Well, a good episode (Have we reached the quota for 3 this week?)š with all layers so nicely intertwined with each other. For me, the major theme for me in this episode was Imlie's statement of "You are man, you do not understand woman's heart" and how everything was connected to it.
So we started the episode with a prime example of how clueless the male species of our planet can be. Like seriously, how can someone be so "Bailbuddhi" that even when it was so explicitly explained, he still did not get it and was on a level of his own. I guess it happens when we are expecting something and get nothing (as it so often times happens with us viewersš¤£). But in his hurt and disappointment, he just kept jumping from one reason to another and did not even realize, that he has somehow achieved something completely different than what he wanted to i.e. due to his ill thought out words, instead of the smile and appreciation on Imlie's face, there is just hurt and disappointment.
It was such a subtle change on her face, initially the hope when he gave the affirmation that he was hurt that she gave credit to Sundar for his gift and then the hurt when he included her with "Kisi ko bhi" or "anyone in family" thus indicating that she was not special when he got her a gift. In that instant, he just crashed all her sandcastle dreams that she must have subconsciously been building since the moment she received his gift. Thus, her statement "You are man, you do not understand woman's heart" was as much about herself as of Malini. Imlie again got a reality check when she observed his closeness with Malini. It was a splash of cold water which brings us to the best part of the episode. An emotional insight to Imlie' state of mind which we have only got once before. I think Imlie is a person who keeps everything suppressed, till it become so overwhelming that she just burst out with her emotions. Last time too, it was because of Aditya's words during the SR night in PD and this time too, in a way, it were his words and action that forced them out of her. Her statements again gave a perspective of what she must be feeling when she was forced to marry and what her state of mind must be or is whenever she is reminded of it again especially when her right to decide was taken away from her, not only her name, her identify but her choice was stolen away from her, the turmoil that she feels when she sees sindoor and mangalsutra especially as they have deep meaning for her, but despite all that, she is still standing strong, smiling and surviving, not for anyone else but for only for herself šas she loves herself enough to find reasons to live and to survive.
If this is not a sign of a strong women, I do not know what is. A strong woman is not defined by education, career, social standing or outward appearance, She is defined by her independent thinking, willingness to adapt to changes, determination to survive in any circumstances and face challenges head-on. Her strength is not only determine when she is forced to face the outward forces but also in fighting her inner demons which IMO can harm one more than anything else. Imlie, though young, has managed to come out of this fighting even though everything was taken away from her, even her basic right to chose her life partner which is given by God himself. It really was an eye-opening conversation and the contrast between her and Rupi Di who is a career-oriented educated women was amazingly done.
It also made me think that though initially she might be ignored, her these qualities will always make her the star of any situation almost similar to what happened during Nishant introduction. Initially she was in the background, away from the family but in the end, she was the star where Nishant himself requested her for her introduction. Way to goā¦
Lastly, I would just end with this with that where one women was all ready to destroy the good mood of the family based on assumption (from her POV, not ours), the other was trying her best to keep it intact.