Log Kya Kahenge
The episode began with the log kya kahenge angle. If there were questions when people had found out that Babita was moving out, there would be even more questions if she decided not to. Even recently Minnie had started looking for a place and word had spread, giving people a chance to intrude in their personal lives.
Kammo seemed to have picked the wrong reason for what she thought was a tiff between HS and Babita. I say “seemed to” because although Babita was not angry with HS after he called himself Minnie’s father, the father-daughter bond has been on everyone’s mind the past few days. It had left Babita feeling somewhat an outsider in her own house, it had confused her yet made her see HS in a new light every time as Minnie’s father. In a way, it tied her to HS as a coparent as never before.
People like Kammo still did not understand that HS could be Minnie’s father, in an independent relationship without needing to have anything to do with her mother. The equations were different but they would not understand this. This would be their opportunity to say “I told you so. Something has been brewing between HS and Babita, etc.?” I am sure this point will be tackled by the CVs as it is another social evil that they have to address and show as a stumbling block for many people who want to move on in life but face taunts and insults from society. I am guessing they might bring this up in the near future as something that the trio will have to deal with.
Through Naeem Bi, the CVs gave us an important message against gossiping. How would we feel if someone spoke ill of our loved ones? Should that not deter us from speaking ill about others? It was none of anyone’s business what Babita did with her life. Her decisions were her own.
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Hanuman ki Chhori
Meanwhile, Babita was indeed grappling with a decision of her own. I have to give it to the CVs for the way they bring things full circle. The other day, Minnie was regretfully telling her Nanu that she did not know how to cook anything, let alone breakfast, and today, she was busy making an omelette. She had never made that effort for Babita or for herself even, but here she was putting her full concentration into doing the best she could to make the only thing she knew how to. I knew immediately that it was for HS.
Today was her last day with her father, in his house. She wanted to share dinner with him. Tonight was his, Babita and she had the rest of their lives to spend with each other. Minnie was trying her best to be brave but this statement highlighted that Babita was essentially sentencing her daughter and herself to life in the prison of loneliness and sadness. Yes, they would “move on” but life would never be the same, because neither of them could completely break free from him, or kill the love they both held for him in their aching hearts. Rahi baat rishton ki to iss umar quaid se saza-e-maut behtar hoti.
Minnie’s voice, tinged with sadness, reached into the deep recesses of Babita’s mind, to remind her of the things she had so conveniently decided to overlook. It was not just the romance or the love that counted, it was these everyday things that had made them an irreplaceable part of each other’s lives that would no longer be possible once they moved out. Curious to get a glimpse of what her daughter was about to do, she moved to the railing to peek between the clothes hanging to dry. She watched them in fascination, still on the sidelines, behind the curtains of anxiety and hesitation.
HS was trying to behave as though everything were normal, and on this holiday, he took refuge in the newspaper, burying himself into its contents to ignore the current affairs in his home. As his daughter put his dinner down on the table in front of him, he looked at her eager face as she told him she had made it and that it was the only thing she knew how to cook. Without missing a beat, he put a spoonful into his mouth, a smile spreading across his face he experienced yet another first with his Veer Balika, the taste of her cooking into which she had poured all her enthusiasm and love for her father.
Jaisa baap, waisi beti - neither were able to cook a decent meal. As she had often been a guinea pig in his experiments at becoming a Masterchef, today was his turn. Yet, this was no experiment, and he was no guinea pig. The trial was over, and she was presenting to him the results. The results of their journey together ever since they had entered each other’s lives, of the “end-product" that had formed through mixing ingredients in various measures, of anger, confusion, pain, joy, discovery, loyalty, and, the one ingredient to rule them all: LOVE.
She looked at him expectantly to pronounce his judgement and he did not waste a moment, relishing every bite.
Mmm hmm hmm, he said indicating excellence with his fingers. First class samajhti hai na? Wo hai.
Sacchi? She said, incredulously.
Maine aaj tak isse accha aam-let nahin khaya, he confirmed, while Babita nodded at his obvious “flattery" just to make Minnie happy. She knew her daughter was capable of no such thing.
Ek second, aap sachchi bol rahe ho. Chidha to nahin rahe na mujhe?
Jhooti tareef karta hi nahin chhori. Bohot kamaal ka banaya hai tu ne yeh chhori. Bohot hi badiya, he continued, amusing Babita as she realized he was just trying to please Minnie.
Tera nahin pata tha ke tujh mein bhi yeh talent hai aur tu itna achha bana sakti hai. Trust me, he said as Minnie’s grin grew wider.
Jo Queen Victoria hain na, badi badi maharaniyan unke jo bade bade chef hotey hain, cook hotey hain, un ke yahan aisa omelet to.. tsk. sawaal nahin uthta chhori, he said, shaking his head. He had always called her his Queen Victoria, and now he continued with the reference, making it crystal clear just where she stood in his life.
However, in his eagerness to see her smile, he took it a step too far.
Sach boloon to, ke mhaari Imarti, ke teri mummy, sab fail. Itna zordaar hai.
Minnie looked at him suspiciously. This was going overboard, and she became suspicious as to what was going on, while Babita looked on in amusement.
Afraid his lie would be caught, he pushed her hands away as she reached out to taste her own cooking. They were squabbling like children and Babita knew it wouldn’t be long before Minnie found out what he had been trying to hide. He tried his best to dissuade her, asking her to make her own dinner, as though he did not want to share it with her, increasing her curiosity further.
Arey main bhooka reh jaonga!
He wanted to eat every last bite that his Veer Balika had cooked, not even wanting to share it with her. It was more precious to him than anything else.
Oi ruk jao. Ittu se bite se aap bhooke reh jaoge?
She teased as she put a morsel in her mouth to try out this exquisite “accidental” creation of hers. His face fell slightly as he knew he could no longer keep up the pretense.
Kitna ganda bana hai, she said, making faces.
Babita smiled in appreciation of his efforts, but nothing could have prepared her for what was to come next.
Kaise kha rate ho, aap?
Kaise kha raha hoon? Aise khan raha hoon, he said, happily taking another bite.
Manne accha laga. Aur kyon na lage.
Beti banaye kissi ke liye aisa, uska father khaye to usko amrit hi lagega.
Masterstroke. In this one line he summarized all that he felt for his daughter. He did not expect anything from her - her love and affection were a big bonus in his life that he did not want to take for granted but he would always want to hold that special place in her heart. She was the sunshine in his life, that was all that counted.
Aaj ke zamaane mein na chhori aisa koi kissi ke liye banata karta na hai. Bohot zyaada lucky hote hain jo log aise ek dusre ke liye sochte hain, banatey khilatey hain.
This was what made Hanuman Singh who he was: a man who valued relationships above all else, who knew how to appreciate even the infinitesimal of gestures, and who understood the intention behind them. Truly, nothing could be more valuable to him than the knowledge that his daughter had been worried for him, had taken time out and attempted her best at cooking one last meal for him, had been determined to shine bright as the sun in front of his eyes one last evening, before setting and leaving him to be engulfed by the darkness of the night.
This was another message for the audience, that in this hectic life, we forget to take time out for our loved ones, to show them that we think of them and care for them. We often make up for lack of time by giving them material things, yet we fail to give them the most important gift of all: our time.
Babita turned away, his words bringing tears to the eyes of both mother-daughter.
Kal jab tum log chale jaoge yahan se to manne teri yeh omelet hi to yaad ayega.
She knew her father was hurting as much as she was, but this daughter of his would not let them spend their last evening together in tears and sadness. She would continue to be his Veer Balika, who was strong enough to face new challenges and the unknown, no matter how difficult. My heart went out to Minnie as she tried to make light of the situation for his sake.
Arey, iss mein itna emotional hone wali ke baat hai chhori, matlab Inspector Hanuman Singh, wald Dashrat Singh, wald Jenerail Singh, she said with pride, naming the lineage that she had actually become part of.
It was remarkable to see her tilt her head, square her shoulders, and gesture with her hands the way he usually did, while trying to speak Haryanvi. I do hope we hear more and more of it from her.
Patiala Police, he said.
Sadev aap ke seva mein tathpar, she completed. These were the words she had heard when she had first met him, and these were the words that would ring in her ears long after she left his home, her home.
Babita continued to watch them, unable to control her tears as she was witnessing a slice of the daily life that she was about to deprive her daughter of. Come tomorrow, these fun filled moments of laughter and “family time" would be lost to her forever.
Nahin, meri baat suno, aap kyon itna emotional ho rahe ho? Main kaunsa itni door jaa rahi hoon? she reminded him, just like he had tried to reassure her earlier in the day, that he was only a call away.
Ek aawaaz lagao yaar, mein phat se aaongi aapke paas! She said, gesturing like him, taking him by surprise as he realized that she had inadvertently imbibed his mannerisms.
Kaise aa jayegi? He asked, wanting to see the glimpse of a junior Hanuman Singh in her one last time.
Phat se, she said, laughing and crying at the same time, as she realized what she had said and how.
As someone had said on the forum, this was brilliant writing, the way they kept it so natural yet so impactful in that moment. Looking at them, no one could tell that he hadn’t raised her since childhood, that she wasn’t his flesh and blood. She had indeed been born from his heart, from the dual dil ka rishta and dard ka rishta they shared.
(As you know, I am very pleased with myself for having previously picked up how she was slowly starting to sound like him. I had not imagined it all, and today even Babita noticed it. )
It reminded me of the episode where he had warned her against copying his mannerisms after Babita had asked him not to interfere in their lives. Back then HS had not wanted her to accuse him of teaching her daughter his ways. Yet here she was, his Veer Balika, his daughter, thinking and speaking like him, without any active training on his part just because of living under the same roof. All that was about to change. Yes, they would give their lives for one another, would be there for each other in times of need, but they would no longer begin and end their days by seeing each other, enjoying these beautiful moments and bonding over silly things.
He had formed an attachment with her early on, their shared experiences had sealed that bond forever, yet they continued to discover new traits in each other. It was truly remarkable that just in a few months he had influenced her to the extent that, other than their DNA, they shared a great deal of everything with each other: grief, pain, courage, laughter, hope, and especially their philosophy in life.
Nahin, main seriously bol rahi hoon, Hanuman Uncle. Agar aap ko zaroorat padegi na, to mein roz aap ko yeh omelet banake de diya karungi.
Roz raat ko khana padega yeh? he said, in mock concern, before they both burst out laughing. Even in such a situation they both did not miss the element of humor and the teary-eyed Babita could not help but laugh along with them a little.
He was the best thing that could have happened to Minnie, Babita was reminded once again as she watched their interaction. Ashok had never been capable of offering a fraction of this, and she would never be able to give her daughter what HS had given her with an open heart and mind. Her daughter could be a carefree child with him, with all her tantrums and dreams. Under his discipline, she would learn to grow into a responsible adult who was ready to be victorious in various battles she would face in life. In his embrace, she would find security, and the warmth of a father that Babita could never provide. In his teachings, she would inherit a world of wisdom in a way that only he could impart.
And he did give her some parting pearls of wisdom to guide her in the new phase of her life from tomorrow, intended for both the loves of his life. Once they moved out, things would be different and he wanted to make sure he gave her the necessary advice.
Accha ab meri baat sun. Ke hai ke chori, ib kal se tum log ek nayi zindagi start karne ja rahe ho. Bhai shift ho jaoge na yahan se.
Babita’s ears perked up. This was the first he had mentioned about them moving out.
Apni mummy ka khayal rakhna. Tu uska biggest, strongest player rehna.
(Not sure why he said player and not coach, not sure if it was deliberate). He had been so very hurt in the past few days, and now because of Babita’s decision, but he still wanted the best for her. He would not be around to look after her, so he was passing some of that responsibility on to his Veer Balika.
Aur sabse important baat, the most important, he said with a slight smile.
Jab bhi kabhi tanne gussa aaye, to 10 se ulti ginti gin lena, he said, sniffing.
Thanda paani pee lena, aur.. he inhaled and exhaled deeply to show her how to calm down, as she followed him.
Where Ashok had always been temperamental, here HS was advising his daughter on how to overcome her weak point, forgetting his own heartache, thinking only about her welfare. She was his weak point, but he would not let his daughter’s resolve weaken or be blindsided by anger.
Again, it was remarkable that he put his pain aside to address the one thing about his daughter he wanted her to continue to work on, so that she could be the best version of herself, and become a respectable adult.
Dekh, karna padega, bapu ne kaha tha aisa.
Jhoote, haar baat mein bapu ka naam.
To?
He had referred to bapu in their first meeting and was bringing him up again in possibly their last at home.
Bewakoof samajh rakha hai mujhe.
Bewakoof kahan banata hoon, tu to omelet banati hai.
Bapu ne kab kaha tha?
Kaha tha, kaha tha. Not the bapu, i.e. Gandhi ji, but her bapu, Hanuman Singh had said so. He wanted her to remember his words, to carry his teachings with her wherever she went in life. He had nothing to give her except this.
Accha ye tere ko, accha banaya na tu ne. Tu ne kaha na, maine kaha na accha laga. Ek baar mere kehne pe khana padega, aa kar, he said as he took a spoonful of the omelet to feed her, as she squirmed and made faces, something he had never done before.
How often have we seen parents try to coax their children this way in order to feed them? He had missed out on his daughter’s childhood but today he was treating her like a baby, and sharing their final meal together in this house. She was a grown up, she did not need his help to do her own daily tasks. He had not had the opportunity to baby her or mollycoddle her when she was growing up as he would have loved to. He could not make up for the lost years, but he could make the most of this moment. She was his little girl for just a little while and he was not going to miss this opportunity for the world.
Minnie looked up suddenly to see her mother standing upstairs, observing them. Startled, Babita hid behind the curtain once more, bursting the bubble that HS and Minnie were in, as reality struck them hard once again.
My heart broke for both of them. How cruel would destiny have to be to rip them apart like this? I cannot even imagine how devastated HS would be without her chirping like a bird around the house and filling it with mirth and mischief. Again, I cannot imagine how helpless HS must have felt that evening, knowing that he could not stop his daughter from leaving. I have mentioned this over and over - he is insecure about his daughter’s permanence in his life. They may have an unbreakable emotional parent-child bond, but as far as “social" and legal recognition were concerned, he could not claim her as his. If Babita and he never married, what right did he have over her? He had no hesitation in declaring his love for his Veer Balika, but commitment? There had been nothing along the lines of his commitment to her as a father in every sense. Not that their emotions are inhibited by it, but the element of security was missing, the same as with his equation with Babita.
Babita remembered Naeem Bi’s words about allowing the sunlight to come through, letting it sit and spread warmth without trying to grasp or enclose it. Happiness was a delicate flower that needed to be handled with a light touch. Press too hard and it would wither. Life would never be perfect, and one needed to enjoy the rays of the sun whenever they peeked from between the clouds. NB had advised her to try to and bathe in sunlight rather than try to grab it. She also saw that Minnie was his sunshine. Now she had to make the right decision. Just because she was afraid to open her palm to receive the warmth of the sunshine, did she have the right to deprive HS of his sunshine in the form of Minnie?
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Kiraayedaarni ji to Makaan Malkin
As the early birds continued to chirp. Hanuman Singh woke up to the sound of a nail being hammered into the wall. Yeh daughter ki mother ne to thaan li rakhi hai ke uski neend haraam karke hi chhode gi.
Getting out of bed, he rushed over to see what Babita was up to.
Ye ye, yo ke kar rahi ho aap?
Yo photo ko haath na lagana, na isse hataane ki zaroorat hai, he said, warning her. Why was she touching that? What was she trying to do? He wondered.
They had not spoken to one another for a few days, so there was an awkwardness between them. It was obvious, however, that HS pounced on this opportunity to engage in conversation with her and to address the elephant in the room - she was leaving him, and taking their daughter away from him.
She wasn’t removing it, just making some space, she responded.
Jagah?
Haan, jagah?
Theek baat na hai ye. Aap to jaa rahe ho apne naye kiraaye ke makaan mein.
Mhaara ghar pe ye deewaaron pe keelein thok thok ke aur sab aap kharaab karke ja rahe ho.
I must applaud the writers for their genius here. When Babita had first moved in, she had noticed the marks on the wall in her bedroom where photos of Imarti had previously hung. She had wondered at the memories they must have captured. Now she was leaving her own markings on the wall, writing her own story, with full authority.
Hum nahin ja rahey, she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
Samjha nahin main, bhai aap kehna ke chahte ho? He was puzzled. What was this new development all about? He dared not assume anything at this point. Whatever she meant, she had to explicitly speak of it.
Kahin nahin jaa rahe hum, naye ghar mein nahin jaa rahe, chhota hai woh bohot.
I am not sure if HS really did not get it or if he was playing dumb just to make her say things out loud.
Do hi to jannein ho aap. Bhai kitti si zaroorat hai aap logon ko?
Ek kamre ki zaroorat hai, ek bistar mein dono sama jaate ho aaraam se, so jaate ho.
Ab ke do ladies ko poora raj mahal chahiye kya?
(Haan chahiye unko aap ka mahal, raj karne ke liye.)
From the point of view of a simple man like him, two ladies would not need a big apartment anyway. They had a modest living.
Where was she going with this? Was she just staying back temporarily until she found a bigger place? What kind of excuse was that? He dared not rejoice too soon. It would only be a matter of time before she exited the premises. Or had she gotten over her anger and decided to remain a tenant in his house?
As he looked away, she continued to explain.
Itna bada to hona hi chahiye, ke main, Minnie, aap aur Imarti ji sab saath mein reh sake, she said, startling him. He had not expected that or for her to come out and say it directly.
She was not referring so much to the space in the house as to having enough space in her heart - well, their hearts - to accommodate the past, his and hers. She was showing him that she understood that they could reconcile, accept, and live in harmony with each other’s past. Just as he had accepted her with all her fears and emotional baggage, she had accepted him with his grief over the loss of Imarti. She had understood that she had her own place in his heart and that she could find place in her heart for his great love for Imarti. No one needed to replace the other.
The glass on the frame with HS and Imarit’s wedding photo had been wiped clean so that the beaming couple could be seen clearly, on one of the happiest days of their lives, the day HS has surrendered his heart and soul to the great love of his life Imarti, the day their epic love story had begun. This way, the past could be seen clearly, in all its beauty, where it belonged.
As she hung up the picture of Minnie and her in to the far right, she straightened it and wiped the dust off it too, so that it could be seen clearly. It no longer belonged in the confines of the room for their eyes only. It belonged there on the wall now, alongside the memories of all the people important to him.
As had been the case with Imarti previously, he had not had a photo of mother-daughter on the wall to look at, but there had been a big one imprinted on his heart. And now, just as Imarti’s had found a place on the wall, so did theirs. He could rightfully gaze upon and admire it from up close. It was tangible, visible, and irrefutable, adjectives he could not have previously used to describe his interactions, emotions, and expectations from mother-daughter.
As he looked at the latest addition to his collection, the perfectionist in him noticed the gap between his wedding photo and the one with mother-daughter.
Ji yeh dono photos ke beech mein distance hai thoda, woh aap ka andaaza hi ghalat ho gaya.
He was not just referring to the physical distance between the photo frames. Mother-daughter were not on the sidelines of his life, they had never been. Likewise, the photo should have been close to others, not hanging to one side. The way he saw it, she had miscalculated and underestimated their place in his life, yet again.
Andaaza ghalat nahin hua hai, sahi hai.
Ek photo aur ayegi beech mein, frame bada hai uska. Meri, Minnie ki, aur aap ki, she looked up at him hesitantly. He looked at her incredulously.
Agar aap chaaho to.
These words of hers left him dumbfounded. Did she... was she... actually saying what he thought she was saying?? He did not have to search the depths of her eyes for the answer, her anticipation swam in the pools of emotions he could see there.
After everything that had happened over the past few days, she did not know where she stood with him, but she took a leap of faith, and hoped that he had not closed the door to his heart. She knew that he still cared for Minnie and her, but had no idea if he was interested in making a lifelong commitment.
She had finally put herself out there, with her heart and pride. They were his to decide what to do with. He had called himself a paraya mard, would he want to continue to remain so to her? Minnie and she were now ready and waiting for him to complete their family, and she dared hope that he would want to take the spot that was rightfully his. I notice she said aap chaaho to and not aap chaahein to as she would normally have, making things a little less formal between them.
I loved the throwback to the video call in episode 176 where he had said they could make more pots together, i.e. explore more things together, if she wanted to. Aapki marzi hogi to.
The frame would be big because it would it would be the most important and prominent one, hopefully their new life together as a family, while acting as a bridge between his present (with Minnie and Babita) and his past (with Imarti). It would lock them into a fixed bond. She had finally understood him, and accepted him the way he was.
I was incredibly impressed with the way this scene played out, and how they conveyed so much with just a few words and gestures. Magnificent writing!
That look on Hanuman Singh’s face as realization dawned upon him, as the weight of her words sunk in, there really are no words to describe it. The transition from appearing thunderstruck and frozen on the spot, to when his eyes softened up as different emotions washed over him, his breathing quickening as he realized what she had just done. He did not need an apology or explanations, just a simple, direct message from her heart was enough to give him confidence and the signal he had been waiting for. The details could be sorted out later.
At 12:40 in the clip I watched… I thought I had seen the best of Aniruddh but just that expression is a class apart.
I thought back to everything that had led to this moment for him, the conviction he had had that her heart would one day answer the call of his.
As he had said to Lala in episode 143,
Hanuman Singh ka unke liye prem, woh sach hai.
Dekh lena Laley, mhaara yo prem ek din daughter ki mother ki aatma ko kachotega.
Andar tak jhanjod dega.
Tatolega, aur uska haath pakad ke Hanuman ke paas lekar aayega.
Yo sach hai.
Back then, we had been bowled over by his sincerity and his sheer confidence in the power of his love and its ability to win Babita over eventually. He had been willing to stay the course no matter how long it took.
He had also told Naeem Bi the other day that he would wait for her to make the first move but also back in episode 164,
Ib chahe jo ho jaaye na, ib na first step usko lena do.
Aur first ke, main to kehta hoon second step bhi usko lene do.
Ghana intezaar kiya hai maine pehle.
Bohot sabr se baitha hoon main. Thoda time aur baith loonga.
Tum hi kehti ho na sabr ka phal meetha hota hai.
English mein kehte hain na, “let her take her own sweet time”.
Wait and watch.
So we waited and watched alongside him, and finally the day had arrived when his investment in patience would pay sweet dividends.
This was the moment he had dreamt of, had so patiently waited for, and as he finally processed what Babita had asked him, it was as though the floodgates had been opened. He could no longer remain patient. The sign that she had given him was as small as his anticipation had been immense. In that one look he conveyed the end of his longing and of his search for some indication from Babita that he was allowed into her inner circle. As his breathing became quicker, his mind and body spurred into action.
He had probably imagined this moment in the darkest of nights, in the deepest corners of his heart, and now that it had arrived he was not going to allow anything to interrupt him. He had previously said something along the Iines of, mauqa chhota sa shabd hai, aur aata thode waqt ke liye hai. This was his window of opportunity and there was nothing he would leave to chance.
In their last argument, he had had challenged her and asked her what their rights over each other were and the boundaries they had to operate within. During the events that followed, he had somewhat lost lost hope when he felt Babita had no trust him in him as she had left home. On some level he had always felt that Babita's love was unattainable and he was resigned to living within his space. All that hesitation and dilemma was now gone. He had no way of stopping them from leaving his house previously but now that Babita was giving him such a big sign there was no way he would let her change her mind.
Today, she had made it clear that she wanted the rights and privileges that family members had with one another. He could claim her for himself if he so wanted - they were no longer bound by the tenant-landlord covenant. Babita had finally realized that if she wanted to experience the showers of love, she had to let go of the umbrella of safety she had been holding up. Naeem Bi had told her Tu hai ke apni kori chunni samet ke baithi hai. She no longer wanted to live like that. They say subah ka bhula sham ko laut aaye to usse bhula nahin kehtey, par yahan to sham ka bhula subah ko laut aayi aur woh bhi kaise!
He ran to the cupboard and opened the door, pausing briefly to smile at Babita and quickly checked that she had not changed her mind. Before she could react, he picked up the keys to the house, as if on auto-pilot mode, and called for his Veer Balika before racing up the stairs, leaving behind a very puzzled Babita. It was as though he had wings, as a huge burden had been lifted from his soul, suddenly giving him the gift of flight.
Babita ki baat se uski bejaan zindagi mein .. uski jaan mein jaan aa gayi and he went upstairs almost like a madman.
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Faasle Kam Huey
Those stairs had always been the boundary line, he had always tread carefully but now there was no barrier, literally nothing to stop him and he closed the remaining gap in the story by going to his daughter, without whom their lives were incomplete.
He rushed into the bedroom upstairs, trying to wake his daughter up with utmost urgency. It was usually Minnie who would try to wake him up but today the roles were reversed. As he shook her awake to avoid further delays, a confused Babita came rushing in. Unable to contain his excitement and still panting from his sprint, he pulled a half-asleep Minnie by the arm into an upright position.
Chhori jaag ja. (She was finally going to wake up).
6 baj gaye tere se bohot zaroori baat karni hai.
Chhori maine decide kar liya. Final soch liya. He was not going to back off or change his mind, or look back after making this decision, no matter what.
Kya?
Manne ab iss ghar mein koi kiraayedar rakhni hi nahin hai, he said, shocking both mother and daughter. Babita’s face fell as she thought he had said no to her proposal earlier.
Haan?
Na!
Mhaare is ghar ko kiraayedaar ki zaroorat na hai.
Makaan maalkin ki zaroorat hai. Babita’s eyes widened as she realized what he was saying, but Minnie was still in the dark.
Handing over the keys to his darling daughter, he shocked her by saying:
Yeh le chaabi, thaari mummy ne de diye. A smile broke on Babita’s face as she understood where he was going with this. She waited with bated breath for his next words.
Arey aise ke dekh rahi hai bawli? Pooch le thaari mummy se, biyah woh karegi kya mhaare se?
He asked with the smile of a man whose confidence had come back with a twinkle in his eyes, shocking both mother and daughter. He knew it was perfunctory but he wanted to share this with his daughter. A soft smile spread across his face as he watched the two women he loved elated over his question.
Minnie was now fully awake as she understood what her father was looking for. He did not look at Babita as he indicated to Minnie to pass the message to her mother on his behalf, as she had done all these months. Last time he had woken her to put the TV in the room and she had called him family. Today he was completing the picture. I am on the fence about him proposing through her. In a way it's fitting because she is the glue that binds HS and Babita together. At first, I thought he was too shy to ask Babita directly, but then I realized he wasn't. He just wanted Minnie to be part of the whole thing, so he did it this way.
It was indeed a beautiful scene where Minnie opened her palm up to offer Babita the keys to her happiness. Unable to believe what was happening, and overwhelmed by emotion, she looked briefly at HS, who had been watching both of them closely. He knew exactly how they were feeling but still gave them the space to have their moment.
Babita firmly wiped her tear and picked up the keys, holding them close to her, as Minnie beamed, and looked at HS to acknowledge his proposal before she proceeded to respond. And she could not have done so in a better way. She picked up a corner of her white dupatta, which had been a symbol of her barren existence and self-imposed restrictions in the previous episode, or her bedaag-daaman that she had not wanted to soil due to questions from society about HS and her that had let to rejecting him.
For a moment I had wondered if she would tie the keys of the house to her clothes, but then thought it would be over the top for this show. Lo and behold! Babita proceeded with securing them her dupatta with a tight knot, and in response to the Minnie’s (and HS’ intrigue), accepted her change in status to makaan maalkin-to-be by swinging the bunch over her shoulder, with the rights that she had just been given by her husband-to-be.
It seemed oh-so natural, and the camera angle from the back beautifully captured the keys swinging to fall into their rightful place with the weight of the authority they now represented, as the lyrics to the song perfectly matched that moment.
Ishq ka rang safed piya, na chhal na kapat, na bhed piya
Now her white dupatta also symbolized ishq ka rang safed, the color of purity, of a clean slate and new beginnings. HS was thrilled to see this, but also felt a sense of contentment. His gharwali had finally stepped up to take her rightful place as she had found her way to him. She was going to make his haveli a home in every sense - the tying of the bunch of keys to her dupatta was a gesture he understood very well from a traditional and generational perspective, and it warmed his heart to see her in action like that because it confirmed that she was going to be his soon and she had accepted his offer to be the maalkin of his makaan, their makaan.
The handing over of keys meant that she had a home of her own now. By accepting his proposal she also took on and showed her haq not just on him but everything that he had. I am sure he would want her to exert it on him at some point too.
In the past, she had been living with her in-laws but was not the malkin of her own household. Here, she had a chance to paint it in the colors she liked. She had already taken over his heart and his life, and with this she had taken over the remaining part: his home, and along with it all its memories and traditions.
An overjoyed Minnie hugged her mother, welcoming her to a new phase in her life, one in which Minnie's father and she had already been waiting for Babita to enter for a long time now. HS stood to one side and watched mother and daughter pour their emotions out through there eyes, finally satisfied with the direction their lives were taking. There was still a gap between them and him, which Minnie filled by flitting back and forth. As much as she was elated by her mother’s acceptance to marry her father, Minnie ran back to stand in front of him. He nodded at her to ask if she was happy with the outcome but Minnie, still in shock and awestruck to an extent, was barely able to say a word, except that Babita had said yes. All HS could do was beam at his daughter - he would have moved mountains to see that joy on her face. Babita was going to gain a husband, and Minnie was going to gain a father in an official capacity. I am quite sure that his status as Minnie's hero was elevated even further after this unique (dhain) proposal.
As Minnie hugged her father, he welcomed her into his embrace in a completely different way. He had finally secured her presence in his life, and there was no way he was going to let her go. She was his now, no one could take her away, not even her mother. As she hugged him tight, unable to believe what was happening, that she was not going to have to leave him, he looked lovingly at her as he understood what had been going on in her mind. She had tried to be brave even though she had been extremely upset about leaving him, as he had been too. Now she need not worry, he had fixed everything, he communicated to her silently, as he put his hand on her head, and stroked her hair in reassurance.
His focus was still largely on Minnie, finally being able to grant her the only wish he had so far been unable to, the one that he had had little control over, until now. He did not even look at Babita as he indicated to Minnie to relay his message, as they had always done. It was not shyness. The other day, he had not been able to say to his father-in-law that Minnie would be one of those to keep him company, but now he could. SS had said Minnie could have been Imarti’s daughter, and HS did not have a way to make it tangible. What he could not say then he might be able to say now.
I remember when he had harshly told Minnie about Imarti,
Usse zyaada pyaar kissi se na kiya. Na thari maa ne, na kissi aur ne.
Kissi ne zindagi mein itna pyar kar bhi na paonga main.
That was not true, as he proved today. Minnie was still first, and I am really glad that in all of this excitement, he had not forgotten his first priority.
His hesitation I think has been because he is afraid of something. I am keen to see if he still feels that way going forward, now that he is going to marry Babita. He loves them both so much, especially Minnie, that he is fighting his urge to hug them both very tight, lest he suffocate them. He had always wanted to give them wings but now he did not be the one to clip them. Just as NB had explained in the previous episode that no matter how hard you tried you could not capture the rays of the sun. Similarly, he could not enclose his happiness with mother-daughter in a tight fist. He would have to leave his palm open so that they could breathe and he could cherish whatever moments he was fortunate enough to spend with them. Still, no man should have to go through so much suffering, and no man should have to lose a child through no fault of his own.
By the way, I want to know what happened to his andar ka rakshas. What was all that about? I feel there is something unexplored. I also feel that they showed us his wedding with Imarti and the start of his married life quite recently for it to be easier for us to compare and to understand the difference.
In all this, I was happiest for Minnie. I cannot even imagine what kinds of scenarios must have gone through her mind the night before about leaving her father behind. Now that her life had changed literally overnight, she was afraid that she would be woken up cruelly from such a wonderful dream. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere and neither are you, he reassured his daughter, as she hugged him tight to never let go.
He looked at his daughter’s mother, indulging himself as he watched tears of happiness flow down her cheeks, knowing he was the reason for them. He reveled in the fact that her wait had come to an end too, and he could see how much happiness this had brought her. The pain and confusion in her eyes was gone, replaced by an eagerness to bridge the gap with him, to complete her family with him.
I am not going to call it a proposal in the traditional sense. He had known the effect his question would have on Babita. As he had said to Minnie previously, he had seen the longing in her eyes and had known that the right time to reach out to her would be when she was ready and sure about the next steps she wanted to take in her life. After HS asked the question, there were about 3.5 minutes of just a song playing in the background, but no actual words spoken by the three. It was not necessary because even in that silence each knew exactly what the other was feeling. What a beautiful family! Only in PB do proposals happen at 6 am, though!
I am not sure how to describe what I felt when looking at HS’ body language and facial expressions in this scene. He was just such a man, you know? A real man. Confident, sure of himself and making the right decision at the right time. Such a great role model!
HS had always been that way. She needed to take one step towards him and he would take ten. He had wanted her to make the decision about her own future, without pressuring her or imposing his feelings on her. He had always known about her shy nature and realized how much it had taken for her to make this move. As for the rest, well he had understood all her unspoken words and feelings. He had just needed an opening, a little crack which the sunlight would shine through and he would extend his hand towards it.
Of course, he must have been elated but his expressions were relatively muted compared to mother-daughter. Despite the upheaval in their lives, deep down he had always known this day would come, that it was only a matter of time. As advised by Naeem Bi, he just had to defer to the healing properties of time. Such was his confidence in his emotions and the power of his love. He had remained alert, had observed the changes in Babita, and had almost been on standby. The moment there had been a clear signal from Babita that she was open to a relationship with him, he had sprung into action, as though following a plan he had subconsciously perfected over the months. Of course, what he did today seemed spontaneous because it was, but the foundation had been set a long time ago. I sometimes wonder if this is how he himself had intended for things to play out. Perhaps that is why he had said nothing to her the past few days and just waited for Babita to realize things on her own.
After all the troubles they’d been through recently, he was just taking in the sight of his Babita, smiling, tears of happiness, knowing he was the reason for it. For once he didn’t mind her crying and their gentle smiles to each other communicated what they would not have been able to express in words anyway.
Jo jag se kaha na jaaye woh mujhko bas tujhse kehna ji
Going by the looks he gave Babita, he knew there was a lot they had to figure out, but for now they would enjoy this moment they had all fought so hard for. He had secured his daughter’s presence in his life. He wasn’t just holding on to Minnie, he was rocking her like one does a little child, as if to reassure her of his permanence in her life too.
As he hugged Minnie and looked at Babita, and the physical distance between them, he was also looking forward to bridging that gap, until one day she would be in his embrace too, and their family would be complete.
I still maintain that in that moment he had asked the mother of his child to marry him, more than the love of his life. Not that there was anything wrong with it. It was quite obvious in the way the proposal was set up. His daughter, her mother, in his life. It was as if they had finally come home, where they belonged.
The song, jogi hona would have at one point depicted what HS’ feelings for Babita were, where he used to almost worshipped her. That bubble has burst as over time he stopped putting her on a pedestal, just as she stopped putting him on one.
HS looked up and thanked the Creator for this beautiful gift and was excited about what was to come. It was a real treat to see HS so radiant after all the gloom he had been through in recent times. This was what silver linings were meant to look like.
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A New Beginning
Later in the morning, HS slowly climbed the stairs. Yes, he had crossed the barrier but he was still a bit of a guest there, so I hope they will break those invisible barriers at some point. He had come upstairs because he had wanted to see Babita before leaving for work. They had not spoken since the proposal, and he wanted to spend a few moments with her, but there she was again, off to do her duties as a daughter/daughter-in-law to meet the buzurgs instead of talking to the man she was going to marry.
Now Minnie was studying, doing what an everyday kid would do because her father was by her side, she could be a kid again and she knew she didn’t have to worry about separation from him again. She could be “normal" again.
Bana le phir notes. He wasn’t going to stick around - Minnie had that “scandalized” look on her face - had he come just to enquire about babes and interrupt her studies and then walk away and not to meet her? I think this is a hint of what’s coming up where Hanita will be busy with each other and spending more time, maybe paying her a little less attention. Or maybe she will push them to do so.
In the previous episode there was anger about thank you and ehsaan, but this time Minnie and HS both thanked each other and they knew why. It was here, a few weeks ago, that she had thanked him for his ehsaan and wanted to leave the house so she could take her mother away from him.
I don’t know how Aniruddh does it, but the way he had HS looking at Minnie with so much indulgence and affection in his eyes as she said thank you, only a father can look like that.
Thank you to manne bolna chahiye tujhe. Tu jo aa gayi mhaari zindagi mein.
She was the biggest blessing in his life, his sunshine, his sukoon. I wonder if he was thanking her for entering his life many months ago or for being part of it now as his official daughter-to-be.
Minnie looked confused. I want to hear what he has to say about her place in his life. Really hoping the CVs will do this bit well.
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Precap
From the precap, it looks as if HS will wait for her to come out of Naeem Bi’s house so that he doesn’t have to wait until the evening to meet her. Perhaps he was dusting his bike as he waited for a glimpse of her before leaving for the station. I doubt he would be able to concentrate at work. Aniruddh is an expert at the whole removing sunglasses thing. I hope he takes her on a bike ride at some point, this time with not hesitation, and they can do a repeat ice cream date.
PS too tired to proofread this. Please excuse spelling and grammar mistakes. I will correct them later.
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Hindi TV Shows
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