#Friends to #Partners KuKu AT 2 - Page 76

A super duper short HC since we were all pissed off by the lack of a KuKu holi scene (I wrote this right after the holi episode, but could not post due to lack of a computer):

“Kuhu, chalo upar!” Kunal scolded Kuhu, draping one of her arms over his shoulder and grabbing her waist. Kuhu stumbled on the stairs and giggled. Kunal groaned and made the executive decision to pick Kuhu up and carry her the rest of the way. As he carried her, she squealed and buried her face into his chest.

He set her down gently and helped her to the bed. As he turned around, she grabbed his hand and yanked him back a little too forcefully. He fell squarely on top of her on the bed. Kuhu giggled uncontrollably.

“Kuhu yaaaar, stop it!!” Kunal made an attempt to get up but fell on top of her again. This time, Kuhu fell silent, and the two of them gazed into each other’s eyes. Kunal brushed a curl from Kuhu’s face and tucked it behind her ear. Her lips were curved into a cute pout and her chest rose and fell rapidly. He grazed her bottom lip with his thumb and she turned her face away shyly. He smiled unconsciously, enthralled by her. She looked so adorable.

They broke from their trance and Kunal got up hastily. As he was about to turn to leave, he heard Kuhu say “Kunal? Kya tum mujhse pyaar karte ho?”

Kunal wasn’t sure how to respond. All this time, he had accepted it when Abir bhai had said that he loved her, but he wasn’t sure if he had accepted the very fact. He hesitated.

“Kunal, bolo na!!!” Kuhu whined.

Kunal was silent ,and then slowly began to gather his thoughts. “Kuhu, jab humari shaadi 1st time ho gayi thi, to mujhe nahi pata tha ki pyaar kya hota hai. Aur sach kahu tho, mujhe ab bhi nahi pata ki asli, romantic waali mohabbat kya hai. Par mujhe yeh zaroor pata hai, ki main jo tumhare liye feel karta hoon, maine kisi aur ladki ke liye feel nahi kiya, aur na kabhi karunga. Tum mere-“

Kunal turned around to face Kuhu but found her dozed off on the bed, sleeping peacefully. He sighed in exasperation. He muttered to himself, “Kya kya karna padta hai, shaadi aur pyaar mein!”

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

@aqua: This was a response to you on your other thread but since it ended up being mostly about Kunal, I thought I would post it here instead of there.

Don't sell yourself short! My thought process makes sense to you because you have taken the time to understand my reading of the show over the past month or so. Since the show is primarly written for people who susbcribe the view of "right" and "wrong" that it imposes, I have learned not to argue too much. I just enjoy when someone actually gets what I am trying to say.

I will edit this if it breaks any rules, but I think This Is Us provides a wonderful counter example to the way adoption was handled here. William had a HUGE impact on Randall's life even though they knew each other for such a short time, Randall tells people he had two fathers, and credits William for a lot of positive changes in his life BUT it was never about him calling WIlliam "dad" -- that was and will always be Jack. There was a complex negotiation that happened there over an entire season about what exactly William's place in Randall's life was and we are still seeing the ripple effects three seasons later. (I think I avoided any major spoilers! )

So my major problem with the way this issue is being handled here is the oversimplification. Kunal said it best himself when he confided in Kuhu -- if one day some lady comes and tells you they are your mother, would you be able to accept it? What does "accepting" someone new "as your mother" even mean? How does giving Parul a more prominent place in his life affect his other relationships, and how might it confuse people who are close to him, like Meenu, Kuhu, and his in-laws ? These are questions that require a lot of thought and conversation (and ideally therapy) and they are just gliding over them like it's all so simple. And I refuse to buy the idea that this is ITV and we can't expect sensitivity -- some of the best adoption/found family stories I have seen have come from this medium!

I really feel for Kunal because this is yet another reinforcement of the idea that his way of doing things -- through small gestures and subtle efforts -- doesn't cut it. He has to go out of his way and be something he isn't to be "good enough" for his family. I saw the real Kunal when he supported Parul at the door and put his arm around her, I saw Kunal when he went in to check on her while she was sleeping and made sure she was comfortable. This grand gesture was not Kunal; it had Abir written all over it, because that's who Kunal thinks he needs to be (he said something similar to Kuhu when MA got back together as well -- I will do everything bhai did) to be worthy of this family.

This pressure to emulate ooc behaviour is a huge setback to figuring out who he is and is actually distancing him from the people who have loved him and would continue to love him for being himself -- Kuhu and, ironically Parul. As you pointed out, @aqua, Meenu will strike back with double force because of this loss of control over her secret, and the Kunal who could have managed her has now incapacitated himself in proving himself to bhai. The main issue with Abir here is that he isn't listening -- Parul didn't ask for this, she never said she is dying for Kunal to call her "ma" or acknowledge her in public -- sure, she was touched by this gesture, but she was equally (if not, I would argue, more) touched by his smaller efforts.

So basically, Kunal spent the first half of the show trying to be Meenu's parichayi and now he's swinging to the other extreme in trying to be Abir's. In all of this, I would argue that it's only Kuhu who has seen and drawn out Kunal, the individual, on his own terms. It would be absolutely lovely if after all this swinging, Kunal found balance and self-actualisation, but only time and Corona virus will tell if I'm a fool for holding out hope.

I knew I had a problem with how Kunal brought the truth out in front of everyone, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. I think you've hit it right on the head though. The whole grand gestures thing, the loud declarations, all of those things are Abir's MO, not Kunal's. Kunal expresses his appreciation and affection best in the small things he does for people, and they often end up being more meaningful than the grandiose gestures that Abir expects him to make for other people. I had hoped that after their second marriage, Kuhu would be able to help Kunal on his path to finding himself for who he truly is as a person, but if anything, she's just helping him regress, not grow.

This will never happen in the show because joint families are a signature of ITV, but I really think that Kunal would benefit from some time away from his family. He's spent so much time being pressurized by his mother and brother to behave a certain way that he's completely lost himself.

Originally posted by: journalgirl321

A super duper short HC since we were all pissed off by the lack of a KuKu holi scene (I wrote this right after the holi episode, but could not post due to lack of a computer):

“Kuhu, chalo upar!” Kunal scolded Kuhu, draping one of her arms over his shoulder and grabbing her waist. Kuhu stumbled on the stairs and giggled. Kunal groaned and made the executive decision to pick Kuhu up and carry her the rest of the way. As he carried her, she squealed and buried her face into his chest.

He set her down gently and helped her to the bed. As he turned around, she grabbed his hand and yanked him back a little too forcefully. He fell squarely on top of her on the bed. Kuhu giggled uncontrollably.

“Kuhu yaaaar, stop it!!” Kunal made an attempt to get up but fell on top of her again. This time, Kuhu fell silent, and the two of them gazed into each other’s eyes. Kunal brushed a curl from Kuhu’s face and tucked it behind her ear. Her lips were curved into a cute pout and her chest rose and fell rapidly. He grazed her bottom lip with his thumb and she turned her face away shyly. He smiled unconsciously, enthralled by her. She looked so adorable.

They broke from their trance and Kunal got up hastily. As he was about to turn to leave, he heard Kuhu say “Kunal? Kya tum mujhse pyaar karte ho?”

Kunal wasn’t sure how to respond. All this time, he had accepted it when Abir bhai had said that he loved her, but he wasn’t sure if he had accepted the very fact. He hesitated.

“Kunal, bolo na!!!” Kuhu whined.

Kunal was silent ,and then slowly began to gather his thoughts. “Kuhu, jab humari shaadi 1st time ho gayi thi, to mujhe nahi pata tha ki pyaar kya hota hai. Aur sach kahu tho, mujhe ab bhi nahi pata ki asli, romantic waali mohabbat kya hai. Par mujhe yeh zaroor pata hai, ki main jo tumhare liye feel karta hoon, main kisi aur ladki ke liye feel nahi hua, aur na kabhi hoga. Tum mere-“

Kunal turned around to face Kuhu but found her dozed off on the bed, sleeping peacefully. He sighed in exasperation. He muttered to himself, “Kya kya karna padta hai, shaadi aur pyaar mein!”

thanks for writing & sharing👍🏼loved reading it

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

@aqua: This was a response to you on your other thread but since it ended up being mostly about Kunal, I thought I would post it here instead of there.

Don't sell yourself short! My thought process makes sense to you because you have taken the time to understand my reading of the show over the past month or so. Since the show is primarly written for people who susbcribe the view of "right" and "wrong" that it imposes, I have learned not to argue too much. I just enjoy when someone actually gets what I am trying to say.

I will edit this if it breaks any rules, but I think This Is Us provides a wonderful counter example to the way adoption was handled here. William had a HUGE impact on Randall's life even though they knew each other for such a short time, Randall tells people he had two fathers, and credits William for a lot of positive changes in his life BUT it was never about him calling WIlliam "dad" -- that was and will always be Jack. There was a complex negotiation that happened there over an entire season about what exactly William's place in Randall's life was and we are still seeing the ripple effects three seasons later. (I think I avoided any major spoilers! )

So my major problem with the way this issue is being handled here is the oversimplification. Kunal said it best himself when he confided in Kuhu -- if one day some lady comes and tells you they are your mother, would you be able to accept it? What does "accepting" someone new "as your mother" even mean? How does giving Parul a more prominent place in his life affect his other relationships, and how might it confuse people who are close to him, like Meenu, Kuhu, and his in-laws? These are questions that require a lot of thought and conversation (and ideally therapy) and they are just gliding over them like it's all so simple. And I refuse to buy the idea that this is ITV and we can't expect sensitivity -- some of the best adoption/found family stories I have seen have come from this medium!

I really feel for Kunal because this is yet another reinforcement of the idea that his way of doing things -- through small gestures and subtle efforts -- doesn't cut it. He has to go out of his way and be something he isn't to be "good enough" for his family. I saw the real Kunal when he supported Parul at the door and put his arm around her, I saw Kunal when he went in to check on her while she was sleeping and made sure she was comfortable. This grand gesture was not Kunal; it had Abir written all over it, because that's who Kunal thinks he needs to be (he said something similar to Kuhu when MA got back together as well -- I will do everything bhai did) to be worthy of this family.

This pressure to emulate ooc behaviour is a huge setback to figuring out who he is and is actually distancing him from the people who have loved him and would continue to love him for being himself -- Kuhu and, ironically Parul. As you pointed out, @aqua, Meenu will strike back with double force because of this loss of control over her secret, and the Kunal who could have managed her has now incapacitated himself in proving himself to bhai. The main issue with Abir here is that he isn't listening -- Parul didn't ask for this, she never said she is dying for Kunal to call her "ma" or acknowledge her in public -- sure, she was touched by this gesture, but she was equally (if not, I would argue, more) touched by his smaller efforts.

So basically, Kunal spent the first half of the show trying to be Meenu's parchhayi and now he's swinging to the other extreme in trying to be Abir's. In all of this, I would argue that it's only Kuhu who has seen and drawn out Kunal, the individual, on his own terms. It would be absolutely lovely if after all this swinging, Kunal found balance and self-actualisation, but only time and Corona virus will tell if I'm a fool for holding out hope.

I am not selling myself short. I really do need to work on my writing skills and work hard if I ever want to make a career out of it. Anyway, I think your post would've made sense to someone reading your post for the first time too. I just happen to have more background. But as Snow mentioned, I really do feel that everyone should read your analysis on the main forum as well. Just add a note at the end that you won't reply to anyone, but I get why it would be a lot of effort so meh! (I am super aalsi. I have no idea how I have still been responding on the other thread. It's the first thread that I ever made that crossed 5 pages and I have to say, it's super exhausting🥱).

God! I am loving these TIU and YRHPK parallels!! There are just too many to go around😆. Like Randall, Kunal could have gotten to spend time with Parul and make a bond with her but there was no need for the 'darja' stuff as you mentioned on the other thread. Parul would have been happy either way and rather, she would have been much much happier if Kunal hadn't come to her saying "Mai aaj aapko ye haq de kar rahunga". What even was that?? (It's a rhetorical question. We all know the answer. It was his Bhaiyopia, of course)

Uff! You wrote down my thoughts and feelings in this reply. The oversimplification is damn annoying because this situation is anything but simple.

I love the simple Kunal you have talked about. Those small gestures meant so much more than him calling her Maa during that event. Why won't Abir leave him alone? He kept saying that he wanted his Nanko to have his own identity but when he finally started taking the baby steps, Abir pulled him back and pressurized him to run on his track (I just realised that I type out my imagination, not thinking about if the other person will understand or not. So, to paint a picture or rather a caricature, imagine a baby with Kunal's face who has just started walking trying to reach the other end of the room and then they are pulled back by their someone pulling on their blue onesie. Now, we're suddenly on a track with present Abir and Kunal where Abir is trying to convince Kunal to run at his speed and all this nonsense I just said makes no sense🤦🏻‍♀️)

You're not the only one. I am holding out hope too!!🤞🏻

@Snow: yesss!! Their chemistry is 🔥!! Hoping to see the siggies and the HC very soon!!

@Meera: The HC was so cute!! And sach kahu to I could feel your disappointment with the makers over not getting a separate KuKu scene while reading the HC. Things will get better for our KuKu fam. Hopefully, this Corona break will be a boon for us viewers. Jai Corona!!😆

Guys the precap 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I couldnt resist commenting please watch at least precap 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I just did, Nami! I am absolutely speechless 🤣

Is there anything else in the episode worth noting?

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

I just did, Nami! I am absolutely speechless 🤣

Is there anything else in the episode worth noting?

I didn't watch it completely yet but looks like there were some good scenes of Kunal with both mothers..

Kuhu was hopeless. Saw one dialogue where she said Mishti ki wajah se and I skipped until precap. Must say precap was 🤣🤣

Will watch the epi (my bad habit) in a couple of hours..

just saw the precap...omg what was that!!!🤪

now meenu has taken over parul's role🤣

Okay, after seeing that ridiculous precap, I didn't expect the episode to actually be AMAZING. 😲 Meenu's heartbreak was really beautifully shown, and even though it was frustrating to see Abir was gaslighting her as usual 🤔 I am hoping that is coming to some sort of culmination point.

It was also wonderful to see glimpses of Kuhu at her best -- being the pragmatic anchor of the family, and trying to ease the tension of the overall situation in a systematic way. I love that Nanu specifically asked Kuhu to take him to Meenu. 😭

If we use our handy filters to look past the OTT dialogues (especially the one in the precap), it's very easy to understand her anger and confusion over this situation. Both she and Varsha also empathise with Meenu instinctively because their relationship mirrors Meenu and Kunal's. If anyone can begin to understand what Meenu must be feeling right now, it's Varsha.

Moreover, when she was deciding whether to stay in her marriage or not, it was Meenu who validated her as a bahu and an integral part of the family. She has no idea that Meenu is being disingenuous, so her affinity and loyalty towards her makes perfect sense. Combine that with how she equates Kunal hurting Meenu with Varsha being hurt in the same way, and you can see why this impulsive act of Kunal's will have her flying off the wall.

I know we didn't get a Kuku scene, but can I just fangirl over the fact that in the aftermath of this seismic shock, Kunal was taking care of her parents and explaining to them, while Kuhu took care of his mom and tried to reason with her? ❤️