Posted:
Again, I have a mixed review about today's episode. Astha and Shlok were as usual good and they are slowly showing an evolution in their relationship and in Shlok. Kalindi's scene was also good because her worry for Astha is shown in parallel with Jyoti's worry for her unborn daughter. Sid and Jyoti's scene was good. But ...Aditi was a big turnoff because she is a caricature and all other characters are getting either dumbed down or not being shown because of her.
Astha and Chipkali - Astha Reads the Riot Act
Kalindi and Avdhoot are now shown in parallel to Jyoti and Sid. Just as Jyoti is frantic about her daughter, so is Kalindi. Just as Avdhoot is trying to soothe Kalindi, so is Sid doing the same to Jyoti.
Observations:
Astha's Jungle Rescue - Baby Bear the Hero
So the druggie has now gone merrily to sleep in the jungle. I like this jolly druggie - would not mind him being Astha's friend. He and Astha had some good chemistry. Forget Karan...he is enough to drive Shlokie up the wall. So just as Shlokie predicted, Astha is lost and clueless. The owl Chipkali of course is not lost and can find her way in the dark jungle without any search light. She can also spot Astha when even the police or Shlokie can not. So she starts her upteenth attempt to kill Astha with the drink bottle, but is caught by the police (for once the police is efficient) and is escorted back to the cottage. Once Chipkali is gone ,Shlokie's search skills improve and he is able to spot the running Astha who as usual runs back into his arms.
Shlokie's reaction after this rescue and hug scene was different. There he had stepped away from her abruptly. Today he did not do so. Both stepped away at the same time and then he was looking at her closely. He did grew impatient with Astha who was not moving. Well...once Miss Honey Pot decides on something, she has to express it clearly. So she told him that she wants to walk with him, but he does not let her do so, and always rushes ahead of her. Shlokie got irritated with all this introspection talk at that moment and told her that she was too fond of uttering her nonsense even when the time was not right. Astha of course retaliated back by telling him that he too never forgets to fight with her even at an inopportune time. These two are going to bicker for ever in their life and dear baba expects them to be next Niranjan and Anjali...Have to say that dear baba is living in fool's paradise.
Talking of fool, what was lunatic Chipkali thinking? That Shlok would not find Astha and come back content. So psycho Chipkali decided to perform a seduction act by changing into lingerie because her delusional thinking was that Shlok would take one look at her and would go mad with desire...Poor Shlokie bear...he was so traumatized that even clueless Astha felt that he had seen a ghost. Except that he had not seen a ghost, but a glimpse of horror movie...really baby bear has to take papa bear to task for thrusting Chipkali on him..
Astha and Chipkali - Astha Reads the Riot Act
Wondering if Swati used to wear that color lingerie because Shlokie looked very shocked. Anyway, he decides outside on the bench until the whole trauma subsides and he can go back and sleep peacefully on the bed with his little Honey Pot...Before that, Astha decides to enter the room to freshen up and sees psycho coming out of the bathroom in her short lingerie. Chipkali too is shocked to see Astha back because clearly she thought that Shlok had returned without Astha and that she can attack his virtue with pink stuff and probably by the help of a rape drug.
Astha is angry with Aditi and is not hiding it anymore. Good girl...show her that you are not stupid who is not going to understand her game...So she tells off Aditi for telling everyone that she is Shlok's wife. She also does not buy Chipkali's lame argument that it was a spur of a moment thinking. She tells her quite firmly that she could have bought her argument if Chipkali was scared, but she was not scared. So Astha has pretty much figured out Chipkali's interest in Shlok...just Niranjan's instructions are the reason both Shlok and Astha are now tolerating Chipkali.
Realizing that her game has not worked, Chipkali shows her extreme bad manners by sleeping on Astha and Shlok's bed, dismaying Astha. Shlok too is shocked to see her using his bed after she had made a show of telling them that she would use the couch. So poor baby decides to take a pillow and decides to camp under the moon, stars and the bonfire. Astha who by now is totally fed up with Chipkali's behavior, goes outside with blankets for Shlok and a shawl for herself. She had no intention of sleeping with poisonous Chipkali and instead wanted to spend the night with Shlokie bear.
Before that, I forgot to mention one scene...
The Bench Scene - Astha's Conveys Her Hurt
So while Shlokie is outside on the bench, Astha comes there and tells Shlok she has hurt her hand. As usual, Shlokie reacts to Astha's physical pain and then realizes that Astha is talking about emotional pain she is feeling somewhere. Since he is used to Astha's honesty, he asks her to spell out everything clearly. Astha tells him that she was only using his methodology of expressing things by picking up a hard way. So Astha does know that Shlok expresses his feelings but in his own way. She still prefers him to spell out everything in open just as she does. Astha has to understand that Shlok has actually accepted her the way she is - clumsy, open and expressive. In fact, he now expects her to be this way and gets irritated when she goes the opposite way. But she has not yet accepted that Shlok's way is his way and not everyone can express the way she does.
Anyway, she comes to the point and tells him what has been bothering her - Aditi calling herself his wife and him not denying it. More than Aditi's actions, Shlok's denial bothered Astha. Shlok tells him logically that somebody saying something does not make it the truth. He was actually quite reasonable here.
Then he asks her smugly if she was jealous. Astha initially denies but then admits it honestly. When he again asks her to stay in her boundaries (because such expressions of love disturb his delusional comfortable world), she tells him that now that she has openly expressed her love for him, there was no reason for her to be shy about expressing the rest of the feelings - jealousy, possessiveness that are associated with love. Astha has become free ever since she has accepted her feelings and told them to Shlok. Her openness in discussing emotions is also breaking the walls Shlok has built around himself. Niranjan did a good deed for once (unintentionally of course) when he chose Astha for Shlok...Whom is he going to blame when he realizes the effect of Astha on Shlok...Of course it would be Anjali when Anjali was the one who had warned him about Astha.
Under the Open Sky - Astha's Musings & Shlokie the Moon
I liked this scene of Astha and Shlok where Shlok was silent and Astha was vocal. Though Chipkali had denied Astha the closeness she was seeking with Shlok by sleeping in the same bed with him, she did join him in the open and then was tearful looking at the sky. She compared herself to the moonlight who was always with the moon. So Shlokie bear is the moon for Astha. Sun is Shlokie's friend, but he is Astha's enemy because she wants to spend this kind of night with forever and does not want to leave him.
Astha was saying all that thinking that Shlok was asleep. But he was quietly listening to her wishes. Astha probably was saying all this because subconsciously she wanted Shlok to know her deep wishes. Shlok wants her to stay with him after one week but he still wants it on his own terms where he can keep her away at a distance emotionally. Astha wants to stay with him, but is not willing to compromise on her wish of having a complete relationship. So both are at an impasse right now. Shlok was sombre as he is realizing that there is no other way Astha would stay with him. This time, he is not going to use force or blackmail to stop her. It has to be her choice to stay with him but he is not yet willing to give her what she wants. Wonder who would change their stand first and for what reason? Will it be Aditi's psycho acts or would it be Jyoti's situation that would bring them to a common ground?
Kalindi's Fear and Avdhoot's Calmness
Kalindi and Avdhoot are now shown in parallel to Jyoti and Sid. Just as Jyoti is frantic about her daughter, so is Kalindi. Just as Avdhoot is trying to soothe Kalindi, so is Sid doing the same to Jyoti.
Kalindi is more fearful because one she is very attuned to Astha and hence gets an instinct about her when she is in trouble. Probably she too had to protect Astha once the way Jyoti is doing to her daughter. She is also scared because Shlok is a complete villain for her now. Her past has now been completely mixed in her mind with Astha's present. She knows that Astha still loves Shlok and realizes that Astha has again gotten close to Shlok. Previously, Shlok's betrayal was standing between Astha and her feelings. But now that Astha has accepted Shlok with all his flaws, that is no longer a barrier.
Avdhoot tries to calm down Kalindi's fears and tells her that she can talk to Astha the next day. Kalindi calms down for the moment, but she remains worried.
Sid and Jyoti - A gentle Soul and a Wounded Bird
Myra, I am taking your suggestion and it is Sid from now on. The name suits him too - the carefree, easy going person
Jyoti has been burnt so many times by the close ones that she is skeptical of kindness shown by a stranger. So she woke up scarred and decides to leave quietly. Sid is the person she needs right now - the one who is giving her space and a safe haven. So when she tries to leave in the night, he reassures her again by showing her that the way to open the lock - the choice to leave which she never had until now, and then by making coffee for her to soothe her. She too sleeps soundly after that and Sid too realizes that Jyoti has been hurt so badly that this is the first time in days she is sleeping like that.
Sid looks like a hand to mouth kind of guy - so similar to Abhay in being a middle class, but different from him because he is not relying on somebody's wealth. He is coming more and more like Avdhoot. Next morning he is leaving for the interview. Wonder if he is interviewing sombody or is himself being interviewed for a stable job (with the same company where Varad is employed?). He tells her that he would wait until she is ready to tell her story. He also indirectly offers her a place to stay. Now he did offer Jyoti his phone to call her family, but Jyoti did not do so. So right now she is not even making an effort to call Shlok or Astha. Is it because now she is feeling safe somewhere and wants to have a space to come up with future plans. She has been operating on fear for so long that she probably wants to relax in one place where she would not be questioned. She does think about the awkwardness of staying with a stranger, but then she is fearful of consequences if she steps outside and Abhay forces her to come back with him. So that is the reason she is hesitant to leave Sid's place. She no longer has trust in her family that they would protect her from Abhay.
I hope she stays with Sid until she is strong enough to confront some of her fears and contact Shlok and Astha for help.
Overall, it was a nice episode, but Aditi's inclusion sticks like a sore thumb. Also her characterization is increasingly becoming a one-dimensional annoying one. How many times are CVs going to show Aditi making an attempt on Astha's life, Astha being saved by somebody or other and Aditi going after Shlok.
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