20/6 - Epi 126 ... Kissa Kisses Ka

Friday 20th June

Update will come later. Suffice it to say, Rudra finally proved that his 'aath saal har raat' was not just a tall claim ... and Paro showed him that she might be innocent, but she was a quick learner. :)))

Hats off to Sanaya and Ashish, for being thorough professionals. That was probably the hottest scene I've seen on TV ... ever! Amazing work ... amazing acting, expressions, voice modulation ... everything.

And I don't wonder that Rudra wants to leave the madhouse Ranawat haveli and take off with his bride for a honeymoon! If that was a teaser of what lies ahead  

Edited ... 

The episode took off from where it stopped on Thursday, Paro annoyed with Rudra for his constant, quick anger, and refusing to talk to Rudra. So Rudra got the first lesson in his anger management classes ... stop taking it out on biwi, or biwi will get very, very upset. 

He starts the 'biwi manao abhiyan' by setting up a  romantic setting, candles et al ... Paro is confused. And he describes all the times she thought he was angry, but he really wasn't ... when she persuaded him to eat, when she came downstairs in that red saree ... he just talks that way. He wasn't angry when she got drunk and talked non-stop ...
But when she got the mirchi in her eyes, and was hurt ... he was angry ...
Oh yes ... he wasn't angry this morning when she ... she ...
The experienced Rudra falters and fumbles ... he can't get the words out, so he gestures to his cheek ... and the not-so-innocent Paro smiles ... he's talking about her kiss, of course ...
And Rudra glares at her knowing smile ... and she frowns instantly and pouts ... see, you're getting angry again ...
Putting Rudra on the back foot instantly ... 'no, no, I'm not getting angry ... okay, sit down and listen ...'

And he tries again ... 'I know, I get angry ... often ... but it's not with you ... it's anger with myself ...'
'And you take it out on me ...' 
'Yep ... maybe that's wrong on my part ...'
An incredulous, annoyed 'maybe?!' has Rudra fumbling and defensive again ... 'yes, no, I mean, yes, it is wrong ... 
Okay, things are not going the way he thought or wanted ... he's only succeeding in annoying her again every time he speaks ... maybe actions will work better. So he fumbles with the mangalsutra which he's still carrying around in his pocket ... 'shut your eyes.'
Paro is in no mood to be docile and obedient.
'Why?'
'Because I told you to!' 
Nope, wrong answer. And wrong tone. She gets up in a huff.
'I won't. What will you do? Get angry again?'

Oops, this is not working either! Manaoing angry biwi is not easy ... does she have such a tough time every time he gets angry?
'No, no ... I'm not getting angry ... at least, I'll try not to ...' 
Baravo, Rudra ... step one in anger management passed. 

Now for step two ... move on to pleasant things.
Like the mangalsutra he fishes out from his pocket.
Paro peeks curiously to see what he's holding ... and her face changes instantly as she sees the black beads. The necklace which means so much to her ... the necklace she knew he had brought for her ... but still hadn't given ... the necklace she was waiting patiently for, knowing that giving it to her was a big step for him to take ... waiting for him to reach that place, when he was ready ...
'This ...' She's confused, wondering ... hoping ...
'You said to bhabhisa ...' 
She's shocked.
'You were listening to us?!'
Shh ... that's not the point he's making! The point it ... 'you said something about the right time. So ... this ... is it.'  Awkwardly ... hesitantly ... can she please understand?
She looks around. Nope, she's not going to make it easy for him. She wants the words.
'How is this the right time?'

And he finally finds the right words ... no practiced speech, no elaborate confession ... just straight from the heart ... he hurt her, that red thread around her neck reminds him of how much and how often ... and he can't bear to see it now ...
As he reaches around her neck to untie it ... and she closes her eyes at his nearness ... his touch ...

'The forced wedding, the hate filled vows ... everything I did to you ...' 
She looks straight at him, her eyes clear, shining ... with forgiveness and love ...
'Those vows ... of which you did not fulfill a single one.' 
She knows ... she always knew ... that he could never hurt her. Maybe with words .... but with nothing else. Those hate filled vows were empty promises ... he didn't carry out a single one.

'I couldn't. I didn't want to.' 

And he finds it so easy to say it, admit it now ... in the face of her generous abundant forgiveness ... the words flow more easily now ... their path eased by the warmth of her love radiating in her eyes, bathing him with its glow ...
'I don't know about love, about marriage and its seven vows ... and I don't care either. But today I can make you a single promise.' 

And he takes the mangal sutra and puts it around her neck ...
Mangalam bhagwan Vishnu, mangalam Garudadwja
Mangalam kundarikaksha mangalaya dhanohari 

A simple vow ... which says it all really.
'You ... me ... hamesha.'

(Thank you, BG music man, for playing these shlokas for this scene!!!)
Whenever I've seen a hate marriage on tv, I've wanted a private re-marriage between the couple ... this was exactly what I wanted. Rudra has never shied away from accepting Paro as his wife in front of the world, ever since the hate marriage, and despite his hate vows. And now that he has acknowledged his feelings, it was appropriate and beautiful, that he told her so in private, just between the two of them.

And her closed eyes, the emotion in her face, the single tear that escapes her eye ... shows just how much this means to her. She could ignore his vows, his harsh words ... she saw that he didn't mean them. But this ... this re-affirmation of his love ... this single vow ... this simple act of putting a chain of black beads around her neck gently and lovingly ... this meant the world to her.

He's baffled to see her face ... why are you crying?! Don't ...

She smiles through her tears ... and what will you do? Get angry again?
Because she knows now, his anger is his only way of reacting ... a deep rooted defense mechanism ... against further hurt.

But no more. Because he doesn't need defense from these feelings ... he doesn't need to hide them ... he can express them without fear of hurt or rebuff.
So, no ... he won't get angry ... Instead he comes closer, cradles her face ... bends his head ...
Only to be stymied as she pushes him away gently ... a rebuff? But she loves him, he loves her ... besides she was the one who kissed him in the morning, so why can't he ...?!

Because Paro, beautifully secure now, in her love, in her position as his wife ... is in the mood for some teasing. Not too often that Major Rudra is ready to do anything she demands! So she makes the most of the opportunity ... before he gets his kiss, she wants him to prove how much he loves her by doing something dramatic. In Jaipur he taught her a foreign dance, in Mumbai he showed her the sea ... what can he do now?

Rudra not too sure how to react to this one. 'So what does she want?!'
She smiles naughtily ... to his deep impatience and chagrin ... he doesn't dare to lose his temper again either ... because biwi has shown an alarming tendency to fly off the handle and sulk if he does. So Rudra tries desperately to control his anger again ... 'no, no, I'm not getting angry ... this is me, the normal me ... okay, what do you want? I'm giving you some time ... think about it ..'

And he waits, with unconcealed impatience ... five seconds later ... 'are you done thinking yet?' 

She's not really ... but okay ... she wants snow. Like she saw in the movies once.

'Is your tau sitting in the heavens that he can produce snow here at a moment's notice?!'

But she doesn't need the real thing. She's happy with cotton from a pillow ... it looks enough like the movies for her ...
And seeing her unfettered, childlike joy ... her ability to find happiness in the smallest things ... reminds him anew of why he loves this mad, adorable woman so much ... and he can't wait any more ... he pulls her to him ... and her smile, her childlike joy with the snow fades away, to be replaced by the warmth of a woman in love ... a woman who wants her man ...
Rudra gets his kiss. 

And he wants another ... but she pushes away with a soft smile ... and runs ... secure in the knowledge that he will follow ... which he does ... because this was not a rebuff ... this is foreplay ...
He catches her against a pillar, laughing, breathless ...
'Why are you laughing?' No anger at all ... if she can tease, so can he ...
'Because I know what's in your heart ...' 
'What ...?'
A stray tendril of hair caresses her lip ... and he very gently lifts a hand to stroke it away ... and Paro loses her train of thought instantly ... all laughter dying away. His knowing smile as he looks at her flushed face shows that he knows exactly why she's lost her voice ... so he makes sure she doesn't find it in a hurry ... by dropping his hand to caress her waist ... all the while nodding at her encouragingly ... 'tell me ... you were saying?'

How can she speak if he touches her like that?! All coherent thought gone ... while he wickedly teases her more ... 'lost your voice?!'
She shuts her eyes and pushes him away with supreme effort ... 'you care for me. You love me too ...' 

Bravo, Paro ... first woman to confess her love to her man, and first one to confess his love to her too! Saved Rudra the effort!

So he concentrates on showing her that she's absolutely right about his feelings ... by closing the distance she created ...
She tries to tell him she can't speak if he gets too close ... her voice goes kuchar muchar ...
He knows.
'That's why you need to learn to stay quiet sometimes ...' 
He looks at her eyes, closed again ... ready for his kiss, but nervous ... and he gently kisses her eyes instead ... giving her the space she needs to get used to this new feeling ...
She's ready ...she wants this as much as he does ... and she goes up on her toes to kiss his forehead, to bathe him with her love ... this time her teasing 'daadhi chubhti hai' draws only a knowing smile from him ... and he bends to kiss her again ...

Only to be interrupted by a clatter ...
Paro startled, runs to check ... Maasa and her water jug ...
Maasa wonders why Paro's hair has fluff on it ... Paro prevaricates and leaves quickly ...

Rudra is waiting for his wife ... Paro has no objections, but his mother is awake ...
And the mention enough to spoil his mood instantly ...   much to Paro's upset.

No wonder Rudra wants to take his wife away on honeymoon ...