I get the whole nature vs nurture, but the fact is that HS is also relatively new in Minnie's life. On some level Minnie still pines for what could have been with Ashok, but she never admits it. She welcomed HS with an open heart and mind but it did not happen overnight. Despite her strength of character, she could not put her foot down and say that HS was her father and she would live with him even if Babita were to leave.
In Minnie's case she is not indifferent to Ashok, she can never be. There is always going to be an emotional connection, albeit one of pain and betrayal. No matter how abundant HS' love is, I don't see that eroding any of Minnie's deep-seated pain, not unless it is addressed through therapy and open (painful) discussions with HS. As Mickey had rightly asked her, she never cried for her own pain, never quite let out how all that affected her. All that has to come out one day.
I think it would be unnatural if HS weren't insecure about Minnie. He is extremely protective of her too and if what we saw before and during the proposal was anything to go by, she is probably his biggest weakness. He cannot prioritize anything over her and will literally die for her if it came to that. I don't really hesitate to say that Minnie was one of the main reasons for him proposing in the way he did, and his demeanor changed completely. If he feels so insecure that her mother could take her away from him, how do you think he would feel if Ashok were to return and genuinely try to make amends?
For all her bravery, Minnie's gentle at heart at the end of the day. She's generally not selfish or egoistic, does not see things only as black or white (more so under HS' guidance) so I wouldn't be surprised if she considers giving Ashok a chance if he were to reform, especially because of the concept of second chances in the show. Hatred is not the only feeling she can have for Ashok - I see them working towards a more neutral/formal relationship.
How would that make HS feel? Possessive? Protective? Insecure? I'd say all of the above, because in that case HS would no longer be just "filling the void of a father" in Minnie's life left by Ashok, who would now try to do that. There would have to be something about HS that would make Minnie put him above everyone else, even her biological father who may have sincerely turned over a new leaf, not to mention is father to her sibling and probably still married to Meeta, a woman she looks up to. Right now, the HS-Babita equation is quite shaky so even the marriage is not 100% guarantee for HS and Minnie's bond to be secure, though it is much more of a relief to HS now. How much of Minnie's anger towards her father is because of Babita and how much is it because of her own equation with him? How would that change over time when she starts to view the world through her own eyes instead of the cataract that is Babita's pain?
Minnie loves Babita, but I wouldn't say she looks up to her or considers her a role model. Ashok couldn't be that for her either, but HS has always been. Do you remember how stunned he was when they had that argument and she revealed the extent of her admiration and hero-worshipping of him? He had never imagined or expected that and has been very conscious of his conduct around her since then. She still thinks HS is as close to perfection as possible, and now that she sees her mother's flaws her feelings for him will take on a different perspective because she will see him in a different light, have more sympathy for him.
I am just thinking aloud here, that's all. There is definitely something there. Perhaps I am unable to articulate it.
No matter how much Minnie loves HS, she'll always choose Babes partially because she loves her, and partially because she can't see Babes struggling on her own. Regardless of how confident Babes considers herself to be, there's still a lot that she doesn't know about the real world. Yes, Minnie chose HS over Babes during the Imarti case, but it was under circumstances that were still fairly safe. Babes was just living across the street but when she decided to shift out, Minnie still agreed even though her heart wasn't in it.
I agree. No matter how much HS loves her, there will always be an absence left by Ashok. It may not be there at the forefront, but in her subconscious there will be the fact that HS is not her actual dad. There's undoubtedly gratitude for having HS in her life now, but there's also sadness that her own father could not provide her the kind of love that she needed. What's special about HS & Minnie is that Minnie didn't go out seeking for another father. HS simply filled in that position all on his own. Their relationship bloomed organically, without any kind of expectations. A direct contrast to Ashok & Minnie's relationship since with his role of being her biological parent, Ashok has certain responsibilities that he needs to fulfill.
Minnie really does need to cry for herself. It really comes down to self-love. I had a similar mental breakdown last year wherein I sobbed heavily. For those few minutes, there was an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and the world being wholly unfair. However, after that breakdown, things became calmer and my perspective shifted. There was a new strength and clarity as to what I wanted out of my life and how to go about achieving it. Minnie needs to go through similar so that she can effectively deal with her inner turmoils.
That is true. HS'll surely be suspicious of Ashok's intentions. I don't see him standing in the way of their relationship but he'll surely be sulking in private and the paranoia of losing her will just eat him alive.
Hmm, I guess I'll have to see it to fully understand that relationship. Are you suggesting it will be similar to what Minnie has with Meeta?
I'm sorry, I just can't see Minnie letting Ashok in her life again, at least not right now. Once she has grown up a little more and has had the opportunity to see the world through her own perspective rather than being influenced by Babes - maybe. I think HS helping Minnie achieve her dreams will cement that relationship. Their bond already exists outside of Babes but with this, I feel like it will become truly independent.
Yup. Prior to Minnie, I doubt HS hung around kids or teenagers that much. Ever since she came into his life, he's been around the younger generation a lot. There's no doubt that they will be picking up on his mannerisms, behavior and actions. The respect that Minnie and Mickey give HS extends beyond the regular respect for your elders. It's genuine and sincere in the sense that they like being around HS and learning from him. He's someone they consider safe to be around and it's not just because of his job as a police inspector. Rather, on the basis of a human being, they know he's someone who'll guide them on the correct path.
I think you're onto something but I'm just being too dense and am unable to see it. 🤔
Cricket
