27/6 - Epi 56 ... The Pallu Drops

Thursday 27th June

Chhanchhan is scoring major Brownie points with Babuji ... she will soon achieve Most Favoured Nation status with him ... that is, if she hasn't already! Dinner time - and the food is a big success ... Ranjana, Sanjana and Kaumudi deny all claims to ownership ... they didn't make the food! Then who did? The food is so good ... and Kaumudi is the best cook among them ...
Chhanchhan meekly and happily acknowledges that she did the deed ... with Kaumudi bhabhi's help ... not as in physical help, but telling her what to do. As she didn't want to spoil the family's dinner with her amateur attempts.
I thought that Umaben should have been more worried about that one ... as it is, now Chhanchhan got the Brownie points for that as well ... consideration for the family.

Umaben seethes ... yet another flop ...
Babuji beams and complains to Umaben that she should have told him it was Chhanchhan's chokha ceremony, he would have got 'nek'. Umaben is forced to say she has organised something ... Chhanchhan stops her ... their aashirwad is enough.
Babuji is overwhelmed at the wonderful sanskaar of his bahu ... Umaben fumes a little more.

And Chhanchhan exchanges a strange smile with Manav ... almost knowing ... and he smiles back ... his look equally satisfied .. well done.
It really seemed that they were both in this together ... the plan to win over Babuji ... wonder if that is the case. Or he was just happy she had managed to do it ...


Chhanchhan is puzzled ... doesn't everyone pick up their plates and leave them in the kitchen here?
Sanjana says, no, this is not done here, the men don't enter the kitchen, maybe it happens in your maayka.
Chhanchhan murmurs, it's not a question of maayka, its a question of men and women.

But Umaben isn't one to give up so easily. So Kaumudi is dispatched to supervise daughter's homework ... said daughter seems to have shrunk since the wedding ... Ranjana is busy with Manek's medicines, Sanjana is sent to clean the table, Jigu is told she has fever and cannot work ... Chhanchhan has to wash all the dishes as punishment ... for making a good dinner and putting Umaben's nose out of joint.
Chhanchhan seems to be figuring out Umaben's modus operandi. So she doesn't say a word ... just gets busy ... yes, I'll do it.
Umaben seems to be waiting for Chhanchhan to crack or rebel openly ... that's not happening easily ...

Manav comes in to "help" Chhanchhan ... girl, take it from a long-married woman ... if your husband offers to help you in the kitchen, don't stop him, let him help! Such offers don't come easily! And once they stop coming, they stop forever!
Aww, he just regained some Brownie points for not helping CC clear the table ... he actually does try to help Chhanchhan in the kitchen! In between all the flirting, that is ...

And he leaves only when Himanshu calls ... Sanjana distracts CC just as she's taking the milk off the gas ... and her pallu slips and catches fire ...
Sanjana screams ... so does Chhanchhan ... the whole family comes running and Manav and Kaumudi manage to put out the flames ...

Family conference with a shaken Chhanchhan and (to give them credit) equally shaken family ... Babuji asks how this happened, CC says there was a lot of work and her pallu slipped ... Wish Babuji had asked why she was doing all the work all alone ...
Anyway Babuji decrees ... reeti rivaz are not more important than the family members ... drop the saree. Only Chhanchhan has permission to discard her sarees and wear suits ... till the time she is comfortable in sarees.
SN - Wonder how she will get comfortable in sarees if she doesn't wear them often ...
CC relieved, Manav and Kaumudi very happy for her ... Sanjana happy till she sees Ranjana's face, Ranjana fumes so Sanjana realises she's not supposed to be happy either.

And Umaben is simply furious! Another whammy - her punishment for Chhanchhan got her firmly off the hook for wearing sarees. Now Babuji has decreed it in front of the entire family ... there is no going back.

But it's not going to be so easy ... next morning Chhanchhan waltzes into the kitchen in a suit, and Ranjana can't hold back her jealousy any more. "Why only her? Why not us?!"
Chhanchhan offers to talk to Umaben about making it a rule for all ... Kaumudi is most worried ... this is not going to work ... and it will have repurcussions ...
But Ranjana overrules her ... CC should go and talk ... beard the lioness in her den ... after all, it's CC's head, not Ranjana's ...
CC goes ... leaving a very worried Kaumudi behind ...

Precap - one more dhamaka ... honeymoon package for ChanMan ...  

*Edit* 
A few observations ...
Babuji seems to know what his wife is like ... that was definitely a glare he sent her when she was a bit slow in raising her hand to bless Chhanchhan.

Does Manav know more than he's letting on about his mother? He doesn't come out vocally in support of Chhanchhan in front of the family, but he is very supportive in private ... did he see his mom telling CC to do all the washing up alone, and so came in to help her? Morale boosting as much as actual help ...
He told CC off for not being able to wear sarees in front of Ranjana ... he never told her she can drop them. He doesn't have the authority in the house to do so. And if he had, he would have been labelled 'joru ka ghulam'. But he was understanding about her problems. And the moment Babuji announced
she could drop her sarees, he was very happy for her ...
If he comes out vocally in support of Chhanchhan right now, he will be labelled as being under his wife's thumb. Won't do much good ... he is the youngest, he has already broken some rules by going in for a love marriage and his brothers are voicing their discontent over that ... and no one has any authority over his mother in the house ... except for Babuji. So the important thing is to win over Babuji first ... and that Chhanchhan is managing to do very nicely on her own. He is just supporting her all the way. And making sure she knows he has his love and support all the time. Even in front of his mother ... especially in front of his mother?

I loved the fire scene ... it was acted beautifully ... Sanaya's look of shock turning to horror and panic when she saw the flames, shaking the pallu away from her as far as she could, she could not shake it off because it was pinned ... the hysterical fear in her voice when she shouted for Manav ... the way the entire family rushed in and helped ... Manav without a care for himself, immediately got hold of the pallu and started dousing the flames by beating them ... Manthan got a jug of water ... Manek and Mukut turned off the gas ...
And the best part was the last bit after the flames are doused and Chhanchhan goes blindly into Manav's arms and he holds her tight ... both shaken by the near disaster that could have happened, both holding each other tightly to reassure themselves that she is okay and he is there for her ... her fright, his world shaken at the thought of anything happening to her ... their expressions and acting were fabulous!

26/6 - Epi 55 ... Double Whammy

Wednesday 26th June

Umaben got hit by double whammy today ... today was just not her day!

First of all, completely as expected and predicted ... Chhanchhan came down dressed very neatly and demurely in a saree ...
It was classic to see Umaben's face fall, followed closely by Ranjana's ... and Kaumudi's worried look relax into a smile ... what a sweet lady she is!

So the first of Umaben's plans backfired ... Chhanchhan did not get into trouble, RanSan had to shut their mouths ...
And to add insult to injury ... Umaben's injury, that is ...Chhanchhan gave a brief but pointed lecture on how she believes clothes don't indicate respect for elders, one's behaviour and manners do that ... but since this house believes in such archaic outdated rules, she will humor them all for the present, and wear the saree if that's what they want, because she doesn't want the others to feel less privileged 'laadli' bahus. Ummm ... not in so many words, she dressed it up nicer than that ... but that was the general message.
Babuji swallowed it all ... and was very impressed. What lovely sanskaar his youngest bahu has. And she makes a lot of sense too.
This just laid the groundwork for CC to get rid of her saree Like she said, clothes don't make the man, man maketh the clothes

Umaben, whose plan had just blown up in her face, seethed in impotent fury ... and had to sweet talk Chhanchhan into going into the kitchen to eat before she gave away too much of Umaben's plans.
As it is Umaben had a tough moment when Babuji caught Chhanchhan's words that Umaben had given her permission to wear salwar suits, and sternly asked Umaben why she did so.
Umaben manages to wriggle out of that one ... though I noticed Manthan ... and maybe Mukut too, seemed a little suspicious.

Whammy number one.

Interval - which consists of one romantic ChhanMan scene ... Manav steals back to pick up his bag, and Chhanchhan thanks hum for helping her with her saree. From the flashback which followed, am not sure how much of help he was, and how much hindrance ... but don't think Chhanchhan minded in the least

Chhanchhan has another conversation with her worried dad, who still is not convinced about Umaben's overnight personality change ... with good reason ... although his wife is more easily deceived. Since Chhanchhan is also deceived, she reassures her dad ... yes, she's eating properly, she is not being starved by the big bad witch Umaben, nor is she being made to work her fingers to the bone ... she's perfectly all right. And Umaben is Mother Earth incarnate ... she is wonderful, she really is.

About time Chhanchhan's eyes start to open a little ... fortunately they do ...

Next - Chhanchhan sits down to eat and finds RSK are fasting ... she offers to help them with the housework ... Umaben jumps in promptly ... this is her chance. So very sweetly RSK are given the day off, and Chhanchhan will make the evening meal.
Methinks Umaben should have made contingency plans ... knowing CC is not very good in the kitchen ... showing her up as a failure is all well and good, but what about the family dinner? I guess she thinks that the family going without food one day is a worthwhile sacrifice in the noble cause of getting rid of Chhanchhan.

Chhanchhan is in the same position as Ranjana was just a day ago ... why did I open my big mouth?
And more shocked ... me alone? No one is supposed to help me?
Methinks she should have asked ... you do know I can't cook, right? You sure you want to risk the family's dinner tonight? 

However Umaben is becoming a bit transparent ... Chhanchhan realises this is some sort of test ... Kaumudi tries to convince her that this is a rasam of sorts too.
Don't think Chhanchhan was fully convinced .. if she was, she obviously thought that rasam or no rasam, the men will not be happy if they don't get their dinner, so she'd better get some help. Since Kaumudi is not supposed to help her ... technology to the rescue again ... video conference between Kaumudi and Chhanchhan and live tutorial on how to cook.


This show should have been called Technology Bahu ...

And viola! Dinner is ready ... what's more, it tastes rather good too!

Double whammy for Umaben ... her second plan of the day bites the dust ... rather spectacularly at that!!!

25/6 - Epi 54 ... Starting to Break The Mould

Tuesday 25th June

More on traditions ... this time, breaking them.

Lemon tea is apparently breaking a tradition. Problem for Umaben is that every time Chhanchhan breaks a tradition or brings in her own idea, one or the other son supports it. Manek supported the idea of gur with the rotlas. Manthan found nothing different in Ranjana's rotis ... obviously, there was nothing different to find.
And today, Mukut liked the lemon tea. Earned a couple of Brownie points. So did Manthan and Manek.

But Mukut is not ready yet for his wife to sit with him and have a cup of tea. Uh oh ... he just lost his Brownie points.

Babuji decrees that Manav is a married man, he should start working in the office. Good thing too.  About time.

Umaben sees that Chhanchhan is finding her feet in the family, and she's even observing all the traditions while doing so, however troublesome it is for her. Time to stir up more trouble. Manav is obviously useless for the moment ... he's too busy trying to flirt with his wife under everyone's eyes. No trouble to be made there ... yet.

So Umaben sweet-talks a surprised Chhanchhan ... another break of tradition ... Chhanchhan can wear salwar suits ... Umaben is a wonderful saas, and CC is her laadli bahu, after all. A quick snide one about CC not having learned how to wear a saree at her maayka is thrown in almost out of habit.
CC is perfectly willing to observe the customs of the house ... she's a new bahu, after all ... but Umaben insists. CC can wear suits.

Next step of the battle plan ... Umaben moans to the other how Chhanchhan has refused to wear sarees, and has decreed she will henceforth wear suits. And Umaben is helpless ... Manav will not listen to anyone over Chhanchhan, so suits it is for CC.
Inciting exactly the response that Umaben wants ... RS storm off to their respective husbands to demand their suit rights. Kaumudi is surprised that Chhanchhan could say such a thing.

Hmm ... Umaben told blatant lies in Purvi's wedding as well ... this is not such a surprise after all. I didn't think UB would resort to this, though .. thought she would leave it to RS's natural instincts to complain when they saw CC in a salwar suit. But she felt it necessary to strike the matchstick to the waiting flames herself. UB might just have overplayed her hand here.

Family council of war in the hall ... the brothers put forward their wives' complaints ... why are the rules not the same for all? Babuji decides to put his foot down, while Umaben plays the helpless, downtrodden wife and mother ... what can I do? She is from a different sort of family ... 
Manav is a bit surprised at the calls for Chhanchhan ... CC is getting ready, should I call her? What's the problem?
Umaben doesn't want to tell him the problem, of course ... no way!
So they wait ...

Am almost sure CC will emerge in a saree ....

But precap ... I think now is when Chhanchhan will start realising that something is fishy under all the sweetness and honey ... why is no one allowed to help her make a meal? And Kaumudi tells her that no one has ever dared to contradict Umaben's word ... so will that start her realisation ... no one except Chhanchhan ...

More articles on Chhanchhan ... the buzz has started again, hopefully this means the show is picking up.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv/A-clash-between-tradition-and-modernity/articleshow/20759595.cms - finally an article about the show and not the recent replacement drama.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv/Would-love-to-work-in-films-like-Sadma-Anuj-Sachdeva/articleshow/20778675.cms

http://www.india-forums.com/tellybuzz/wassup/15513-manav-and-chhanchhan-off-for-a-honeymoon.htm

24/6 - Epi 53 ... Traditions - Keep or Discard?

24th June Monday

Munh dikhayi ... fortunately they didn't linger much over Chhanchhan's embarrassment, and Chhanchhan apologised to Umaben for her embarrassment ... that bothered her more. Umaben doesn't mind getting embarrassed by temporary bahu ... all the more ammunition in her arsenal for getting rid of her eventually ...

Umaben tries to instigate her dear hubby and sons against rotimaker rotis ... only to be stymied ... the rotis made for the family are the normal handmade ones. Oops, that didn't go well Manek worriedly suggests Umaben needs a visit to the dentist. Umaben has to eat her words ... along with the rotis.

Tradition in the BS house is that the bahus eat after everyone else has eaten ... Chhanchhan doesn't like this tradition at all. Good, good, I was wondering when she would start getting restless with the crazy rules ...

Manav steals back at night to surprise his loving wife ... and gets beaten up for his pains!

Some really cute ChhanMan scenes ... at night and in the morning Night again a mirror image ... this time Manav goes off to sleep waiting for his wife ... after some sweet nothings and cuddles ... And it's her turn to tuck him up ...
In the morning, some more sweet nothings and still more cuddles ... ChhanMan are settling into this blissfully happily married bit very easily ... till Ranjana bhabhi interrupts with "bad tea" ... Ranjana bhabhi is officially KMH in chief!

Ranjana uses her moment to chugli karo to Manav about how she and Sanjana got into trouble, and not only them, Baa got embarrassed ... all because Chhanchhan doesn't know how to wear a saree properly. Chhanchhan is very embarrassed and nervous ... Manav is surprised ... why can't you walk in a saree, when the bhabhis do all the work in them? 
 But after Ranjana leaves, he's more understanding ... yet not very helpful ... you'll learn.

I thought he would say, you don't need to wear sarees.That's one tradition which is going to be more difficult to change ...

 Not if Umaben has anything to do with it. Ranjana is gleeful ... she's created some trouble for Chhanchhan ... Manav wasn't happy she couldn't manage a saree. Umaben overhears ... another chance for Divide and Rule ... this time she will win ...

So precap - Umaben tells Chhanchhan she can wear suits. And thereby lets loose World War 3 in the BS home ...

20/6 - Epi 52 ... Saree Woes

Thursday 20th June

Poor Chhanchhan!!! And horrible Umaben!!! Woman, don't you stop to think that by leaving your daughter-in-law open to insult, you're insulting your own family? Really hateful woman ... can't wait till she gets her come-uppance!

To begin with yesterday .. Umaben nonplussed as to how the three bahus completed the task in time. And Chhanchhan spiked Umaben's guns further by telling her truthfully how they made the rotlas so quickly with the help of some technology. Umaben had nothing to say ... rotimaker, ready-made sarees ... CC knows all the shortcuts but she gets the required results!
To add insult to injury, CC turns out to be UB ki maa in terms of rituals ... cows should be given gur with rotlas, that's what Dadi says. So she helpfully ordered the gur herself. The next person to be impressed with Chhanchhan's sanskaar is Manek ... he approves. CC might have made a mistake in the morning with regard to nighty, but she has the good of the family at heart.
Umaben is not happy ... not only did the divide and rule policy falter, but CC earned herself some more support.
Further insult to injury, Manav calls Chhanchhan yet again ... UB disgusted as to how much of a joru ka ghulam he already is.

So the saree plan ... now that was truly vindictive and horrible ... Umaben is a disgusting woman!

In the meantime, Manav calls again ... fourth call in one morning? He is a sweetheart! And finally Chhanchhan manages to talk to her adoring hubby ... who's a bit perplexed as to why she's so busy. That's right, Manav ... get back and investigate, please!

Sarabhai home ... Dad is apopleptic at the thought that the nasty Umaben is making his poor darling daughter work her fingers to the bone on her first day ... why did Chhanchhan need two roti makers?! Dadi and Maithili calm him down ... so does Chhanchhan when he calls her ... don't think he's completely happy, but is slightly reassured.
Poor Chhanchhan is missing Manav terribly
SN - SO glad again it's the new Manav ... with old Manav, by now I would be telling CC again ... bhaag,CC, bhaag! 


Technology to CC's aid again ... how to tie a saree. And it would have worked, if CC had the time to fix a few safety pins ...
Since she didn't ... disaster The Mahila Mandal ladies seem to take lessons from Umaben on how to be nasty. And I'm not too conversant with munh dikhayi, but in all the movies, the girl sits quietly and everyone comes up to her to give her gifts. She doesn't go around to touch everyone's feet. Another convenient tweaking of traditions by Umaben ... now if traditions are tweaked against her, she's got it coming. 

Precap was the saving grace ... Manav is back. Phew!!! 

19/6 - Epi 51 ... Kissa Rotle Ka

Wednesday 19th June

Manav had left a note for his Chhanchhan ... not only a note, but a rose too ... so he redeemed himself What a sweet romantic husband, now only if he could finish his pujas and come back home!
And that "Jaan" at the start of the letter was ultra adorable ... now waiting for him to come back to his beautiful biwi and fulfill his promise of taking up their love story where they left off ... 

The rest of the episode was devoted to rotla making with the confused duo RanSanj ... R very skeptical initially with CC's offer of help ... with good reason, since CC had no clue what a rotla was However, once CC figured that one out, the rest was easy ... after she managed two more phone calls from her lovey dovey husband, that is ... and one more conversation with Simple, which was less lovey dovey, but in the current scheme of things, a little more important ...
Sanaya was hilarious today, wearing the ready made saree, having trouble with her pallu all through the day ... that is one thing I love about her as an actress ... she stays in character right through ... helped that Sanaya the actor, is only slightly less uncomfortable in a saree than Chhanchhan is ... and I'm sure, equally so with a pallu!!

Ranjana was equally hilarious ... especially her extreme frustration about the singular lack of romance in her life, as compared with Chhanchhan's abundance of it ...


Chhanchhan's remark to Manav was hilarious ... he complains about her only thinking about rotlas, and she retorts, this whole house is only thinking about rotlas

And uh oh ... Umaben figures out that Chhanchhan does not know how to manage a saree ... the next evil plan in Umaben's head ... this woman is horrible!
And again reference to the fact that Manek is a sickly kind of character ... always seems to have some ailment or the other ... or is he a hypochondriac? Anyway, that partially explains the lack of romance in poor Ranjana's life ... 

Rotlas finally done, well in time ... and RS are thrilled ...CC is relieved
Umaben nonplussed to see not only have RS completed the task assigned, but Chhanchhan actually helped them ... a crack appears in the Divide and Rule policy which has worked so well in the past ...

18/6 - Epi 50 ... Honeyed Poison

Tuesday 18th June

ROFL moment of the day was when Umaben is trying to terrorise Chhanchhan with her account of how heinous a crime the pallu slipping off the head is, and how harshly her MIL punished her ... Chhanchhan missed the point completely ... instead of being terrorised, she sympathized with Umaben as to how horrible her saas was, not to mention completely wrong in her approach, and that elders should teach their younger ones, not punish them. Umaben's face was a study ... ooops, I messed that one up!!! That was not the way she was supposed to react! 

Umaben up to her tricks again ... divide and rule. Ranjana and Sanjana get the punishment for not teaching Chhanchhan the ways of the house ... while Chhanchhan gets away with sweet honeyed words. Much to Ranjana's fury ... and that's exactly what Umaben wants.

Chhanchhan's face when everyone was staring at her in her nighty was a picture ... what are you all staring at?! What's all the fuss about here?!

Disappointed in Babuji ... is he really as khadoos and rigid as Umaben makes him out to be? And what exactly is Manthan up to?

*edited*

So the real story starts today ... The story of Chhanchhan, a modern girl from a liberal family, brought up with complete freedom, yet with traditional values, and her journey after marriage into a conservative family with archaic ideas and so-called traditional values, which seem nothing more than a way to ensure that the family stays cowed under the fiefdom of its matriarch, Umaben, and tradition seems to be nothing more than a convenient tool for that end.

The first day in her new home ... Chhanchhan wakes up ... late ... and is bewildered for a moment - where is she?! Then she realises ... next question - it's late, where is Manav? And runs downstairs to find him ... creating a minor earthquake ... first she smiles uncertainly at everyone ... then as they continue to look shell shocked, she looks down at herself ... she's decently dressed, fully covered, what on earth are they all staring at?! 
The family's expressions were hilarious ... the expression of shock, as though none of them had ever seen a girl in a nighty before ... probably most of them had not!
RS at UB's silent gesture, hustle a very confused CC away ... while she protests ... what on earth happened? And where is Manav?
Ranjana and Sanjana try to impress on her the nature and magnitude of her crime ... she came in front of the entire family in a nighty, and she woke up late ... Babuji and Baa will be annoyed ... CC can't understand what the fuss is about, but she's worried that she broke some unwritten rules on her first day ... Sanjana tells her she was expelled to maayka for wearing the wrong color of sari, and CC is even more confused ... for such a small thing? 
CC is taking all this completely the wrong way ... instead of being worked up about how serious her crime was, she's wondering why the punishment was so severe for such little things ...

Umaben enters to add fuel to the fire, while maintaining her honey and sweetness image for Chhanchhan ... you wore a nighty?
Chhanchhan apologises ... I'm so sorry ...
UB smiles ... sending shock waves into RS ... what the ...?! Not your fault, beta ... it's all their fault.
Sending further shock waves to RS ... what did we do? We're wearing sarees, aren't we?!
Apparently their crime was not informing Chhanchhan about the rules of the house. And as CC apologises again, she didn't know such a mountain would be made of such a small molehill ...

Umaben immediately impresses upon CC ... or tries to ... the magnitude of the crime ... it's not small at all ... when she was a new bride, and her pallu slipped, her MIL gave her such a strict punishment that she still remembers it.
Unfortunately Chhanchhan takes this all the wrong way ... instead of quaking in her shoes as to what her own punishment is going to be, she wonders why UB's MIL punished her at all ... after all, isn't it the duty of elders to teach the younger ones right and wrong, rather than punish them?
RS are even more worried ... CC is answering back to UB?
UB is caught on the back foot on this one ... her other bahus are usually trembling with fear by this time as to if UB's punishment was so severe, what their own will be ... here CC is showing full sympathy for UB and saying poor UB didn't do anything that wrong, surely.
So UB has to backtrack ... not punishment ... this is repentance ... if younger ones commit a mistake, then they have to repent for it.
Sanjana is upset ... will CC also have to repent? UB nods regretfully, as though she hates to do this ... Ranjana is gleeful ... the favorite bahu is going to get her comeuppance after all.
Chhanchhan is confused ... in today's day and age, this sort of thing ...
Umaben assures her she is very open-minded and modern ... it's Babuji who is the problem.
Babuji very opportunely drops a plate downstairs ... while Manek is worried about Baa's reaction, Manthan remarks that its better they get used to the idea of changes happening in the house ... Babuji is not happy at the sound of that.
Tut tut, I had more hopes from Babuji

Umaben uses the sound of the plate dropping to prove her point ... Babuji is angry .. but don't worry, I'll handle him ... I am such a sweet saas after all ...
Ranjana is worried ... what about CC's punishment .. err, repentance ... R is worried - Is CC going to get away scot free?
Umaben never misses a chance ... yes of course ... repentance ... for both RS, as she already said this was their fault, not Chhanchhan's ...
Umaben's Divide and Rule policy in full swing.
Ranjana's face is a picture ... why did I open my big mouth?!
Chhanchhan is even more shocked ... why should RS get punished?
Umaben pronounces judgement ... 300 rotis every day for 3 days for the cows of the gaushaala. And they're getting off easy, she had to make 500 rotis for 7 days ...
RS are dismayed, CC is upset ... and Umaben is gleeful ... Chhanchhan cannot take these rules and regulations, she will run away in four days on her own ...
Chhanchhan tries to apologise to RS, Ranjana stamps away petulantly.

CC is left wondering ... what sort of house is this, where the saas is more like a headmistress of an army camp than a matriarch?

Phone call from her own family ... aww, such a sweet scene ... as the Sarabhais all clamour to talk to Chhanchhan, and she tries to hold back her tears ... she's missing her family, she's missing Manav, her only support in this madhouse ... and she's so glad to hear the mayhem and madness of the Sarabhais again ...
CC's mom is sweet as she tries to hold back her tears ... dad is full of worried loving advice ... Rushali teases CC that she's taking over her room ... and a cute sibling squabble ... my room is my room, and will stay mine! So typical!
Daadi asks about her sasuraal, and about Manav ... Chhanchhan glosses over the morning fiasco ... daadi assures her that mistakes on the first day don't matter ... Umm, not in the Borisagar house, that's not true ...
Dadi says, don't worry, Manav is with you ... and Chhanchhan's tears threaten to spill over again ... that's just the problem, he's not there ... where are you, Manav?

17/6 - Epi 49 ... Umaben Proposes, Kaumudi Disposes

17th June, Monday

Umaben is making all the plans possible to keep Manav and Chhanchhan separate ... wonder how long she can keep them apart without someone getting suspicious of her motives?
Kaumudi disposes ... so Chhanchhan and Manav get a few moments of romance on their wedding night after all ...
Love the song ... loved the picturization ... beautiful gazebo setting and two very good looking people in love, rain in the background, and a loving bridegroom in full romantic mood, wooing his beautiful new bride with not-so-casual intimate touches ... 
I again noticed that the cv's pay attention to the lyrics and picturise accordingly ... it makes the song flow so much better. And Ranjana seems to be designated Kabab Mein Haddi in chief 

Umaben not very happy with the flop of the first step ... so the next ... Chhanchhan will distribute prasad and Manav will do something else ...
Kind-hearted Kaumudi disposes again ... she sees how tired Chhanchhan is and sends her off to rest. Notwithstanding Ranjana's attempts again to stall ...
Manav follows his wife promptly ... quick on the uptake, this fellow is! I likes!!!

Umaben's next plan into action ... Manav has to leave early next morning for the village to do more reeti-rivaaz ... Chhanchhan can't go because she's too tired, so Mukut and Kaumudi will go instead.
Thereby ridding Chhanchhan of her only support in the house ... both her husband and her only supportive bhabhi. Neatly done, Umaben.

Unfortunately Kaumudi can't dispose of this one ... so Manav has no choice but to agree.

And by the time he gets to his room finally ... still in a rush   Chhanchhan is fast asleep!

Chhanchhan looks like a little girl when sleeping ... no wonder Manav didn't have the heart to wake her up. Not that he could have, I think ... she was sound asleep! Sanaya looked about fifteen years old ... too adorable!!!

And next morning, Ranjana Sanjana are getting breakfast ready ... read, Sanjana gets breakfast ready, Ranjana snoozes Umaben cracks the whip ... why isn't Chhanchhan downstairs yet?
Woman, for a person who loves tradition, you're a bit off ... I thought a bahu doesn't enter the kitchen till she's done rasoi poojan. Tradition comes second to convenience ... Umaben's convenience, that is. And this is Chhanchhan's first day in the house ... give her a break, for God's sake!!!

Precap - the battle of the nighty vs the saree