Wednesday 31st July
So Umaben was doing exactly what I thought she was - isolating Chhanchhan - and Manav, since they are a package deal now - from being a disruptive influence on her family. And she continues to instill into Ranjana's head that she still thinks Chhanchhan is a bad influence ... Chhanchhan almost catches her at it and she has to stop. Left me wondering what she was really trying to do ... but she did explain it to Chhanchhan (and the audience) later.
In the meantime, Manav pulls a breaking leg stunt, and gets the move cancelled.
The only thing I did not agree with him in his speech was his line, a mother has first right on her son and a son on his mother. Dude, didn't Dadaji clarify that just a couple of days ago? After marriage, wife has first right on husband and vice versa. If it hadn't been so, it would have been Mata Kaushalya accompanying Sri Ram to vanvaas, not Sita Maiyya!
Family rejoices at the cancellation of the vanvaas ... ChanMan earn more of Dadaji's blessings.
Mukut leaves for a two day 'business trip'.
After the rejoicing,, Chhanchhan continues her interrupted conversation with Umaben in private - lady, what exactly are you up to? I thought we cleared all that crap about breaking up my marriage last night ...
Umaben clarifies that since she failed in her first goal, and Manav Chhanchhan are apparently an unbreakable Fevicol jodi, she has moved on to her next goal ... making sure that Chhanchhan's new thinking doesn't challenge her old rules and regulations, because she likes her fiefdom unchallenged, thank you very much. So much as it pains her to part from her laadla beta, she will do so ... for the greater good.
Methinks Chhanchhan should have taken her up on it ... good riddance! But no such luck, Chhanchhan is adarsh bahu, and wants to continue staying in the BS zoo ... although she does issue a veiled challenge to Mummyji ... just give me one chance ...
Umaben doesn't have much choice ... Chhanchhan is going to get multiple chances. And the winds of change have already started sweeping through the house, whether she likes it or not.
Starting with a gentle breeze ... Next day, two of the kids drop a bombshell ... their friends are down with chickenpox. Umaben panics and starts all the old-fashioned treatment for chicken-pox, neem leaves, strange dhoop batti and kadha - poor kids! Hello, lady, even in your old-fashioned remedies, you are way off ... all this neem bath etc is done when the kids actually have chicken pox ... not before!
(In the Coming Up, I was all ready to beat my head at CC's words about getting the kids vaccinated when it appeared the kids had got chicken pox already ... fortunately they haven't contracted it yet, so she was right after all!)
So Umaben gets all ready to asphyxiate the kids to prevent their chicken pox, and includes a visit from local neighbourhood priest to pray to Sheetla Mata ... again, wrong goddess, Sheetla Mata was for smallpox, and she didn't do much good there either! Chhanchhan tells her all that is well and good, but could she also include a visit to friendly neighbourhood doctor - that might actually do the kids some good! Umaben refuses ... what was good enough for her saas is good enough for her ... RS agree ... Kaumudi is not so sure, but doesn't say anything.
Chhanchhan confides in Manav in the mandatory ChanMan scene of the day ... and together they kidnap the kids and take them to the doctor for their shots.
Umaben is most displeased ... and shows it. And gives the example of her sainted saas ... probably sure that Dadaji will side with her on this one.
Bravo Dadaji! What an example he drew ... your saas cooked on a kerosene stove, why do you use a gas cooker?! Progress, honey ... the word is progress ...
Manthan is most impressed ... he loves that example!
Precap - again dhamaka ... ChanMan with the kids in the car ... accident? Or Mukut?
Adding -
So Umaben was doing exactly what I thought she was - isolating Chhanchhan - and Manav, since they are a package deal now - from being a disruptive influence on her family. And she continues to instill into Ranjana's head that she still thinks Chhanchhan is a bad influence ... Chhanchhan almost catches her at it and she has to stop. Left me wondering what she was really trying to do ... but she did explain it to Chhanchhan (and the audience) later.
In the meantime, Manav pulls a breaking leg stunt, and gets the move cancelled.
The only thing I did not agree with him in his speech was his line, a mother has first right on her son and a son on his mother. Dude, didn't Dadaji clarify that just a couple of days ago? After marriage, wife has first right on husband and vice versa. If it hadn't been so, it would have been Mata Kaushalya accompanying Sri Ram to vanvaas, not Sita Maiyya!
Family rejoices at the cancellation of the vanvaas ... ChanMan earn more of Dadaji's blessings.
Mukut leaves for a two day 'business trip'.
After the rejoicing,, Chhanchhan continues her interrupted conversation with Umaben in private - lady, what exactly are you up to? I thought we cleared all that crap about breaking up my marriage last night ...
Umaben clarifies that since she failed in her first goal, and Manav Chhanchhan are apparently an unbreakable Fevicol jodi, she has moved on to her next goal ... making sure that Chhanchhan's new thinking doesn't challenge her old rules and regulations, because she likes her fiefdom unchallenged, thank you very much. So much as it pains her to part from her laadla beta, she will do so ... for the greater good.
Methinks Chhanchhan should have taken her up on it ... good riddance! But no such luck, Chhanchhan is adarsh bahu, and wants to continue staying in the BS zoo ... although she does issue a veiled challenge to Mummyji ... just give me one chance ...
Umaben doesn't have much choice ... Chhanchhan is going to get multiple chances. And the winds of change have already started sweeping through the house, whether she likes it or not.
Starting with a gentle breeze ... Next day, two of the kids drop a bombshell ... their friends are down with chickenpox. Umaben panics and starts all the old-fashioned treatment for chicken-pox, neem leaves, strange dhoop batti and kadha - poor kids! Hello, lady, even in your old-fashioned remedies, you are way off ... all this neem bath etc is done when the kids actually have chicken pox ... not before!
(In the Coming Up, I was all ready to beat my head at CC's words about getting the kids vaccinated when it appeared the kids had got chicken pox already ... fortunately they haven't contracted it yet, so she was right after all!)
So Umaben gets all ready to asphyxiate the kids to prevent their chicken pox, and includes a visit from local neighbourhood priest to pray to Sheetla Mata ... again, wrong goddess, Sheetla Mata was for smallpox, and she didn't do much good there either! Chhanchhan tells her all that is well and good, but could she also include a visit to friendly neighbourhood doctor - that might actually do the kids some good! Umaben refuses ... what was good enough for her saas is good enough for her ... RS agree ... Kaumudi is not so sure, but doesn't say anything.
Chhanchhan confides in Manav in the mandatory ChanMan scene of the day ... and together they kidnap the kids and take them to the doctor for their shots.
Umaben is most displeased ... and shows it. And gives the example of her sainted saas ... probably sure that Dadaji will side with her on this one.
Bravo Dadaji! What an example he drew ... your saas cooked on a kerosene stove, why do you use a gas cooker?! Progress, honey ... the word is progress ...
Manthan is most impressed ... he loves that example!
Precap - again dhamaka ... ChanMan with the kids in the car ... accident? Or Mukut?
Adding -
Adding a more serious note to the update ...
A lot changed in that confrontation between Umaben and Chhanchhan on Monday night.
The Chhanchhan Umaben confrontation changed the equation between Chhanchhan and Umaben ...
Chhanchhan has got rid of the threat to her marriage once and for all by disclosing the Sonali story, but also she saved Umaben's face as well as her relationship with Manav ... both Umaben and CC knew that if Manav got to know of UB's role, he would have walked out of the house. He had done it once before, he would have done it again. CC saved that relationship along with her marriage ... hence UB acknowledged that she was wrong in thinking CC was wrong for Manav ... CC was the right girl for Manav, because she valued ALL his relationships, not only her own.
And Chhanchhan understood where UB was coming from ... hence she deleted the video ... by doing that she acknowledged UB's explanations of her actions, and that UB's actions had basis in her own history, and were not just out of sheer evilry ...
That was where she forgave UB ... After all, Manav had said very similar things to Chhanchhan too ... that Umaben did what she did only for the sake of the family.
But UB still feels that she has preserved the family unity and Chhanchhan with her modern thinking will split the family ... so while she acknowledges CC is right as Manav's wife, she feels she is still wrong for the family. UB has preserved the family by following the path set by her MIL ... Chhanchhan wants to preserve the family but NOT by following UB's path, but by treading her own. Which UB is not ready for ...
This is not a regular antagonistic saas fights bahu story ... this is a situation where both women actually have started respecting each other, albeit grudgingly ... started to see the other's POV ... but still both hold that their own path is correct.
I actually liked the epi today. All of the CC UB scenes had nice undercurrents. I tolerate you does not mean I will accept you vibe. The classic "Manav ko phone do" in the car had me smiling. It is the little details that are fabulous. This epi felt so much normal and relate-able. Looking forward to Mukut-Kaumudi track.
ReplyDeleteAgree, Enkay ... and on re-watch, I think Umaben is actually embarrassed for the moment in front of Chhanchhan. She was caught out most thoroughly and only CC's magnanimity saved her from being disgraced in front of her own family, because she had been deceiving them all, not only Manav. So her sending CC and Manav off to another house was a twisted way of doing prayashchit, acknowledging that she had to accept CC as Manav's wife after all - her first defeat.
ReplyDeleteI liked the subsequent CC-UB interactions too ... the tensions were there, yet changed in nature. Very interesting, very subtle.