YHM: : The Good, The Bad And The Ugly! - Article

Ishita is to be blamed...No, Raman is to be blamed'.

Ishu ki koi galati nahi thi, toh Raman ki kya galati thi?'

Yeh Hai Mohabbatein has been nothing less than a roller-coaster ride for the past few days. The recent happenings in the show plus the latest on air promos have certainly managed to grab the attention of one and all. Though several reactions and comments are floating around and everybody from viewers to fans to reporters have been giving out their version of what's happening, why it is happening, who is right, who is wrong etc it all eventually comes down to one thing The Blame game'.

Is Ishita to be blamed? Yes and No.

Is Raman to be blamed? Yes and No.

Confused? Surprised? Shocked? Well look closely, keep favorites aside and analyze the whole thing from start. Somewhere you will start to feel that if Ishita is to be blamed then Raman is also to be blamed and if Raman is not to be blamed then even Ishita is not to be blamed. In simple words there is no debate on what is right or wrong here, because both Ishita and Raman are responsible for the chaos that is about to rock the very existence of their relationship even if to only emerge stronger.

To say that both Ishita and Raman are diametrically opposite wouldn't be entirely correct because there are many streaks in their personality which are quite similar and reminds you of the other. For example they both are stubborn, they both are strong opinionated, they both fight for justice, are righteous etc would be a few but apart from these traits there is something about Ishita and Raman that make them truly unique and that is they can go to any extent for the other which is probably why it hurts so much when the other says or does something intentionally or unintentionally.

The Present Scenario : Ishita

As seen so far Ishita with the help of Mani has been trying to solve the Romi-Sarika matter without informing Raman because she believes that if her husband comes to know about Ashok's involvement in the matter, Raman wouldn't think twice before giving up something he rightfully earned; which in this case would be the "Asia Business Head Title" if it were to do more harm than good.

Raman is a family man, someone who values and cares for his loved ones. If he came to know that Ashok plans to disgrace the Bhalla Family' using the Romi-Sarika incident so that he would be elected as the Asia Head, Raman would happily give it away. He has done it in the past for Ishita and he wouldn't hesitate doing it again. Back then Ishita came to know about the entire matter only after Raman resigned from his post as president. With a little luck and major help from Mihir, Romi and Sarika, she could put a stop to the matter and return the president post to Raman which he had earned with sheer hard work and determination. However this time it is not a matter of only a prestigious title, it is also about Raman and the entire Bhalla family's reputation and the other aftereffects they would be subjected if the Romi and Sarika matter became public.

We have seen previously as well how both Raman and Ishita tend to keep things from the other because they feel it's the right thing to do for the sake of the other. While open communication is important in any relationship, let's not forget that this is a fictional show where such things are much needed to create drama and provide full on entertainment.

When Raman decided to give up his President post why did he not confide in Ishita? Because he knew she would never allow him to do it. Raman did it anyways, why? Because Ishita's happiness is what mattered to him; the smile that appeared on her face on getting to know that she got her license back was more priceless to him than his president post. So was Ishita wrong in wanting to keep the whole thing hidden from Raman? NO! She wasn't.

The Present Scenario: Raman

Lets rewind a little shall we?

While Shagun leaving Raman is the best thing that has happened to him there is no denying the truth that Raman's heart was broken beyond repair, his soul scared badly and his trust shattered to pieces. The incident had damaged him to such an extent that he became a completely changed man. His views on love and life changed drastically.

Enter Ishita, a woman who through her simple thoughts, sincere words and selfless actions forced Raman to rethink his general attitude towards life which he had formed *post the Shagun phase*. Though it wasn't easy for Raman to bounce back, Ishita's every gesture made Raman question his newly formed beliefs, ideologies and outlook on love and life. Raman can taunt, bicker and argue with Ishita all he wants but his words before the world "Jahan jahan tum poori tarah se khari nahi uttar saki na, wahan koi aur ek hai aurat jo har maamlon mein, har maiyne mein khari uttri hai-ISHITA". Somebody who does not know the character of Raman can interpret this as him trying to insult Shagun. At a glance it is true, but if you have truly understood Raman then you know that it was his way of confessing before the world that he staunchly believed Ishita is everything that Shagun wasn't, isn't and will ever be. That line oozes so much confidence that you know for sure that Raman means every word he is saying.

Because that is how powerful the scar of a wound embedded on your heart and soul by a broken trust can be. Trust is one thing which when broken can not be easily mended. When it comes down to trust even the slightest flicker can lead to catastrophic outcome. According to Raman his wife Ishita respects him, cares for him, is protective about him etc but what about love? That is something Raman is uncertain of, just like Ishita. And sadly (Not literally) only love, Ishita's love can erase the scar embedded in Raman's heart and on his soul. Since these two are yet to acknowledge, accept and confess their love for each other things like this are bound to happen at some juncture.

So if Ishita isn't wrong and Raman isn't wrong then who is? Well they both are.

Ishita : Ishita's friendship with Mani is a really genuine one, but her 24*7 Mani jaap can make anybody cranky. Would Ishita like it if Raman did the same or compared her with some other woman?

Because that is how powerful the scar of a wound embedded on your heart and soul by a broken trust can be. Trust is one thing which when broken can not be easily mended. When it comes down to trust even the slightest flicker can lead to catastrophic outcome. According to Raman his wife Ishita respects him, cares for him, is protective about him etc but what about love? That is something Raman is uncertain of, just like Ishita. And sadly (Not literally) only love, Ishita's love can erase the scar embedded in Raman's heart and on his soul. Since these two are yet to acknowledge, accept and confess their love for each other things like this are bound to happen at some juncture.

So if Ishita isn't wrong and Raman isn't wrong then who is? Well they both are.

Ishita : Ishita's friendship with Mani is a really genuine one, but her 24*7 Mani jaap can make anybody cranky. Would Ishita like it if Raman did the same or compared her with some other woman?

Citing an example - Shagun left Raman...Correction- Shagun cheated and then left Raman. But even when there is nothing but hatred for the other, Raman and Shagun are bound to each other by their kids. No matter what, Shagun is the mother of Raman's kids. And though somewhere in the back of her head Ishita knew that there was a reason because of which Raman was helping Shagun in the Amma accident case', the very idea that Raman was siding with his first wife- the woman who literally destroyed him was too painful for Ishita. Even when she knew that she and Raman got married for the sake of Ruhi, her lines "Maine pyaar dekha hai Raman ke aakhon mein, bohat pyaar hai lekin who pyaar mere liye nahi hai" was a perfect testimony of how deeply hurt she was when he out of the blue shut her out and sided with Shagun. So shouldn't Ishita know that constantly appreciating Mani, even if he is her best friend can cause discomfort to Raman? What makes her think otherwise?

Ishita is not a dumb woman, infact she is sensible, quite smart and intelligent. Being a human she does have her share of flaws but she is never known to be as someone who is oblivious to her soundings and what is happening in the lives of her loved ones. So it was indeed shocking when all of a sudden Ishita could not gauge Raman's actions and reactions.

Acha Chalo iss baat ko bhi nazar andaaz kar dete hai. What was the need to lie? As a writer and analyzer that for me was the biggest turning point in this entire drama. Though we have witnessed Raman get affected seeing Mani-Ishita's closeness, the comfort level between the two and their phone conversations he never objected to them. Raman has never questioned Ishita about any of these things, then what made Ishita lie to Raman (Karva Chauth Day) about the phone call? She could have told him that it was Mani and not divulged the details. Would Raman force it out of her? Would he keep nagging? No he wouldn't. This was a major mistake by Ishita. This was followed by another one where Ishita answers Raman's call but lies to him that she was at the clinic when she wasn't while he was right there. Add the whole changing Mani' to Manisha' angle to this and anybody in Raman's shoes would be forced to connect the dots, even if there aren't any to connect.

For Raman this is like history repeating as all these are the very signs of betrayal for him. This is where Ishita's fault lay. In her attempt to keep this matter hidden from Raman, for his sake she chose to take a path aka lie which has never been known to be helpful without creating a ruckus. And unfortunately for Ishita this move of hers is going to force them apart even if for a short while.

Raman: Raman's jealousy, his insecurity simple makes him human. It affirms the truth that he hasn't confessed which is, Ishu is not just the mother of his kid but something more and special to him. If they had not shown these aspects of Raman it would have been the wrong way to go. It's not Raman's jealousy or his insecurity that mattered. He felt history was repeating and there is no blaming him however his fault lies in how Raman handled the situation. Jo usne saalon pehle kiya, aaj bhi usne wahi kiya.

Raman knows that Ishita is not Shagun, usne khud yeh kaha hai then why did he not talk it out with Ishita? Agreed he decided to talk to Ishita as per Mihir's advice but then why didn't he go through with it? Again agreed he did want to talk to her and even made an attempt which he left mid way when he saw Ishita hug Mani and say I love you'. Mani reciprocating the same by saying if you love me so much then leave your husband and marry me followed by Ishita agreeing to the same only made matters worse for Raman. A person who hears only this portion he/she can easily misinterpret it. Raman ne bhi wahi kiya, he heard this and assumed the worst. Which is why bade buzurgo ne kaha hai "Half truths can be dangerous". According to him the worst had occurred there was nothing more? He could have confronted Ishita, raised his voice because clearly something wrong was happening but he chose not to.

Remember the FB sequences that were shown two episodes back? When Raman calls Shagun from their home asking where she was, she lies about being busy with household chores. When Raman picks up a call that came for Shagun, he gets to know that her friend Anupama is actually a man. The same stuff happened here as well and that along with witnessing Ishita and Mani's conversation was a final nail on the coffin. But it was the final nail because Raman decided so. He could have still confronted Ishita but did not.

Back then when he believed life was a bed of roses he couldn't do much and he didn't however today when he knows that life is not just a bed of roses but has thorns too he still chooses to not do anything, but drown himself in alcohol and hurt Ishita. Agreed Men and Women react differently when they learn something like this but against his better judgment Raman chose to only connect the points he had seen and heard thus concluding his wife is cheating on him.

Both Ishita and Raman have donated in big and small amounts, to this cause aka this misery they are about to take a deep plunge into.

So there is no blame game here and if there is it rests on both their shoulders. What would Raman do when he learns that Ishita never even in her dreams thought about the things that he thought she would do? What would Ishita do when she learns that her actions fueled Raman's insecurities?

Ab yeh dekhna hai ki what Ishita will do when she learns from Mrs. Bhalla that the wetness of the pillow was not from AC leakage but Raman's tears and how it's related to Shagun breaking his home, his heart and leaving him. Will she connect all that Raman uttered in his drunk state with this information she learns from Toshi Ji and understand what's going on?

There is one angle where things can get a little trickier. Where Ishita's sole intentions was to keep Raman from harm's way and spread happiness in his life. Raman is deliberately trying to hurt Ishita and inflict pain upon her. What Raman is doing is an act of self-defense. He is hurting her before she can hurt him. But if not handled properly this turn can end up making one character look bad than the other which as far IshRa are considered is a huge NO.

Even if unknowingly Ishita has refreshed Raman's scars, which did not even heal properly. She is going to have to bring heaven and hell together to make this alright. On the other hand Raman too is going to have to make it up to Ishita for thinking that she would break him like Shagun did, especially after proving herself and her loyalty time and again. It's not going to be an easy feat and they have a long way to go but it will definitely be worth watching.

Author: Vijitha Rajan
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