Originally posted by: inlieu
Sorry, I didn't mean to break anyone's heart. 😔 I was just presenting another perspective.
An absent Mandaar is more powerful and problematic than a present one because how can Raghav fight against memories? He's never even met the guy so he doesn't know what he's up against. Plus, the tragic way he died would always mean he's remembered fondly by everyone. From Pallavi's words it was clear that she put him on a pedestal, and that's going to be a tough act for Raghav to follow. It's easy for us to say she shouldn't compare the two men, but that's not normal. Pallavi has already been comparing the two subconsciously, and yesterday explicitly, which is perfectly understandable. That's going to hurt him eventually.
Even before Mandaar arrives though, I want Raghav to reflect on her widowhood and how she struggled after her Mandaar's death, not just in terms of social challenges but her emotional turmoil. We never get to see or hear about that because she bottles it all up, but I hope that Raghav will be the one to peel away the layers in his own way, without hurting her. It doesn't matter how strong you are as a person, but losing your spouse on your wedding day must be painful, especially if you've known him for a while and had a courtship period before the wedding. Raghav's courtship with Pallavi is after the wedding and as part of that he'll learn more about who she is as a person. Learning that she was a widow previously was an eye opener that there is much more to her than meets the eye. I know we complain about lack of character development in Pallavi, but frankly, this is probably the last major chance the writers have to reveal to us who she is, even if it's through Raghav's lens.
Perhaps Raghav bonding with Ayi or some of his words and actions will trigger conversations where she will reminisce about the times spent with her son and how much she misses him. I feel that just like Pallavi doesn't bring Mandaar up that much in front of D-fam so as not to hurt them, they've been doing the same so that she doesn't keep feeling sad. Something tells me they never mourned long enough because the need of the hour was to protect Pallavi and give her that assurance that she wasn't all alone. She in turn, made them, especially Sanki and Ayi, feel as if she was there as Mandaar's better half and would do for them what he would have. That equation hadn't changed until Raghav came in and became the distraction that would force her to prioritize not just herself but now another family too, the Raos.
I really really want Mandaar to be a good guy through and through because it will make the story so much more powerful. That would mean Pallavi would choose Raghav not because Mandaar was a bad guy to be avoided but because Raghav with all his quirks and imperfections is her soulmate and the one for whom her heart beats. Raghav in turn will and should accept her as a complete package, with her past and her memories of Mandaar. He will have to respect that and the fact that you cannot wipe memories away (without having amnesia).