This is going to be a longer post because I have so much to say. Please bear with me.
My heart is still aching after watching the episode. Maybe it's the first time I won't watch an episode of this show twice back to back because I need to recover a little before watching Sai doing his fantastic work on screen again. I knew what to expect and was mentally prepared but still, seeing what happened to Pallavi made me feel terrible. Not just because of what Raghav did, which we all knew was coming, but because I know what her 'family' is about to do. We know what they are like, but she has yet to open her eyes, and when she does the light will blind her. She will have to learn to refocus her eyes and find her way around in this new, harsh world. Welcome to the 'hard school' of life, Pallavi, where some lessons make us or break us. In your case, I hope they will first break you and then make you rise from the ashes to soar in the sky one day. As a woman, it is going to hurt watching you lose your joie de vivre and innocence about life, but at the same time I am also hopeful that you will find your true self during this journey.
Keeping in mind Raghav's protective instinct and knowing his nature, I would say that considering the magnitude of the crime against his sister, his punishment is actually relatively mild for the culprit, except that Pallavi isn't the one. If it were anyone else, and especially if it had been a man, he would have been far more ruthless, but her past actions do weigh on his mind. He believed that she had spun a web of deceit, so he spun one of his own, as if to show her what tit for tat really means. Every word that came out of his mouth was carefully measured.
This is going to be tough for me, but let me dissect today's episode a little. The entire family had gathered to celebrate this achievement and for Pallavi this was the moment when she wanted to prove to her Baba that she had succeeded in fulfilling his dreams the way her late husband had wanted to before his lifeline was cut short. She thought she had finally found the answer to all his questions about her actions and shop operations, that he would irrevocably accept her as his son. You could tell how much his approval meant to her. Once again, I wondered if her sole purpose was to fulfill their dreams, or whether DSE had also become her dream along the way. Was it a romantic notion of a widow fulfilling the wishes of her late husband? Time will tell. As others have mentioned, she was too quick to celebrate, did not even wait for the lawyers to send the paperwork, and most importantly did not tell anyone, including Nikhil what had happened when she made the deal. Even Sharda mentioned this today. Typical Pallavi.
Raghav was a man on a mission today, which comes as no surprise. Starting with his power dressing scene, his stance in front of the mirror, and that determination in his eyes, every single part of his body screamed steely resolve. Sai's body language there was bang on. There were some interesting details in that scene, especially in the way he seemed to take extra care with his appearance to give him the confidence and aura he needed to execute his plan. I noticed the way Farhad merely handed him his jacket instead of helping him put it on as he might have on other occasions when his Anna was dressing up for a special moment in his life. He followed his Anna out of habit but his footsteps were heavy as they descended the stairs and metaphorically as Raghav prepared to descend to the depths of depravity today. Farhad couldn't bear to see the devil in his Anna's eyes and lowered his gaze when Raghav glared at him for trying to stop him. His footsteps faltered at the entrance, his prayer "Ya Allah, Pallavi pe Rehem karna" was heartfelt, and as we know, prayers from wounded hearts are always answered. He knew he could do nothing to stop Raghav today. He had no choice but to accompany him as the disaster unfolded but in his eyes you could already see that Farhad's soul was burdened. Props to Himanshu, he did a fantastic job in that entire scene. I am even more eager to see a rift between these two now.
The way Raghav walked into their house spelled trouble immediately, and you could see the same anxiety on everyone's faces that we as the audience felt. He sized up the entire group and zeroed in on Pallavi, as if it were just the two of them in this world. As he began to speak, he laid it on thicker with every word he uttered - how the shop was a very small reward for all the pleasures Pallavi had given him, how he was there to share this special occasion with her. For someone who was mesmerized by the mere touch of her fingers when giving her the safety pin, him putting his arm around her and holding her hands as her lover was unexpected for me but fit in with what he was trying to do, i.e. show that they had been intimate. That part for me took away all the 'awww' that I had felt during the safety pin scene. This was the same man who had chosen to leave her room and give her privacy when she was getting dressed but today he was touching her to try to cheapen her character and her intentions.
No father (figure) likes to be told that they had no control over how a man would touch their daughter in private. Every word Raghav uttered was like a dagger in Pallavi's heart. He not only stabbed her in the back but also in her heart, while twisting the knife repeatedly. Not once did he lose his cool and remained focused on the message he was trying to deliver. All her visits to his house, most for genuine reasons, were turned into something derogatory. The word commitment came up a couple of times, and I want to highlight this. His aim was not only to show her family that she had been intimate with him, but also that she didn't believe the bonds of marriage were necessary in order to have such relations. He deliberately made it sound like it wasn't a big deal if an adult, single, beautiful girl like her wanted to live life on her own terms because found out during the abortion fiasco that such thinking would not be acceptable in that family. Not only that, he made it seem as if it was Pallavi who didn't want to commit to a relationship, who was happy to take what she could from him in return for 'favors', and who had actually used and thrown him away once she got what she wanted. I hated what he was saying but the wording he used was brilliant and achieved the desired effect. 😕
Pallavi asked him to get out and again threatened to punish him, which was not helping her case, since we know it is such dialogues that led him to believe she was guilty in the first place. Not that she was aware of any of it. His response was that she was now throwing him out of their house, showing him her "true" colors now that she got the shop for "free". Pehle tum mereko bolta tha na, baby shona jaanu. Abhi seedha get out?
I cringed at that line, seriously. No one who knows Pallavi would ever believe she would say such things but still Raghav kept his language 'normal' without insulting her. You might wonder why everyone was silently listening to him, but what he was saying was so ridiculous that it left everyone speechless indeed. He even stripped her of the ability to defend herself saying she had pretended to fight with him in front of everyone to hide their relationship and make it seem as if they were enemies, because she was a simple seedhi ladki who didn't want any commitment from him.
In the end, he made her look like a master planner and great actress who wanted to apparently hide the real terms of the deal from her family, and that he was there to foil her plans to spin a yarn in front of the Deshmukhs. Despite all his harsh words, you could see the hurt in his eyes because he was hurting her for her supposed betrayal, and he knew it. Without using abusive language he managed to paint a portrait of her that is nothing like her real self but an image of what he thinks of her at this moment. If his rage hadn't taken over his mind he would have read the honesty in her eyes the way he had all those days, including when they were in the cage. Believe you me, those eyes of hers that showed the pain he was inflicting on her today are going to haunt him for months to come, especially when he finds out that she was innocent.
Raghav made another point about there being no deadlines when money needed to be paid, I am assuming in reference to the EMI plan she had mentioned to him earlier. Of course, no one else knew about that, except perhaps Krishna. Rather than handing her the bundle of cash as we've seen him do in the past, he took the notes out and threw money at her like she was some cheap dancer at a cheap event for those 19-20 nights they spent together (can someone please count? ugh). I couldn't believe he threw money at her like that but then again, I could believe Raghav was capable of anything in that moment - he refused to see sense. I am just relieved it wasn't something similar to what happened to Keerti because I didn't want to see a repeat of that with Pallavi. Thank goodness he didn't take that approach. It doesn't excuse his actions but what he did made sense, because his goal was to hit her where it hurt most, with her family, and he achieved it. Farhad, who usually walks with his back straight and stands proudly next to his Anna to support him, was just being his employee in that moment. The brother, best friend, and decent man in him just couldn't meet Pallavi's eyes or anyone else's and left immediately because he was probably reeling from it all himself, watching his Anna self-destruct with every word he uttered. Tomorrow Rambo will slap Raghav but he won't lose his cool as he delivers the most important message, to ensure her family wouldn't believe her if she tried to deny their affair. After all, if she could lie about the shop for two years, then she was capable of any kind of deceit, wasn't she? 😔
I want to applaud the writing in this scene for all the messages they delivered through his dialogues. I am not sure he realized or predicted that they would throw her out, but he wanted to destroy her confidence and self-esteem, as well her place in the family once and for all. I think he succeeded to a great extent. He indirectly showed them their double standards (which we all know about) but also challenged them that if she wanted to live that way, who were they to question her? We all know how that's going to go. I think if she were their daughter it would be different but as the bahu she carries the tag of being Mandaar's widow as well as the burden of ghar ki izzat, etc, especially in Rambo's eyes. The question is, would Raghav care if she is thrown out? Would he understand the burden she carries once he finds out she's a widow? I hope he doesn't learn of it until the actually wedding or even afterwards because the impact would be profound.
So not only did he malign her character today and make her seem like a gold digger, but he also made her appear to be a ruthless woman who would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, in this case the shop. Raghav, you'd better be careful about throwing the word commitment around lightly, because that's exactly what is coming up in your life, a word you will have to learn the meaning of the hard way, and a word whose importance in Pallavi's life you are yet to discover.
I am not sure what exactly will prompt Rambo to throw Pallavi out. If I were to guess, it would be that his dream was being fulfilled but there would be no joy in it, as the means of achieving it tainted its meaning and value in his life. Raghav had said he would destroy Pallavi and strip the Deshmukhs of their identity. With the masterstroke that he delivered today (and will continue in the next episode), he not only managed to do both but also shattered their dreams forever.
A side note... I don't know if it was the editing or the repeated flashes on their faces (which I really wish they'd stop doing) but the last bit seemed choppy... Ugh...
It was clear in the previous episode that Pallavi was aware how important it was to set aside her emotions when dealing with Raghav. Once they are married, we are likely to see that become the norm for her. I know we say he won't be able to handle her hatred, but after today's episode, I believe it's her indifference that will become the slow poison to destroy him on the inside. He isn't done with his revenge yet. He is waiting to hear about the aftermath of the tornado he has just unleashed in the Deshmukhs' lives and to relish every second of that triumphant feeling. His natural expectation would be that she would hate him for the rest of her life and that he wouldn't care about it. Oh, but he will! The accusing eyes of Farhad and his family to start with, and then the others around will make it hard for him to look them in the eyes. At least, I hope that will be the case. However, if Pallavi acts indifferent towards him and he fails to get a rise out of her - because you can be sure he will do that at every turn to annoy her once they're married - that will be difficult for him to handle.
Did he sufficiently punish the perpetrator? He thinks he did, but in doing so he has already started punishing himself. If you read between the lines of what he said to everyone today, there was so much meaning behind them that showed he was hurt not just on behalf of his sister and mother, but also because he had felt betrayed by her. He was raging mad at her but even more at himself for having fallen for her 'apparent' innocence and dignity. He will go home after this, supposedly to celebrate his victory and to find some mental peace after completing his mission, but he will not be able to. Our conscience is our biggest punisher, and he will not be exempt. Long before his actions and errors are discovered by others, his soul will have started cursing him. It was apparent in the precap we saw recently where he tried hard to justify his actions to Farhad after returning, but failed miserably. Expect the alcohol to flow more freely than ever before.
I know a lot of people are asking whether Raghav has crossed the Rubicon here. I don't think we are in a position to judge that, only Pallavi can. It is for her to decide whether or not to forgive him and actually choose him as her life partner when everything is out in the open later. No matter how much she toughens up, I do not see her going against her understanding nature when that happens. She will see it from all angles, understand his motivations and intentions, and maybe even choose to forgive him, especially if he asks/pleads/begs her to. The real point is not forgiveness, rather it is whether she can forget. But can one really forget such things, unless one has amnesia? No, because while time (and balms) may heal all wounds, the scars will remain as a constant reminder of what led her to that point in her life.
The true test of Raghav's personal growth and love for his wife will actually come at that point, because her forgiveness will not necessarily mean that she will accept him as hers or accept to be his forever. What will he do in that case? Will there be anything at all that he can do to convince her to give him a chance? Short of doing something big for someone she cares about who may be in trouble, I don't see him being able to make any impact on her. Whether or not it would be sufficient to win him a chance at being in her life is debatable. It all depends on whether or not she chooses to move ahead in life without him, when he has no power over her thoughts and emotions and to what extent his past mistakes make it impossible for her to ever trust him again. Will he be able to let her go for her own sake?
I may be expecting too much, but after watching today's episode this is one story where I do not want to see a fairytale ending. Raghav may be doomed to suffer in misery for the rest of his life despite having all that power and money. His whole family (including Pallavi) may physically be in his life but will be emotionally more distant than they ever were when living apart. Pallavi, on the other hand, may have all the professional success in life but the bitter experiences during this journey will have killed something inside her that she can never truly recover from. There will be two broken hearts living in the same home, unable to connect and become one because the fissures will be ever-present. Those of you who have watched Humsafar will know exactly what I'm talking about.
PS It took me ages to write this so I haven't had time to proofread. Please excuse mistakes and thank you for patiently reading my rambling.
. If he had put the notes in her hand, it could have just been like a gift so he did the above 😵.
had when he behaved as if now he understood what Pallavi is doing to him, her lover, infront of her family. And then he turns into a Jilted Lover that Wow! You'll never show your true feelings about me na, or Maybe you didn't have feelings. Cool! It was about money then. Okay, I will give you money.
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