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What an episode!! Started light and warm and sweet and then socked us one in the guts as it drew to a close!
There they were: the anxious, concerned mum hovering over her little girl who refused to let the dentist do his work. And the man a little removed, aloof, yet immoveable - a pillar of strength this late in the night. Who'd blame the dentist for mistaking them to be a family?
Shobha didn't deny it when he called Vikram her husband - it would have taken too much time and effort and emotion to clarify... Neither did Vikram expostulate, protest, joke. There was Jiya to consider after all. Why needlessly embarrass the little girl who was already in pain, and who incidentally didn't protest either... A tacit understanding then from all three that for the moment at least they were a happy family. What was the harm?
And so, the father succeeded in persuading his princess while mummy's back was turned, earning mummy's eternal gratitude and admiration. Then mummy wove her equally potent spell of love, and ice-creams, and soft, silken caresses with a gently fluttering scarf that stroked his face and left him at a loss. But not for long...
When the magical ride finally ended, they strove to come down to Earth. But even coaxing his secret out of Jiya would not stop the moonlight shining into her heart, just as scrubbing his seats over and over would not stop the happiness from soaking into him.
Came the harsh light of the day and drew forth some harsh decisions. She would sign on the lie...for her children's sake. And making uneasy peace with her conscience, Shobha went to work. There were more important things to do: like thanking Vikram for those words of praise; an acknowledgement, finally, from a man she'd come to trust and respect and whose opinion she'd come to value. The fact that he thought her brave and an example for her children...such balm to her self esteem, which had lain in shreds for so long now.
Of course, he wasn't going to let her thank him. He should have known the little girl wouldn't have kept the secret. Too late. Now, he had to stop Shobha thanking him. Of course it was embarrassing. More importantly, it was dangerous. What if Shobha realised that he just might feel differently about her from than he showed?...No he couldn't go there, or let her either. The mask must not be allowed to slip. The chink in the armour must be repaired before it could lead to any harm. And so he tangled her in words, until she was too confused to find her original strain of thought. Facades restored, they returned to work.
He was not to know of the poisoned dart that lay in wait. In the event, Tarun's ominous threat - divorce and loss of custody - struck with an accuracy that Tarun was right to have anticipated and gloated over. It blew up Shobha's freshly restored peace and confidence to smithereens.
Vikram, walking into the meeting room, intent on finding out what harm that swine had wreaked, could have had no inkling of the sight that met his eyes: Shobha in tears, on the floor, completely and utterly devastated! The point had effortlessly penetrated his armour and drawn blood.
An excellent episode, this one! Superb performances as usual from Sonali and Apurva. How much I loved Vikram's praise for Shobha, all the more sweeter because it was so unexpected. Again, it was just so heart-warming that he didn't deny his words when Shobha thanked him, but just brought their relationship back to the same keel it was on before, restored normalcy, returned control. Except that, even though they'd both like to deny it, their bond had altered, yet another brick of trust and respect and something more potent was building this foundation.
Shobha's naked distress was all the stronger for coming from such a strong, controlled woman - at least as Vikram thought her to be. What was most satisfying about the scene was, of course, Vikram's reaction: his shock, pain and fury, that his brave girl had been brought to her knees.
And so the story is set for next week's turning point: Shobha's statement and Samarth's return. But really, it's what Vikram does next that's got me waiting for Monday!
Meanwhile, some fab captures from Ultimaterudra for your weekend! Enjoy!😊
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