When writers conceptualise a love story...conflicts are a very necessary part of the mix. For instance, Naina and Sameer were intended to be chalk and cheese. They were given different upbringing, sensibilities, circumstances and then they were to be brought together by the thing that some people call fate and some coincidence. They were then expected to fall in love despite the odds.
How well the writers use these differences will determine how interesting the story becomes. Yes, flaws are also written into character traits...if they weren't how will a story become as interesting as this...enuf for us to dissect every possible aspect of their character traits and those of their loved ones.
Yet a love story wins when both characters win and if we as viewers can feel their journey of love. We have seen a short journey from Naina's end and one from Sameer's end...But have they reached their destination?No...it means Picture abhi baki hain in the time honoured tradition of love stories.šš
As for why Naina has acted in the manner she has ...i have a few simple observationsš
Naina has fallen in love at first sight and worked to build on that love story. She fell in love with the idea of falling in love as much as she fell in love with Sameer. Does she really understand Sameer yet? Perhaps No..Sameer himself has started to understand himself only now by his own admission so we can't expect Naina to yet do that.šš
Has Sameer been totally true to her in all those instances in the past? No..so Naina reads the situation from her level of perception. She misreads him on some as we have seen but she may be right in perceiving that Sameer has indeed intended to humiliate her and that his actions are merely a result of his wanting to assuage his feelings of guilt and not intended to placate her. As for her duplicity in not coming clean on the Arjun stealing issue, her time to come clean was when she realised it but she lacked courage of conviction. Her sensibilties do not permit her to love with the gay abandon that perhaps Sameer does. She has always lived in a shadow and while she may take positions of conscience in matters involving her, I read her as a character lacking the will to go against family authority. When Naina came to know her brother's act, while she confronted him, she again did not pursue the matter perhaps fearing the outcome for Arjun personally. In the past she used to be torn between love / duty to her family and love for Sameer. However, today she is under no such illusion of love. She has steeled her resolve to forget Sameer and so to expect Naina to put the whole chain of events into perspective is not practical. Having said that...the wrongdoing of Arjun as also Naina's lack of conviction in owning up to it is an important aspect and the time will come in the story to confront that as well. When will that happen? Not for me to say. š
This post is not intended to challenge the various discussions of what is right and wrong...about the characters. It is natural for viewers to view a situation in a story in different ways and we may all be right in the way we perceive things. I just wished to put the matter in the context of the story and the narrative. When we say Naina should come clean on the Arjun issue now...my only point is...Yes she should but as I read the story...the time for it was in the past. Our judgement of situations is not that clear when we are in anger as Naina is presently. So no use in saying why Naina did not divulge it now. Her sense of high moral ground now is because she is the aggrieved party. She sees the actions of Sameer in that light only. Also to put things into perspective...the matter of the bet and the matter of Sameer's innocence are actually two different things. Apologies are due from both ends unconditionally. However, Naina from her level of perception does not see them as connected events. Unless I missed something in the narrative...will be happy to discuss this...
Anupamaa
