oh if the past could be undone...
I'd start with establishing good friendship between the three leads. And gradually show Nandini fall for Kunal, the husband. Yes, the husband part is very important. She sees Kunal as the perfect husband ( just like N said in one of the episodes, i think) and lets just say she likes what she sees. But of course nothing happens because in my version N isn't self-pitying selfish prick. Also she is very aware of her growing feelings and she works to keep that in check without being too dramatic about it. to add bit of grey in her character I would give her scenes where she fantasizes about K and her being married or being close with him. She also doesnt completely dissapear drom K and M's life, but thats mostly because M wouldnt let her. And of course keeping in mind that this is an indian soap I'd definately allow them one refuge in a candle lit appartement or a stable or candle lit stable in a stormy night but they arent allowed to touch one another 😆
And on the other side K too is getting closer to N but not in lovey dovey way but just in general. He realizes that maybe be they are getting little too close. So again he too is very aware of his feelings but he also cant just say "lets not talk to N anymore" because of M. So, we see K who is quite happy in his marriage and yet is also very aware of his growing fondness for N. We see his confusion, more than struggling with feelings i'd like him be confused because he thought he was in a happy marriage with a wife he adores and yet N makes him weirdly very happy. (So, yeah even in my version K is very confused. But atleast he isn't shameless prick who apparently doesnt care about the society.) To add bit negative in him i'd show him getting little overprotective and thinking little too much about N (not in a sleezy way but like calling her to ask simple things, wearing sth N likes even though M doesnt like it or sth) and maybe even prioritizing N over M but then also quickly realizing his mistakes and making up to M.
And then dear Mouli, i think M would stay more or less same. I would however add few scenes where she senses that K is bit distant (because he is having one of his confusion sessions). M&K have conversations and once K knows that M is worried about them he too makes effort in his marriage which doesnt always work.
All this while the three maintain her friendship. For few months of the show I'd show N working on her emotional and mental health, N and K fighting their feelings and K and M are in good place but they have their own problems too. I'd show N making new friends and meeting a guy. And M teasing her about the guy and ultimately the guy being the catalyst for N and K where they both acknowledge their for the other to themselves but never tell the other.
So slowly N starts building her own life. And she is quite happy, is being wooed by some guy who is also a decent character. And N sees that there are nice guys other than K, but she cant completely get over him. She tells the new guy about her love for K and M overhears her. This is where M gets to be bit grey and be upset with N for even thinking about K in that way. She is mad at N and she explodes and tells K everything. When K doesnt react the way she expects him to, she starts getting bit suspicious. they start having more fights. Then K calls N but N doesnt want to talk to K behind M's back. But K insists that N cant just go out of their lives and M will eventually understand. But in soap opera fashion M comes to know that K and N are talking (maybe even meeting) behind her back. She confronts K and he finally confesses his love for N. And M and N are both shocked with confession and both mad at K. ( I definately would have added a scene where N tell K how she thought K was a perfect husband but he too turn out to be a cheater). With this comes an end to the friendship saga of these three. the story will focus more on K not knowing whether to work on his marriage with M as he was quite happy with M but on the other hand he knows he loves N and isn't sure if he can make the marriage work. Also this now stops N from moving forward with the new guy as she knows that K is also in love with her (she tells the guy "Mouli ki ghar toot rahe waqt mein main apne ghar nahi basa sakti" or sth like that). Last but not the least M is very mad obviously but she sees K making effort. She comes to know nth happened between K and N, ever. Despite all the emotions involved only relations they ever had was that of friendship. They all try and make the K and M marriage work (N cuts contact from them and moves to some other city) but ultimately K and M realize that the love and trust that is basis of any relationship is already lost in their marriage and that its never going to be same as before. So, they both agree to part ways, both very sad but not angry.
Last episode would be M and N bumping into one another after years and M ask N if she wants to go for coffee . and they talk about the past where N is still very guilty but M tells N that the divorce wasnt on N or even on K. most likey if not N it would have been someone else and the other woman might not even had the courtesy to stay away. She tells that she is very happy in her life. They wonder where K would be right now (as they havent seen him in years) and finally we see K who is in a happy relationship with a woman who dresses and acts like N ( idk why i thought about this. i guess it just shows that N was really his type and M was kind of an exception. i am myself not very convinced with this. Kunal in my head- and on screen- is a very confused character which makes it very difficult to give him one definitive ending).
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Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Mangal Lakshmi
