There is no place like home, no place like home, no place like home - Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)
Home. It is the one word that denotes cozy, comfort, warmth, shelter, haven. For most people, it is one place. But what happens if life hands you two places that are home. Can two places be home ? For some people, it is so. It is so for my parents.
My parents left India when I was very young. Thus my memories are of holidays spent there, not home. But for my parents, home is both India and US. Even now my mother cries both times when we land and take off from Chennai, well Madras for her. We laugh and say Amma will cry any time now, we can set our watches by it to lighten the mood. She tries each time bravely not to cry, but the soul connection she has to the city of her birth has never changed though she did not lived there for a very long time.
So too Anami's connection with Benaras will never go. It is in her soul. The ghats, the chants, the Maha aartis, the food, Pandit, Panditayen. Ladoo will always be with her wherever life takes her. Home is something that you take with you.
But another place too can become equally dear, equally home just different. My mom also talks about the first time America felt like home. It took a few years but after some time, when the plane landed where we finally settled it felt like coming home to her. She still cries when she leaves Chennai, but that is balanced by the feeling of coming home in another city they call home.
She was brought brutally by Satrupa to LM, cut off from her family, her parents threatened with jail, her life changing upside down because of her khoon. Anami never bonded with Satrupa, but even today the unexpected rishtaas she formed in LM made her cry when she left LM.
The writing in this show is so good. I was all set to say how selfish Anami was making Poonam do things. Anami still is selfish for the consequences for Poonam could be terrible tomorrow. Satrupa threatened to bulldoze Poonam's house because Anami wanted to take a bath there. Who knows what she will do now ? But still the goodbye between Anami and Poonam made me cry.
Gayathri is Rajmata. Stylish even at this age. But she is also a grandma who lost her grandson and now her granddaughter whom she bonded. Who did not put up walls or threaten Anami, but showed her love and to which Anami responded. This is the strong bond, the mother bond to LM that is not with Satrupa. Then there is Vikram, slowly thawing towards Anami. I like that Anami took the blessings of both of them, not just Gayathri.
Narottam. He is still gray. I was reminded of the scene in the Lion King where Mufasa says "run away Simba and never return". Yet he saved her from Sudha.
Lastly Daroga. Tanya who has more hair than akal usually did something smart and made Daroga realize his priorities. I was a bit shocked when he said he did not want to be a CBI officer for life. People usually go into the CBI especially for life long careers I thought. I am still not on board the Daroga - Anami train but I am going with this now because of the writing. So far they have handled a situation which could keep me from watching sensitively.
Anami needs to go to Benaras for lots of reasons. To say Goodbye properly to the people and town, for closure, to realize LM's place in her life. Anami will probably go back to LM. She is after all the LM waris But she will always take Benaras with her and someday LM will be home too. But if not, she still got Daroga out of it š. Not a bad bargain.
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