I've been calling Rambo kaan ka kachcha for so long that to hear Sharda say it out loud was a
moment for me. She didn't waste time on melodrama but what she said in those few minutes was a sounding slap to all the saas bahu crap that we see where wives, especially middle-aged ones who follow traditions to a T, are subdued in the name of parampara, pratishtha, anushasan by their pati parmeshwar. 🤢 What she said about the mangalsutra not being the bediyan was in contrast to what Raghav said in the promo, and he is surely going to learn this the hard way. She also made an interesting reference to the fact that although Pallavi was a widow, and as per so-called social norms without the name and support of her husband, she was doing just fine living her life and making her mark in the world, showing Sharda what a woman can do on her own.
I so so loved the way Sharda held Nikhil's hand and they both walked out with determination. She's showing Nikhil real-life examples of how to treat women and is raising him well. I know we saw this in the precap but the way it played out was well-done. I just love Nikhil more and more everyday. He's younger than everyone but has much more maturity than most of the elders around him, obviously thanks to Sharda's influence. His undying faith in his mother and his sister was such a treat to watch, considering the toxic environment he lives in. I loved the way he thanked Keerti and requested her to look after his sister Pallavi, real brotherly feeling. Krishna didn't make an appearance but I wanted to hug her for her quick thinking in telling Keerti what happened. Can I say how much I adore her for caring so much for Pallavi despite not being a family member?
As for Keerti, who's been trying to avoid going outside because of the scandal, she didn't waste a second and wanted to run out to help Pallavi despite the late night and bad weather. I am glad she told her mother right away what happened because Amma will not have to worry about hearing from a third-party what her son has done - she knows Pallavi and him well enough to understand who was wronged. Keerti's such a sweetheart and seeing her concern for Pallavi made my heart ache for her again because of what happened to her.💔 Knowing her brother very well, she didn't doubt for a moment what Krishna had told her and just wanted to be there to help Pallavi out. She even knew where to find her, because where else would Pallavi go? Finding Pallavi there was no surprise to all three, because they knew that the shop was her second home. Rambo effectively kicked her out of both her homes. 😡
Pallavi was a sorry sight sitting limp in front of the store shutter that she used to open everyday with enthusiasm. It was symbolic of yet another door closed to her, of her being left out all alone with her battered pride. I really wish Pallavi had talked more about her own case instead of them giving us a social message about women being ill-treated and misjudged but I get why they had those lines. At least, she was asking herself why her family didn't believe her. It wasn't just because she was a woman or because Raghav thought she was weak (being a woman) that he said those nasty things. Rather, I'd argue that her gender never came into question when he was deciding what kind of revenge to take. For him it was tit for tat and had the crime against Keerti been of a different nature, his 'punishment' for Pallavi would have been according to that. No, it was because most of the Deshmukhs never treated her as one of their own. I think that broke her more than anything Raghav said. I am glad Sharda said out loud that she should have stopped Rambo from throwing Pallavi out in the first place but it makes sense that Sharda was just too shocked by what her husband was doing to be able to react fast enough. Plus, I don't think she's ever gone against her husband in such a major way before and this was needed for her to wake up and break free of her marital shackles. Also, I'm glad she made it clear that she didn't need any evidence and believed Pallavi completely.
Normally, we say that a parent's love for their child doesn't change no matter what, but today Pallavi showed us that as a child her love and care for her parents didn't change even after what happened. Even after everything Rambo did, Pallavi didn't stop thinking about him, even asking Sharda to go back to be with him. Sharda was a typical mother, struggling to let her child go alone, especially in such a difficult situation, but also understanding that she needs to let Pallavi fight her own battle for her self-respect. What Raghav and Rambo did was horrible but this incident was the catalyst for her to at least think about learning to fly. Pallavi understood that the rumors might die down but if she didn't fight for her honor this time, more of this would happen. She wanted to tackle the problem at the root.
While the scene overall was lackluster considering the import of Pallavi's words, I loved the little touch of Keerti putting Pallavi at ease about speaking frankly about Raghav, and in that moment was supporting her as a woman and a friend. The Rao ladies are not delusional and can tell right from wrong, unlike Mr. Rao, who at this moment will not listen to reason and is behaving like a petulant child. Keerti was so generous and kind hearted that she didn't think twice before asking Pallavi to stay in her house, not caring what her brother would think (Oh, wait till he finds out!). Ayi and Nikhil too, though worried sick for Pallavi, knew that they could trust the sister and mother of the man who caused all this chaos in their lives. Or should I say, exposed the chaos in their lives, because it had always been there under the surface? Ironically, the family member of the one who wreaked havoc in her life is offering her support and shelter, while the family that she worked to the bone for has now effectively abandoned her (minus mother and son). Pallavi will always remember from this incident who really is on her team and I hope she remembers her brother's warning. He may be a gentle person but has no misconceptions at all about the cruel ways of the world. I really hope he comes and gives that useless family an earful and asks Pallavi to return to Kolhapur, not that the Deshmukhs would care.
Woh kehte hain na, kissi cheez ko agar shiddat se chaho to poori qayenaat...blah blah blah... Sab ne itni baar heart attack ka zikr kiya ke CVs ne kaha chalo, kam se kam fans ki yeh muraad to puri karte hain. Uska ghamand achche se toota and Ayi knows why he had a heart attack. Useless Milind, munh se nainsaafi ke khilaaf kuch nahin bolta, par dusron ke bolne par uski ankhon mein chamak aa jaati hai. Pallavi didn't hesitate for a second to go to he hospital (thanks to the absentee Krishna for being her daily news feed). Again, she blamed Raghav for Rambo's heart attack, which was ridiculous, but I get that in her current state she can't think straight. It is just an addition to her list of reasons for which she will boil in anger and decide to make Raghav pay.
So our questions about Mansi's loyalties were answered. I think of all people, what she said to Pallavi was the most hurtful, considering everything she'd done for her and how close they both were. I'm glad that Pallavi, now that she'd had the entire night to cry and think over things, didn't just take her barbs and gave her a piece of her mind. You want a SIL, well that's what you'll get. It was a deliberate contrast to her dynamic with Keerti, where there will be no pretense and they will love and respect each other as women, as friends, as family, and I guess as sisters too at some point. She transitioned to formally becoming a sister-in-law to Mansi but with Keerti she will transition to becoming a sister. We all wanted to see this, didn't we? That Pallavi, now that her eyes are opening, can see who her allies are and what family really means? As for Mansi, I don't know what role she'll play in future, but she sounded more selfish than ever today. After all, she is BWA's daughter and despite knowing what her mother and sister did, and that they tried to pin the abortion on Pallavi, she chooses to believe that her marriage was canceled because of Pallavi. I tell you, Asha ji made the right decision to take Rahul away from this crazy family.
The beggar scene was fabulous and also I loved that it was shot in the garden (this was the one we saw in the BTS). We need more outdoor day scenes. The gentle breeze in which the trees were swaying just added a lovely natural touch. The shot we normally see of Raghav's house exteriors is probably always the one from the Hyderabad set that they had shot several months ago. It was great to see him walking out and down the steps instead of just shots of his cars parked there. After the editing fiasco in the last episode, this was slightly better, with less zooming and flashing.
What I caught in that scene was references to two previous scenes: the one where the old lady rejects his biscuits and the one where he gives an old lady money outside the hospital. In the former situation, his pride was unable to take it when his offer of generosity was refused on the grounds that the lady, though needy, would not take food from a mean person like him for what he had done to Pallavi. In the latter, the lady appreciated his generosity for helping her in a difficult situation, and even gave him her blessings, because she saw kindness and humility in him.
Today, Raghav was irritable from the beginning, but his face softened when he saw the old lady, only to harden again because her words hit too close to home. I have to give props to both the actress and Sai for their change in expression as he was handing her the money. She's seen many moons and knows what people's eyes say and she could tell right away what had changed. His eyes really are the windows to his soul, and he, the ever-excellent judge of character, could read her eyes in turn. Now that his anger on behalf of his family has subsided, he is able to see things clearly (pity it wasn't the case the past few days). I loved the old lady's dialogues there, that while in the past he'd always given her money out of happiness, as a gift, today it was as alms to make up for his regret and guilty conscience.
His arrogance and wounded pride once again couldn't handle the fact that the old lady, someone whom he helps frequently, refused to take money from him, even though her son's health condition was serious. His threat to the security guard to never let such people in again, even though he'd previously had a standing, open invitation for her, was another way in which he was closing doors and basically alienating himself. Farhad was right, it's not too late to try and fix what he did, but I feel that Raghav's anger and his guilty conscience are either going to make him do worse things or will make him try and drown out the voices in his head. As they say, pride comes before the fall and the old lady warned him to fear God's punishment. Props to Farhad for not being afraid to speak up again and you could tell from his eyes that he was seeing his Anna gradually walk towards the path of self-destruction. In return, Raghav drove off without him, which is rare when he goes out for work! It seemed a bit childish, if you ask me. Raghav, get used to your best friend siding with everyone except you whenever he feels you're wrong, such as in this situation. Sai's scene was short but the execution was brilliant and outweighed all the others for me. Himanshu is just a delight to watch and I demand seeing more of him!
I don't think Raghav is going to take to this marriage so easily. He will be fuming the entire time and resenting Pallavi further, especially now that she's already living with his mother and sister. I wonder if he will find out and become enraged that his own family is sheltering to the very person he hurt just for them. The wedding might not happen just yet - Pallavi will have to deal with more insults in response to her showing her care for Rambo and you can bet BWA will ensure she can't go back home. Once she marries Raghav, the useless Deshmukhs will then have the license to say 'see, we were right, she was having an affair after all', etc. but I will be sitting with popcorn seeing BWA go green with envy that the widow she wanted to get rid of is now married to a rich man, while her daughters struggle to find happiness in life, thanks to her nasty games. I hope we see more of the Rao ladies from now on. I love Keerti, especially. She's smart, beautiful, compassionate, very feminine but very strong. ❤️
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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