Posted:
The way Anjali hesitated so much today, to broach the topic of Astha's job in front of NA, and her reaction to NA's lecture to how to tame Astha with love...by understanding her...and manipulating her...it spoke volumes about what Anjali's life was before NA made her the masterpuppet of the house.
Anjali was probably a very vibrant , free minded , outgoing and very warm at heart personality in her days. Her essence was killed , slowly in bits and pieces as she was drawn into " keeping all in the family happy and doing her duties ". That is NA's doing...and even now no matter what she does...NA still tried to find flaws in her to put her down. Probably NA made Anjali to give up her job..not by disallowing her, but by making her take so much responsibility at home that she has no time for job. Also he must have gotten her pregnant soon and asked her to be good mother and wife...and then do job later...but that day never came.
Thats why the tears and pain in Anjali's eyes today as NA goes away from her...she knows how her wings were cut..feather by feather...and now NA wants her to do the same with Astha.
Rather Anjali will do the opposite..she will oppose AStha from the front and not from the back...
that will make Astha defiant and Astha will continue to work.
The need for approval as a bahu , as a married woman can take a woman to the point where she is trying to keep in laws and children and parents and husband and job...all in good balance but fails.
It is that need for approval that ruined Anjali's life.
And the same will ruin Astha too...thats the reason Shlok assumed this hate mask.
Otherwise AStha would have easliy given up her job and career, her parents and maayke, her opinions and beliefs...in trying to keep her "loving" husband and his quack family happy.
Today I feel with 100 % guarantee, that Shlok knows the emotional and physical torture his mother goes through. He knows that his mother has a different personality behind that puppetism. He knows his mother is TAMED and TRAPPED in his fathers ways. He probably has had a big fight in the past with his mother...asking her to free herself..be herself and not tolerate all this. Anjali would have told him , that its not possible for a woman stuck in that position to break free, that she will be like this only.
And Astha is Shlok's way of proving to his mother, that she is wrong, that there is a way out of this situation for a woman..only she must have the will to do so...and he is putting AStha in that exact spot...and as Astha finds her way out...Anjali will too.
Actually Shlok loves his mother to bits...he cares the most for her. So much he is willing to hurt AStha , the woman he loves..to show the way of freedom to his mother. Thats why the guilt in his face as AStha hugged him trustingly in the bedroom. He knows he has pain in store for her. But he will explain to AStha one day...and help her all the way. And Astha will know Shlok is doing all this for Anjali and Jyoti. Whether she forgives him or not is another issue.
Thats why he always taunts his mother...you dont know anything about office work...because indeed, Anjali does know very well how to do a job and she must have been awesome at it. His taunt is because she has chosen to forget it. Very likely...that the initial business and school system that Agnihotris have..it was actually Anjali's hard work.
Arjun
