After the nine parts that you have posted it is clear that nobody is what they seem. NOBODY. I will wager a guess and say, not even Khushi.
When you posted the very first notes from the past, Lavanya seemed like the nicest person in new-ons. But subsequently, you established that she is a bit conditional in her affections.
NK is this jovial, practical joker of sorts and yet his character has made some of the most insightful observations until now.
Even HP in the four paragraphs that you gave him comes across as a little more than Didi's bitch. He actually realises the repercussions of his actions and has a conscience-keeper in his wife.
Akash and Arnav are actually good, young men.
Akash so far is the most heroic character in the story. He has no vices, he accepts people as they are, he helps them and so far it does not seem that he has an agenda behind it. Plus, he is close to winning a Nobel Prize!
Arnav has obviously made mistakes, but he realises that and wants to correct them. Of course he has no clue why he wants to. Or rather, we the readers have no clue why he wants to. But that automatically gives him a nice growth arc. And even though it increasingly looks like Arnav was at least part to blame for Khushi having to leave college, I will still forgive him if Khushi does. And I know she will 😛Look forward to the next update, which will be from Arnav's point of view, right? Perhaps we will know if Anjali and Preeto's reading of his affections for Khushi is right.
Anjali is one character who is fun and likeable. Yet, she is pretty strong-willed and knows how to get her way. Much like on the show, but here she is sneakier. In fact, she is closer to the original KKGSR. But I was particularly interested in Khushi's observation that Anjali reminded her not of Arnav but Poonam Raizada. This was interesting because it does suggest that Anjali falls under the silk hiding steel trope. It was interesting for one another reason, Khushi does not lump Arnav and Mrs P in the same category. Which I am thinking is good news for Arnav.
Khushi, she has been a pretty consistent character so far. But that is also because we still know very little about present day Khushi. The only time we see the story from present day Khushi's POV is when she is at Tewari & Sons. So her concerns are more entrepreneurial and financial. We don't see her emotional turbulence and god knows there must be a lot. As a reader I worry about Khushi because she seems alone. Akash is her support, but we have not seen them interact in present day. Her parents are missing. Did they die? Did they leave the city because of the Tewari-Gupta scandal? And this somewhat unaccounted for child Aarav.
I thought you would bring back Aman later in the story 😆 Hope he indeed does make new mistakes!
Poonam Raizada who seems like a formidable woman, may not be so anymore. I think she too is mellowing with age and perhaps might not harm Khushi any more.
Anand Raizada is such a clean slate, you can turn him into anything basically. But I have a feeling, he will come through, the grand old man who will eventually bring together all these people. I think he will champion Khusi because I am assuming that it was Khushi who saved his life.
Love this story, as you might have figured out with the thesis I typed out 😊
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Mangal Lakshmi
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