I'd written a really long rant before this but it wouldn't post and I lost it all /aggravated sigh/.
So I'm going to condense what I wrote and just talk about the major points here:
When Arzoo enters completely flustered and upon recognizing where she is, she says uss din aap bhi'. Her realization dawns on her and she realizes it was him she saw that night. No one else. It's so telling because I feel like that's what their relationship will be by the climax of their mutual confessions, It was you. It was always you'. Very poignant and very straight forward relay of dawning realization there. Also it's extremely ironic to me that Arzoo is extremely uncomfortable and more vulnerable in the first scene, moreso than our bare bodied hero. She mixes her words and she is so intimidated by him that it's only made worse when he's supposed to look more vulnerable but is only that much harder.
Her catastrophic fall into the pool and her fear drowning her more than her body, Arzoo has no idea what she's fallen into, literally. She screams to be saved but there is no danger and when Sahir's exasperation gets the better of him his effective shut up' stills the moment around them. Everything is quiet, and neither of them moving, he asks once kya hua hai?!' His absolute perplexion at this girl's misery and fear is just beyond understanding for him. And when she answers that she is drowning and she needs help he does the one thing I didn't think he would for a long time. He smiles. In that moment with Arzoo's eyes closed and her standing in waist deep water, he lets his mask fall and he smiles. It only proved to me that in moments like these where he is caught so off guard, Sahir allows himself to be human. He allows himself to be affected. But then just as quickly his walls are up again when he looks at her, ordering her to get herself up. And she does, she stands up, and he only moves away from her after her so-called predicament is over.
Shifting away from the scene where Arzoo relays her experience to her adorable sisters, Sahir is seen walking towards the pool and I've noticed he tends to do that a lot. He is usually always facing the pool when he's in thought. This time though his mind is occupied by how Arzoo could have been so afraid and jus as he turns to discard the memory of her, he is stopped by her payal. Once again he is forced into the memory of her as she was when she made him smile. And when Zaki enters with his playful little attitude, Sahir very slyly diverts his attention so he doesn't see the payal his big brother was just staring at with wide eyes.
Zaki continues to tease his brother and the situation and boldly declares that Arzoo was saved by the galat hero'. So, so very wrong my wonderful Zaki. Because Sahir could have pulled Arzoo out of that pool, he could have manhandled her out of that pool, and yet he didn't once move in her direction. He knew that in that moment of panic Arzoo was drowning more from her own fear than her body, and so he told her what she needed. He showed her effectively that there hadn't been any danger at all, he allowed for Arzoo to save herself. He cleared her head and brought her mind solace, and he moved away from her letting her make the decision to move out of her own created panic and into safety. That is a true hero, but also the right one in that Sahir, unknowingly, saved Arzoo in the right way. She hates men and being saved' by one would have instilled in her a feeling of self-doubt and loathing for not having been able to see there was no danger of drowning. By allowing her to save herself, he gave her autonomy back to her. Incredibly done!
Then in another moment of sheer surprise Sahir shuts his brother's ridiculous claims about love and nearly cries. Sahir has been so deeply affected by what's happened to him that he is filled with such ache. Sahir compartmentalizes his entire life so he doesn't have time for emotions but twice in one night he is overcome by a small joy and then an always lingering pain. He is hurting to the point where it affects him nearly everyday but he converts that pain into anger because anger is easier to deal with than hurt.
Zaki then finds the payal and asks his brother if he could be the one to give it to his Jahan Aara, to which Sahir says shauk se'. It hit me in a way it shouldn't have. Sahir is a very behind the scenes person, and Zaki prefers his spotlight. Sahir is silent, and Zaki is overzealous. Unlike Sahir, Zaki can actually talk to Arzoo, and this is so poignant when the next morning Zaki follows Arzoo and there is a visible irritation on Sahir's face. Once again he's affected. And it's more than Zaki's childish persona, and Arzoo's overall persona, Sahir was annoyed at Zaki and Arzoo nearly colliding. Incredible.
The signs are all there. Zaki's easygoing personality aggravating Sahir's incompetency to have a normal conversation with Arzoo. Sahir's ache fuelling his arzoo to not be in love again, to not believe in the notion of soulmates. Arzoo who doesn't have time to be falling in love, especially with what her family will be going through. Sahir who will now inexplicably be drawn to Arzoo, and Arzoo who will be worried sick for her family and their place in the world. So many conflicts, and so many questions remaining to be answered. And so with a fall, a smile, and a broken family, it begins.
Udne Ki Aasha
