Why did Hanuman Singh fall in love with Babita?

I have always wondered:

Why does Hanuman Singh love Babita? What made him fall for her?

She was the complete opposite of his fiery and wise Imarti, she was a naive, gentle, and delicate abla naari who needed a lot of coaching. What was it that drew HS to her? Beauty? No, he's not that shallow to fall only for that. Living in close quarters? Perhaps, but I don't think this was the case.

I think I now understand what it was. He saw in her suffering a reflection of his own mother's. He saw in her a chance for redemption, to ensure that her child and she did not suffer the way his mother and he had. He saw in mother-daughter a strong team, friends, confidants who were there for each other, something he had never had a chance to have with his mother because of his fear. He saw the pair share their happiness and sorrow, express every emotion openly with each other, something he had longed to do with his mother but was never able to.

His Veer Balika had the courage to do what he could not, and her mother also learned to have the courage to escape a life of suffering which his own mother could not. In them he saw the success story he would have wanted his mother and himself to have. By becoming part of their journey, he got the chance to somehow live the dream that he had dreamed for his mother if she had been able to escape, if he had been strong enough to leave home with her the way Minnie had. By offering them shelter, he got a chance to do what he would have wanted a grown up to have done for his mother and him if they had managed to escape.

By helping mother-daughter heal, and by watching Babita gain the confidence to stand up for herself, he is able to put a band-aid over his wounds but they still run very deep. It's time HS had the chance to heal. He does everything for everyone around, more than his means even, but even then the pain does not go away. Yet every action or word of his that contributes to helping Babita not only brings him a little closer to her, but also a little closer to the memory of his beloved mother.

I think this common thread is what drew HS to Babita, and her gentle but strong character that developed over time became a light in the darkness surrounding him. She brought hope and dreams, and with them she brought the most precious gift of his life, something he had lost and grieved for: his own child.

I believe he fell in love with the mother of his daughter first, and then the woman Babita became.

I am still trying to reconcile what he told Minnie about his guilt for not being able to help his mother escape abue, with the fact that when he grew up he believed women needed to be subdued, and with the fact that he was going to hit Imarti on their wedding night. I am sure there is a part of him that is left unexplored with regards to Imarti, something that will probably come up later. She was the woman who showed him the beauty of life, who helped him see that women needed to be heard and respected. I would like to understand how he got there. All in good time.

Very well written. Thank you for mentioning the word Redemption and that is also one reason why he admires Mini so much and calls her Veer Ballika. Also, he lost his mom at such a young age, lost Imarti and his child when they were about to start a family together. He sees a family in Babita and Mini.

He supported Babita to be a strong and independent woman which he would have wanted his mother to be but couldn't do it. And in the process fell head over heels in love with her. In the conversation with Mini in the hospital, he said that he didn't have control over his emotions, he just fell in love with Babes. He has missed a lot in life and these two have filled his life with happiness and he doesn't want to lose them now. That is why their thought of changing houses killed him.

HS is going to be a great husband and awesome Dad. Can't wait to see them starting this journey together. It is not be a bed of roses, but the strong determination of HS and Mini will help Babita in this journey. They need him and he needs them.

Originally posted by: Tennessean

Very well written. Thank you for mentioning the word Redemption and that is also one reason why he admires Mini so much and calls her Veer Ballika. Also, he lost his mom at such a young age, lost Imarti and his child when they were about to start a family together. He sees a family in Babita and Mini.

He supported Babita to be a strong and independent woman which he would have wanted his mother to be but couldn't do it. And in the process fell head over heels in love with her. In the conversation with Mini in the hospital, he said that he didn't have control over his emotions, he just fell in love with Babes. He has missed a lot in life and these two have filled his life with happiness and he doesn't want to lose them now. That is why their thought of changing houses killed him.

HS is going to be a great husband and awesome Dad. Can't wait to see them starting this journey together. It is not be a bed of roses, but the strong determination of HS and Mini will help Babita in this journey. They need him and he needs them.

I think he's great a dad already, and has shown all the traits of a good husband. Let's hope Babita finally realized that. I don't think any of them expect it to be smooth sailing but just having a close-knit family unit who weather storms together makes life beautiful in all its ups and downs.

He considered them as family ages ago but despite all the declarations of not needing to name their relationships and being content with dil ka rishta, there is the insecurity around "out of sight out of mind". The only formal and accepted relationship they have is that of tenant-landlord and if that no longer exists what right would he have to continue being so involved in their lives after they move out, without defamation of mother-daughter?