Did you believe they were soulmates?

Hey! I haven’t been here in ages.

I was a teen when the show first came out and so didn’t have much of an understanding of the complexity of things back then. But I was able to revisit and rewatch some parts and had a few thoughts.

Idk what it is about this show but there were some magical moments that were so rare that makes it seem like they were true soulmates/twin flames.

Did you think that too?

1. Khushi becomes a permanent tattoo in Arnav’s mind, where he constantly thinks about her to the point where he saves her pearls from their first meeting, her payal, and have mundane things remind him of her.

2. The feeling of missing each other when their paths were about to diverge, despite their unhealthy fighting (when Khushi resigns, her last day at work in his house, her leaving for Lucknow, etc). It made them both so restless!

3. That silent unspoken love, incomprehensible pull, that unknowingly develops between them (even though it was emotional cheating when he was with Lavanya).

4. The anger-love battle Arnav goes through internally when he forcefully marries her.

5. Khushi’s ability to question him like no one else would dare to, put him in his place, yet love him unconditionally.

6. Arnav becoming a better person towards the end of the show because of Khushi. And Khushi becomes more self assured & stronger because of him.

Here’s where I think the show could have done much better:

1. Yes, it was a love-hate story, however, Arnav seriously needed therapy, I wish they showed Khushi standing up to him more and him being out in his place when he lashed out.

2. Less physical man-handling

3. Show more of the internal struggle Arnav goes through when he misunderstands her. True soulmates wouldn’t really misunderstand the way he does. So they should have added more concrete details than just show a silly scene on the terrace.

4. Trust being the biggest mistreatment. His redemption wasn’t enough, I wish he had more chances to apologize and show that he grew enough to trust her. His lashing out at Khushi after kicking Shyam out was horrible.

What are your thoughts?

Hi Welcome to the forum. I'll be back soon to share my thoughts

I am tagging some friends who love discussions

Hey

Welcome to the forum🤗

Would like to see you around😳

ArShi will always remain close to our heart.❤️

1. With that I agree Khushi becomes permanent tattoo in his mind. If he wants to remove it he can't. Actually things are not in his hands at all.

2. Though destiny always finds its way but then also they both are not comfortable with the thought which make them separate.

3. Definitely it's emotional cheating with Lavs but what to do things are not always in our hands. Arnav couldn't resist himself to fall in love with her.

4. That part was so horrible when he forcefully marries to her. I mean the pain in Khushi's eyes it's too deep I felt so sorry for her. But I can't deny Arnav's feeling also. I mean his anger is valid at some point.

5. Woaahh that face of Arnav I never forget when khushi used to ask so many stupid questions😆 I love when he says 'what the '😉

6. Definitely a person changes when someone enters in his/her life. And that's so positive change in ArShi's life. 😳

I will come back to this..

Welcome 🤗

They were soulmates definetly ..the connection which he felt , which she felt , even in the hate phase was so endearing 😍 it was was Jodi made by devi maiyya and she played an active part in getting them together.. literally 😆no other story could match the depth , and their journey .it was flawless imo..

Coming to what could be better..

Yes I didn't like the manhandling part too..it was ingrained in arnav..and he did it with khushi only..she evoked the best and worst in him..I hated him in 2-3 places , in the rest of them, I made peace with it ..bas aisa hi tha..perfect toh kuch nai hota 😆 He was hurting her bec she affected him , he didn't want her near him , he badly wanted her to go away..at the same time , the physical proximity affected them.....I m glad they showed actual progress , and he changed ..

The fact that she loved him inspite of him being like that makes it more beautiful for me..I know it's disturbing but ..I believe that's what true love is.."inspite of..not because of"❤️ Marz bhi tu dawa bhi tu..

His therapy was khushi😁

Misunderstandings and mistrust..well, if they trusted each other and not misunderstand there would be no story..these instances r like tests they were put through , which brought them closer n give them good life lessons...they always reflected upon their actions , sooner or later , and made amends..ye sab na hota toh pheeka pheeka hota sab😆 Also, I can say this , that I enjoyed it thoroughly, bec I saw the complete series in one go..😆 for someone watching it live , it can be a little problematic..I knew thy will come bk to each other so I loved the mu too.

Hello! Welcome to this forum!

Ah, interesting question. Do I believe they were soulmates? Yes. There's something eternal about their love and love story - hence we're discussing this even after years! From the minute they met till their wedding, their desperation, love, longing and need for each other makes them soulmates.

In fact their ability to sense the other, the other's situation and feelings were special. And the fact that this story was a slow burn was the perfect touch.

Yes, Arnav and Khushi do positively influence each other and that is what I liked the most.

You know it becomes very easy to say what the show could've been better because there's so much of hardwork, constant grind and few hours to write stuff. Keeping those in mind definitely some of the things the show could've done better is:

1) Not make the suicide and suhaagraat attempt track comedic - those two are the most poignant moments of the show!

2) Reduce the manhandling big time - I love the misunderstandings and angst, that makes the story! However there was no need for the marriage to be abusive. It could've been cold and angst written, but making someone sleep on the floor, leave marks on her hands, constant yelling, demeaning and the mind games went a bit too far.

3) I understand him yelling at Khushi post Shyam because it was the one thing everyone asked Khushi - just don't meet Anjali when she's vulnerable. Anjali is shaken, having multiple traumas in a day. The last thing she needed was Khushi - a woman she can no longer trust - come and talk to her about her child. It literally triggered Anjali to self harm (Khushi is not responsible for Anjali's mental health, but Khushi was incredibly wrong to have thought her intention of helping Anjali matters more than Anjali's need to be in a safe space).

4) Arnav and Khushi apologizing more. I am surprised how it was showed that the Guptas and Khushi was right in hiding the truth about Shyam - it's unforgivable. And we didn't need Arnav apologizing at the drop of a hat, but at least don't show him coercing her to come back home by buying the Gupta house. That's blackmail, not love.

But barring those, Arnav and Khushi are soulmates in every form possible. They share and bond through their traumas of being orphans, there's this instant connection of love and lust and in a way they seeped into each other like no one else. Khushi needed a place where she belonged, a place where she was loved irrevocably. She found that in Arnav.

It's strange because khushi, all her life, has been reminded about being more polite, more demure, and to repay the gratitude of her adoptive family by following their wishes as and when. But Arnav loves her for who she is - paagal par cute - and is someone who doesn't believe in gratitude nor obedience. His belief in life is quite opposite to her family's so Khushi finds a place for herself and flourishes (after a lot of roadblocks tho). Khushi finds her own home in Arnav :)

And Arnav, we all know what Khushi means for him. He changes without changing. He's comfortable as Arnav and ASR around her :)

So yes, I do believe they're soulmates

P.S: Omg therapy was so necessary in this show. Especially for Arnav, Khushi and Anjali!

Arnav is sunny day (angry and fireball like sun) and khushi is moonlit night (calm and cool wind like moon). If so they are opposite but still they are incomplete without each other. No matter how far they tries to go away from each other one way or other way they come more close. So yes, I believe they are soulmate.

The peace they found around each other only soulmate can find that. They can read each other eyes and understand each other. They can feel around each other and only soulmate can change other person in good way like khushi change Arnav.

Originally posted by: Chocochips

3. Show more of the internal struggle Arnav goes through when he misunderstands her. True soulmates wouldn’t really misunderstand the way he does. So they should have added more concrete details than just show a silly scene on the terrace.

Like you said true soulmate wouldn't really misunderstand the way he does if they are soulmate but I they were basic level in relationship or say they not in that relationship who's they understand each other. Ya they feel but they not confirmed their feelings so in that situation anyone misunderstand. To understand each other you have to communicate and they not communicated so misunderstanding happen.

Later they communicate, share their feelings, thoughts and start understanding each other like true soulmate.

-res-wa- for old times' sake! will come back to this!

Welcome to the forum!! 🤗

-edited-

Firstly, welcome to the forum! I hope you stick around a bit! There are a bunch of discussion threads already floating around and it's always fun to get those going! I also watched the show as a teenager so I fully get that grasping onto the problematic parts as you grow older becomes bit of a shock of sorts in a way!

I like to think of IPK as a wonderfully flawed project that almost did what it intended to do. Almost is key because I think the flaws can be glaringly obvious at times and easily avoided. That's definitely a conversation for later though.

Coming to the points you raised,

I think you're one of the few people I've seen using the term twin flames. I would wholly agree with that. I do think Arnav and Khushi were soulmates because they were twin flames. I think soul mates is a term that can vary by person and their own definition. Arnav and Khushi were written to be parallel to a the great loves of our times. The Heer Ranjha parallel in the show itself along with the correlation with RadhaKhrishna sets the stage that these two are meant to be by the means of being tangled into each others' lives. I think their ability to chose the love whose foundation was that shaky and then hope to grow that into a fulfilling future is what makes them true soulmates.

I think twin flames don't necessarily have to be soul mates but Arnav and Khushi chose to be there for each other. With Khushi forgiving him, and Arnav overlooking their tied pasts.

I also think the story worked because despite rubbing each other the wrong way, both of them were unintentionally always pushing each other to do better and be better human beings. Their ability to challenge each other and hit the other person at their most vulnerable spot resulted in surprisingly good results despite the journey being a bit questionable of sorts.

I agree with the things that you mentioned made the show so magical. Character consistency for the first 200 episodes helped a lot. The way Arnav's PTSD was dealt with groundbreaking in the sense that mental health is brushed under the rug quite often. I mean they did that with Khushi's depression and suicidal tendencies which is a shame. It saddens me how they turned Khushi into a caricature for Arnav to react to in the latter half of the show. Alongside, strong opposing arguments on a conflict that's central to both of them coming together, that makes them perfect enemies to lovers pair. Religion, faith and ethics are central to sharing moral values between couples and their progress on that front driven by each other is remarkable. Trauma bonding between the two is central to how they learn to be vulnerable in front of each other.

I think unabashedly accepting lust and desire as acceptable emotions plays a huge role in why we looked at this show as a dark love story as well. It's just that context those emotions exist within is also important.

The things the show could've worked on,

ah there are so many imo and I agree with the ones you've shared.

- definitely could've conveyed physical aggression without manhandling

- a proper redemption arc or separation. We see Arnav taking Khushi's place in his life for granted on numerous occasions and that's not okay.

- as S said, Guptas realizing the consequences of hiding the truth. It's often re-emphasized that Arnav doesn't like Khushi hiding stuff from him in the latter half of the show and I really wished they would've elaborated and milked that into a realization moment and understanding why hiding truths makes nothing better.

- Shyam's revelation needed more time and expansion. It was done perfectly but we needed to see a pay off for Khushi in it as well alongside Anjali's. Him confessing to what he did to Shashi! all of that needed to come out. I have a theory that the makers originally intended to do so but you probably remember how summer of 12' was with new shows by same PH and actors wanting to leave situation.

- proper use of flashbacks and monologues. We get a brief moment of Khushi talking to herself about why she's going to annoy Arnav during Swami track and nothing more. We need introspection from her even if it's confusion riddled. We needed more of Raizadas tracking Shyam's inconsistencies. The worst thing is that the show had all the foundational ingredients for climax except none of it was executed with the precision the first half of the show was shot.

- production value. They really let everything from actor's appearances and make up to the set appearances go in the latter half of the show, especially post marriage.

- utilization of foil characters. IPK had strong characters and a limited cast which was great however the misuse of Mama ji, Akash, and Payal was not okay. These were great characters with solid foundations within the plot. Why would you simply bank of the lead couple for every single scene when the lead couple's conflicts are sourced from their families' needs and wants as well?? Each character getting their due would've avoided the hectic schedule that the leads had as well. the NYE episodes with Akash and Payal are one of the best. yes, it wasn't their story but these two were instrumental in us understanding Arnav and Khushi.

- the contract marriage never getting revealed. Doods from Redux said it, that the makers have a moral responsibility for using a forceful circumstantial contractual wedding and she wasn't wrong. Arnav got to get a happily ever after without seeing how he himself is the reason for Khushi to walk away from him. I am not a fan of him never facing that consequence.

Despite it all, nostalgia and the magic IPKKND weaved, keeps bringing me back! The story gave us a promise of eternal love and I think the idea itself is so beautiful and wonderfully escapist!

Originally posted by: PriyaArshiSarun

Arnav is sunny day (angry and fireball like sun) and khushi is moonlit night (calm and cool wind like moon). If so they are opposite but still they are incomplete without each other. No matter how far they tries to go away from each other one way or other way they come more close. So yes, I believe they are soulmate.

The peace they found around each other only soulmate can find that. They can read each other eyes and understand each other. They can feel around each other and only soulmate can change other person in good way like khushi change Arnav.

Like you said true soulmate wouldn't really misunderstand the way he does if they are soulmate but I they were basic level in relationship or say they not in that relationship who's they understand each other. Ya they feel but they not confirmed their feelings so in that situation anyone misunderstand. To understand each other you have to communicate and they not communicated so misunderstanding happen.

Later they communicate, share their feelings, thoughts and start understanding each other like true soulmate.

I'd say , they were soulmates , not bec they misunderstood each other but bec they started understanding each other bec of these misunderstandings 😆 Jalebi talk yeah but it's a fact..arnav fell for khushi, the person she was..and khushi fell in love with arnav ..for the person he was ..

Trust and respect r most important in a relationship..when they got into a relationship in the real sense, before that they developed trust also and respect also..rest of it was their journey, full of hurdles but then, it brought them closer ♥

It is for sure that they share more connection with each other than any other couple.

I agree with all your points.

What could have been done better?

Some maturity, some intelligence and some learning from the mistakes on top your points.

Cheers..