Mangalsutra- Bond or Bondage?

Hi everyone,

This is not a SR vs AR post but rather a post to generate a discussion about the significance of the mangalsutra in this serial and particularly in Ridz's life.

The creatives have used this sacred symbol of a married Hindu woman in quite a few sequences since SR wedding.

It's when Sid tied the mangalsutra around Ridz's neck, that the reality of the big event in her life sunk in. After the ceremony, she even burnt all her memories and touched her husband's feet to honor this sacred thread of marriage. Tragically, even though she had accepted the marriage and adorned the thread around her neck after her wedding, she could never completely give herself to this marriage. Even Sid mocked at his mangalsutra clad wife as she merely used it as an ornament, rather than wearing it with pride and accepting her marriage wholeheartedly. It was almost as if the thread was more of a bondage, a restraint on her rather than something she wanted to display with pride and honor. It's after an argument with Sid, she decided to remove this thread. At that moment, the mangalsutra was more of a bondage than a bond for the married couple.

She had a mangalsutra less existence for a while till the whole wedding drama in the cafeteria. She went ahead and recited the wedding vows to Armaan, but when it came to wearing the mangalsutra at his hands, that sacred thread as if mocked at her and forced her to walk away from the facade she was being forced to play. The sacred thread had suddenly become a bond once again- this time to her legally wedded husband.


Now, when Ridz is seen crying in front of God and in the fire escape, she keeps lamenting about her love and how her love was always true. It's quite obvious from these scenes and esp the LR scene today, that even though she keeps using the past tense for her relationship and love for Armaan, she is still stuck in present tense. It's that bondage of the mangalsutra that is prompting her to use the past tense.

A woman who feels restrained because of this symbol of marriage should be given the opportunity to step outside this barrier. Yes, she should wear a mangalsutra when she means it- when she takes pride in the bond of marriage. The mangal sutra should be a woman's pride and her way of accepting the love and bond with her husband- it should never feel like a noose around her neck.

Now that we live in the 21st century and a lot of women don't even adorn any signs of a married Hindu woman like mangalsutra/sindoor etc, is it fair to weigh a relationship on the basis of these outward signs?


There are so many women in India, who stay in loveless marriages because of this bondage. They are too afraid to break this barrier and say, "I want to live my life the way I want to."


In this show, both Armaan and Sid would make good husbands as both love Ridz, but will Ridz make a good wife when she considers the bond a bondage??

Please feel free to comment.....

The mangal sutra should be a woman's pride and her way of accepting the love and bond with her husband- it should never feel like a noose around her neck.(I agree it should be a a womens pride but not a noose around her neck)

So true this mangulsutr isnt letting her walk out
Its like the mangulsutr is keeping her attached to sid
I dont know much about the hindu religion because a i aint a hindu but like you said most people dont wear one nowadays
I wanted to ask are vows more important or the mangulsutr
If it is the vows so how come she took those and dint wear the mangulsutr


Nice topic👏

I completely agree. I've wanted to write a similar post for the past two or three weeks now. you took the words right out of my mouth! =)

I agree Sangeeta Di! For me, like I said today, the way she keeps using past tense when reffering to them (AR) is cause she accepts him as a part of him today still but its that NOOSE of a mangalsutra/honor on her shoulders!!

I think its important for a woman to decide what she wants to do..Not be restrained cause of "societal standards/traditions"...Nothing should bound her!


Riddhima will soon realize how bad shes getting strangeled by that honor of a mangalsutra

Armaan will always be special for her if she picks him or not.

But if she is willing to move on with Sid then why not? When she herself knows she can live without Armaan... Sid can complete her life.. she is not a physco obsessed love no more who saw nothing beyond Armaan.

Which person in real life runs away from their marriage if there lover suddenly turns up for them after telling them to forgot him/her when you clearly know that the men who you married is a true gem too and in Riddhima Sid can keep her happy too if you look at their situation starting from Armaan's entry ..if such stuff happens in real life.. you will probably think that women is a physco and heartless to leave her husband for her lover.

Seriously either way Riddhima will be happy... and only one of the boys will hurt..

Why does she need to break her marriage and go back to her ex when she can happy with Sid too.

Why not Sid?? What about the decisions she made that she will move on and start a new life before Armaan came.. she can't broke them.. Sid is right there for her still.

Riddhima will only have guilt for one of them once she choses..

So yeah if she picks Sid.. she will be very much happy with him too..

Marriage is a commitment which should not be broken for such childish reasons... sadly many think its a paper game only..

What about arranged marriages?? They have no love at first but its their commitment which makes the marriage work and love comes..

There is no proper and real reason why she should leave Sid.

The fact that Riddhima is crying about her past...shows that for her, Armaan is a part of her life that can't ever go away! Today she showed signs of, JUST MAYBE if she wasn't married, LIFE would have been different..Shes always gonna regret this and its gonna hurt her deep inside and shes NEVER gonna be able to give into the SR marriage as much as she would like too..Simple..She will always regret something in her life!

Aliya she can stay away from him... she has clearly showed that while moving on. She is a matured up and a married women.

You don't go breaking your marriage like that... she can be very happy with Sid too. Sid deserves it back too.

Even Nandini chose her husband over lover and she had no regrets and hopefully thats how Riddhima will pick Sid too if she does.

She shall have no regrets either way but she will defiantly have a guilt for leaving one of them.

She can be happy both ways fully...

Hi Bheegi,
I wanted to comment in your last topic, but didn't find time to login and post...

Love your topics..

From today's episode, we could clearly see how much Riddhima loves Armaan and by referring to him in past tense, she is trying to manao herself and trying to talk to herself that she could no longer declare her love for Armaan like she used to just because of that thread that she is forced to wear by society and their rules.

She is educated, 21st century woman who should be able to stand up for herself and think and decide what's best for her. Unfortunately, no one has given her enough time until now to do that..Even though her husband claimed he would let her make decision, he knowingly or unknowingly forced her into fake wedding with Armaan and somewhere the reminder that he has saved her life doesn't really let her make the conscious decision. I hope she takes a break from her husband and Armaan and takes time for herself and listens to her heart for once.

One thing is for sure, she would always long for Armaan and would never able to accept her marriage whole heartedly. Neither she would be happy nor she would make her husband happy as no matter how hard she tries she will never able to let go of her Armaan..As Armaan said Armaan and RIddhima are one soul in two different bodies....

I always believe love conquers and it's just a matter of time and situation before she stops feeling guilty and takes the decision for herself..

this is the which is accepted with honor when it is filled of love
but when it is forced on u

it importance decreases.........and if this forces u to be tied up in that relationship where only compromise is their then it's better to break it up

this shouln't be block in your way of living
this should be and honor to wear

if it does not have lOve in it

it's useless