Yesterday's episode, and the beautiful interaction between Ishwari and Sona, confirmed for me what I have suspected since the news of the pregnancy elicited a change in Ishwari's behaviour. Unlike most of the reactions I saw, I never suspected that Ishwari's affection was solely for the baby, and not for Sona herself. This transformation too had a more complex dynamic, and it played out so wonderfully that I am happy I waited to write about it.
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A catalyst is "a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change." I think this perfectly defines how the news of this baby worked in speeding up the "reaction" of Sona and Ishwari's relationship.
From the time Ishwari found out about Sona and Dev's relationship, she has been trying unsuccessfuly to accept Sona. Yesterday we heard of that struggle in Ishwari's own words: despite her rational self seeing, and being constantly aware of Sona's selfless acts, her unwavering optimism, and her admirable patience, her fear had a life of its own, one that constantly put a wall between her and Sona that she just could not surmount. Sona's purported pregnancy brought that wall tumbling down because of what this baby means to Ishwari.
The sense of normalcy and contentment that Dev got in his relationship with Sona -- that feeling that he could finally put his burden down, stop rushing frantically towards success, and enjoy his efforts in leisure -- Ishwari got with the news of this baby. She was a mother to four children, none of whom she could raise the way she would have ideally wanted. She had to burden Dev and Neha with adult responsibilities, and was unable to play a significant role in Nikki and Riya's upbringing.
The idea that now there will be a child in her family, who has to bear no burdens, and who can enjoy their childhood to the fullest, is a sign to Ishwari that her efforts bore fruit, and that she can finally stop fighting, rest and enjoy them. Sona, independent of pressure, embraced this step that meant so much to Ishwari and that is what broke the barrier that Ishwari's fear had fortified for so long. She was finally able to Sona as part of her vision for the future of her family, rather than a force at odds with it.
In the aftermath of Dev's fever, Ishwari feared of the havoc her own insecurities could wreak... what if Sona had listened to her stubborn orders? What if her fear and insecurity had won, and cost Dev his life? But at the time, she wasn't yet able to separate that fear from herself and examine it as an external force. She was grateful that Dev's life had been saved, but Sona's "victory" still stung, because she still considered Sona an outsider, and a threat to their family's unity.
Once that wall came down, Ishwari was released from the clutches of her fear, and from the constant, cold vigilance of survival-mode. She was finally free to shower Sona with the love that she knew Sona deserved, even when she couldn't articulate it. Instead of an outsider from which the family had to be protected, she finally saw Sona as a part of the family, also invested in its protection.
This major shift in perspective allowed her to regain control and awareness enough to set her insecurities aside and examine them critically -- the result of which was her decisive action in the case of Ayaan's rishta, her conviction in what was right for Riya in this matter, and her ability to understand her insecurities well enough to communicate them to Sona in all humility and trust. No longer governed by fear, she was able to stand up to Dev and become the authority figure he needed, rather than yet another person dependent on him for her happiness.
Ishwari is Dev's north star, and he constantly mirrors her actions. When she succumbs to fear and insecurity, so does he; but when she is able to stand up to her fears and do what is right, he feels empowered to do the same. All she needs is to understand the extent of her influence over him, and the depth of her role in his life -- a role which is far above the mundane tasks that she clings to for purpose and meaning. Sona, from her days as nutritionist, has been amazing at assuring Ishwari of this truth and now that Ishwari is able to take Sona at face value, is finding comfort in her words.
Dev sees that process taking place with the news of the baby (maybe not in such minute detail, but he sees the transformation), and what he is trying to do is keep the catalyst present long enough for the reaction to be complete. Once that happens, it doesn't matter whether the catalyst is there or not -- the two reagents will have already been chemically transformed. But Dev's great oversight is -- no surprises here -- himself. In order that his mother and Sona bond, Dev has happily become the villain of the story, effectively taking himself out of the equation. But what happens when his role becomes apparent, as it inevitably will? What does a new trust between Sona and Ishwari mean if both of their relationships with Dev are compromised?
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Hazarding a prediction based on some vague spoilers, I think Neha might discover Sona's reports and assume (thanks to her vision still being clouded by insecurity) that Sona is lying to everyone to gain favour with Ishwari. She might "expose" Sona's truth in the hopes that she will get the same treatment that Sona did post-Ayaan's pardafash, including a one-up over laadla Dev himself when he tries to defend Sona, being such a joru ka ghulam etc. etc. The aftermath will be a huge wake-up call for all parties concerned, and we'll finally get some progress on Neha's story, and a positive spin on her relationship with Sona (hey, a girl can dream, right?)
Indias Got Talent 11
Cricket
Anupamaa
