After weeks and weeks of half baked ideas and semi cooked storylines, the creatives have seemingly awoken to the rude shock of falling TRPs and perhaps (we would like to imagine), our angst filled communication to them. Several redeeming features were to be observed today and we can all take heart that the creatives do not intend to fail us completely.
Much as all of us viewers are shocked at Ridhima's choice of prank to get Armaan's blood boiling, I am ecstatic that the creatives did not make a mockery of an issue as grave as sexual assault. We have discussed this to death and I am glad the creatives did not let us or our faith in them, down. I was particularly thrilled that Armaan chose to direct his anger not at the fact that Ridhima mocked his concern, but her own honour. Hard hitting and concise, his diatribe was snappy enough to break anyone.
If one wonders why Ridhima has no sense of remorse, I would again congratulate the creatives here. The obstinacy in Ridhima's refusal to accept she made a gross error of judgment is in complete tandem with what we have seen of her the past month. Note that even when she does feel remorse, it was not that she chose to slander her reputation; it was that she chose Vivek as the one to assumedly rob her off it!! Talk about being so blindly in love with yourself that you are unable to see the truth of another's disapproval. Ridhima has enjoyed a life where she has rarely been chastised and has always believed that she is good. Even in her parting short that she is as twisted as Armaan, she displays her arrogance of being hallowed and incapable of blunders. It is not shocking, therefore, that she should only see the caustic tone and not the bitter truth behind Armaan's words. How could the great Ridhima be wrong and even if she is, who is Armaan, the mere mortal to condescend upon her?
This thought of self-sanctity continues in her refusal to see Sumit's ardor. She does not want to believe she is capable of leading anybody down a misconstrued path. She revels in the praise that her patient showers on her and in not accepting that her refusal to show Sumit the right way, may actually encourage him, she displays that very air of moral superiority she carries around her like a talisman!
If the last scene disappointed, it is due to Armaan's refusal to just ignore her, irrespective of how huge her faults are. One would love to rationalize it saying Armaan possibly feels obligated and responsible towards Ridhima and her choices, as they are seemingly to him, now one entity. He cannot seem to separate himself from Ridhima and her follies, hard as he may try and cannot objectify his presence in her life. So intrinsically entwined is he with his love that every breath that he takes, he takes one more for her and feels an irrepressible urge to put right what she bungles. It is his frustration to show her the error of her ways that prompts him to challenge her to a battle of who is more contorted, who is more capable of perversion, in the hope that perhaps she will realize that there are limits.
On another note completely, the hookah track did not fail to impress. Finally a track to create awareness. Considering the populace watching the show comprises mainly youngsters, (except us hags!!) the attempt to direct them towards a path of confidence and faith in themselves is indeed commendable. Lives are ruined because of this need to 'fit in' socially and that the creatives picked a pertinent phenomenon of the caf-hookah culture just shows us that they are indeed back on track, researching the mindset of the young. A drug abuse track in its place would have resulted in some alienation, since not everybody can identify, but city cafes are ruining the innocence of youth and we owe the creatives a huge word of thanks for bringing it to light!
All in all a redeeming episode…and we can hope (with some amount of complacence) that even the basketball match will not disappoint. Even if the premise is light, we can hope that is used as a weapon to pierce through that armour of sainthood that our dear Ridhima wears so proudly around her heart!!
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