u are right...Ekta Kaul isnt good at portraying Riya...she comes across as a dumb woman, my main reason for hating riya's character...hope they change her asap.
and yes, she looks much older then shivam, can easily pass of as his elder sister...
about kaushalya, she is un-educated, as well as brain washed by her parents to be a docile cow, so really cant blame her, there are women like that even now in India...
Pari makes my blood boil...i wish to strangle her, esp when she is being mean n nasty towards nimmi n preeti...i wished sujeev didnt marry her, she doesnt deserve a rich husband, she shudve been married to some beggar, unfortunately, i think the actress has some deep relationship with the PH or the cv's that they are giving her so much footage n even getting the character's wishes fulfilled.