Turtle Head of the Real Love

TURTLE HEADOF THE REAL LOVE

Today's epi is to be especially noted for the last scene which is what my title refers to. I shall explain it in the subsequent sections.

PICKING POINTERS:

1. Anjali Ji seems to be retuning back to her loving, considerate mindset. She interrupted Mami before the painted-face-one could lecture on the defects of "patti sari", appeared humorously delighted at Mami's desperate request to act Agent Bond in the kitchen cooking investigation, granting a delighted and sisterly advice to Payal and Kushi, watched with mirthful acceptance on seeing an altogether different Chotey...
2. Excellent sister bonding between Payal and Kushi; they are phasing back to their glory love days, though talks of the family strain remains in the background. But of course, Payal did promise that she has something to give her (from home).
3. Shyam Ji digging his own grave. Never felt more contented at seeing the arrows pointing toward him, though the arrows are doted or blurred and not clear-cut yet.
4. Materialistic Mami is cool to watch and listen to (especially because she's the cleverest among the lot to spot hints out) but filler to bear and annoying when centered throughout an entire episode.
5. Mami calls his wife "Manu..." Romancing never ages, I guess.
6. Arnav, hot, direct and alert as always whether its in dealing with Shyam or with Kushi, and if in both the cases, Di is around.
7. Kushi darling centered on finding out the truth behind "The Hurt I Caused my Hubby."
8. Akash is a character getting killed day by day. You know, sometimes I feel as if he is a feminine character. Really!
9. Wonder what that kitchen gas and its eerie music intends for the future episodes. Panic alert!

DIGGING DEEPER:

1. Kushi's soliloquy: As intended, gave the gist of what is on her mind. She has struck on the possibility of Arnav's awareness about Shyam, the urgency to talk to him regarding this awareness and probably even give him finer details concerning Shyams' real colours, and also permitted us to see how thoughtful she is of those that may be harmed in the process. Careful steps are required and she is buckling herself up for action.
2. Hawking the lonely Jelabis: 'Kushi makes jalebis when depressed, moody or angry'. Only-Kushi-on-my-mind Shyam doesn't think before he speaks and 'blurts out' the fact. Anjali Ji 'knows' the fact but is certain she didn't think it so important as to convey it to her infrequent husband when he was found limitedly available. Mami Ji 'wonders' on that fact and questions the shadow behind it as to WHERE Shyam acquired this Jalebi general knowledge. Note that the WHERE in her question may be relevant as Kushi mentioned in the initial scene that Arnav may have learnt that Shyam was her faithless fianc. But the fact that he may not know of it and will change his views about Kushi slightly on knowing about this, is implied in the twice occurred topic of the WHERE that Shyam had involved in when he had not been a regular Raizada.
3. Arnav's Timely Entry: Saved Shyam, barricaded his Di's feeble mind from being too curious, and gave him a chance to take pride in the fact that he was Kushi's husband, the Walking Hot Encyclopedia of Kushi's likes, dislikes and mannerisms. Want to refer anything about Kushi, kindly consult his pages. And the look he gave Shyam: the war is on, babe! Eh, by the way, did HE know that Kushi made Jalebis when stressed up? I have my doubts...
4. Akash and Kushi watching Payal feeling insulted: Differences directly displayed- while Akash acts worried, silently assured her of his presence and is concerned about how to bridge the gap between his mother and his wife without hurting the either'Kushi is concerned, watchful, empathetic (not sympathetic) and action-oriented. She transforms into the chirpy unbroken childhood sister she had been to Payal and together they try to mend things in the MIL crisis situation. And at Mami's door when the two watch Payal walk away sadly, I wonder what Kushi's expression meant when she looked at Akash: spineless husband for spineless sister. I have to do something about these spines! *brain switches into Plan Mode* and she makes for the kitchen.
5. Anjali and Kushi in the kitchen: The wife does not know where her husband is, but his sister knows whether he's home or not. Nice'the essence of the roles get weirder by the day.
6. Mami's kheer dilemma and Payal's invitation: Materialistic Mami has centered the reason for all the failures in her life on her only daughter-in-law, and she is having a hard time deciding how to react when Payal invites her to join in the meal downstairs. Mami wants to join and Payal adds garnish to the 'want' telling that the meal is diet-thought and Mami-focused. The already slightly open door, signifying her acceptance of Payal into her son's life as his wife, is pushed more open by Mami, showing that little by little Mami could learn to accept Payal but it is definitely gonna take a looong time.
7. Now, comes the best part, the Arnav-Kushi encounter: And I wish to give that topic a separate section coz it may turn out to be longer than I intend to put down'

TURTLE HEAD OF THE REAL LOVE

When Kushi bumped into him, what would he have done? Bark and then walk away.

But his eyes fall on Di. First Mami and now Di, and he is forced to slip into fake mode. But what would he have done in that mode? Flash her a flirty smile, tell her its OK, was gonna change anyway and then walk to his room? He would have, but he couldn't. Because Kushi was her real self and her 007 was charged up. She was asking him about what he had slipped a few hours back and he knew it was coming. So he is forced to act out an SS not an OS.

He interrupts her every time she begins to ask the serious question, either because he doesn't want to answer it or more obviously because he doesn't want to answer it in his Di's presence. First by a hot comment that she looks awesome when angry and its after statements, then with the spoon. Aya! The Spoon! Now, that's what I want to talk about, suppressing my excitement at seeing them drink from the SAME spoon. You see, the spoon is symbol of 'their oneness'. But here the spoon is held by the hands of Fake Love, i.e, Arnav's hand, because he is the one who is actually faking love. Kushi doesn't even try, not even once so far, to fake love. Even when putting it into his mouth, the hand of Fake Love holds and dominates her hand. The spoon, as I said is a sign of their oneness. But even when the oneness is dipped in fakeness, there is a beauty. Watch how he feeds her with it and then lets her feed him with it and then feed her again. Now, watch how he feeds from it again. See how different his feeding from the spoon is from hers. She is gentle, doubtful and timid. But he is complete, confident and without doubt. In fact, the whole spoon is put into his mouth, his lips completely enclosing around the neck of the spoon's head, and drawing deeply from it, leaving it cleared and dried with nothing left over. I don't wish to go to the erotic meanings conveyed here (leaving that to the expert gutter minds), so lets skip onto the more standard symbolizations.

The Residue Removing: to me its more like stain removing. The tiny blemishes on your purity, on your honour, on your name'I shall wipe them away and make you whole. But on the larger context, we see a contrast in this image. When at the Dabba scene, she had wiped the stain on his upper lip, here we find him clearing off a stain that is perched on the corner of her lips. Both the times, they were doing it halfheartedly. At the dabba, Kushi did it reluctantly and with a slight fear. Here, Arnav does it on 'full' fake mode, and he even gives a sideway glance in Di's direction, while doing it.

But what I want to draw your attention to is the title of my post: Arnav's real love is like a turtle's head. When it senses danger, irregularities or disturbances in the environment, it hides into its shell. But when it knows no one's watching and senses the need to be what it is, it emerges out of the shell. Arnav's real love is this turtle's head. When confronted by Kuhsi's open questions, Di's and Mami's watchfulness or suspicions, he slips into his shell that acts like a fake stone that displays Fake Love. But when he is alone, or knows Kushi isn't aware of his gaze or presence, or sees Kushi in danger and his need to be there for her, Arnav's Real Love emerges. The head peeps and lives the moment. Just the moment, however. Because once that moment passes, he is back in his shell or he's walked away, not like a slow-time-unconcerned turtle but like a hurt-leopard-running-to-his treetop. When Kushi coughed, Arnav's Real Love pepped out from the turtle shell. He swirled in the moment in trying to calm his Love. But she was clever and sensed the shifts between fake and real love. (Loved this part really, wanted Kushi to react just this way!! Love you, Kushi dear!) Arnav's Real Love poured itself as water into a glass and was offered to her, but she was sick and tired of his fake love, because remember his hand was Fake Love (explained in the above paragraph). She pushes away both Fake and Real Love and faces the Person Arnav. Stating clearly her thoughts on his turtle character, she stands watching as a defeated but proud-in-defeat Arnav, because his Real Love had been denied, walks away from the Real Moment into his 'other' shell where he bottles everything from Kushi, Di and sometimes even from himself.

And the Precap!! Loved it! but don't want to comment on it since it was just fragments of a scorching conversation between the two. Just want things to sail smoothly and hope that 'kitchen gas' issue doesn't turn fatal. Enjoyed the epi, for what it conveyed and excited about all those to follow in this ArHi week!

Thanks Smitar! Like I said, ArHi obsession has given me a pair of eyes seeking interpretations that could have been used for other productive purposes that I chose not to do!

EXCELLENT Analysis👏👏

Thank you shilli and zaniax for your appreciation and also to all those who wordlessly 'liked' my post.

awesome analysis. I like reading people's perceptions, helps me from thinking too much about the show!

Love your take on residue removing and its connection with Daabha's scene. But the last part i doubt kushi knew that he is for real worried and went to get a glass of water. Infact she misunderstood his act by seeing his previous deed by watching anjali.

So i think she will misunderstand his real love when he is not faking it.

waterunder11: to keep you from thinking too much about the show? Why, is the show bothering you? Frankly, ArHi take our minds from thinking too much about things that matter. They may be a wayward obsession that in the end is not going to bring you to any heights. But do you know why I keep watching it? Because in the wide lane of a troubled life, ArHi is a peep in the wedge, and I find great comfort in finding it there. A reward after a rewardless day at college or at home. ArHi, lets say, allows me to giggle, snort, laugh and cry all at once, adding colour to a gray existence that aims at gains and no fun. Thanks for liking my post, by the way. And take care!

Thanks 007008! You lot give me the inspiration to see deeper into the show...

It's sooo nice -

Putting everything in positive perspective - beautiful


Does prove that we all are smitten by this show..😛

Ah, Lovely1, when it comes to ArHi, I can't stop myself from being positive! In fact, my optimism has increased to higher levels since the show sprung into television history. So, let's just glory in the passage of the plot, even when it drags, and relish in the essence of every single ArHi scene!