Khushis is upset - why then is she getting engaged? How can she think of spending her life with someone she doesn't love?
Methinks he should ask himself the same questions too.
Anjali wonders why he's talking this way ... she should also wonder why the brother who never believed in love is now talking so authoritatively about why Khushi should not marry without love!
He asks Anjali to leave him alone ... his words echo again ... how can she spend her life with someone she doesn't love?
What he means is ... how dare she? How can she leave him and go to someone else? She is his, she has to love him, because he needs her.
Loved his expressions here ...

On the other side, Khushi lost in his thoughts, as he is lost in hers. Remembering his asking her why does she look unhappy?
Shyam comes ... if he was really what he claimed to be, his behaviour was bang on. Hesitant, trying not to encroach, let's go out as friends, if you don't want to call it anything else, I know all this is sudden ...
But Shyam's reality makes me want to puke when he acts all solicitious ... he's actually gone and bought a shaadi ka joda for Khushi already, under the guise of Buaji's wishes, of course ... and when he holds Khushi's hand to put on the bracelet, felt like shouting "don't you dare touch her!" So did Khushi ... it was in her eyes. And as Shyam calls off their 'date' and goes on rambling, Khushi loses herself in thoughts of Arnav again ... uncaring about the man next to her ...

On the other side, La is rambling about honeymoon destinations, only to find Arnav lost in his thoughts ... and completely unresponsive. And for once, she doesn't even try.

Next day, Anjali deciding what to wear for her 'date' ... Khushi enters, Arnav sees her ... Anjali's words ring in his ears ... Khushi doesn't seem happy ... and he searches her eyes ... no, she doesn't. Her usual sunny smile, her spirit, her zest for life seems dimmed, her face shadowed ...

RM was Khushi's refuge ... here she could get away from the reality of her life for a few hours, be free-spirited and happy again, forget the Shyam cloud hanging over her head. Maybe that was why she never told anyone here about her engagement, maybe this was one place she could forget about it herself, or try to. But now that everyone here knows as well, the Shyam cloud follows her here too ...

Does Anjali notice their interaction? Or is she only focussed on Khushi and her evident unhappiness? I think the latter.
La and Anjali go off ... Shyam calls and Anjali asks Khushi to pick up. She listens to the voice at the other end, puzzled ... she has heard this voice before.
Thank god someone has some brains. Will Khushi connect the voice?

Anjali asks Khushi if she's happy with the engagement. Khushi puts her off ... but her face shows her feelings. But Anjali definitely knows that there is something wrong.

Khushi drops her bracelet at Arnav's feet.
Check ...
Tell your fiance not to buy you such cheap gifts.
I don't care about the price of the gifts.
You should. Maybe the man is as cheap as his gifts. You never said a truer word, Arnav! Even though it was out of sheer jealousy ... she can prefer another man to him?!

Khushi recovers some of her fight.
Don't bother about my fiance's bank balance, Mr. Raizada. He's rich in the things that matter to me.
Then why do you look so unhappy? Unanswerable.
So she turns his question back on him ... two players, circling each other edgily, claws at the ready, tempers sheathed, because this fight needs cool heads ...
Forget about me, Mr. Raizada. You will never understand what makes me happy. He does, Khushi, that's why he's doing such a good job of making you unhappy!
But then, if bank balance is all that's important to you ... you have a healthy one, why are you so unhappy?
As for me ... I'm happy. 
And she lowers her eyes in case he reads her lie ... like she read his lie yesterday.

Checkmate?
Not yet ... he's not giving up ... he can't lose. So next move ... his engagement will be the very next day.
La, Anjali, Nani ... all are shell-shocked, unhappy, upset ... so much to be done, no shubh mahurat ... not possible. But Arnav is adamant.
In his battle with Khushi, there are so many innocent casualties ... or pawns. Notably La.

Arnav backed himself into a corner ... getting out of it and handling all the repurcussions, is taking a toll on everyone. Especially as the rest don't even know they're on the chessboard. Only he and Khushi know what the real battle is all about. The problem is Arnav has all the pawns on his side. The Queen is alone. Can she still win the game?