It's growing!
But what's growing? Let's have a look at our options and pick the best possible answer:
A. Her sweet rants of apologies. His second by second depleting ability to stay mad at her. Her need of forgiveness for something he's not even angry about anymore. His torturous tricks of teasing her from time to time. Her eye-filling, heart-warming innocence. His heart-throbbing, mind-numbing, killer smiles. It's growing. Their relationship. It's growing. The ability to talk, converse, spill, question so fearlessly, with such ease, with such comfortableness, so openly. It's all growing! How immaculate is the growth. Some may say they fell in love that's why they got together. I say they got together and then fell in love. True love. They've learnt how to converse without words. They've learnt how to heal with the magic touch. Yet they still understand the importance of words in this relationship. They value each other's opinions and it's an open ground. They may not necessarily agree on each word uttered by the other but the respect for each's thoughts has certainly catalysed this growth. They've cried together, they've cried for each other too. And so they know the value of a smile. To tease, to mock, to rag; it's all become a part of the daily routine now. A time when they shed their lovers' skin and smack, pull, punch, chase and tug as if they're the best of friends. To understand is the primary key of a successful relationship. Whether that's the short-lived anger he has for the white-lie she spoke or whether it's the needless panic in her voice as she begs for forgiveness for her undeliberate sin. As long as they are being blessed by understanding; nothing will go wrong. And so it's a point to be noted that this understanding was never present from day one. It has...you've guessed it right - grown! And it's continuing to grow! To understand each other, to understand the depths of this love, to understand this relationship as a whole. It's all part of an on-going, growing process. And it must continue growing. Because the day it stops growing, it'll mean someone has put their hands down. Someone is no longer willing to understand and walk this relationship further. And so in order to ensure they never stop growing, he voices a set of words that she needs to understand. "Hamhe bas ek hi cheez alag kar sakti hai aur woh hai jhoot." The need to share transparently, the need to express openly, the need to trust each other blindly; it's all growing. Because a painful separation, an agonising exile, even an inch of a distance can no longer be beared by the two. The need to stay bound to each other is growing. The need to stay in each other's presence is growing. The need to stay beating in each other's heart is growing. The need for each other is growing. Unaccountably. Uncontrollably. Unfathomably.
B. The demon's fear of the monster. It's growing. His confidence wavering for the first time. His anxiety increasing for the first time. "No! I can't let this happen. I hand-picked nandini. Aaj tak haar nahi maani maine. Toh itni aasani se nahi haar maan ne waala main." There's always a first time to everything. And so the possibilities of the demon losing this time is growing. Purely unlucky. He has just landed at the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the claws of the wrong monster. This monster. He's not good, he's the best. The master of this game. And so it's understandable to fear. It's natural to sweat. The demon; the panditji. He claims to be the king of this game's chessboard, yet just look at his defrauding tactics. His hateful, manipulative game-plans. All growing! His unfaithfulness towards not only his student, but his mother-like guru; growing! The aim of the game was to win fair and square. The rules strictly mentioned that it's a battle between the demon and the monster. So I call it upon automatic disqualification today! He's lost before he even begun. Seems like he wants to break the record of breaking trusts. Of breaking hearts. Of shattering faith in humanity. The list of his sins seems to be growing. But this list needs to be ceased as soon as possible. It mustn't be allowed to grow any further. Such a demon needs to be condemned back to hell.
C. "Manik...it's growing!" Their tree of hope; it's growing! The restlessness and impatience towards the arrival of "Our day"; it's growing! It's been a long expulsion. A painful eviction. An intolerable separation. But the wait now seems to be the real torture. One day! To get through this last day is proving to be unbearable. "Waise ab tumhari list kuch lambi hoti jaa rahi hai...of the things you owe me...on the fusion concert. So you better remember that." Too many moments have slipped out of the hands. Too much time has been wasted in apologising and forgiving. And so the list of love seems to have grown quite lengthy. A kiss has been missed per day. A hug per night has been wasted. And since one day and one night still remains, the list is still growing! The need for this hope to attain victory is growing. The need for these two individuals to start treading their combined journey together is growing. Optimism has been the key. To hope for the best and to dream for forever togetherness has enabled them to pass every test of fire. And now the time has finally arrived. And it's becoming impossible to not race ahead of time. But the day will eventually arrive. The night will ultimately shine. And then the real growth of their love shall begin.
D. Misapprehensions, hatred, insecurities, frustration, inner-turmoils, timidities...the list of negativities just seems to be lengthening. And so does this brother's inability to differentiate between right and wrong. He's continuing to drown in delusions. The baseless blames, the inappropriate accusations; they're all growing. The knots of confusions just don't seem to be loosening anytime soon. And so there is a fear that the list of blunders, the wounds from his poisonous words, the distances between him and his loved ones will continue to grow until he doesn't stop running from reality. The reality. Nandini was never his! The reality. Aliya wasn't insecure, he was! The reality. Aliya's jealousy was evidence-less, his jealousy can be justified! The reality. Is he completely over Nandini yet? Uhhh Ummm...Maybe...not? And so his mind has yet again started running useless errands. His mind is cooking up meaningless theories. His mind is finalising senseless conclusions. He so heartlessly walked out from his family of friends. So irrationally abandoned his brother. We thought this was the worst it would get. Manik thought this was the worst it could get. But seems like his madness has just started. And with the speed that this second round of rampage has begun, I can predict this absurdity is going to continue to grow.
E. The sisterhood of two best friends; is growing. Their selfless support for each other is blossoming. The automatic urge to cheer the other one up is mounting. A friendship so pure, so true, so unconditional. They're learning the basics of life in each other's company. To stay happy, to stay content, to love life, to live life. Their broken hearts have escalated this growth. But the growth in itself has been so positive. This bond has just begun to deepen; the growth of this relationship has no end.
F. The need to protect. The need to shield. The need to fight. Never has it been so needful before. Never had it been so urgent earlier. His sixth sense can sense it. The danger is growing, And so is his need to stay undistractedly alarmed. "Come on guys! One of you has to respond. I need to prove it to Nandini." To prove so desperately, to gather evidence immediately, to catch a clue so dreadfully; the urgency is growing. Just look at the irony; for her, the time seems to be ticking so ruthlessly slow and steady. And for him; the hours seem to be flying away as if they're mere minutes. One's need for time to quicken its pace is growing and the other's need for time to freeze is growing. But time is uncontrollable, non-manipulative. So the master Manik must plan and execute his strategy to victory within the twenty-four hours. Her faith is at stake, her trust is at risk, her belief is in danger. The need to safe-guard her morale and optimism is growing. The need to win every fighting battle is growing. The battle of protecting her heartbeat, her soul, her hope. The battle of unmasking a demon. The battle of being able to sing together. The battle of shielding her from the wicked witch's evil eye. The battle of safeguarding her dreams of togetherness. The battle of preserving her weaved wishes. The battle of discovering and capturing light to overcome this luring darkness. The battle of homecoming. The battles seem too many, but the need to conquer each and every one is growing.
G. All of the above!!
Anupamaa
