[Episodes 111-120] Of Lassi, Lollipops, and Lots of Liquor

- So it has been a while, but I'm going to put my thoughts down here for continuity's sake!

- It's pretty plausible to think that Shaan's creation is that small robot on the table there, LOL. I mean, the only other thing that he has nearby is a cardboard cut-out of Rajni...and that's not an earth-shattering creation by any means, haha. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how Shaan got one of those and why he has it stored in his almari. When I saw that cut-out, I was like, "Prime use of promotional materials from the show's launch! This is kind of hilariously ridiculous. It's a stretch, but I'll justify this by saying that Shaan designed a template of Rajni's outer layer and got a huge cardboard version of it...because why not?" Needless to say, I was being sarcastic in my head. But okay, whatever. Moving on.

- Shaan's robot voice is so weird, man. Props to Karan for managing to sound so strange, haha. Oh, and here we go. Right off the bat, Shaan starts flirting with Samaira, via his "creation." I'm rolling my eyes already. And I'm glad that Samaira can see through this instantly. "Flirty robot." Shaan isn't even being subtle about what he's trying to say. Samaira doesn't look comfortable with what Shaan is saying. She's not even a bit happy. And then Shaan picks up a freaking metal pipe and puts it on the ground, strategically, so that he can "slip" and fall...into Samaira's arms?! Umm. Hey, genius, what if she doesn't turn around? What if she doesn't realize you're falling until you've hit your head on the floor? What if she doesn't like what you're saying to her right now? But none of that matters, because Shaan is all focused on creating a "romantic moment." It's not romantic, it's ridiculous. He should not be doing this at all. He's married.

- Rajni arrives, foiling Shaan's plan. "Ek doosre pe girne se kaunsa romantic moment hona? Ek doosre par girne se, khaali haddi tootna!" Her logic is absolutely correct! I have never understood the appeal of this extremely popular feature of Indian TV shows. In almost every trip-catch scenario in a show, the moment is contrived - obviously, because people don't randomly fall in perfect orientation so as to end up in the famous Barsaat pose every single time! And in almost every case, it ends up looking artificial and silly. It's so overdone that it takes real skill to create a believable trip-catch sequence. That doesn't happen very much, if at all. Even more silly are the scenarios where the hero and heroine fall and roll forever on level ground. That...doesn't happen in real life. You need a slope in order to roll! Otherwise, two people who fall on each other like that will get hurt. Thank you, Rajni, for pointing out the obvious. Ah, and Rajni also calls Shaan a ripe mango that is falling here and there, which is a pretty apt description. Except mangoes are better than Shaan at the moment. Best, though, is Rajni calling Shaan a lukkha. Seriously, Shaan is a lukkha now. Is he even employed? I think not! Where is he getting all his money to buy parts and upgrade Rajni? That is actually a question that has been in my mind since the start of the show. With Matthew gone now, that question is even more relevant.

- Dinner with the Kants...and Dev is there? At the head of the table? With Shogata sitting next to him?! This is all kinds of amazing! Dev has been accepted at the Kant dining table, for one thing. And he's not just in any random spot along the sides, he's in one of the head chairs...and Shogu is sitting on his right. I'm assuming they got maneuvered into sitting next to each other, because I highly doubt they'd actively decide to do so at this stage of their relationship. But I love these little interactions they have. Dev notices Surili on her way to the table and announces, "Woh aa gayi, khushi!" I don't know if he intended to be genuine or mocking, but that's besides the point. He looks over at Shogata, tentatively, and she instantly warns, "Behave yourself!" They spend the rest of dinner behaving like a bickering couple, more or less doing their own thing while everyone else is focused on the other end of the table. Dev wants another roti and silently asks Shogata for one...She gives him a pointed look, points at his plate, and refuses to oblige. Later they engage in a tug-of-war for a tiny bowl...which Shogata wins, naturally, with a well-aimed slap on Dev's arm. These two in their little corner, waging their usual little battles!

- Random aside. I love those decorative boxes in Amrish-Surili's bedroom. So pretty! But how does Amrish not know that Surili eats chalk when she gets incredibly stressed? Poor Surili has inadvertently become the unsuspecting victim of a massive misunderstanding. And this is only the beginning!

- "Meri wife! Hindiwaali!" Okay, correction. This is the second good thing about the first scene. Shaan's relieved tone and expression made me laugh, and I'm glad that he spontaneously gives Rajni a hug. Also, thank god Rajni's Hindi mode is back now! It sounds so nice and musical after all that Hyderabadi and the other language demos.

- Ah, Ghyaan and Dhyaan. These two brothers are always together and I can usually count on them to make me smile. "Arrey! Yahan pe toh poora ka poora bag pada hai toys ka!" "Hain???" LMAO, Ghyaan's reaction! "Sochnewaali baat yeh hai ki inn toys se khelega kaun?" A few seconds more...and Dhyaan's got his answer.

- "OMG! Oh my gosh! Such a lovely teddy bear! Oh god!" Shogu! Dawww, she's such a darling and such a child at heart! I love how Shogata steps into the room with her usual air of nonchalance, but as soon as she catches sight of the stuffed animal on the floor, she rushes over to it, sweeps it up, and starts stroking the fur. She is as adorable as the teddy bear, to be honest. These quick glimpses of her childlike innocence are my favorites because they reveal a side of Shogata that she rarely shows. Whenever her composure slips and the sweetness does show, it is spontaneous, and therefore all the more precious.

- When an episode begins with the Bangdus, I can count on at least a few minutes of happiness to offset whatever else may be in store later. "Itne saare glass of lassi!" Poor Dev is denied the chance to drink even one glass of lassi, though. Why? Because apparently the lassi is only for married men. Whoever thinks Dev Bangdu is an idiot will have to fight me. The man is a quick thinker, and this is a perfect example of it. "Ek minute. Arrey, main bhi toh shaadi-shuda hoon! Aapki behen Shogata ke saath hi toh meri shaadi hui hai, mere saalo!" In any other circumstance, I'm sure he would rather jump off a cliff than announce that he is married to Shogata Kant. But lassi is at stake here...and so Dev happily proclaims that he is married to her. This might be the first and last time he says those words with such joy, but I'm hoping it won't be! This is the last time we'll be seeing the Bangdus for quite a while, though...

- "Abbey, teri sirf shaadi hui hai, aur kuch nahi!" "Woh bhi sirf paper par!" Dhyaan and Ghyaan, proving once again just how much they care about their sister and how protective they are of her! #KantSiblingGoals It's pretty great that these two brothers are always the ones who flare up whenever Dev accidentally says something that can be construed in a way that makes it seem like he and Shogu share more than just a surname by marriage on paper. First the accidental innuendo about pregnancy, now this. And Dev's face, every time...Super adorable! I love him so much.

- "Yuck!" Right on cue, Shogata Kant Bangdu appears, presumably having trailed Dev to the dining room. And she says he follows her everywhere? If she just happened to be passing by, then she could have ignored him...but that's the thing. She can't. And I think it's very interesting that when she walks over to Dev, she speaks to him, and only him. Her focus is only on him and nowhere else. "I just heard you. Tum yeh lassi issliye pee rahe ho 'cause you think Shogata and you...Eww!" Another assumption and accusation on Shogata's part - she's always so comfortable saying these things to him! Who knew that lassi could turn into a symbol and euphemism for physical intimacy? I've always loved the fact that these two represent a very intensely emotional relationship, with physicality being a major factor in there that is hinted at time and time again. They really push the envelope in very unique ways when it comes to showing what a charged, passionate human relationship is like. A moment of appreciation for Shogata's Americanized English, please. Neha and her linguistic talent! That accent is absolutely perfect!

- So many nuances to love about this moment! Shogata turns away from Dev, leaving that thought between them...Shogu, darling, Dev's thoughts weren't anywhere close to what you've been thinking...But he catches on quickly. He nearly chokes on the lassi, and Shogata turns back to him, wide-eyed. "Ewww! Iss khayal se lassi ne mere pet mein jaane se mana kar diya!" Dev is repulsed by the mere thought of him and Shogata together, that we know very well. This just takes the repulsion a few notches higher. The way Dev is so incensed about this accusation, brandishing his lassi glass at Shogata, while she just rolls her eyes at his dramatics, always makes me laugh. "Suno, suno kya keh rahi hai!" And though Shogata knows that Dev can say the strangest things, she tilts her head and listens to him anyway. To me, that is quite significant.

- "Iss chipkali ke peeche apni mardaangi waste mat kar, Dev Bangdu!" Shogata's face! Her expressions are adorable! He calls her "chipkali" and her curious look transitions into a frown. He mentions "mardaangi" and she scrunches up her face in disgust, moving to elbow him in the stomach. "Shogata ke paas mat aao!" Priceless! I'm sure they would've continued their banter if they hadn't been interrupted. And it's rather beautifully ironic that throughout the rest of this scene, they don't move away from each other and they look more like a married couple than they ever have before. They awkwardly avert their eyes in sync, they make adorably apprehensive faces in sync...and after watching her dramatically struggle to string a sentence together, when Shogata grudgingly admits, "Rajni's right..." Dev turns to look at Shogata with what I'm presuming is a combination of shock and surprise. Shogata agreeing that Rajni is right about something? See, underneath all the attitude that she throws around, Shogata does care about those she loves...Even if she doesn't get along with many people, she can put her personal issues aside to acknowledge when they have a valid point.

- Dhyaan and his varying degrees of awkwardness and mortification at the prospect of helping decorate the house for a baby shower, LOL! The poor guy is tongue-tied half the time and extremely uncomfortable about the whole thing. "It's - it's - it's...whatever!" "Umm...OK." #PoorDhyaan And there's something about Sharmila's recurring requests/laments/reprimands that come up whenever the topic of childbearing is broached. Are they not able to have children because of Dhyaan? This is one thing that I am still curious about.

- Poor Surili has no clue why she is receiving a sari - a very pretty one, at that! - and she is absolutely confused by Rajni's advice and antics. LOL, Surili's "I'm confused and this is strange, but I'll just smile and play along" expressions as she walks to and from the almari! I would so love to see her as a truly happy mother and mother-in-law.

- So there's a godh bharaai happening downstairs...and Shaan is asleep upstairs. Correction - Shaan is pretending to be asleep...Why? Because Samaira. The girl came up to his room to tell him about the potentially problematic party, but he's got his own agenda. He grabs Samaira's hands and starts saying things...and every time he rolls over on the bed, I cringe a bit more. Shaan is acting like a lech, to put it lightly. If there are emotions underlying this behavior, I can't sense them here. I just feel like there's a testosterone overdrive motivating Shaan's words and actions now. It just gets worse and worse.

- This is not the sort of stuff I'd ever have imagined seeing from Shaan. It still makes me incredibly uncomfortable, given how his character sketch established him as the kind of person who didn't care much, if at all, about physicality. He didn't feel motivated to pursue a romantic relationship after that break-up because he didn't want to get tangled up in the same kind of "woman's emotions mess" again. Most importantly, he had accepted the end of that relationship as part of his past, he had acknowledged that he was also responsible for that outcome due to his workaholic nature, and he had moved on. That was one of the things I loved most about Shaan's character - his ability to rationalize and put things into perspective. I can understand a rebound of emotions, but the execution of it in this particular manner is not painting Shaan in a sympathetic light at all. It doesn't connect with what we've learned about him in the past, either. This Shaan-Samaira-Rajni triangle had so much (!!!) potential, but I've ended up essentially retconning everything from mid-July until early August with regard to this track. Such a pity, because it started off SO well. That pool table scene is the one major take-away from this triangle that I will keep.

- Hot and cold - Rajni takes it upon herself to provide the "warmth" that Shaan wants...by literally warming up his hand. She burns it. That's what you get, Shaan. And then Rajni cools it down again. She's too nice, IMHO. In all of this, Shaan brings up one point that I have thought about often. Why do the Kants keep calling the media over to their house for every little thing that happens? I'm certain they're not of such high status that they deserve constant media attention. Oh, but Shaan has to go and ruin that as well, by trying to show how hard it is to deal with Rajni so that he can get "sympathy" points from Samaira. Well, he's definitely not getting any sympathy points from his mother. "Tumhara chashma kidhar hai, Shaan?" Ouch. The simmering anger in her tone and in her eyes...Surili, thank you for this!

- Aside...Karan is such a saving grace for this character, man. The way he looks around for his glasses and puts them on with a grin - too cute, too cute! And of course I can't help but chuckle at that. Oh, Shaan. I'm at my wit's end going through these episodes and I can't wait to get to the ones where Shaan starts transitioning back towards normalcy.

- "Shogata Ji! Aapki mummy aapse pehle mummy ban gayi hai. Iss khabar ko sunn ke aapko kaisa laga? Khul ke boliye!" These media people! I consider this question to be irreverent but hilarious all the same. Shogata's face when the reporter says that first sentence, LOLLL! I wonder if she even wants to be a mother in the future...Speaking of which, I wish Dev was here. I would've loved to see his reaction to this - and Shogata looks drop-dead gorgeous in that red-and-white sari! That color combination is traditional, and it is commonly worn by married Bengali women on auspicious occasions, so...Yeah, I wish Dev was here.

- Dhyaan's facepalm moments in the background are killing me! He's like, "I can't watch this..." And how fabulous is Shogata? She finds out that the media people are from a local channel that broadcasts at 1am, and she's just like, "No." Ahaha, amazing.

- Solah Singaar Kar Ke! The only godh bharaai-related song I've heard, and it's nice to hear a song after quite a while since this show doesn't use them much, even for situational reasons. It's always a treat to watch Ridhima dance, as well! Somehow she manages to make Rajni's dancing look fluid yet stiff. A contradiction, I know. But that's the impression I get from this song sequence. Sharmila joins Rajni on stage, and I have to say that Tanvi looks lovely in that sari! The color combination and the floral patterns are light and very pretty! Also, Bubbles Bua apparently showed up at some point, and I'm so amused by her randomly dancing with Shogata! Neha's expressions are always fabulous!

- Bubbles Bua and her ever-trusty companion - that flask of liquor! I have always wondered how she became an alcoholic. And alongside that, I have always wondered why she yearns so badly to get married to someone. Companionship? As far as I can tell, the only person who truly cares for her is Amrish, which makes me feel kind of sad. She may be superstitious and believe in supernatural things...she may be a hopeless alcoholic, too. But Bubbles is good at heart, that I can tell. And here's the foreshadowing for her marriage...Amrish plans to find someone for his sister before the end of the year!

- We've seen the lassi, we've seen the liquor (which will make another cameo soon), and now we see the lollipop! Rajni decides to become a little robot with a lollipop in order to test Surili's parenting skills. Rajni in any form is too much to handle, haha. But it also must be said that Rajni in any form is also too cute! Rajni and that lollipop!

- Surili is desperate to get away from all of this godh bharaai madness in whatever way she can. So she tries to take a few sips from Bubbles' flask and ends up in a tug-of-war with Bubbles who, even in a somewhat inebriated state, knows that the liquor isn't what Surili should be drinking right now. Shogata casually strolls by, sees her mother with the flask, and immediately runs off. She returns with a wine glass and urges Surili to spit out the alcohol. "Spit it out. Spit it out!" Surili swallows. Shogata is horrified. "Mom, yeh baby ke liye bilkul achha nahi hai! Aapne kya kiya?!" This moment right here. It says so much about the kind of woman Shogata Kant is! She's concerned for her mother and unborn baby, so tries to get her mother to stop drinking. Such impressive presence of mind! After seeing this, I have a feeling that if Shogu were to become a mother, she would make a very good one.

- Because Dhyaan has been a silent source of amusement throughout the entire episode, I have to end with one of his lines! Ghyaan is convinced that Bengalis have a sense of humor as much as Punjabis do. Of course we can have fun! "Eta cholbe na! Punjabi logon ki hi monopoly kyun hoti hai hasi-mazaak pe? Hum Bangaliyon mein bhi funny bone hota hai!" And Dhyaan pipes up, "Arrey, aap bataa rahe ho ke daant rahe ho?" Ghyaan looks at his brother for a second. "Daant raha hoon!" LMAO, these two!