Subject: 'An attempt to analyze just what the heck has been going on in 'Bandini' by leelaa9.
I've, in the past few days, come across two points that I felt the need to check out.
Firstly, as Santu said, police never came to Dharampur because the village trusted in DM's justice. Then, how come the police came for Arjan's murder?
Then, I remembered that Maulik called them, either before or after Motiben said to do so. But I'm not absolutely sure on that point, with all the confusion that's happened in the interim since then to now.
Second point. That if Santu had privately confided the truth to DM, he would have ensured neither she nor Birwa would get jailed, because of the circumstances which compelled the killing of Arjan.
In response to that...
I don't think it was just a matter of the imprisonment. Even killing in self-defense taints a person's reputation. There is the "Was it really self-defense, or did they just cover up a murder?" suspicion that always sticks around.
Santu's life was set in stone at that point. She loved her husband, and knew their relationship was going to go strong even if she was jailed for a decade and more. She also has the capacity to remain untraumatized by taunts (as proven vis-a-vis Exhibit A:- Motiben) and harsh living conditions (Exhibit A again).
Birwa, on the other hand, was just a kid. And yes, a few years' age-difference (Birwa and Santu) can be huge.
Birwa had killed her drunk brother after seeing that he:-
(1) accidentally smashed their father across the head,
(2) verbally decided to kill DM out of the fear (extremely justified as DM later proved) that he would be disowned because he wouldn't be able to convince DM he had been trying to smash the furniture and DM's head just got in the way.
(3) and finally raised that stick to actually deliver a fatal blow to DM.
Birwa acted spontaneously, but she had already earned a reputation as a trouble child.
DM was never likely to throw his pregnant daughter-in-law out of the house even if he did cast her husband out. So, as a widow, she'd definitely stay on. In the same house as Birwa.
Khemi had already been traumatized by her choice to give up Hiten and put even her feelings for him in the past, so that Santu (the younger sister Khemi had brought up pretty much singlehanded like a mother) would not end her own marriage. Then Arjan saved her life and then turned out to have a horoscope to match hers.
His foster parents must have been idiots to create that kind of sinister horoscope, when they didn't know his actual moment of birth. And his demise so soon after the marriage was the one fear hindering the marriage of people with that sort of horoscope to those that don't match. Motiben and the rest of Hiten's family would have been as against the marriage if Hiten's sinister-horoscoped love was not Khemi but some highborn billionaire's only daughter. That is, until they realized that Hiten's horoscope, while not actually maanglik, was foil enough for it.
So, knowing that Hiten wouldn't let her go that easily, Khemi opted to marry the man she believed was heaven-sent for her. Opportunely and with a horoscope that meant his life wasn't at risk in marrying her. Ironically, considering how her horoscope had never been far from Khemi's thoughts since they learned she was maanglik, neither she nor the rest of the family realized that Arjan's being fostered by people ignorant of his birth-moment meant his actual horoscope probably didn't match hers.
Khemi had already wrung her heart out to move on completely from Hiten to Arjan. She had no more courage left to give up on Arjan and look ahead again. Even his violence against her she forgave, and that in itself was completely out of character for her.
Even knowing he had tried to kill Hiten while he was *not* drunk, she still used his being drunk as a defense for his actions when Santu revealed he had tried to kill his father.
But what is notable is that she never doubted Santu's claim that Santu had killed him only because he was about to kill DM. She was desperate for Santu to deny that she had killed him at all, because she knew Santu would have characteristically grappled with him physically, raised a ruckus and done everything but kill him to protect the unconscious DM from him.
All those were things Birwa could not do, because she - like most of the rest of the world - doesn't have Santu's 'got-selflessness-down-to-a-science', 'always-think-how-to-keep-all-from-harm' personality. Birwa reacted like probably a lot of kids would, seeing the adored father about to get killed by a grown man for money.
DM is not flawless. His greatest flaw is - or was - Motiben. He would turn a blind eye to her doings. He knew the depth of her devotion to him and their family, and never understood the degree of vicious malice the woman was capable of.
And Santu had already seen that DM would ignore her advice and take needlessly dramatic decisions when it came to Birwa.
If Santu were to confidentially inform DM that Birwa was the actual culprit, she could not count on him to keep it confidential. She could not be sure that he would try to get her released while pretending she was Arjan's killer. If, for any reason, he revealed the truth to anyone at all, Birwa's life would be ruined. Her childhood would be marred, her potential marriage-suitors would look at her askance. It mattered.
Santu going to jail didn't affect her life as much as Birwa getting off with a self-defense plea would destroy hers.
And if it had not been for that, Santu would have never turned her family's love for her into revulsion simply to keep them from looking more closely into Arjan's death.
Baa, Bapuji, Hiten and Toral had stuck with her during the most trying time a married girl can face. When the idealized deceased first wife came back among the living, and into the house. Toral only knew *of* Subhadra, so her protectiveness of Santu instead was understandable and perhaps even to be expected. But Baa, Bapuji and Hiten had adored Subhadra above all others. And when it seemed they had Subhadra back, they were more worried about protecting Santu's rights and feelings.
Even when everyone thought Santu had killed Arjan because he had tried to kill DM while drunk...Baa, Bapuji, Hiten and Toral backed Santu. And Khemi was more interested in getting Santu to deny ever having killed Arjan than out for Santu's blood. Baa even got Taru and Maulik to not betray Santu to the police, something she would never have been able to do if she were not Subhadra's mother.
If DM's weakness was Motiben Tarulata, Taru's was Subhadra. Subhadra, for whose sake Taru was willing to ruin her own life as well as Maulik's. Subhadra, against whom she would not let DM say a word even as she accepted anything he might say about or for herself. Subhadra, in whose memory she always saw to the least of Baa's and Bapuji's needs.
Subhadra, who is the real reason Taru loathes Santu. Taru may despise low-castes, but she can get along with them fine to get work done. Champakali and the former chef were both low-caste, but they went all over the house and Taru had no qualms about it. Even Khemi, Taru had been willing to accept as Hiten's wife in exchange for Santu divorcing DM.
But DM was Subhadra's love. That he should remarry and place another woman in Subhadra's rightful position was an abomination. The girl being low-caste was merely a pinch of salt added to a wound that was unbearable enough without it.
Arjan was Taru's offering of penitence to Subhadra. The son Subhadra had lost because of Taru, restored to his rightful status and position. Taru even took heedlessly from her own adored Maulik to give to Arjan.
Taru had been willing to accept Khemi only grudgingly as Hiten's bride. But she accepted her wholeheartedly and dotingly as Arjan's. Taru would begrudge Arjan nothing, because his being happy and recognized as a Mahiyavanshi relieved Taru of the tormenting guilt for Subhadra's lost son.
Khemi had the good taste to commit her love and devotion to someone who was the primary beneficiary of Taru's guilt and gratitude towards Subhadra. Arjan loved Khemi. Anything Arjan wanted, Arjan should have. And it is this attitude that Taru has now focused on Khemi in Arjan's stead.
As for Motiben's and Khemi's taunts about 'chhotey loag'... When Maulik's paternity was exposed as being low-caste, he completely and Taru mostly switched from abuses centred on 'chhoti-jaat' (low caste) to 'chhotey loag' (poor people).
Khemi, tremendously insecure after the series of traumas she faced, needed a support system that she could count on to always be there for her. She was already in a lesser position as the second daughter-in-law of the house. Moreover, a widow. That too, of a husband who would have been disowned and disinherited if he were still alive. Then, Kadambari moved back home and stayed put after her second marriage. As far as relationship and status went, Khemi was junior to both Toral (Khemi's jethani) and Kadambari (Khemi's husband's elder sister).
In this situation, only Motiben prioritized Khemi. Khemi's living as Arjan's widow was all that Taru wanted. She could dote on Khemi, and treat her as a living memorial to Arjan and penitent homage to Subhadra. And in return for all that doting and importance, Khemi could please Motiben by adopting the behaviour and attitude that was Motiben's own. 'Chhotey loag', beware!
As for DM, the reason he's angry with Santu - her villainizing herself over a count of murder - is motivated ironically by the reason that got him to realize he loved her. His children. While Kaddu is blown any which way by the most recent strong wind, it was Hiten and Birwa who were finally absolute in their tenderness towards Santu. Subhadra's parents and children had to push and prod him to get him to understand his own feelings for Santu. And though he doesn't know it, it's because of one of those children who brought them together that, having committed to his love for Santu, he was parted from her.
As for the future, if Maulik was being played by someone else, I'd want him taken down. What those two wretches are doing is pimping at the very base. But I like the Maulik character, and the actor is extremely talented, regardless of whether he's playing the character negative or positive. So, I want Maulik to reform, and then I'm going to let his past be past because it suits my convenience to do so. <LOL>
And I want Kaddu to get back with Shashank because though she's repeatedly a goose, they're adorable together.
But the real bright spot in the future, as far as all us 'Bandini' fans are concerned, is the promo of a kickass Santu taking the keys of the mansion into her own hands. Heck, she didn't have the keys before she was jailed. Mr. Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi restored them to his sister even after she set them aside in pique. While anointing Khemi her heir to the hallowed position of 'benbaa' <SNIGGER>, Mr. Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi's sister handed the keys to Mrs. Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi's sister. And Mrs. Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi is going to take them back. The world goes round and round indeed. <ROFL>. Yippeeeee!
leelaa9.
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