12/5 - 251 - Mahaepisode ... Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

Saturday 12th May Mahaepisode

Critics' hat will be on tomorrow ... for today, all I can say is a very well done episode ... for the first time I can remember, a Mahaepisode where I didn't feel the need to forward any part ...all tightly knit and relevant to the story ... down to Akash's two minute appearance ... and HP's all-important one as well, of course :)) And no fillers at all ... MLP was mercifully absent! But just goes to show - the entire story revolves around these four main characters .. the rest are all just side staff ...

Loved Khushi's line to Shyam ... I may work according to my heart, but that doesn't mean I don't use my head at all ... :) I can even forgive her for taking Arnav's signatures on the documents because she made sure to read them through first (of course RRR pre-empted her on that one, should have known he would when he agreed so easily for her to read them) ... and then she had no intention of handing them over to Creepwa without showing them to Arnav first. And hid them rather smartly too - in one pot out of about five hundred ... he will have his work cut out finding them, especially as she brushed the mud away from the floor as well - yes, I was looking for all that with an eagle eye! And now Shyam will be confused whether she took them out of the house at all or not ...

Liked Anjali ... true to her usual self ... blind yet very well-meaning,,, truly concerned for Khushi's upset ... told her the reason for Arnav's upset at this time of year ... wanted to spend time with her ... and was true to nature blind about why KP was in Arnav's room ... but this has been three times she has caught KP there ... will she never get suspicious? And am sure that either the cv's are noting that we note HP's appearances and keep them coming ... or they really do plan a role for him in the unmasking ...

Shyam (Abhaas) was very good ... mask completely off ... satisfactorily frustrated when Khushi got the better of him ... glib talking as usual with WW (worshipping wifey) ...

Arnav ... hmm, Barun was a little off today ... he was okay, not mindblowing ... especially when he said 'I was hoping that you would be able to prove your innocence' ... I would have liked some major change of expression there, much more softness and yearning ... his thoughts were expressed more by the voiceovers and fb's than his expressions ...

But more than made up for by Khushi ... simply loved Sanaya in the first confrontation with Shyam ... at first watch, I was like - there's something different about Khushi, it's more like Sanaya than Khushi ... then I realised it's the change of Khushi, the loss of innocence, that basic trust she had in the goodness of everyone - it's gone forever because of Shyam ... the childish tones are gone, replaced by a new firmness and maturity ... she's dealing with Shyam very differently from the way she dealt with him earlier.
The way she tries repeatedly to reach Arnav were heartbreaking ... and made me more and more annoyed with him for not responding ... how do you expect her to prove anything if you're not prepared to give her a chance?! And the last airport scene was emotional to the core ... Khushi giving it her all to reach out ... her last chance ... the last throw of the dice ... though did she really think Shyam stating her innocence to Arnav would convince him?!
Sanaya was fabulous all through ... =D>

So it was good to see Arnav's fb's as he walks off ... finally some dimaag ki batti lighting up ... the kidnapping/disappearance/missing will be good for him, methinks ... some much-needed time out to sit in solitude and connect the dots ... let's see what he's up to. It didn't look as though Shyam is the one responsible ... he was far more concerned about the papers ...

Will give my take on the airport later - having been in and out of Delhi airport some ten times in the last five months, I could not take that mall monstrosity passed off as an airport!!! =))

*edited*
Very difficult to do edits on a Sunday ;) will do in bits and pieces as I get the time ... But have to say, on re-watch, I take back my words on Barun's expressions - they were actually bang on for the most part ... it was the dialogues that could have been better ...

So first scene - ArHi - Arnav wakes up, Khushi getting ready for the day, but Arnav heads for the bathroom first and she quietly hands him his towel, giving him first right to the bathroom ... and he remembers their fights for the bathroom, where she claimed her rights because she was his wife ... woke him up with a cup of tea because she was his wife ... she tells Shuklaji she's stopping her dabba service, he can take over ... and he remembers her starting it with full authority and enthusiasm because she was his wife ... now slowly she's withdrawing herself from his life, from those fights, from all the things she did earlier whether it was to annoy, to tease, to poke ... because she no longer has the right ...
She's withdrawing from the position of his wife ... because he married her only for his sister, not for her ... she has no rights any more ... none that she can confidently assert ... she is not his wife, she never was.

And he doesn't like it ... doesn't like it at all ...

Khushi takes out the file again, still in two minds ... should she, should she not ...? Remembers Shyam's words, Arnav will believe him in an instant if he feeds him more lies ... while he's not willing to give Khushi even a hearing
SN - why didn't Khushi try to speak to Arnav at night? I think after waiting the whole day in Arnav's office, she was scared that whatever she said, he was simply not prepared to listen ... he wouldn't believe her whatever she said, he needed to hear it from someone else ... even if she told him about the papers, the fact that Shyam gave them to her, or that she took them from Shyam, might itself work against her, as evidence that she was in cahoots with Shyam. She needed more ... her word simply wasn't enough for him ...

Even then, she thinks if Arnav would listen to her, she might not have to do this ... So she sits down to read the papers to make sure there is nothing that could actually harm Arnav, and obviously finds nothing ...Shyam is one step ahead of her there ...

A small Shyam-Khushi confrontation, he wants the papers, asks if she has read them yet, she says she will get the signatures in her own sweet time ... Shyam is frustrated, time is running out and now Khushi is not exactly crying for mercy, she's holding her own very firmly ... his attempts to terrorise her aren't working very well ... he needs to get smarter, push harder, because she's not a pushover as he thought she would be ...

Arnav, blissfully unaware of all this, is lost in his own dilemma ... to believe or not to believe ... or rather, to forget or not to forget, and if to forget ... how?! How to forget her?! Why can't he forget her ...forget all those images in his mind, memories of times when she irritated him to the core, but now he'd give anything to have that irritating Khushi back again ... Khushi drying the clothes cheerfully on his face, walking on his bed chattering on the phone nineteen to the dozen, stitching his button ... and their terrace confrontation ...
And he has to tell himself fiercely to stop thinking about her ... she doesn't  matter to him, not at all ... he doesn't want to see her face, hear her voice ... whether she's there or not, koi farak nahin padta!
If only he could convince himself of that!!! 

Khushi looks at the file ... remembers Shyam saying she needs him to convince Arnav, remembers Arnav not stopping to listen to her, driving away leaving her on the road ... and is finally reconciled to getting Arnav's signatures in the hope that Shyam will keep his word.
And Shyam into action - Di is his pawn to distract Khushi while he quickly switches the papers for the ones he actually wants signed ... just in time ...
Now how to get the signatures? Khushi hears Akash saying he needs Arnav's signatures on some papers, and she offers to do the needful ...she will get the signatures, but she's not going to give Shyam his victory so easily either ...

Arnav, more fb's as he works ...Khushi's swami act, the 'tika' scene :x :"> Holi (finally!!!) as he remembers Khushi's quirky drunk smile, her dancing ... again he can't stop thinking about her ...
Khushi comes with papers for his signature ... holds them out openly ... 'why did you bring them?' She has an explanation, he listens and signs the papers unseen (really, Arnav? Harvard MBA and don't read the papers you're signing?) ... telling her again (or is it himself) that her changing the room back, removing her things doesn't make a difference to him ... not even seeing what he's signing because he's trying his best to ignore her ... or at least convince her that she doesn't matter at all.
Liar Arnav ... as though hoping that by saying it repeatedly, he might be able to make it true ...
She didn't do it because it makes a difference to him ... she knows it won't, because he's blinded by his own false perceptions ...
He refuses to look at her ... as though afraid to meet her eyes ... she will catch his lies out ...

And Khushi has the papers she needs ... or Shyam needs ... but not so fast, Shyamji ...
Quick action - take pictures for proof, then hide the papers securely (good spot, in one out of about five hundred flower pots, and cleaning up after her work) ... don't think she's going to hand them over to Shyam and then trust in Shyam's goodness to fulfill his promise, because Shyam has shown that he has no goodness at all ... and even once Shyam talks to Arnav, she will make sure to show Arnav the papers before she gives them ... no way will she deceive Arnav or allow Shyam to deceive him ...

Shyam-Khushi ... loved this scene - showed the maturing of Khushi  beautifully - cool, confident, smart, completely in control of herself and the situation =D> =D> =D> Thank you, cv's!!!
Hate the way Shyam enters Arhi's bedroom - can we give him a kick right where it hurts please? x( ... but Shym's acting here was damn good - mask off completely, menacing, threatening ... 'papers ...' not even a please
She ignores him ... his anger builds ...
'I don't have time for this ... give me the papers ...'
'Not so soon ...'
He's a little taken aback, yet the bluster is not gone ... 'What nonsense is this?'
Khushi cool as a cucumber ... 'why? Remember our deal? I've got the signatures, but you don't get the papers till you speak to Arnav and tell him the truth.'
He's furious ... checkmated at his own game? How dare she ...?
'Forget my daring - first talk about your own daring ... you dare come a step closer and you're dead meat ... you are not getting the papers ... if you want them, tell Arnav the truth.'
Stymied ... because of course, he never had any intention of telling Arnav any such thing ... so stall for time and make sure she really holds the ace she's talking about ...
But she's a step ahead here as well - ready for that one too ... shows him the pictures on her phone ... 'here you go, proof that I have the signatures ... now your turn ...'
(SN - Khushi, that was really very smart, and I absolutely love you for that - now please just go and destroy the papers once and for all ... na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri ...) 

So Shyam stalls for time again ... here, at home? In front of everyone? And again he tries his glib talking again ... 'I'll do it but it will hurt so many people you love ...'
She's one smart cookie, recognises his veiled threat instantly and backtracks ... 'okay, we'll find another place '... Shyam sneaks a look around and she bites off his nose with the dialogue aimed right at the audience ... 'Stop looking around, you won't find the papers ... agreed my heart dictates my actions, but that doesn't mean I don't have brains ... you won't find the papers. And don't mistake my innocence for stupidity ...'

One last slimy remark ... 'that's why I love (DDR) you, Khushiji' ... and he's off ...

Very well acted scene by both players - gloves off, circling each other warily, now neither making the mistake of underestimating the other ... two worthy opponents - the White Queen and the Black Knight, locked in battle ... 
Also loved the scene for Khushi's coming of age ... not so innocent any more, accepting the truth of Arnav's beliefs - there is wickedness everywhere in this world, a leopard doesn't change his spots ... no trusting in the innate goodness of people blindly any more ...

Arnav ready to leave for London ... doesn't take Khushi's calls, much to her consternation ... she tries from the landline, but no luck again ... 
A gritted out 'Stop calling me, Khushi,' ... he can't take this any more, she's occupying his thoughts, his mind as it is ... he can't deal with it any more ... not on this particular day ... as it is he's having a hard time dislodging her from his thoughts.

And as Aman tells Khushi that Arnav already left, a bemused Anjali sees how upset Khushi is to contact Arnav that she didn't even notice Anjali there ... and goes to help ... and tells her about the next day ...
Their mother's birthday, a day the whole family spends together, in prayer and charity ... but Arnav disappears on his own ... he doesn't want anyone around, where he goes no one knows ...
He wants to be alone ... but that's not what he needs ... he needs to be with his loved ones ... and Khushi knows the difference between his want and his needs ...
So does Anjali, but she can't do anything about it ... Arnav doesn't let her ... because he can't share his pain with anyone ...

Another glimpse into the man he is ... when he is the most hurt, he clams up the most ... and he needs someone to break that shell ... slowly Khushi is getting to know the man more and more ...
DN - I hope this disappearance/kidnapping lasts just a day in IPK-land, so that Khushi can be with Arnav on the day he dreads so much, and get him to be with his family ... *Shiddat!!!*
And then Anjali breaks the bombshell ... Arnav is going to London today ...
And Khushi is distraught ... she added to his pain on a day he is already in pain ... she has to tell him the truth before he leaves ... she won't let him go before she tells him the truth ...

Shyam wondering whether Khushi hid the papers outside the house ... Khushi calls (more like summons) Shyam to the airport to tell Arnav the truth before he leaves ... or else he will never get the papers ... so now Shyam wonders whether she took the papers with him ...
Boy, he trashed their room pretty thoroughly ... :o
Interrupted by Anjali again ... third time ... and again HP is the witness ... again half-truths about a file ... 
So was Shyam supposed to know about the London trip? Did he know about the London trip before Khushi told him?
That was one super-fast clean up!

ArHi at airport ...
Arnav ready to leave ... Khushi arrives, no money for entry ticket, stopped by security ... she pleads with the security staff, but to no avail ...
And she stands at the entry gate helplessly, all she can do is whisper 'Arnavji' ...
And he hears ... (aww, gust of wind is back ... welcome old friend :) )
And turns ... and looks as though he can't believe his eyes ... the slightest hint of a smile on his lips, relief in his eyes, as though to say ... 'you came ...'
And she gazes back at him, the same relief in her eyes - she was in time ... pleading - hear me out just once, just one chance ... and love ... her eyes say it all ...  
And they look at each other as though they're the only two people in the world ...
She moves forward, again stopped, and calls out desperately ... just listen to me once ... 'I need to tell you something ...'
But then he hardens again ... no, she's the betrayer ... he can't be happy to see her ... he turns away from her voice, from the beseeching eyes ...
She calls him on the phone, he turns and deliberately cuts her call, holding her eyes ... get the messgae, Khushi, I don't want to talk to you ...
She won't give up ... she calls again and he has to take it this time ... she just wants to tell him the truth, after that she won't ask for anything ...
But she makes the mistake of mentioning the word 'Shyam' ... like a red flag to a bull ... he cuts the call instantly, closing his eyes in pain ... is she going to tell him he was right? He doesn't want to know ... he will not hear it ...
And she's left calling desperately again as he moves away ... and then she gives up ... he left ... without giving her even one chance ...
What can she do? What is she to do now?

And then she looks up in wonder ... he didn't go? He stopped?
'Because you forced me to '... he looks away, perhaps realising how hollow the words sounded ...
'Why are you doing this?'
'Because I need to talk to you, you can't go away like this. How can you even think that Shyamji and I ...?'
He doesn't even want to hear her name with that scumbag's in the same breath ...
So she grabs his ticket ... he can't leave till she's had her say.
He reaches for it in exasperation, but she's having none of it ... 'you can't leave like this. I've called someone who can prove I'm innocent ...'
And his face changes, hope entering ... does she mean that? can she really do that? 
Wisely she doesn't mention names any more ... she calls Shyam and gets a smooth assurance that he's on his way ... Arnav watches her carefully ...
But then he takes his ticket and starts to leave ... she stops him again, begs him ... 'don't leave, give me a chance, I haven't done anything which should make you think this of me, for which I deserve such a big punishment ...'
He walks away ... leaving her in despair, her last throw of the dice in vain ...

But maybe her words hit home ... because he comes back ... 'one last chance ... 10 minutes ...'
She nods desperately, calls Shyam again, again a smooth assurance, which Slimeball has no intention of fulfilling ... he will arrive once Arnav has left, not before ... because of course he has no intention of making any confessions whatsoever, but he can't reveal his hand till he finds those damn papers ...

And ArHi wait ... Khushi jostled by the crowds, and Arnav steps forward instinctively to shield her ... and she stares at him, hope again flickering in her eyes ... he does care, maybe just a little, but he does ... and he searches her eyes again ... always searching, trying to find the truth ... is she acting, or is that desperation for real?
And they stand locked in their little world again ...
She doesn't want him to leave ... to be alone on a day that's so painful ... she sees the softening in his eyes, and tries ... 'Di told me why you're going ... don't go ...'
He doesn't want to go there ... 'you have three minutes left ...'
She stops ... no, he won't let her in right now ... she looks around but there's no sign of Shyam ...
Final call for his flight, he has to go ... 'you asked me for a last chance and I gave it ...'
'Just one minute' ... desperately ... and he's had enough ... he was hoping too, but it's not going to happen ...
'Stop it Khushi, now! I waited because .... because somewhere I hoped too ... that you could prove yourself innocent ... one last hope that you weren't wrong ... but no, you let me down again. Admit it, no one's coming, are they? This was all a plan ... why did I believe you?'
'No, I didn't ... I just wanted to tell you the truth ... for you to trust me ...'
He doesn't believe her ... he starts to leave again and she puts her hand on his shoulder to stop him ... you have to believe me ...
He shakes her hand off ...
'Why, Khushi? Why is it so important to you that I believe you? Why are you so keen to convince me? Why does it make a difference to you?!'
She stares at him ... does he not know?
'Why?! Why does it make a difference? Because it's you ... that's why it makes a difference! If it was anyone else, it wouldn't make a difference!'
And he stares back at her disbelievingly as her words start to sink in ...
And if you leave like this ... I won't be able to breathe ...
She stops.

'Believe me ... please believe me ...'

'Can I dare to believe you? Can I dare to hope again?  To trust?'

Last call ...
He doesn't want to go ... but he has to ...
'Don't go ...'
She catches his hand desperately ...
Don't go ...
Slowly he releases it, even as her fingers try desperately to hold on ...
'Are you really going?'
'Yes, I have to ... I waited, gave you one last chance ... but I have to go ... goodbye ...'
(SN - why did they put that goodbye there? Made it sound too final somehow ... including the words I gave you one last chance ... the first of the dialogues I didn't like)

And he goes ... leaving her standing behind the glass doors again ...

And as he walks away slowly, the fb's start ... Teri Meri ... Diwali circle of diyas stepping out hand in hand ... Khushi running to hug him in hospital ... tying her payal ...

Kyun khwabon pe tere saaye hain ... dil kyun hai tanha mera ...
Kyun khamoshi hai zubaan meri ... ashkon se keh paaun na ...

Freeing her from the tangle of Diwali lights as she gazed at him ... 
Kyun dard hai itna ... tere ishq mein ...
She stands helplessly behind the glass doors again ... more than distance separates them ...
Rabba ve ... rabba ve ... rabba ve rabba ve ...

And he remembers her words at Holi (halleluiah ... Bitwa's memory kickstarted!)
'Why do my heartbeats get faster every time I come close to you?'
Sleeping peacefully on her bed at GH, her hand clutching his tshirt ...
Heer Ranjha ... his words, 'whatever I said or did to you, it doesn't mean a thing, in this love, nothing matters, except one thing ... that I will always, always ...'

And he stops and wonders ... 'why am I feeling this way? Why is it so difficult to walk away from her? Why?!'
(*head desk* he still doesn't know?! Should have been - why can't I stop feeling this way? When I know what the truth is?)
 Someone taps him on the shoulder ...

Flight takes off, Khushi looks at it in despair ... but Arnav Singh Raizada is not on it.

Scene of the ME - two scenes - the Shyam-Khushi confrontation, and the ArHi airport scene. 


Thoughts:
Did Arnav actually use his brains and make a POA in favour of Akash? Is that what the papers signed for Akash were all about?

The episode ... in fact, the entire week was about Khushi ... Khushi growing up, leaving her childhood behind and maturing suddenly and painfully into a woman ... a woman lost, betrayed abandoned ... yet fighting back for the things most important in her life ... her love and her name ... the trust of the one man she loves and can't live without ...

I hope again ... Arnav doesn't wait for her to "prove" her innocence ... he has to realize on his own that she is innocent, that she could never have done what he accused her of ... if she has to provide proof for him to believe it, it demeans his love ... she trusted him even when he destroyed her life, believed in him ... in spite of all his behaviour with her ... and he can't trust her, even after seeing her for so many months, seeing the kind of background and values she comes from, her behaviour with his sister and Nani? The background of his inability to trust ... that inability needs to start cracking ... he needs to start shedding that huge baggage ... so the trust has to come before the proof, not because of it.

The mall disguised as airport *head desk* ... couldn't they blur out the shops and the horrendous palm tree? And especially the haircutting saloon???
The line to enter the airport ... really??!!
There is no scanner at airport entrance - it's inside.
There are no entry tickets any more for non-passengers, only at Arrivals for people waiting to pick up relatives. Non-passengers are not allowed inside Departure ares anywhere in India now, for security reason, especially the big cities.