Humaare beech jo kuch bhi hai, woh humara hai

And today, Anika brought it full circle...in the midst of a crisis that put hers and Shivaay's reputations at stake, she stepped up assertively to embrace everything that comes with him...past, present, good, bad...it was immaterial whether it was true or not...she already knew the kid wasn't his, she already knew he was doing it to protect Rudra...but she took it two steps beyond that also by standing by him with so much support, letting the whole world know confidently, "Mere aur mere pati ke beech jo kuch bhi hai, woh humara hai"...

NM-SC have the power to rise above a supremely ludicrous premise and sell Shivika's emotions even in a moment like this...what fantastic emoting from them in this scene, that I was absolutely floored watching it and was totally able to zone out the dumb premise of the kid's parentage

Even the way the scene built up...Shivaay turning to look at Anika after realizing what he will have to do and knowing it will hurt her...so much communicated through his eyes only there as he looks at her and Anika can tell something is wrong but just as she starts walking towards him, he turns away and makes his declaration...

What follows is some beautiful choreography where Director saab must be applauded for the vision and execution too...that moment where Shivaay makes his declaration and the reporters all swarm towards Anika...the way Shivaay turns to her with a stricken look on his face and she just looks back at him...that moment is so beautiful because without a word said, Anika understood everything, even as Shivaay wallowed in guilt and silently begged forgiveness...some fabulous expressions from NM-SC in this scene...after ages they got to do some great emotional angst and they nailed it

I especially loved how moved Shivaay looked by Anika's unqualified support, the way she went into full on Khidkitod Anika mode (which I'm kinda thankful for cuz KRR tone would have ruined this scene)...he honestly looked so floored, so proud and so moved by her here cuz he could tell she must have felt hurt regardless and still she overcame it all to give him such resounding and heartfelt support

Then came the lovely follow up scene in the room...Anika, thankfully with her hair down and by herself and a Shivaay walking over to apologize, so wracked with guilt...another interesting point raised in this scene was the one complaint Shivaay is usually bashed for mindlessly every time without fail...lol that he puts family above Anika...surprising to see Shivaay himself show awareness of that today without Anika or someone else pointing it out and then he went two steps ahead by actually showing guilt there for choosing his family over Anika...

To which Anika as usual told him he didn't have anything to apologize for because she's always known this about him and admired it for longer than she's loved him...such a sweet bit there as she tells him that she fell in love with him much later, it was his fierce love for his family that touched her first...and she kinda envies him for having such a lovely family too...the way Shivaay looks so moved and pulls her into a hug was really touching...it was such a spontaneous hug that you could tell the momentum almost made them roll onto the side...haha...but so nice to see a hug of theirs after so long

The way he kissed her hands today made for a really lovely visual

I thought this might be the end of the awesomeness for this epi but then came the AniRu scene and I was on another level of aww after that...lol

So many throwbacks, parallels with this one too...Rudy touching Anika's feet and and giving her the status of a mother like he gave the status of a father to Shivaay by touching his feet a few months back...then getting emotionally overwhelmed as he talks about how silly he feels for thinking once that a bhabhi may decrease the love b/w the brothers, but Anika has only strengthened it so beautifully...she was so moved listening to him...lovelyyy acting from Lee and SC in this bit...and NM too...the way Shivika were standing like a unit around him...

Anika literally wiped his tears like he's her little baby only...aww

And then the way she pulled his cheeks and said she's lucky to have such lovely devars...aww...haha

OmRu deciding to fully take bhabhi's side as her brothers since they remembered they did her kanyadaan...haha leaving poor Billu off by himself for a bit...

The whole epi was mostly dedicated to reiterating the depth and understanding of the love that Shivika share as other characters mentioned wanting to emulate them too...lol...loved this last look Shivika shared as well :)

Quite nice to see a rare return to form for the show after many weeks wasted in aimless fillers...let's see where this goes now since Anika's KRR cover may finally move towards being blown given that the dumbo villains are finally suspicious😆

Loved loved the emotional scenes of Narbhi and AniRu today. More later. Beautiful scenes.

Yes, she has told Shivaay many times that if she was in his place, she would do the same as him since she understands the importance of family...but for all practical purposes, Anika has treated Shivaay as her family...everything stems from him...Sahil is the only other real family Anika has had all these years so yeah I can see her possibly choosing Saahil over Shivaay but a family that suddenly appears out of the woodwork over a KM raaz? lol I'm skeptical to say the least of Anika ever choosing that over Shivaay.

Amusing to read ppl still expecting so much from KM raaz after seeing how phuss it has been for so many months😆

Would be nice to get a specific Shivika convo on this topic but hard to expect much in the general mess of groupbaazi this track is.

What would also be nice to see is some development of the Pinky-Anika relationship moving more towards a mother-daughter feel rather than inducing some random lame family of Anika's

LOL it takes more time to gif than take caps...so I usually do caps before gifs...will post the parallel gif of Anika's dialogue later in the day...for now I only had Shivaay's dialogue gif from last year so posted that.

I saw this post of yours and ...

I have skipped my conference dinner to get back to my room to WATCH this.

...

May add on late at night...caps are so good. Awww.

-------Edited for Add On---------

Great wall of Shivay

I can and will expect him to do this only, it was hardly a surprise though.

What I loved was the silent communication Shivay and Anika shared. He is aware it would hurt her. I guess he was only concerned if she could forgive him for this lies and it's amazing how it wasn't about will she trust him.

And Anika could read the lines of worry on his face and the trauma running deep within him. She could sense his struggle, jo bhi tha, and one lone tear from his eyes was the final straw, she would subconsciously reached out to him and physically close the distance between them.

But Shivay toh Shivay hai, before he loses courage,he turns away from her and announces his side of the story. How emotionally tuned in both of them are.

Anika was startled at such a statement coming from him. Kya bolte hain, she did falter in her steps for moment jaise bolo pairon tale zameen khisak gaya. It din take her a flash to be there for him, she knows he needs her and how beautiful was it to take on the media outrage with such strength and resilience.

Such a dignified and poignant retort it was for this nosey media. Jo mere aur mere pati ke beech hai, woh humara hai. I love this line and such a marvelous parallel to the scene when Shivay said the same to her in the patni declaration scene. Yes, what's between them is theirs, and it's no joke when they say so. Time and again they've proved it. It gives so much joy to see the solidarity deepening with every crisis. Their family in a way wasn't any less in comparison to the media, when they made it a family event discussing their personal marital life or the lack thereof. Even then, among the maddening crowd responses, how dignified where they in making it about them, unke beech jo hai, unka and it was more of being answerable to each other.

Shivay was floored at her support, as she declares if he is mine, his past, present with his mistakes belong to her. Who are others to set a moral compass when a wife says she has accepted her husband with his flaws.

I love how NM din have dialogues hereon and only emote and how. Shivay was relieved seeing her poise, felt pride in her strength to deal with such uncomfortable questions with her head held high, be surprised at her unwavering support and feel overwhelmed by her profound love. All he could do was admire her unconquerable spirit in spite of feeling devastated to see her break within. In a sense he was hanging his head down in front of media after he announces being the father of the child and Anika stepped in from where he left and with her words let him regain some bit of lost pride and hold himself up. Ultimately the world's notion about him isn't important, it's about HER.

She said it then when she mentioned to Shivay ( the hand ointment scene during Tia), she repeated it today that a relationship may be illegitimate, not a child. I loved how both Shivay and Pinky looked down there, both have their own past to a "najayaz story.

Anika, the authoritative decision maker

Today she transformed herself to being the lady of the house. She was firm with the press saying twist as much as you want, it doesn't matter to me or my family. And when she says mere pariwar ko, all she did was fix her gaze on shivay, kyunki, for her he is the only family she has known. A very touching scene it was as she called out to Khanna ji requesting him by being polite enough to say it with a smile to lead the media GUESTS away. And special mention to Khanna ji, he too considers her equal to his sir ji, his JI Ma'm was lovely.

The fervent apology

If she was in the room trying to comprehend the turn of events, he seeks her out for rendering such a heartfelt apology. Kahan se kahan pahunch gaya Shivay, Sorry, Iam sorry, kitni baar for hurting her, yet again placing his family over her and acknowledging it too.

I love the fact that they managed to talk today, without dragging on to... don't ask me more, I'll tell you when the time is right, etc, etc. Talk, they did. He hurt her, he knew it shattered her, and to own up and explain takes strength.

I wonder why SC keeps saying she isn't good at emotional scenes, Girl just watch your own scene for today. It's absolutely beautiful to see a little quiver or break in her voice as she goes on to explain that she was touched by this very capacity of his (to fight the world for his family) much much much before she fell in love with him.

In the earlier days when she acknowledged to herself that there are two sides to him, A and B with good and bad versions. I guess that's around the time when she voiced out at least to herself that he has a heart too, who can go any length for his loved ones. Much later too she admitted that she is the B side and he her "A. Phir toh wohi baat huyi na, they can exist like this only, inseparable and always a UNIT. And it was so cute and innocently put when she said, I am sorry that I fell IN LOVE with you much later but what touched me was this admirable quality of his.

Here again, I'd say SC had much of the talking to do, and NM to emote. And this scene was magical. The trust, the understanding, the acknowledgement and the overwhelming love was built up as raw emotions already in the hall and when she isn't letting him apologise for doing what she too feels was right, Shivay literally gasped out the emotions while drawing her into a hug, I guess the scene must have turned out so close to real, that like Anu said ki in a momentum they tilted to one end of the bed/couch.

ShivAniOmRu

I love how Anika has earned respect that she deserves. I absolutely loved it when Ru reverently touched Anika bhabhi's feet and let her know of what he feels for her. His brother has been the father figure and superhero for him since forever but what she did for him today was something only parents do for their children, owning up and absorbing all the troubles in their life.

I liked Shivay and Ru's reactions as Ru let go off Shivay's to change party and for once it was nice to hear him say that he feels left out.

Uske baad hi I ended the scene, kyunki pata chala through written update ki scene aage kya tha.

Saumya...

Neha was fabulous in that scene as she transitions her reaction from her triumphant smile to "troubled and worried for Rudra ready to extend her support to him.

What I am surprised is ki full on villain toh bana diya hai use, toh phir bhi Shivay BHAYYA?

She seems to be 100% dedicate to sell this Saumya's hatred too and attempt it kaafi convincingly.

Doubt:

My reaction is based on written update/discussion elsewhere. But I have read that Ru's fascination/obsession/supposed would-be for a minute believed that the child could be his and Saumya's.

Okay, misunderstanding ho sakti hai. Even Shivay did at one time. But that was a time they both were unaware of their feelings for each other coupled with attraction/insecurity etc ek saath mei.

Yeh toh mutually so called LOVE declare kiye huye, propose kiye huye, shaadi karne ki chaah rakhne wale hain. And Ru has no qualms about her notion about him.

Shivay says shaadi preponed to tomorrow(within a day). My only wish is koi abhi ke abhi woh sindoor dalwake kissa qatm karo yaar. Sasta and tikau for the keeps waali.

And move on please. Ab dhakka lagake bhi koi asar nahi.

LOVE:

Reel:
Shivika intense and unwavering support
AniRu scene
ShivikaOmRu scene

Real:

NakuullM,SurbhiC and LeeM for the above said scenes. Absolutely fantastic job.

Note:

I am thankful to the following people:

Director Lalit Mohan for the stunning long shots tracing Shivika's reactions in the hall. Seen his work from Karol bagh Zee show days.
The ?editor-in-chief Shashank. Aaj ke episode editing time pe he seemed to have been in happy mood.

I'd also like to thank :

FF button on Hotstar.
And last but not the least, the paid journalists who reside on kiraya at a kona at OM. Inse hi...Inse hi...JWM music ke saath...