I wont touch Maya or Vandana as you have already read my post and views on them. Coming to Arjun you have bought an interesting point. Fear. Does he fear Maya. Is it to ward off the fear he told the dialogues he told. Maya's remote is in his hands, he wants to believe that whereas he knows it is not like that.
He wants to prove in every step he is not in Maya's control. Even in her presence he can do what she doesnt like knowing fully well she wont like it and she can be angry at him too for that. See Maya's or for that matter any wife's anger on her hubby partying with half naked girls or drinking too much is justified. But a man expects a wife to tolerate all such snobbish behaviour of them. Why. Because they are men. They will do as they please right or wrong.
If you look so far whether it is Vandana or whether it is Saanjh they have allowed this man to be what he is. Vandana to get his acceptance has moved heaven and earth.
Saanjh has been over protective. Whatever he does she gets angry but then immediately goes to solve his problem. She is there at his beck and call and do his things. It is for the first time this girl is standing mute without talking to him and he calls it her ego. He doesnt realize what he spoke to Saanjh in Maya's room in front of Maya was terrible, too terrible.
So whatever this guy does so far the woman in his life has supported with chalta hai attitude. Now Maya is not going to do that. She will pull him up if he decides to cheat her or misbehave with her. Arjun's subconscious knows this and he is suddenly wary of this. Someone is going to watch him and may not bend to him the way Vandana and Saanjh does. How will he bring this woman in his control or rather the realization that he needs to bring this woman under control so that he can do whatever he wants.
It need not be money always, but the disrespect behaviour also. Just like Jhanvi goes Ashwin Ashwin he wants Maya to be emotionally dependant on him.
In a way I am happy Ashwin is dying. Whatever is Maya's secret that is secondary. But the person with whom Arjun can manipulate Maya 's vulnerability is no longer there.