The episode did not really live up to my expectations, and as many of you have already mentioned, it felt quite rushed. As for the execution of the episode, if you look at it standalone, it was actually quite alright. It's just that we're so spoiled by the high bar the PH has set that anything regular, which is perfectly fine, seems sub-standard.
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Aadha Adhoora
Naeem Bi as usual tried to show him the error of his ways, asking him how he would feel if Babita kept bringing Ashok's name. When HS said it did not matter to him, I think he genuinely meant it. He knew it was done and dusted, yet he could unfortunately not say the same in his own case (pun not intended). I also think he genuinely did not think he had said anything hurtful to Babita the previous night. He knew very well that Babita could not share him with anyone else, just as he could not share her but he had not used Imarti's name to hurt her.
Naeem Bi asked him to forget everything, to which he responded by asking her why she was asking such a question if she knew all that had happened. I believe Naeem Bi knows everything about what happened to Imarti. When she was first introduced on the show HS had mentioned that she hadn't been around much. Was it because she had been busy with her own life or was it something about the court case that kept her away?
I felt really bad for him when he said:
Main poora bacha hi kahan hoon? Jo bhi hoon, jaisa hoon aadha adhoora, aapke saamne hoon.
Jo tha mhare paas, jitna jaise, kuch, sab kuch, sab toh... he gestured with his hand to say was gone.
She advised him to forget Babita if he could only give he part of him.
Aadhi adhoori zindagi jee ke kya karegi bechaari?
Tujhe paane ki chaahat bhi rahegi, aur tujhe paa bhi nahin sakegi.
Aise to woh aur akeli ho jayegi.
This would be the right time for him to withdraw, she said. Babita would be heartbroken, but she would learn to accept it, learn to live without him. She was strong enough to move on. HS could not imagine that Babita would have a future that he would not be part of.
He tried to reason with Naeem Bi, who stopped him by asking him to choose aar ya paar. If he wanted Babita, he had to give her all of himself, his love, his grief, his troubles, everything. I had a feeling she was talking about more than just him moving on Babita. We found out later in the episode why, but in this instance she was asking him to reveal to her this side of his, the fact that such a law-abiding man had been accused of manslaughter of his own wife, the man who had made him what he was today. She needed to see his flows, devoid of her rose-tinted glasses.
This reminded me of the scene in episode 140 where things were the other way around, where she had advised him to hold back his feelings because Babita had not gotten over her bitterness and anger for Ashok, because if she said yes to HS, it would be on the rebound. She would not be able to give him all of herself.
Agar usne tujhe mana kar diya, to tera dil toot jayega
Aur agar usne tujhe haan keh di, to bhi tera dil toot jayega, kyunki woh haan tere liye nahin hogi.
Woh haan hogi, woh puraane rishtey se bhaagne ke liye. Us se bachne ke liye.
Aur dono tarah se teri hi haar hogi. Tere haath mein kuch nahin ayega, sivaaye takleef ke. Usko paake bhi na paane ki takleef. Uska zakhm abhi hara hai Hanuman.
Back then she had asked HS to let Babita heal on her own, but this time HS would need his daughter and her mother's help to come out of the shadows of his past so that he could heal and become whole for them.
Sitting in his maayka, HS retrospected. He had indeed been punishing himself by turning away from the second chance life was giving himself. I think it was in those moments that he had decided to choose his happiness.
(We had assumed he had gone to sleep at Naeem Bi's after the quarrel with Babita last night, but he had done no such thing. These CVs love to fool us!)
Hanuman Uncle -> Hero -> Father
It was interesting that Minnie expected HS to be Babita's hero just like he was hers. I am not sure that that was what Babita was looking for, but as someone on this forum rightly said the other day, HS is a real hero, in every sense of the word. He had managed the impossible, he had made Minnie start believing in love, made her start holding on the hope that comes with it. He had guided her, mentored her, disciplined her, and loved her selflessly, and with this final piece, he had managed to close the loop on all those things that Ashok had deprived her of and restored her faith in life, love, and dreams.
Right then, literally the man of their dreams walked in, a hero in all his glory. HS looked at the family who he had openly included in his life, Naeem Bi and Lala, and then made his way towards closing another loop today by bringing Minnie and Babita into that circle officially.
Minnie had no idea what he was up to, and was both anxious as she watched him sit down next to Babita, stunning everyone present, especially Babita. Based on the looks that Madhu and Kammo exchanged I'm curious to see if they will start to gossip or if they will finally also support this new family.
Minnie had no clue what HS was about to do next, but HS had never been surer than he was today, stunning everyone when he told the priest he would take an oath. This was getting serious. HS took one last determined look at Babita, then at Minnie, who he knew was waiting for some response from him after their argument earlier on.
Aap baalika ke kaun lagte ho? asked the priest. He had not said "Veer" but we got it.
Father, came the simple reply.
It felt as if it were the most natural and obvious thing to say - Babita had known he loved her daughter. He had called himself Minnie's father at the hospital but that was also under pressure when the consent form was signed. She was not privy to the fact that Minnie and HS had become father-daughter to each other already, so to hear him declare it today, openly, in the middle of the prayer meant that the father-daughter bond had been sealed forever.
Minnie stood frozen, astounded by what HS had just done. This was HS making an official commitment in front of family and in front of God that she was his forever, and nothing could change that. It was as though in that holy setting, their relationship had received divine blessings, and by extension so did his bond with his daughter's mother. As always, Minnie came first for him.
The scene in the morning from yesterday's episode where they had called each other father and daughter was aired just to prepare them both (and us) for this moment, so that it would seem organic, the natural progression of their relationship.
Babita's eyes questioned him: What had he just done? Did he understand the significance, the permanence of it all?
His eyes in turn responded: She is mine now. Ours.
End of discussion. He was in it for life.
Minnie, overwhelmed and emotional, had tears of happiness as she had possibly the biggest gift in her life, her father, her hero had not disappointed her this time either. She did not waste a moment as she took her rightful place in the center, sitting between her parents, symbolizing the bond that connected them. With a knowing smile, he made amends for being harsh with her earlier by sharing with her the keys to the chest, letting her into his life in its entirety, past, present, and future.
Interestingly enough, this happened just before Minnie turned 18. She was technically still a minor, fell within the regular criteria for "adoption". Not that he couldn't have done it when she turned 18, but this had a different feeling to it.
I am glad they showed the scene upstairs to be one of chaos where everyone was pressuring HS to confess his feelings. It was so in character to see him all nervous and wanting moral support for them.
Arey to yaar Naaem Bi aapke entertainment ke liye main khud halaal ho jaon kya yaar? Aise thodi hota hai.
My point, exactly. He need not do it for anyone's benefit. Again there were simple gestures that showed continued change in dynamics between HS and Minnie after they were officially father and daughter.
The whole baaraat thing, with the deliberate slow motion and wedding music, was too cliched and overly dramatic for PB and especially for HS, whose simplicity was his biggest asset. Babita had no idea what was going on, still naive, still unprepared.
It was not the right time for confession. Their love had to stand the test of time, only then would they be able to truly come together as one. By then, Babita would be fully aware, and would be actively participating in this decision.
Ghosts of the Past
Just when his happiness, his future was within his reach, destiny had literally come knocking on the door, pushing him back into the pit he had been trying to escape. He went to the one place where he could hide, and in the darkness of the police station, he relived those difficult moments when he had been suspended from work while he was being tried for Imarti's death.
So HS had been temporarily suspended when he had been a sub-inspector. Even if he had been acquitted in Lower Court, I think he must have worked extra hard to continue to prove his honesty and loyalty as a policeman, earning all those medals, as if to try to wipe away some of the stains of the accusations against him. The resignation scene back in the early episodes takes on a different meaning now. Back then he had alluded to the Commissioner being a very good man who knew what was right and wrong, who knew HS was naive. All this now adds color to the way HS always expresses his pride regarding his position as a respectable policeman. The Commissioner, whom he holds in high regard, had trusted and understood him then, and I believe would understand him now.
If you remember the night when he resigned because of Ashok's complaint, he had told Minnie that he would stand by what was right, even if it meant losing his job, or even losing his life. He had said he was doing it for Imarti, and now I see that he truly was - it was his penance, which I am now looking at with a whole new perspective. I'm just bowled over by the writing, once again. I had been wondering if this twist had suddenly been conceived by the writers, but if you look back, either the traces were placed there deliberately or the writers have found a way to seamlessly wind this new track in with the old ones.
I am not even going to speculate about what actually happened to Imarti all those years ago, since I know I will be wrong anyway. What I did find extremely extremely touching was the concerned Lala poking his Sir Sahab to find out what was wrong. In light of what we've just found out today, I am unbelievably impressed by and privileged to see a character like Lala who has shown what true brotherhood means, by standing by HS through thick and thin, whose faith in HS had never faltered even in the darkest moments. No wonder HS tells him "tu mera woh tota hai, jis mein jaan basti hai meri". Why wouldn't it? The fact that HS has had Lala's undying loyalty for years speaks to the greatness of his character.
HS had come face to face with the ghosts of his past, who he knew would not let him live in peace. The years had dimmed the pain and their grip on him, but he had known that his escape had been temporary. They were now back to haunt him, to prolong his suffering, to expose the wounds he had tried to bury deep within. It was as if his life had been rewound to that dark period in his life when his whole world had fallen apart, and someone had just pressed play.
I can't even imagine what he must have gone through when reliving those moments. To be accused of killing the one he loved more than anything in the world must have fractured his soul. No wonder he cannot remember her fondly. The circumstances of her death and what followed had forever put a question mark on their epic love story.
Minnie opened up the chest to take out the red file and learned what it was he had been guiding. Her Hanuman Uncle, her father, had been accused by Sartar Singh Chautala of causing the untimely death of his daughter, Hanuman Singh's wife, Imarti. We had wondered why HS was never shown to be in touch with his in-laws. I guess it is now clear.
We were saying yesterday how Minnie always takes sides with Babita and that at some point she would have to learn to be fair with HS. She will now have to take his side too and prove herself to be worthy as his daughter in every aspect. This is also her chance to give back to him in a small way for all that he has done so far. This is the track where she will really understand him and show him what a daughter is capable of by fighting for him, by showing him her unwavering loyalty, by proving to be veer in all ways that mattered. This would be the best dakshina she could give to guru who had transformed her life completely.
The parallels drawn are remarkable. The trio bonded during Babita's divorce case, when she was vulnerable. Back then, there were questions about Babita's relationship with HS, which she publicly clarified in court to be merely one of tenant-landlord. Minnie stood by her mother and HS provided them both all the support he could, while still having to maintain a distance in order to protect Babita's image. They had only just entered his life and he was put his heart out there to shield them where he could and boost them up when necessary.
This time there will be questions too, when mother-daughter stand by him during his trial, when he has moments of doubts and is most vulnerable. They are quite likely to believe 100% in his innocence and will fight tooth and nail for him if they have to. In doing so, they will come to a point where they openly declare him to be family. This time, Babita will no longer have to hide behind the label of tenant-landlord. In a way, this will be her chance to "repay" him for everything he has done for them and to prove to him that she's not going anywhere, that what she had said to him many moons ago about friendship and trust being the basis of their relationship still held true. I have a feeling this experience will finally teach her to be strong, not just for herself, but also for the man she loves, for the child they share, for the promise of the family they were always meant to he.
Pre-cap:
After the glimmer of hope Babita and HS had seen in each other's eyes, HS decided to redraw the boundary lines by declaring himself to be a stranger to Babita, asking her to stay within her limits of decency.
Paraya mard mein jyaada mann na lagao apna
Control na hota kya aapse?
Maryada mein rehna apni
This was the paar that Naeem Bi had referred to earlier on. He had decided to give nothing to Babita, so that she could remain free and untainted by his murky past and murkier future. HS has always been sensitive to other people, and I am always amazed at how he is able to use this equally well to help someone soar or to throw them on the ground. The best defense is an offense, and HS did not spare Babita his tongue-lashing, hurting her where he knew she was most vulnerable regarding him, where she was insecure as a woman.
I wonder how they are both going to be able to control themselves, considering he came this close to proposing to Babita. I really hope that rather than remaining offended, Babita fights with him for her right to be his, to share everything in his life, both good and bad. After these harsh words, I no longer think Babita should be the one to confess first. She can stand by him and show him what she is made of, and when he comes home acquitted of everything, he needs to win her over.
This time the problem is too big for Minnie to handle alone without confiding in her mother. Babita and will not just have to step up as a mother while Minnie goes through emotional upheavals of her own during the court case in which she will see her father at his lowest, weakest point, but she will also have to step up as HS' life partner, his hero in a way. In the past, Babita was fighting for her self-respect and dignity, and HS was there right in the front lines with her. This time, it will be HS fighting for his dignity and respect, and Babita will be his general. Through this journey, she will not only prove to herself that she is indeed worthy of HS, but will also lose the last of her inhibitions and insecurities on her way to empowerment. It will be a role reversal, where HS would have to contend with the fact that his beloved is the one who is offering support. The usually proud and independent man will have to let his Babita in so that they can overcome this hurdle together. It will be a learning curve for him too.
As with the divorce case, I hope this one is resolved relatively quickly, but in between we are going to hear all about Imarti and learn more about the darkness engulfing HS.
Cricket
Tum Se Tum Tak
