Originally posted by: Samanalyse
Well, I don't think we ever said she was the *only* character representing female solidarity, just that she was one of the numerous instances where female solidarity was located exclusively in characters with negative shades. I don't think Parul is a servant either -- she is BB's most trusted companion and second in command. If BB were a man and Parul was her wife, their relationship would seem very familiar to us and it makes sense to me in that context. BB took on the role and work of a patriarch, so she needed someone to do what a trusted wife would in that strucutre. That is Parul's role. Subordinate to BB?Definitely. A servant? Only insofar as all wives are in a patriarchal system where they are provided for financially and materially in exchange for unwavering loyalty and domestic labour.
BB understands female solidarity because she has lived it -- she and Parul chose not to fight/blame each other over Mehul but instead built a life together where they prioritised their sons and raised them together as brothers. In a patriarchal society like ours, but especially in one as rigid as the show's universe, this is a really big deal. It's because she understands female solidarity that she is now able to exploit the lack of it in Mishti and Kuhu's equation. More on this in my reply to Nami below...
In short, the GP scenes showed that Meenu is preparing to take chun chun ke badla against all the family members who defied her, all while maintaining this sugary-sweet exterior so they think they've won the battle and don't suspect a thing. She warned Abir that if he chose Mishti she would make things miserable for Parul and Kunal, she told Kunal that supporting his brother and blackmailing her could weigh heavily on him later, and she made it clear to Parul that if she betrayed her, she would have her thrown out via Kunal's own hands (during Kuku's first shaadi). Now, she is laying the foundation to stay true to her word on all of these counts, and she's using Mishti's need for approval from authority figures, and Kuhu's insecurity about playing second fiddle to do so.
Like she said, she wanted Mishti's welcome to represent what her life in RVS would be like, and what was Mishti greeted with? Darkness and solitude. Similarly the kumkum represented how Meenu would hurt Mishti, which would indirectly hurt Kuhu; and the carpet, though apparently a way to pamper Mishti was also super important -- a carpet can be removed, you see. š Probably the most disheartening foreshadowing in all this was that Mishti (despite that lecture from Abir minutes ago) chose to be silent and therefore complicit in Meenu's plans. She stopped Abir when he tried to tell Kunal that she was genuinely shaken by the surprise and she didn't tell him about the stone (was it a stone?) hidden in the kumkum.
Like I mentioned earlier, the hopeful foreshadowing is how the brothers were proactive in protecting both their own wives and each other's.
The part I found the most interesting was how Meenu framed the game. Mishti said all those sweet things about Kuhu the bahu, and Meenu basically called her bluff, saying you talk a big game Mishti, but when it comes down to it, do you care more about winning yourself and getting my approval, or do you really walk the walk when it comes to acknowledging what your husband wants and what your sister needs? The precap seems to suggest what Mishti's choice is (although precaps can definitely be misleading), and it's not surprising. Mishti has always received validation and instant gratification for prioritising her relationships with authority figures over her equals and she's just going back to what worked. Winning that game, however, will be read by Kuhu as an open declaration of competitioe, i.e. Mishti saying, I'm going to be exactly the same here as I was there.
Now that Meenu has this knowledge, she is going to work to dismantle all these relationships. Kuhu's concerns about equality are going to make her see the Parul situation in an unflattering and worldly light, and Meenu is going to exacerbate those concerns, especially if she gives Mishti the POA. So she is going to simultaneously hurt Mishti while enabling her superiority complex, Mishti's silence in the interest of a happy family facade and her own image of perfect bahu will stoke all of Kuhu's worst fears and insecurities, Kuhu will in turn hurt Parul by latching onto Meenu (for fear of becoming the Parul to Mishti's Meenu as aqua pointed out). Without Kuhu's full support, Kunal may flounder in his acceptance of Parul and by the time Abir snaps out of romance mode and realises any of this, it will be very late in the game.
TL/DR: Meenu saying, "You all think you are so smart, but I put this family together and I can rip it apart if I want to." Is this just her hubris? Maybe, but that is up to the other characters to figure out. I am just hopeful for Meenu to explore her full potential as a sophisticated antagonist. š
Bindi
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
