The sentiment shared by Mythili that Paro is indeed very fortunate seems to be at total variance with the mood of this forum. Some are busy shedding copious tears at poor Paro's plight. Then why according to Mythili is Paro a lucky one??!!
And what she said had the wisdom of centuries cause for ages men have been raising their hands on women. So painful to hear, so unbearable to bear this centuries old burden of inhuman treatment, yet a universal truth! And women like Mythili, coming from remote areas of India, less or non educated, struggle through this cruelty and injustice with every breath in their body. The irony, they don't even realize its wrong. Their simplistic logic...men have a right to ill treat women, after all they are superior!! Or may be their Gods, pati parmeshwars, or their destiny writers in the form of their fathers, brothers and then bread winners in the form of their sons. Their subjugation to men in any form is total, and unquestioned. If you look closely at her and Samrat's equation, nothing further needs to be said.
And then comes Rudra, a man who takes a slap on his cheek for his fiance. How unusual is that ? How unheard and rare is such a man!! For those who believe it was just his protective instinct...yeah right!! A slap would have killed Paro so Rudra stepped in?? Like...seriously?? He himself might not understand his actions, but he stood by her, supporting her, protecting her, shielding her. And men like Rudra who show such intrinsic respect for women and unconditional support are indeed rare, be it rural or urban, India or abroad. To add to the complications, he himself did not approve of her actions, yet he stood by her. We all know the thousand ton male ego that rules the gender equation and again we are aware how proud this Ranawat man is...still he had no qualms in being slapped. For her sake. If at this early stage in their relation, he shows such emotions, wonder how much the man will not do for a deserving woman who he truly loves and respects and finally takes as his life partner. And we all think poor, unfortunate Paro?
Yes, at this stage he is messed up and Paro will have to suffer, but then all relationships have their ups and downs. The beginnings are always choppy, be it love or arranged, as each partner takes time to understand the other. The most confusing period in a courtship where the other is like a blank piece of paper, the equation yet to be written. Rudra today is in no shape to be a good life partner, but does that mean that he does not have the potential to be one in future?? Is a man like him not worth fighting for, not worth waiting for. Unlike some male characters in various shows, his actions have the solid background of logic, and for those who claim that he is wrong, I can only say in these circumstances the behavior meted out to such a suspect would have been way harsher than what has been shown. Rape, physical beatings, tortures are all part of the game...unable to hear or bear it, but its a bitter pill we have to swallow. And Rudra has been respectful. He is the same guy who bandaged and took care of her foot so gently, when Paro was asleep. The same guy who when he saw Paro crestfallen at Mythili's rebuff, held her wrist and tried to cheer her up saying...why the long face, you don't have to stay here your life and tell me if you need anything. There are half a dozen incidents where Rudra has proved repeatedly that he is capable of caring and sharing and understanding. Finding a better life partner would be a herculean task indeed. Agreed he is a rough cut diamond now and also agreed that its not Paro's job to fix the damage, but is he worth the pain and effort?? The answer...yes he is. He is worth the fight and the struggle, a good human being always is. The man has the promise and potential of a true soul mate, and we are worried about the fight...are they so easy come easy go in life? If we are lucky enough to get such a partner in real life...we hold on tight and never let go.
The forced marriage is a thorn in our sides but then to be fair its not only Paro who is being forced, Rudra too is being cornered by the circumstances. He is pushing her hand but being privy to this story from day one , my pangs for Paro are momentary and for Rudra..none. For those who argue that he took away everything, well people who blindly believe in such God Fathers and close their eyes to all logic, do deserve rude awakenings. I will say it one more time...Rudra is not responsible for her losses. And its not Rudra that has ruined her, the name is Thakur Param Singh Tejawat, the man who has the utter devastation of 17 girls to his credit. Rudra on the contrary contained the damage and saved her life in more ways than one. I rest my case.
Also this is not a documentary on women's or human rights...its a love story of two people who are brought together by fate and destiny. There can be no rights and no wrongs. Its a work of fiction, and if we are judging, then why not start with the Bard and Shaw and Twain...and so on and so forth. After all if we get down to the details, every piece of imagination will have something to offend, be it a poem, or a movie, or a book, a painting or a telly show. Their basic purpose is entertainment and not enlightenment.
And who says that if another guy would have entered her life, it would have easier??
Or may be the preference was the Paro should have married her gentle, oh so sweet beend, and move across the border with him?? May be he was the better option for her, the sweet talking, point the gun at her head hubby, who would have ensured her ruin every night of her existence. That was more preferable for our Paro?? Rudra doesn't deserve her, then who does?? If Rudra would not have intervened and did what he did, Paro's fates would have been far worse than we could even contemplate. Knowing what I do...and seeing what I have so far...I have to concur with Mythili...Bade Bhagonwaali hai Paro Bai Sa!!
P.S...For me this forum and each member is a buddy, I don't believe in taking sides or belonging to camps, just poured out my thoughts. That doesn't mean I don't respect different opinions, or don't enjoy an open healthy discussion. #Respect is what you give and what you get!
Edited by eveline - 12 years ago