agree he was not a manipulator!! but a complete fool...and he should realize that he is the root cause of all this drama...
he wanted to keep his family happy, anandi happy, but did he even think once that if he is not happy and only keeps compromising the whole life then will they be really happy. he can do the drama of being happy for one day, 2 days...but forever?
this itself should have made him think that he needs time to think...agreed the rishta day he had no space to say a blunt no with his family sitting on his head...but time he could have easily asked for...that no one wud have objected.
then he wud have got time to think, consult anandi, make his family understand...leave Sumi - if he wud have taken the rest into confidence, she has no place to stand.
so in a way this case should also be an eye opener for him on how to handle life and make decisions. just changing for good doesnt change ones basic nature.
also this case should teach BH people, specially DS into not forcing their kids for their wishes.
and Sanchi isnt Shiv that they pushed J the way they did to anandi, all knew Sanchi's thinking, nature, behaviour...so the same route was a disaster...
and of course Sa should be punished, and shekhars should learn to accept their faults and how to raise kids ...no 2 minds about that.