Originally posted by: Sandhya.A
The duel
You remember the edit of the return of the Ustaad? And all our collective gasps and adoration. You hastily reminded us that it a was figurative edit. 😆 That should have told us that .
You remembered that? As soon as I made the edit (the one that started making Rosejaan waver in her devotion to IM😉) and saw everyone else go ooh.. I was like 'Oh oh' 😲
So, I quickly warned everyone not to get carried away.. I am so glad you recalled it... 👏 Yes, the edit was figurative!
the entry per se was not going to be one to evoke gasps, but nevertheless the duel in itself was a seeti maar one
This is exactly what I was trying to say!👏
The story has defied the regular hero-giri heroine-giri right from the start. Our hero is a recluse, who is focused on the ends rather than the style of the means. Principled disciplined but doesn't put it in the showcase and expect praises or appreciation. (Would have been a sore disappointment to JB) Rather he prefers to be unnoticed till he strikes the final blow.
True... the duel had to live up to the 'awe' that precedes the murky shadows of the Ustaad while still coming across as realistic... it had to display a good amount of gasp-factor, while still having something new to showcase - something that hasn't been shown in past 56 chapters!
There had to be a balance between both fighters with a slow tilt to one side... and it was always maintained that Kunwar was still the better swordsman!
So no, it wasn't meant to be a Rajni Vijay style fight scene - but, it had to make us wanna whistle by the end of it! This was what I had in mind before setting to write it...
And it was a tough one to write... I had the fight scenes choreographed in my head... there were about 12 - 15 rounds between the two... but you know how difficult it is to actually WRITE action (unlike romance/thriller or even comedy?) because unlike the rest of the genres, action is one thing that's better on screen than in book.😲
Imagine, how boring would it get to just constantly say
He swung his sword from left, circled it from right and jumped. (And do this on and on)
So had to resort to other means... like thoughts/ emotions/ crowd response as well, to convey the general pulse!
But your words, your take on the chapter, and the psyche behind my characters, have me feeling so reassured! 🤗
Now challenge remains how to write the next part.😲
So is Heera. Unusual for a heroine but for her breathtaking beauty. Can look deep into a person/issue inspite of limited vision. Very cautious willed and strong from within. Yet gentle and calm on the exterior. A young girl with the charms of youth and wisdom of the old.
You can continue speaking about her and I'll just keep gazing on!
This duel was no less in its being different. No chest thumping by the hero. No mass entry. No brandishing swords followed by lengthy speeches. He doesn't become He-man magically in two weeks. He gains enough strength to fight but hasto use it wisely for he has one more to go. So he uses strategy than heroism.
Yes yes and yes... Duel of 56 started off being an anti-climax to what the very legend stands for (dragging his feet in/defeated look/damaged shield), only to become the biggest and best-battle climax of his life! That was how it was always intended to be... because that is who AMK is - an underdog who was destroyed by loved ones and self-made his way up in life!
Even earlier, as the phantom archer, he'd shot the grey arrows, but never claimed victory for it... that is the sort of person he is... antithesis to Mahendar!
And I know it might not be right to say so - but in retrospect, had the whippings not happened, we wouldn't have now had a 56 and 57! 😊 We'd have had a pretty straightforward duel instead! (Remember we had this discussion, Sandy? And you said you'd wait and see how the atrocities of 52, would play out in the story) 
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