To get back to topic, I think that the casting of Raunak as a villain was a mistake, either a bad choice of the actor to play the part, or a bad choice to make Raunak a villain. If Ekta wanted Raunak to be a villain she should have chosen a sinister looking actor. 😆 The young man playing Raunak (Rajeet Singh?) looks like a little boy who just got caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Every time he is being exposed or reprimanded he looks sheepish and like a child. His eyes are always too soft, sad and guilty looking..Maybe his parents unfairly favored Naren from the beginning. But he doesn't look the part of a bad villain, which, if they show this where it seems to be headed, rape definitely fits that category. They are making his deeds more and more nefarious to compensate it seems.
This (his innocent look) is why i think some are wanting a hook up between him and Mansi, but unfortunately, if that should happen, then abuse and sexual stalking and rape are portrayed to be ok and no problem. What a terrible message.
In other cases where Ekta, who is usually a master at casting, has cast wrong actors, the story has gone haywire in ridiculous and angry ways, as if, what, i don't know, there is no option to replace the actor or to rewrite the story in a good way? Soham and Gauri is case in point. Gauri was not the right actress for the role, so instead of making a better story or quickly moving it out of the script, it was as if the CV's were stuck in high gear, and made Soham suddenly a different personality and bumped off Gauri in a bizarre twist and nonsensical ending.
Perhaps this awful drama is heading the same way, but maybe the CV's can for once find a way to move it aside and rewrite R's character and story? Rewarding sexual abuse is NOT the answer obviously. Hopefully Mansi will be rescued, get strong enough to tell her tai the truth of what's happening, and the CV's can do an about face with their story. Reform R. by realization of his wrongs, but please don't reward him for stalking and raping a young woman.