If they can get you to ask the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers -Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow.
An uneasy calm presides over Bhopal. Disgruntled SKBM viewers (ex phankas) watch in horrified shock as an irreparably tarnished Prince Lamba Achamba is fast turning into a toad while his Pachmarhi princess has sunk into a comatose slumber: a sleep so deep we wonder if she will ever wake again.
At the party office Samsher is overseeing some people packing bottles, currency filled envelopes and sewing machines into brown paper bags, sacks and boxes to be loaded into tempos. BBP strides in and asks Samsher about the progress (the bg music is attempting to be sinister but sounds more like a car and a bathroom flush have produced hybrid offspring😕). Samsher updates him. BBP says that they should go to places that he has instructed - bottles will go to mill workers, the sewing machines to poor women in Indira ngar and the currency would be distributed at the slums of Dinapur. Samsher assures BBP that his instructions would be followed.
At the hospital the senior tiwaris are sitting in a hallway. A tv screen broadcasts a talk show about Puja's shooting; the mystery has only deepened. The senior Tiwaris agonize as they see a clip of Puja's Mauritius performance. Sumita walks away in tears. But as Arti and Harivansh look on, the program host announces BBP's presence. BBP seated on a couch (same red stripes as in the party office and mammiji's house, the props are definitely from a thok vikreta🥱), asks the viewers to pray for Puja and for women's rights. He says it is a shame that in a country where women are revered as the devi goddess, such a tragedy could befall any girl. He announces that though the perpetrators have not been caught, he wanted to announce through this far reaching channel that his party, daddaji and the government would award 10 lakh rupees to anyone who helped them catch the culprits . When the program host asks him why he is so interested in the case, he responds it is because of his marriage. Arti and Harivansh look shocked and hopeful but BBP dashes their hopes by announcing that it is because of Rangoli's interest in Puja's music - she had given Puja her first award in Mauritius. As BBP continues to spread some more suave charas on the screen, Harivansh gets enraged and limps over to the screen to switch it off - frustrated he tells the blank screen to stop this nonsense. BBP had already done his damage. As he cries, Arti tries to comfort her father and asks him to be seated. Arti gets a phone call. A man's voice on the phone mockingly asks her - did she see BBP's machinations? He was warming his hands on the funeral pyre of his own prey - he was making Puja's tragedy a part his election campaign. Puja's life was in danger. When Arti tries to find out the identity of the caller, the voice tells her that all details are contained in the envelope left at the hospital reception desk. Arti finds the envelop at the desk but there is no sign of the messenger.
At the party office, Govind Shankar comes in to see BBP who is overseeing the packaging staff. BBP mocks GS about the bribes he gets from the party office. GS says he was here because of the TV program where he had announced a reward. BBP asks him not to take such announcements seriously. GS complains that he has been reduced from a hero to zero. BBP reassures him there was a plan for making him a hero again; that as long as he remained under BBP's aegis, he would always have a crown on his head. GS kisses BBP's hand effusively. BBP asks GS if he found anything at the love nest. GS produces a cellphone. When BBP asks him if anything else, GS says (as if an afterthought) some poetry written by Puja (he does not let on about the diary). BBP reminisces about some poetry in Puja's voice (something about her words being the ultimate truth about love. People do not to waste your lives. She had built a dam with her restless mind, she advices the weary traveler never to cross this path). Wonder if the CVs are giving us Bodhi gyan...
At the hospital, Harivansh talks to Puja who is in coma. He tells her to get well soon so that he can take her to Pachmarhi and get her married to a good boy (arrey yeh Tiwaris kabhi nahin sudhrengey!!). He reminisces with Sumitra about how much Puja loved carrot halwa, he asks Sumitra make some- it might be of some use in waking her up. Sumitra agrees to get the halwa and a change of clothes and leaves. Harivansh is tearful.
In the hospital hallway, Arti pores over papers taken from the envelop. Bhavana, who has just come in asks her what it is ' a puzzled Arti tells her about the mystery caller and that he has sent her some phone bills. Looking over the phone bills, Arti realizes that BBP's number did not show up for the last two weeks in incoming/outgoing calls. Arti hides the bills from Sumitra who has come to tell her that she was headed home.
After Sumitra leaves, Arti tells Bhavna that BBP had ignored Puja for 2 weeks!! Except 10 seconds when there was an outgoing call at the time that Puja was being attacked. It looks like there was some fight going on between them that Puja had not confided to her sister about. Had this fight caused the attack on Puja? Puja had said that she needed to talk to BBP, what was it about? Bhavana expresses her concern that Arti was getting dragged into something that would set her up against some very powerful people. Puja had never told anyone about the Brija marriage. If things were revealed, people would resort to mudslinging Puja. Where was the proof of the Brija marriage? And would happen to the senior Tiwaris when people sullied their daughter's name?
At the Haveli, Rangoli and Giridhar wonder why Daddaji has summoned them and BBP for a meeting. Rangoli is sure it is about the upcoming elections and would be in BBP's favor. Giridhar angrily says that Daddaji is constantly bailing out BBP even though he had wrought such egregious harm on Rangoli. Daddaji comes into the conversation saying Giridhar was digging his own grave. He tells Rangoli that she would be the one to lose out of she did not forgive BBP. BPP would not be affected; she needed to put up with him, he was now the face of the party. He then takes them into confidence before BBP arrived. He gives them both some responsibilities. The elections were looming and they would have to show a united, smiling front. They should not let the electorate know that any of the haveli's familial equations had been affected by the Puja issue. And this was his order, not his advice! Rangoli agrees.
Rangoli assures her father that the electorate will only see how much BBP's wife loves him. BBP walks in and condescendingly says that the electorate would see her love eventually but he could already see it and he puts his hand down on her shoulder - the one that was shot at. Rangoli looks like she has dyspepsia. When BBP asks daddaji why he had been summoned, he is told that Puja's case should be made "the end" (arrey daddaji, shabaash merey raja, looks like you are into Bollywood). BBP looks on impassively, then looks at Rangoli and nods.
At the hospital Harivansh and Sumitra try to wake Puja with carrot halwa but to no avail. Sumitra cries and Arti tries to comfort Harivansh. The phone bills in Arti's hands fall on to the bed. Sumitra looks questioningly at Arti and indicates that she come outside the room to talk.
Precap: Several random clips. Sumitra confronts Arti worriedly asking if she intended to revolt. Arti responds that the culprits behind Puja's attack must be brought to justice. Daddaji announces to his august family gathering (is ammaji history?) that in the interests of the party, Puja's killers (UH-OH 😲) would be apprehended. Harivansh applies tikka on Arti, anointing Pachmarhi's warrior princess. He blesses her and promises to be with her through this struggle.
- please hit like and comment, even if it is just to vent your angst; this update brought to you by D.Z.Pasta🤪
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