~ Posting this one here. Didn't realise we were already on Thread #3. Congratulations Arpita! ~
I'm going to comment before I get lost into the discussions and continue reading them and then not comment.
First of all, Learrn, Ashvini, Tashi, Puja, You-Know-Who - You guys have pretty much said everything that I had to and more.
Learrn!! Damn, your analyzing skills are a different level altogether. The way you make your points and to support those you also quote the lines from the particular chapter, is just brilliant. You articulate so well.
Coming to the updates - Arpita, you are an amazing writer! I think with each chapter you have just outdone yourself. This thread is evidence to that. The amount of discussions happening is unbelievable! And soon we'd be moving to Thread #3 with just 2 chapters here.
Someone else mentioned earlier, you've made us judge Arnav, hate him and now we see things in a different light.
Expectations can ruin the best of people. For a person who has been living upto and beyond expectations from family and friends for this long, he was bound to be overburdened with its weight. If even at one instance, a person fails to live up to these expectations, it can result in guilt. Arnav here has always been asked to repeatedly do the right thing. I'm guessing something in the past (more so to do with Anjali) has gone wrong and he is blaming himself. Again, for some it would be seen as self-pity but from Arnav's POV it is guilt. Guilt of not doing the right thing. Something that he is expected to do. He has been living his life just checking off his to-do list. Parents at times do not understand how much pressure certain words/statements can put on their children. It can get unhealthy leading to mental stress for the child (whether kid/adult). And when the person is drowned in guilt that has only piled up over the years, the sense of decision-making can get clouded. The fallout between Arnav and his father feels like there were expectations that were not met. A weird guess, but I think Part #4 of The Memory Lane might be from Arnav's father's POV.
In my earlier comments, I mentioned Arnav's behaviour towards Khushi (Oct-Nov-Dec 2015) was just crass. Now, I see where that crass behaviour was coming from. The guy has been depressed with the things that have happened in the past, happened over the last 1 year and especially the stuff that happened just 3 months before his 10th anniversary. A few people who are in depression do not really like sharing their thoughts with someone close. They would find it difficult thinking that they'd be judged. He did think of seeking professional help but that just didn't happen. I do feel that such people who take decisions under the influence of guilt, just end up hurting their loved ones without the intention of doing that. It's the same I see with Arnav. Sometimes all one needs is just for someone to listen to their side of the story without being judged. No wonder, Arnav just let it all out to Aakash. I'm no psychologist, but I've seen enough around me to say the above things. Depression is not something anyone faces in the same fashion. It differs from individual to individual. This also means that the people around depressed individuals will also be going through a lot of difficult situations involving them.
Having mentioned that, I do not say that Arnav was never wrong in the way he treated Khushi. Although it was all done with good intent, it wasn't the right thing to do. His decision-making was flawed no doubt. He let his guilt take over and made assumptions about non-existential things. He wanted to tell the truth to Khushi but he was a little too late.
Khushi on the other hand is a pure soul. She didn't deserve what happened to her. I still say that my heart just breaks for her. Her agony has still not ended. The few more revelations left, are sure to pull her down a little bit more. If Arnav is flawed, so is Khushi but not to the extent of flawed that Arnav is. She let her insecurities win when she didn't confront Arnav when she received those photos. I understand that the last few months/year before their divorce, he hasn't really given her that confidence to trust him. But when he gets her back to the Penthouse from Umanagar, and starts of the confrontation, she accused him of the assumptions she made when she saw the photographs. But there's a difference between the way the two have made assumptions on the situations. Khushi is tricked into making the assumptions based on 'evidence' that she received, while Arnav makes his assumptions about Khushi not being happy with him based on his guilt. But both did make assumptions (Sangat ka asar). Both of them didn't talk it out. I feel like none of this would have happened if they just talked initially. But then, we wouldn't have this story too, if they did what we think they should have done in the given circumstances. :)
Arnav really needs professional help. He is kinda suicidal. There have been two instances where he just wants to end it all so that he can't feel the guilt anymore. He assumes it'll be easier that way. And here too, his guilt clouds his better judgement. Doesn't think of the consequences and how it would affect the people who love him. Along with himself, he has dragged Khushi too into the mess, who will also need her own healing now.
Coming to BML. The women are the worst of the kind. The lengths that people go through because of their obsession. I kind of sense that Arnav was drugged. He does recount a college party incident where he mixed his drinks and ended up being wasted, after which he clearly didn't mix his drinks in the future. He also says that the Server must have mixed the drinks. I'm unsure but I didn't read that Arnav was requesting for a different kind of drink after gulping down the previous. He was just asking for a refill, which means he wasn't wanting his drinks to be mixed. Giving the amount of booze that he has been consuming, I'm pretty sure he knew his capacity to handle the drinks. Also, he seemed fine before he consumed the last drink that he had for the night which was served by someone who BL had requested to replace the glasses. The woman who could fake a pregnancy, cry about it and guilt-trip the man, could also pretend to be drunk. I mean she's an actress. Ofcourse, she knew Arnav was coming to her party something that he had not done before. Why would she get drunk to not be in her senses when she knew she had a plan in place to have what she desired years ago? When BL came to sit next to Arnav at the party, she adjusted her dress. I don't think in a drunken state of mind somebody would think of such little things to do (Am I reading too much into this?). She doesn't have a drink too when with Arnav. Supposedly, was high enough to 'pass out' on Arnav. All this was also being observed by Manali who only came to them when Arnav asked her to help with BL. Someone who couldn't handle her own self a few minutes ago, now rescues a full-ass grown man and pulls him to safety. Arnav does say that she slurred. But the man's mind was foggy enough, whatever was being said whether slurred speech or not, would still sound slurred. And then she came onto him. He said NO multiple times. He is clearly taken advantage of!
I would still wait to read BL's memory lane. There'll be quite a lot more revealed there. I keep telling myself not to make assumptions, because Arpita just weaves her magic and I get proved wrong. So will wait for you to tell us more on BML.
The subconscious mind is quite powerful. I do feel deep down Arnav knows that he has been violated. He does cry outside his old building feeling scared of the people and the world around him. His gut feeling is probably coming to fore here but then again, there's his guilt that overpowers and he ends up blaming himself.
I do feel like I've missed out on a few things that I wanted to mention here. Will post when I remember them.
Thanks for this great chapter Arpita.
P.S.: I hope you are doing much much better now!
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