You can as easily love without trusting as you can hug without embracing. ~Robert Brault
One of the most riveting and engrossing episode ..An episode which saw the duel of equals !!
The episode was a fine showcase between too much trust and too little trust !!.. A shattered Arnav hears the words that he never dreamt he would hear in his wildest dreams ..A young boy who never believed in relationships , who never trusted anyone apart from his Sister and her Husband realizes that even that relationship is hollow, meaningless ..the person who has earned his sister's love is unworthy of trust ..and the girl whom he had begun to love, began to warm up to is calmly telling his sister's husband to break his sister Anjali's world ..A dazed & benumbed Arnav descends slowly from the euphoric heights to confront again the monsters ..He succumbs to the pain, the anguish , the sorrow of betrayal but now he is no longer a 15 year old for whome only tears are refuge...Now he is a Man..A Man who has grown shells , who has weapons at his disposal , who will not be easily shattered ..A man who will noty stand by and watch his near and dear getting hurt ...Arnav comes to a decision !!
I just loved the way the scene unfolded ...How delusional has Shyam become that he mistakes Khushi's revulsion as an acceptance... the forlorn expression when Khushi firmly states that she will never be his ...and here the walk of Arnav...the spring , the swagger, the pace all coming to a standstill as he watches his sister's husband hugging the girl he loves and even more devastating is the fact, the very girl is urging Shyam to break his relationship, give never ending sorrow to his sister .. A person whom he worships , one who always has first claim over him ..The slow , shuffling retracing of path ...once again alone amidst he crowd.. Arnav finally returns to his lonely tomb, to his darkened room, turns towards darkness again...Wonderful acting by Barun Sobti here !!
The second act unfolded with Shyam coming face to face with Anjali ..A Anjali whom he thought he had sent to meet the maker ..the shock, the exasperation, the impotent fury while at the same time having to maintain a loyal husband facade , continuing the loving husband charade ...It must be highly frustrating and annoying !!...Yet Shyam manages to hold on to his poise when it is severely tested again by his wife's brother who demands to have a word with him...The shot of Anjali on higher ground while Shyam placed below Anjali quite effectively conveyed how much he has fallen ,how low he has fallen and how unworthy he has become of Anjali ..
The final confrontation between Arnav and Shyam with Shyam easily holding the aces at the moment was the best part ... Arnav is quivering in icy rage , A rage held firmly in check for now ...Arnav reveals that he knows the truth and that he was a witness to the incident at terrace .. Shyam to all intents ad purpose looks suitably abashed and penitent only for us to get fooled again as he arrogantly accepts the truth of the matter ..One must really admire the guts of this man for openly accepting that he is cheating, to stand against ASR requires Guts and that he has in aplenty..strongly derived bec of Anjali's blind loyalty ... ASR whose wits has gone wool gathering bites out that he will make sure that Shyam and Khushi will pay for cheating & tricking his sister ...Not him but his sister !! ... and look at the reaction of Shyam... does he betray shock or surprise..His quick and agile mind instantly realizes that ASR has got the wrong end of the stick... not even blinking half an inch.. Shyam coolly plays his card , fueling ASR's hatred for Khushi, driving him apart from Khushi.. trying to widen the chasm between them..Shyam stands enjoying the sight of an agonized Arnav ...Shyam is delighted on seeing a helpless Arnav , writhing , squirming unable to retaliate .. Shyam is so goaded by this sight , so tickled on bringing a rich powerful man on his knees, He commits his first tactical mistake ...Shyam openly , brazenly declares that that the only obstacle , the only person who is coming in between him and Khushi is Anjali !!..with that one line Shyam has sealed his fate for now ASR will make sure that not just Anjali but he himself will be an insurmountable obstacle preventing Shyam from ever reaching Khushi ...
Khushi ..Finally is reminded of Arnav after Payal remembers Akash..but alas it is the case of too little , too late !!