24/9 - Epi 349 ... Lightening Bolt

Monday 24th September

Gathering stormclouds ...

And lightening strikes ...

Update later ... have guests over.

Didn't expect this today ...

Quick Update:

Khushi in Sanka Devi mode ... taking care of the arrangements for her own wedding ... she's used to doing everything in her home, taking all responsibilities, she continues the same way ...Buaji and Garima can't get over her sanak, but then Buaji accepts it resignedly ... and they also carry on preparing for the wedding.

Raizada clan - NK getting ready for the wedding by watching Hindi movies and stealing Arnav's shoes ... light moments in the RM as they all prepare for the wedding.

Khushi-Garima talk ... Garima getting ready to do bidaai of her adopted niece, the girl she adopted when her mother and father died, she was scared whether Khushi would accept her or not ...and she asks Khushi's forgiveness if she failed to measure up as a mother. Very sweet scene. But why did Garima bring up her sister and BIL's death and Khushi accepting Garima? Is their death related to Garima's affair?

Khushi calls Arnav, phone hijacked by NK, Anjali and Akash ... finally taken over firmly by an increasingly impatient Arnav, Khushi's face grows smaller and smaller as she waits to talk to him

And finally Arnav has had enough teasing and snatches the phone ...
Tum theek ho? Kal raat ke baad?
Humne aapke saath aisa koi pal nahin bitaya jiska humein afsos ho.
Jaldi aana. Hum aapka intezar kar rahe hain.
Main aa jaunga.

Nani tells the family that Arnav will be coming with Dadi.

Khushi is ready and as jumpy as ever. Payal tries to calm her down. Nani, NK and Anjali all arrive.

Khushi's bangles break.

And Dadi breaks the news to Arnav.  

Lightening does strike twice. 
Khushi was the other woman in his sister's life. 
Khushi's mother was the other woman in his mother's life.

*edited*

Khushi-Buaji-Garima - Khushi at her Sanka Devi best, organizing her own wedding. Quite justified too, as BG haven't even ordered the food yet, and the wedding is today! And she's organized their clothes as well as her own ...
Khushi as always, doing everything for everyone, even on her own wedding day. The responsible one, the caring one ... and always with a smile.

RM - NK ready for the wedding of Nannav and Khushi, this time he's checked up on the the rasams and kasams, he wants to be involved in everything, not just act cameraman. And he's already started ... he's stolen the groom's shoes. And it has to be explained that he's on the boy's side and has to save the shoes, not steal them. 

Anjali, Mami, Payal, Nani all ready for this most anticipated wedding.

NK made a promise to Khushi - his kasam ... he would always stand be her side, he would always be her friend. And Arnav is Nannav, mere bhai ... his brother. A sincere well-wisher for both Arnav and Khushi.


Khushi-Garima ... beautiful scene. Garima caught in her own dilemma, her duty to her orphaned niece, her troubled past which now threatens to shadow the future of that niece ... a promise she made to her sister ... a fear that the little girl would not accept her, and would she be able to fulfill that promise, take care of that responsibility ... and then the relief at the wholehearted acceptance by an innocent child .... a thanks for that acceptance, for that unstinting love, respect, for giving her the love of a child for its mother ...  for making her a mother ...

Khushi's words of many days back ... 'you don't have to answer to anyone' ...unspoken - not even to my own mother, you have been my mother ever since I lost mine. She lets in people into her heart wholeheartedly, accepts them willingly and showers her love unreservedly ... and today Garima is troubled ... she has received love unstintingly from this daughter, how can she bear it if her own past were to destroy this loving daughter's future?
I am your maasi, but I tried my best to become your mother ... if I made a mistake, if I failed you, forgive me ... 
If my past comes in the way of your future, how will you bear it? And how will I be able to bear it, that I failed in my job as a mother? A mother tries to protect her children from every hurt ... here I will be responsible for the hurt.
No wonder Garima is troubled.

Khushi reassures her again ... I told you not to cry ... you are forbidden to cry ...
And Garima smiles fondly at this girl who always tries to spread sunshine and smiles wherever she goes, and hides her own pain.

RM ... Dadi praying ... that's right, woman, you'd better pray for salvation for that cold revengeful soul, which is so bent on revenge for a dead son that you are ready to sacrifice a living grandson's happiness for it, and so blind as to refuse to look at reality or face the truth ... instead determined to stay within your own bubble of self-righteous arrogance and misguided zeal.
Nani wonders at her silence ...

Arnav with brothers ... impatient as always, getting ready for the big moment
(Side note ... who the heck designed the clothes? And where did they get the material ?? From an upholstery store?! And Anjali's jewelry ... was she advertising for a shop?! )
Khushi calls and the siblings have a field day teasing Arnav and keeping him away from his Khushi ... both Arnav and Khushi getting impatient to talk to each other ... Arnav glowering, Khushi's face getting smaller and smaller with each sibling, although she tries to be polite to all of them :)) 

Who the heck decided that Arnav will come alone with Dadi?!!! Bad idea!!!

And Arnav finally has enough and snatches the phone ... I'll come after I've finished talking to Khushi.

Arshi phone convo ...  
Khushi, tum theek ho? Kal raat ke baad?
Did we go too far? Are you okay?

She was reticent even for a kiss, he took more than that ... is she upset? Does she regret anything?

No, she's not ... she doesn't ... last night he showed her how much she meant to him, he reinforced her faith in his love, her trust in him ... she exerted her haq over him, and he gave her that haq unreservedly ... he gave her the confidence that he was indeed hers for always ...
So many times they became close, and he withdrew, he let her down ... broke her trust, broke her heart ... he never let her get too close, always pushed her away ... but last night he let her into the deepest recesses of his heart, he bared himself to her, heart and soul ... and he gave her the confidence that this time it was here to stay ... the happiness, the togetherness, the love ... He showed her love, his desire, his adoration ... How can she regret it?

And she says so ... she doesn't regret a single moment they have spent together ... she lived every moment ...
And with that, she forgives him again for all the pain he ever gave her, for everything he put her through ...
All she does is extract a promise ... come soon, don't keep me waiting today ...
And he promises ... no, I won't. See you soon.
And the two lovers smile at their silent phones ... anticipation building for the moment they will finally be together for always ... their smiles reflecting the joy building within. His smile soft, reflective, contained ... hers almost bursting out, as though she can barely contain her joy.

Anjali understands ... the last few moments of waiting are the longest. But soon his Khushi will be with him forever.

Not if Dadi can help it
The photograph is in itself fairly innocuous ... but why has Garima kept it for so long?

GH - Khushi all dressed, a radiant joyful gorgeous bride ... excitement, anticipation building in her ... Payal tries to calm her down ...
Nani and Anjali arrive to see the bride ... Khushi asks for Arnav ... sweetheart, you need to wait just a while longer! Nani and Anjali tease her, Buaji comes with more jewelry and tells Nani that Khushi has been overseeing the arrangements for her own wedding.
Nani knows ... that's what Khushi is all about. Doing everything for everyone always, that too, with a smile. That's what Nani loves about her - her selfless sunny nature.

NK still confused about which side he's on. And Buaji remarks that the ladkevalas and ladkivalas are all together.
Anjali can see Khushi's impatience, like she saw Arnav's. And says it's just a short while longer and this separation will end for ever.

 So Anjali has said this to Arnav and Khushi. Would be happier if Shyam had said it, he's a more effective Cupid.

Khushi wearing Dadi's kangan, she wants to wear the bangles Arnav gave her ... but Payal says they don't match. And as everyone leaves, the bangles fall to the floor and break.
And Khushi is tense  ... but tries to tell herself not to be silly. It doesn't mean anything.

Arnav has a gift ready for his bride ... and a smile on his face as he thinks of her.  

And Dadi arrives ... She's not going, and neither is he.

Arnav tries ... he really does. He is in no mood to listen to her poison. First a polite 'let's go' ... then the worried 'I can't be late, it's my wedding, Khushi is waiting for me ...' he promised her he wouldn't be late ...
But Dadi is unrelenting ... she will have her say. She has waited for many days to set this up, she has waited for years for her revenge, her hatred for the other woman who was responsible for the breakup of her son's marriage, and the death of her son has grown exponentially over the years ... she lost everything ... and she wants her pound of flesh. No compassion in her, no wisdom, no understanding of her own son's fault in all this, no understanding even of her own ... for Dadi could not have been blameless in the whole mess. No, she is blind in her hatred and bitterness ... so blind that she doesn't even see that she is destroying her own grandson's life and happiness in her quest to avenge her son ... that she is punishing a blameless young girl for the sins of her mother, and more, for those of her own son ...

Arnav doesn't want to hear anything ... he can't believe his Dadi. A few days ago she welcomed Khushi into the family, and today ... this?! But he will not fall for her lies.
But Dadi is unrelenting ... this is the truth. And you will never marry her if you know this truth.

Then he doesn't want this truth ... not if it separates him and Khushi. He will marry Khushi, and nothing Dadi says will stop him.

Dadi knows Khushi has cast a spell on him but ...
He won't listen to more. 'Don't insult Khushi. I will not hear it."

And then comes the lightening bolt ...
'So can you stand the insult to your mother?'

And strikes him silent. Listening in shock.

And she strikes while she has the chance, while he is struck speechless ... 'that other woman, due to who your mother and father killed themselves, who destroyed this home, who lost you your mother, destroyed your childhood, who made you both orphans ...  do you know why I'm talking about that woman today? Because that woman is Garima.'

And she holds up the photograph. Garima and his father.