The PB team have outdone themselves (I am also getting tired of saying that!). The music especially has been wonderful! I apologize in advance for I know that no words can do justice to the beauty of this episode.
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The opening scene was full of beautiful metaphors about technique and the importance of maintaining the right balance to achieve something (in this case, well-formed pots). It was also a beautiful passing on of traditions or knowledge from one generation to the next, from mother to daughter, a rite of passage of sorts too. Minnie was soon going to become an adult, a woman who would chase her own dreams and fulfill her heart's desires. Props to the CVs for making the scene so realistic and believable that they were indeed making the pots from start to finish.
Baibta told her daughter that her hands would give shape to the clay, which can also be said for the way in which we give shape to our dreams. As Minnie asked her mother what she desired, the very object of her hidden desire arrived: Hanuman Singh.
I was right in my last episode post, HS melted at the sight of his mother and daughter creating something so simple but beautiful in his home. He had a look of pure bliss - this is what he gets to come home to. The picture was so perfect he dared not approach and spoil it, so he stood at a distance, watching Babita give shape to the clay with her gentle hands, pouring all of her skill and enjoyment into it. This is the first time he had watched her do something creative for herself, with so much love.
He watch her become engrossed in creating this work of art, not bothered by the fact that she was becoming self-conscious, adjusting her clothes, drops of perspiration forming on her face from the effort. He was mesmerized by the beauty of it all and could not take his eyes off her. I also believe, that having pottery skills himself, he took this moment to appreciate hers. The gentle smile on his lips said one and only thing: he approved. He approved of her molding the clay, spinning the wheel, messing up his house, her hair, her clothes, her expertise, her perspiration - he approved of it all.
My House, My Rules
Minnie caught him staring and wondered why he was not jumping right in. As she wanted to bring him in, he remembered his goal for tonight and told her off when she tried to touch his uniform. (I did agree with him then).
Even when he was angry his dialogues were hilarious:
Arey kaunsa tareeqa hai yeh. Yeh sab mitti witti bikher rakhi hai yahan pe tumne. Sarah art and culture bana rakha hai tum ne yahan pe.
I was actually happy that he told them off about not taking his permission. He was being taken for granted and they did not show consideration for the fact that they had made a mess in his living space and that after returning home tired from the day's work he'd want to rest.
Pehle nahin hota to kya ab tak hamesha aise hi chalta ayega kya.
His whole demeanor had changed to one of a cop - I don't think he's ever shown them this side before, but I loved it.
Art gallery karni sab upar jaake karna, yahan pe na karna ye sab.
Even though he was a little harsh, every word of his rang true. They needed to be a bit more considerate. I am quite sure on other days he would have jumped right in to make pots with them without even caring about the mess, in fact probably helping them clean up afterwards.
Usually mother and daughter throw tantrums and shut him out by drawing the line between tenant and landlord, and when he did that today they were taken aback. Of course, it hurt Babita's pride to be told off like that, but this time there was something else too. She was still angry with him from last night but rather than him apologizing to appease her, as he usually did, he was instead displaying anger and calling them out. But what really hurt her was when he said:
Ab mere area mein, mere territory mein main kuch bhi karoon bhai. sowoon, jaagoon, nachoon, kheloon, koodoon, chai piyoon ya sharaab, aap logon ko ke matlab batao.
Thus he gave her the message that it was up to him if he wanted to drink in house, and who was she to make him feel guilty about it or stay angry with him for so long. Why was it for her to exercise her rights on him by showing her anger when he could not do the same with her?
When she didn't react, he asked her if it was clear, and then her dam burst. Yes, it was clear that the boundary he had supposedly redrawn had hurt her deeply. I don't think she had realized why but it was bothering her far more than it should have.
Minnie was like a kid caught between her parents fighting.
Tu bhi teri mummy ko bol de ke filmy dialogue mere saamne na maarein. Aur yeh jo kala pradashti phela rakhi hai na ... isne uthaake oopar leke jao, yahan meri chhati pe mat dharo.
The sight of the pottery equipment was annoying him because he knew it had tempted him into weakening his resolve. He had been this close to completing the trio. The look of disappointment on Minnie's face (for her failed plan and for yet another fight between them making it impossible to learn about her mother's heart), also got to HS. He began asking himself if he'd gone overboard, but he was not going to ask his Veer Balika that.
I don't know who he was kidding when he was telling Lala that he had fixed everything permanently by reminding them that it was his house.
Everything is settled, everything is final. That's it.
Yeah, right. HS should learn by now that with these two lionesses at home, he could never retain the upper hand for good. Not that they'd have to lift a finger, he could not restrain himself too long from showing them his affection.
I disagree with Lala that HS had overreacted because of his ego. The fact was, he had arrived with a plan to be strict with them and remind them who he was, and not to take him for granted. He had not meant to end up yelling at or fighting with either of them. The thing was, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off Babita, and the moment he realized that the sight of them, especially her, had broken his resolve he became extra harsh.
Lala read the situation well, that if Babita were hurt she would turn all silent, and this was not something HS could endure for long.
(By the way, I was super excited to see Lala's house finally. Please CVs give us more background on him.)
Minnie was disappointed at her plan A failing and asked Mickey about plan B. Little did she know that plan C was going to be executed shortly.
For a change, Minnie was the one pacifying her fuming mother as one does a child, trying to make her realize that HS might be angry about something else. He had often borne the brunt of their anger due to no fault of his own, so was he not then entitled to a free pass? She had learned something from her recent experience too and was now extra cautious about judging anyone, especially HS.
Hum kiraayedaar hain yahan pe, koi parivaar thodi na hain jo main fikar karoon unki.
There, she said it. She had come to see him as family, and his words had stung far more than before.
Pata nahin subah kab hogi, thought Babita, as she tossed and turned, unable to calm her restless mind. She was waiting for the next opportunity to see him, engage with him.
She did not have to wait long...
The strong gusts of wind paid her a visit, and as she got up to shut them out, she saw that they had brought along a visitor. The object of her hidden desires had now manifested himself, but this time he was not going to be blown away. He wanted to make amends, not for what he had said, but how he had said it. She was not in the mood to talk to him, her pride still wounded from their spat. He was angry and hurt when she refused to listen to him and shut the door on his face. However, his resolve was firm and he was not going to give up or give in to her anger this time.
I don't think he could stand her being angry with him for so long. There was no way he would let this carry on another night. There was no way he could fall asleep knowing that she must be tossing and turning all night as he would be. Tonight he would not let her shut him out, tonight he would not let either of them go to bed angry.
It's a testament to how well he knows mother-daughter that he knew exactly how to coax her out of hiding, for that is what she had been doing all this time: hiding from him, from herself, and the unspoken feelings between them.
Babita opened the door to find HS engrossed in shaping the clay, just as he had observed her doing earlier on. Then, his heart had wanted nothing more than to join her, but he had not paid heed. In the past, it had been either mother or daughter who had held themselves back from living in the moment, from being open about their feelings, but earlier today he had held back his own, depriving himself of a beautiful family moment. So now he wanted to continue what they had been doing before he had spoiled their fun: pour the same love and joy into making these simple yet beautiful pots as his apology.
By indulging in the same art and culture, and literally getting his hands dirty this late at night, he was trying to put the missing piece of the puzzle in place that he had been holding on to. By stepping into their territory, crossing the boundary line he himself had put in place earlier, he was not just giving them back their rights as the women who lived in his home and in his heart, he was also making them his own again. He was completing the trio.
(I must say HS is quite the expert at pottery in the dark, as those pots turned out perfect! 😉)
Seeing him there rattled her, and she wanted him gone so that she could relax again. She asked him to leave so as not to disturb Minnie, who was asleep. HS was not the slightest bothered, as he was enjoying the experience that he had earlier prevented himself from indulging in with them. There was something soothing about molding clay and watching it change shape.
Minnie sorahi hai... he reminded the mother of his daughter when she continued to yell at him.
Yes, Minnie was asleep, unaware of what was going on, unaware of what was in their hearts. She was too young to understand that love went beyond simple declaration, that passion was an element as important as caring and sharing, and that in the quiet dark moments it revealed itself to only those who were blessed to experience it.
Hanuman Singh looked like an innocent child, pure delight written all over his face as he lifted the first pot up, looking it over with a sense of achievement. He began making another pot, enjoying the moment, until she broke the flow by tapping him on the shoulder. That was it.
He turned around to grab her hand, not his kirayedaarni's but his Babita's hand. I am still not sure what made him hold on to it like that. I think this is one of instances where he was guided by pure emotion, no logic, no reasoning. Right from the beginning he had stayed true to his principles, had respected his boundaries, and had smothered his feelings with his iron fist. Today that fist opened momentarily as his fingers circled around her delicate wrist and pulled her down to sit beside him.
He was not going to let her go off in a huff. He seemed oblivious to her surprise at this gesture - tonight he was just a lover listening to his heart, nothing else. Babita did not know what to make of it. He was not forceful or aggressive, yet his grip and the allure of his eyes made her reluctantly stay put. In those moments, it seemed as if he was almost in a daze. The used the perfect lyrics here:
Kaanch ka sapna gal hi na jaaye, soch samajh ke aanch rakhna.
Dheere jalna, dheere jalna, dheere jalna
If her bangle hadn't snapped, neither would the spell have. He was alert again, and realized that he had to take it easy so as not to hurt either of them.
As he got up to put some more clay on the wheel, he had a look of determination on his face. He had to let go of his own anger and focus on helping her let go of hers. As he reached out for her hands, she resisted, angry tears forming in her eyes as he gently coaxed her with his to trust him, to go in the direction he was leading her, to share with him the joy she had experienced earlier when making pots with their daughter. His eyes focused on every feature of hers as he read her face like a book, watching her expressions changing as did the shape of the pot on the wheel.
She kept withdrawing her hands, each time more and more reluctantly as she too was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Every time she tried to pulled back he held her hands and brought them back to the spinning wheel. This time she wasn't going to be able to leave the conversation midway. This time they would not leave this quarrel unfinished. It would end here tonight, with both of them feeling peace and relief. As the wind blew strands of her hair across her face, he could not resist retracing the same path on her cheeks with his hand, leaving his imprint on her forever.
They had never been this close, in this way before, yet in a strange way it soon felt natural to them both. The intensity of emotions in his eyes burned a path to her heart and she went from being angry to reluctant to shy and self-conscious. In those moments, he silently promised to hold her hand and shape their future together, he gave her the reassurance that even at times when she is afraid, he would be there to hold her hand, to guide her, to support her throughout the entire process - he would never leave her halfway, just like he did not leave her tonight. He would be with her till the end, just as he had been as they completed making the pot. He lifted it up to show her what they had created together. Togetherness - something she had never had the chance to experience before was now knocking on her door.
I doubt HS realized the effect he was having on her, as he was lost in her completely. I don't think he realized that he had ignited something in her, that he had held sway over her emotions to the extent that she had forgotten herself. I don't think he was searching for anything specific but watching her expressions he realized that this was affecting her. He wasn't sure yet how.
Teri hi aankh mein dekh chuka hoon, woh sapne hain seene hain
Aankhon mein sapnon ki, kirche hain, chubti hain
I need not say more, as the above lines describe exactly what he had seen in Babita's eyes.
Those eyes almost lit up at the sight of the pot that they had made together after their anger had faded. Then she realized that he had crossed a line and she had neither noticed, nor stopped him. He had stepped into her private space, into a territory she never knew existed. Suddenly self-conscious as she realized what they had both done, she got up, gave him a look of bewilderment and ran back to her room, shutting the door on his face once again, leaving him wondering about what had just happened.
Shaken to her core, confused and overwhelmed by these unknown feelings and impulses, she turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, touching her face and hands where he had left his mark. She tried to rub the clay off but could not rub off his essence. As she looked at herself in the mirror again, she felt exposed, all her deep-seated desires stirring up, confusing her and bringing back to her mind all those years of loneliness and longing while she had waited for Ashok. I am not sure if she had ever experienced such feelings, but to experience this in such a form made her feel out of her depth. Standing on the balcony, the wind blowing over her, she sought the security of her dupatta, wrapping it around herself as a shield against all these uninvited emotions.
As she walked back towards the room she saw HS standing downstairs with his eyes closed, reliving the moment and letting the winds of change blow over him again and again. She caught him reminiscing and right then, sensing her presence, he opened his eyes to see her standing at the top of the stairs. He had not expected to see her again tonight after she had shut the door, yet there she was looking at him with an expression he was trying to decipher.
In that instant she wanted nothing more than to run to him, to reduce the number of steps between them. When Hanuman saw her standing there, he was surprised to see her almost in approach, and he wondered if it was her making the first move, taking a step towards him. He responded by slowly taking a few towards her, hesitant yet restless to close the gap between them. Just as he approached the staircase to observe her reaction, waiting for another cue for him to go closer, she retreated and stepped back into the boundary line, looked away and went back to her room. That was a visual representation of the message she wanted to give him: that we might have crossed the line but that we belong on either side of it and must remain there.
As Aniruddh said in his interview seediyon ka faasla tai karna hai - HS wants her to make the first move but he has to meet her halfway too. I am sure he will the minute he sees that she is comfortable with it but she needs to know her mind first.
I want to take a moment to appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into conceiving, designing, directing, and acting out that scene. It has become a classic in my book, everything in perfect measure, in perfect harmony. The beautiful music, the lighting, the simplicity of the nightwear, even the way the wind blew to add special effects to the scene, and also the flawless way in the which they seemed to make the pots (even though we know there were craftsmen stepping in to give shape to the pots). I admire the creativity of the person who conceptualized the entire sequence. Of course, without two fantastic performers like Aniruddh and Paridhi, the scene would not have become the masterpiece that it is. How these two let their eyes and their hands do all the talking and convey every single emotion their characters feel and want us to feel, is beyond me. Kudos to the entire PB team!
I wonder how either of them slept that night. HS has immense self control I must say. Even if he has apologized I don't think things will remain the same anymore. Now that he's experienced this with Babita and let out some of his passion, I don't know how he is going to control himself next time or remain within his boundaries. It would be a super human feat. So the other clip we saw of him grabbing her hand probably as they fight over his drinking will either be his way of trying to get a reaction out of her or his inability to control himself any more.
i just thought back to how cleverly the CVs have been preparing us for this scene. First of all, HS putting the shawl on her, then her seeing him as he was bathing, then the physical contact at the hospital, then her seeing him all wet in a vest, when she did not even look away. She has become more aware of him physically (and yes he is a very handsome man!).
Ek Nayi Subah
Minnie woke up to find her mother asleep on the couch outside. When had Babita done that? I am certain that after she had gone to her room, she could not stay still in bed, and sleep must have evaded her. The freshly-made pots and the scent of their beautiful moments together must have enticed her, beckoned her to come out of hiding. She could not go to him, but she could surely remain in that space where she still felt his presence, the lingering emotions of their silent exchanges wrapping around her like a soft, warm blanket.
It was a new morning, a nayi subah and the DJ wale babu had a message loaded with meaning - of the promise of rain and people's hopes of being drenched in it, only to find there were no clouds in the sky. Patiala aaj bhi baarish ke liye taras raha hai.
HS' affection and his passion had opened her eyes to a new side to herself, yet it was only a few drops that had fallen on parched land. This was only the beginning and there was far to go, she was yet to experience the downpour of his emotions.
Surprisingly, my favorite scene of the episode was the one where HS was washing his face as Lala read out the letter to him. As he thought back to the events of last night his changing expression portrayed the entire spectrum of emotions he was feeling. Almost as if to wake himself up in case he had been dreaming, he continued to splash water on his face.
I LOVED the background music they played in this scene, as if it were the music in his heart, reflecting his happiness, his amazement at having discovered a new side to Babita, his wonderment at what he had seen in her eyes and how to interpret it, the feel of her soft cheek where he had left his mark, the anger with himself as he realized he had crossed a line and possibly lost her respect, perhaps angered her further.
My favorite bit was when he wiped his face with a towel, the import of the letter sinking in. I could clearly see the pangs of despair he felt that duty literally called, that after what had been a spectacular night, he had to cut it short and leave midway. Where once he would have jumped up at the chance to do anything in the line of duty, at the command of his beloved Commissioner Sir, he was still trying to hold on to the memories of the night before.
He knew deep down that their dynamics had changed, that she had given him some sort of cue, and he wanted to explore that. He wanted to seize that window of opportunity to move closer to her yet this directive from the Commissioner was sending him away from the woman who had possessed his conscience. Why now? It could not have come at a worse time. As Lala asked him if he had been paying attention, we saw that HS' alertness had not dimmed despite the storm raging inside him. With a heavy heart he asked Lala to pack his things.
HS was going to face Babita and himself today, and would not leave like a coward. As he met her at the top of the staircase, they both avoided each other's gaze, the awkwardness back with a vengeance. HS in fact turned the other way as he tried to explain what had happened the previous night. I fell in love with this character all over again when he did not make any excuses. He simply apologized for losing control and perhaps crossing the line, but not for his feelings.
I also loved how he very simply said that he would rather she scold or punish him, because her silence was unbearable to him. The last thing he wanted was to leave home with her still angry with him. Babita curled her toes as the memories of the previous night were still fresh on her mind. I think she was angrier with herself for not having stopped him last night than she was with him. He would never judge her for it but perhaps she was more conscious that he thought she may have forgotten her boundaries too?
I love the way his voice softened as he told her he was traveling right away, and took her leave. Chaloon?
For all the talk about kiraayedar-makaan maalik - he was leaving his family behind, like a father he asked mother of his daughter to take care of his child and like a husband asked her to take care of herself. Babita remained silent.
As he made to go downstairs, her dupatta caught on the wall (this actually spoiled the scene for me as I hate such cliches, but ok I will forgive them this time!). Babita turned around to glare at him as she was sure he was "crossing the line again", and he knew exactly what she had been thinking. As he tried to help her remove it, all innocent-faced, she signaled for him to stand behind the boundary line again. He got the message.
She had not wished him good luck or prayed for his safe travels, but he reached out and put the teeka on his forehead, taking her leave officially as men would with their wives, as though he were heading out to battle. Yes, he was going to battle, against his emotions, against the loneliness and the longing within him, trying to remain focused on his duty as a police officer while being distracted by thoughts of the lady waiting for him at home. This was also his way of saying that he hoped she would have no hard feelings and that upon his return things would go back to normal. I personally do not think it was an indication of sindoor/marriage at this point. It would be inappropriate because HS would never hint at such things, he would say it out loud. Also, he would not bring up such things as he is about to leave.
Halfway down the stairs, he turned back, hoping to see his beloved standing there but there was no one. Hearing Lala's announcement that HS' bags had been packed spurred her into action and she ran forward to catch a final glimpse of him. He sensed her presence again and turned back towards her, their eyes sharing a look of understanding, his expression clearly saying that he did not want to go.
That lone tear told us that she had started to feel his absence right away - after what had happened between them, why did he have to travel now, leaving her behind with all those unanswered questions? When would she see him next and be able to make sense of this turmoil that she felt inside? I know how it feels when you are upset with someone and they leave home upset too because you didn't talk to them to resolve the issue. The look in HS' eyes said it all, as did Babita's. I think she regretted letting him go without a word and then it was too late.
He had looked forward to his previous camping trip, as the thought of training new cadets had given him a sense of purpose. Then too, they had fought before he left the house. This time too they had fought, but it was a different emotion, as he was leaving behind not just his heart but the two most precious things in his life.
How can she not know that he is crazy in love with her? It is interesting to see that a man who seems like a simple tough cop has so much hidden passion, that too for a woman with whom he has always maintained a respectful, physical distance. If they are setting off sparks at this stage of their relationship, I can't even imagine what will happen later on.
Let her miss him, let her heart grow fonder of him during his absence. It would be the best gift he would have received in a long time.
Pre-cap
Minnie finally got the hidden meanings. I loved that HS again put the ball in Babita's court when he said "Aap ki marzi hui to" - he's leaving it up to her to make the next move. Even if HS is away you don't need to worry about him being missing from the episode. He is going to be on video call and all those secret messages they will share when the entire family is on the same call would be quite charming to watch.
(By the way, looks Aniruddh has had a haircut.)
PS Thanks for being patient enough to read all this.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Pati Patni Aur Panga
CID
