I can't believe they are using this gold tier conflict/potential track just as a prelude to the dekho hamara 5 saal ka baby track, which had been done so many times already that the concept is extremely boring now.
This should have been the whole track, Arylie forming a bond with Gudiya, then Malini taking the baby back, Malini being a beep mom to Gudiya in front of Imlie/Arylie but pretending to be a great mom in front of everyone else. Arylie trying to protect the kid with all they have but not being able to do it cause they don't have any legal or logical claim on her? Both of them wanting the same thing but not agreeing about methods? Aryan eventually prioritizing Imlie and Cheeku's health and survival but Imlie being obsessed over Gudiya only? That's OG Arylie right there.
Who needs a grown up kid or separation to show angst or to drive drama? I mean they are basically showing all these but as an abridged version so that they could show their precious leap, which they've been planning since forever now. Didn't TC post about them taking a leap and Imlie raising a kid as a single mother just like Meethi even before that pregnancy/infertility promo came out?
Guess they wanted to do it with the usual cliché of husband not accepting the kid as his own, but retracted due to the backlash the promo received and now two months later they've found a way to do just that, but with a different backstory.