Written Update June 16, 2011

Everyone is at the panchayat and villagers have gathered. Dushyant starts that since Gulaal approached panchayat first she has the first opportunity to present her side. Gulaal says that nothing is hidden, her deeyarvattu happened with Kesar, the whole village is a witness that at her saying Kesar wore Vasant's shoes, but she doesn't regret it because she had a reason, she was fully conscious and knew what she was doing and why, but she made one mistake that she didn't inform Kesar of her decision that on Kesar's growing up she would marry him to a girl his age. Now that day has arrived when Kesar can live happily by marrying someone his age. Gulaal joins her hands and requests the panchayat to free her and Kesar from the deeyarvattu. Hearing this Kesar is hurt, and a tear falls from his eyes. Gulaal's parents and Mota Bha are worried.

Dushyant asks Kesar for his side. Kesar steps forward with the fallen tear on his cheek, never taking his eyes off Gulaal. He looks at the panchayat and slightly exasperatedly says that before he says anything, he wants to make one thing clear, that he is a human, not mud (I think he meant clay), that whatever someone's mind wants they made him into that shape. Gulaal and his parents look thoughtful. Kesar continues that deeyarvattu was created by their own society, and people have honored it, when Gulaal and his deeyarvattu happened panchayat blessed them, Gulaal became his wife, since then he thinks of her as his wife. Talli feels hurt and cries. Kesar continues that when he was too young to understand relationships, this relationship was thrust on him and everyone here had accepted it. Today he is grown up and can take his own decisions even by law, he knows right and wrong, he thinks that his happiness is in Gulaal's continuing to remain his wife. Gulaal looks at him shocked, Talli is crying. Kesar says that he doesn't want to free Gulaal from the deeyarvattu, the rest of the decision is up to the panchayat, whatever they decide he will accept.

Dushyant says that they have thought a lot about this. Deeyarvattu has been created by their society, panchayat has supported it, and if accepted in the right manner it is a good practice, but if not treated with cautiousness it can become a cause for concern. Deeyarvattu was created with the intention of providing support to widows, the panchayat thinks that in the matter of Kesar and Gulaal this decision wasn't correct, when Kesar did deeyarvattu he was not able to take his own decisions yet he was tied into this relationship, this was not fair to him despite Gulaal's best intentions, but Kesar had to bear the brunt of this mistake, he grew up thinking that he is married and has a wife, if Kesar was not in this relationship, like other men his age he would have chosen a girl his age and married, but that did not happen because in his eyes he is already married. Today when Kesar wants to keep this deeyarvattu alive Gulaal wants to become free of this, on Gulaal's demand for a decision the panchayat is declaring this decision that Gulaal cannot be freed from this deeyarvattu. Everyone is shocked. Kesar has a look of disbelief since he did not expect this, Gulaal is shocked in a negative way, Jamna is happy, Poonam thanks God.

Dushyant says that panchayat demands for Gulaal think of Kesar as her husband and she should spend the rest of her life as his wife. Gulaal says that she will not accept this decision, she has never seen Kesar in that light. Kesar has tears in his eyes and looks hurt. (I feel really really bad for Kesar. It is very disrespectful of Gulaal to go to these lengths to get her way regardless of Kesar's feelings. In front of everyone she is insisting like a kid, its so embarrassing for Kesar as if living as his wife is such a bad thing). Gulaal says that she refuses to abide by this decision. She demands to know from Dushyant why he took this decision despite knowing everything. (This is where I don't get Gulaal. She wants the panchayat to decide thinking that Dushyant will support her. Since Dushyant did not support her, she refuses to accept it. Gulaal is even more childish than Kesar and Talli put together, or even Sudha for that matter. Or Chunni. She wanted panchayat to decide in the first place. Gulaal needs a big dosage of reality). Dushyant tells her that this decision was made by panchayat keeping in mind village rituals, there is no room for individual preferences, Gulaal will need to abide by this else Mota Bha and Gulaal's father and both their families will be banished from society. Gulaal continues protesting, Dushyant says panchayat has declared their decision and is done.

Sudha comes forward and stops panchayat, and says that Kesar has received justice, who will give Talli justice. She says that Gulaal made a promise that Kesar will marry Talli, Kesar agreed to marry in front of Mota Bha, but Kesar stopped the marriage in the middle and left. Today they decided about Kesar and Gulaal, but what about her daughter, who will give her justice, with whom both of them have done injustice. Talli saw the dream of marrying Kesar since childhood and today she is washing her hand's henna with her tears. Will these tears get justice? What was her fault that she received this injustice? Will the panchayat not decide in her favor? (Seriously, at this point someone should tell Sudha, another woman in denial like Gulaal, that why was she marrying her daughter to a married guy. So what if Kesar said yes to marry Talli, he was married, it doesn't matter whether Sudha believes in the deeyarvattu or not. She should have asked the panchayat to dissolve the deeyarvattu before getting her daughter married. She was so desperate to get Talli married that she did whatever was convenient. Someone needs to put her in her place about this).

Dushyant says that they agree that Kesar wronged Talli, hence they have decided to punish Kesar... Talli interrupts that she doesn't want anyone punished, she doesn't want any justice, she doesn't want Kesar to get punished. Gulaal and Kesar both feel very guilty, Gulaal more so. Talli pleads with panchayat to not punish Kesar, she is old and can take her own decision, she is saying with full consciousness that she doesn't want justice, and leaves crying. The panchayat leaves.

Gulaal and Kesar look at each other hurt.

Kesar is sitting outside in the rain soaking wet, as if completely numb. I think he is drained of all energy and is now finally calm and coming to terms with his feelings, yet knowing that Gulaal will never accept his love or see him the way he wants her to. Young Kesar was so funny and adorable, old Kesar has become so complicated and full of turmoil, he deserves some love and stability.

Gulaal comes there demanding to know why Kesar is doing all this, why he didn't break the deeyatvattu. (Madam, you cannot always have what you want, even now Gulaal is so blind). She tells him that he is ruining his and Talli's life. (Kesar doesn't owe Talli anything, he didn't make false promises, Gulaal owes Talli and she cannot force Kesar to do her bidding). She continues that Talli loves him and will always keep him happy, why doesn't he see that, if he is angry with Gulaal why doesn't he punish her, she is ready to bear the brunt, why doesn't he break the deeyarvattu, what is in his mind. He looks at her and asks whether she really wants to know why he is not freeing her from the deeyarvattu. Gulaal says yes she wants to know. Kesar turns towards her and looking into her eyes with a mix of intensity and softness, says the reason is this that he loves her. He says it with so much love and intensity and softness at the same time, its as if his heart is so full, and love is waiting to burst out through the tears in his eyes. Gulaal is shocked and doesn't know what to say or do, its as if time has come to a standstill.

They both pause for a moment to let it sink in, then Gulaal takes a step back, Kesar says very softly that this is true, he then takes a step forward and tells her that he also did not realize it, that what is it that pulls him towards her, what is it that he cannot live without her, now he knows, this is love, this is love. He says it as if finally he realizes why he has been in so much pain and turmoil, he has finally found it, a eureka moment, and smiles. He continues telling her that he cannot live without her, he loves her a lot, loves a lot. Gulaal is horrified that now she has to face the truth, and gives him one tight slap on his face, Kesar doesn't budge one bit and takes it, its as if the rain has come down and washed away all his frustrations and he is left with one beautiful emotion of love and the relief of expressing it finally. Gulaal continues slapping him taking out all her frustration, Kesar's eyes do not leave hers for one minute, and he lets her slap him without budging, looking at her with the same love and intensity and desire for acceptance.

(Kesar looks so lost and sweet, and I feel so bad for him. All the guy wants is some love, and all Gulaal has given him is denial, slaps and more slaps, and imposed her decisions on him. He deserves so much better. What is he to do if he is in love. Gulaal was willing to break her own engagement, marry the son of an enemy, and elope in love, and she has not shown an ounce of understanding towards Kesar. Talk about empathy, or lack of. She doesn't even show him basic respect). Gulaal pulls his collar towards her and slaps him again and again in anguish. She then pushes him and runs away to the house while Kesar looks on with tears in his eyes, as if he has given himself to her to do what she wants.

Precap: Talli is in the room standing with the bag in which she kept Kesar's letters to Gulaal. Gulaal is behind her and tries to discuss what happened, Talli interrupts asking why it happened, why does it happen that those we love do not reciprocate, and they love someone else who doesn't reciprocate, and who loves us we don't love (complicated dialogue, but basically it means going round in circles and nothing is reciprocated). Talli asks why this happens with them only. (I think its time for Gulaal to read the letters. Once she reads them, she will see a vulnerable side of Kesar. For 10 years Kesar has lived with the knowledge of Vasant's murder buried deep in his heart eating at him, this is something he shares with Gulaal and her alone, both their pain can come together to give birth to love. I think if Gulaal knows that Kesar knew this for 10 years, she will feel more empathy for him and realize her mistake. I cannot believe how adamant Gulaal is, she is just too stubborn and difficult. It is one thing if one is stubborn because one is always right, but Gulaal has been so wrong and yet continues to make the same mistakes and refuses to change one bit. Even such big circumstances don't compel her to change. As of now Paan Baa and Mota Bha are mere spectators and nothing else).