mr. fast forward and his pauses

* so I watched yesterday's episode and I felt a pang on listening to Aryan. awwww...

In order to really understand what he is trying to say, we really need to put it into context -- the conversation between Imlie and Aryan in the Holi episode. They really are open and closed books (my previous post on the Holi episode) -- and this means Imlie does not really hear what he is saying.

Fahmaan does a great job in the scene and to hear what he is saying, we also need to take into account the body language and the way he modulates his voice; the long pauses, the hitches in his breath. Imlie hears the pauses but does not see the meaning. It is said that 80% of our communication is actually body language. However, for someone like Imlie who relies on words to communicate, she doesn't understands that pauses have their story to tell; expressions have their own story to tell; our postures also have their own story and they all add different nuances to a conversation.

It also didn't help that she was behind the bed which means he was hidden from her -- she couldn't read him. Oh, if she did, perhaps it would have been a little different. Maybe, maybe not.

So I used the subtitles from hotstar to transcribe what Aryan said:

Imlie I want to talk to you; I am sorry, I should have knocked before entering but I thought (long pause), if I ask your permission you won't let me in. This is not about me. (pause) I have only come to talk about you. (pause) I know you are upset with me. You are very upset. I mean you should be. (pause, a bit of deep breath) I also know that you must be cursing me within. The injustice which happened with you before (pause) is going to happen again. (long pause while Imlie blabbers; Aryan taking a deep breath) Imlie I (small breath) here to ask (small breath) for your consent; Before we go forward, you must know (breathes in and out) that you (grinding teeth a little, swallows) don't mean nothing to me. (pause). So please don't be scared. I can't give you what you want. But I can confidently say (breath) that I will never let you be lonely. (pause; head down, turns away) And now, before I do anything, I will tell you. I know you don't need anybody's support. But if you ask me for help, I will be your support. If you ask for support, I will give you the right. If you ask for my friendship, I will (long pause), No. (shaking his head a little) You won't ask me for my friendship. Especially now. You can't consider me your friend. You can't consider me your partner. But you can consider me your mentor right?

The hitch in his voice

The number of pauses and breaths that Aryan takes is unusual for him -- he is someone who is usually very confident and speaks fast; hence her nickname for him "mr fast forward". This isn't easy for him to come talk to her. Look at how he starts -- he says that if he asks for permission, he does not believe she would let him in. He does not expect that she will listen. So he is coming there expecting to be rejected. In some of the instances, he is literally taking a breath to calm his heavy beating heart and getting out the words. When he finally gets to a point where he can't really look at her, instead, he looks away with head down. This isn't the confident Aryan Singh Rathore. This is the vulnerable man laying out his thoughts in the best way he can.

So what is he saying?

When he says it isn't about me -- he is starting the conversation from their previous heated exchanges. Whether it was the Holi exchange or when he asked her to marry him -- that was about him and his revenge. So he is telling her that this conversation isn't about my needs or my goals but about you. There is a big pause before he jumps into the truth and acknowledges her pain. No excuses, no hiding away but taking accountability -- he is aware and understands where she is coming and why she is upset with him. If we see the number of pauses, it also tells that it really bothers him that he forced her to agree to this. He is telling her that he sees her view and gets it.

Then, the number of breaths as he gets out the question -- asking for her consent. Then he is trying to qualify her consent but placing it in context. The sentence "you don't mean nothing to me" / "Tum mere liye koi nahi, nahi ho" -- sounded really odd but when placed within the context of their previous conversations, it takes on different nuances. The heart of what has been bothering Imlie was that she was being used as a pawn in his revenge. Here, he is telling in his own oblique way that she isn't a pawn.

If you just take one sentence -- "you don't mean nothing to me" -- it almost sounds like a humourous way of telling that she does mean something to him. However, the following sentence, he is telling her not to be afraid. Why is she afraid? Because she believes she is a pawn. So it takes on a different nuance no when looked at together?

Then he pauses and turns away from her -- what is he afraid of? what is he downcast about? Then he offers her his support, the right to ask questions and that he will inform her -- she will have his respect where she is a part of his decision making.

What is he telling her? A pawn does not need to be told of the plans beforehand. A pawn does not have rights to ask questions. A pawn cannot expect support. It is lonely to be a pawn but the one thing he is most confident about is that he won't allow her to feel lonely. She isn't a pawn, not to him.

It is interesting that when he starts to talk about friendship, he shakes his head and denies it as a possibilty. The poor thing does not believe that it is possible. So rather than ask for something that is not there, he reaches for something more attainable -- a mentor. In the corporate context, a mentor is there in the short term to guide you while you learn your job -- what you learn from their input is up to you and how your produce your work is also up to you. How you are evaluated in your performance review has no bearing on the mentor. When their job is done, you part ways. Awww, Aryan, are you already seeing this as something for the short term? Will you guard your heart more in order to protect yourself?

Only a hunter?

While Imlie heard his pauses, as usual she missed the bigger picture -- he came to answer the questions she asked him so desperately earlier. She was asking him to open up to her and he did try. Would it have made a difference if she had been able to see his body language and see his expressions? She heard his pauses and could not understand. She is so verbally expressive that she doesn't understand that pauses, breaths, changes in expressions aare also part of communication. Instead, she just calls him 'hunter singh rathore' and dismisses it as a lame apology. If she only understood that a hunter would never pause so many times, would never have to catch his breath to get the words out of his chest, would not look a little scared and vulnerable. He did not come to her as a hunter. He came to her as Aryan.

As usual, another misfire because these two communicate very differently. It will be a journey for both to learn to communicate in ways that both understand -- however, even then, there will be many times when they don't get each other. But that is okay, that is part of being human. Even when we love and care for each other as family, we often don't understand each other. 🤷

These two have a longer way to go. In any partnership, communication has a bigger role to play. Earlier, these two atleast had an unsaid understanding, which was portrayed in the barrier breaking and Aru's NDE hospital scenes in the Storm track. Now since that too is lacking, it will interesting to see how the creative team are going to take forward the next phase of Arylie's life. I hope we who were pulled in seeing the whole team's efforts to give a poetic narration to most of the Arylie scenes will not be disappointed.

Originally posted by: Enlightened21

These two have a longer way to go. In any partnership, communication has a bigger role to play. Earlier, these two atleast had an unsaid understanding, which was portrayed in the barrier breaking and Aru's NDE hospital scenes in the Storm track. Now since that too is lacking, it will interesting to see how the creative team are going to take forward the next phase of Arylie's life. I hope we who were pulled in seeing the whole team's efforts to give a poetic narration to most of the Arylie scenes will not be disappointed.

There have been a lot of meaty scenes in this whole wedding track. The problem is the bridge connect between the various scenes has been a bit weak when it comes to the writing. Like many have said, we needed connecting scenes where we see the two of them think about the day and what has occured and how they feel about their interactions before we jump into the next function. If we had those, then we would have had the kind of poetic narration we used to have earlier. Maybe the writers were feeling rushed to get to the next phase. Hopefully they will take into account viewers feedback, stop rushing and start writing those bridge scenes that gave so much punch to the poetry earlier that we really enjoyed.

That said, the actors have a good handle on their characters and are doing well with the material -- when we break down a scene, we can see how someone like Fahmaan is taking into account body language, voice modulation in addition to expressions and verbal delivery. It does feel like a fun treat as a viewer and able to immerse in the drama. 😃

Beautiful analysis❤️

I love this difference between them tbh. They are so different yet so alike. That's what the attraction is. Both for and between the characters, and viewers as well.

I don't mind her prolonging this misunderstanding as long as we see a beautiful journey of character growth and understanding from both sides.

I am not crying.

Originally posted by: Shabia1

Beautiful analysis❤️

I love this difference between them tbh. They are so different yet so alike. That's what the attraction is. Both for and between the characters, and viewers as well.

I don't mind her prolonging this misunderstanding as long as we see a beautiful journey of character growth and understanding from both sides.

Thanks!

Same here, I am enoying their differences and miscommunications -- it makes it not only entertaining but also makes it really chewy to watch. Maybe just sadistic but I don't want shortcuts for these two to become lovey dovey, hahahahha 😂 Like you said, as long as they both grow, it could be a beautiful journey for the characters as well as the viewers.

I find dramas to be educational when it comes to understanding human behaviour and communication. It is so easy to understand when we see something, especially in these daily dramas because they tend to be so much more simplistic in how they are written. You don't have to even think so much but yet, there is a lot we can learn and take away even from a stupid track like this one -- especially when the actors understand what they are doing with the material, like in this one. ❤️

Beautifully written, Dear❤️

Loved this scene❤️. Fahmaan was brilliant in it. His body language n voice modulation was perfect. Aryan was so nervous....ek toh it was difficult for him to express emotions n same time, he was careful too as he didn't wanted to reveal much n further jeopardize their relationship as it is already in fragile state. Upar se he knew she hates him n won't understand.

Originally posted by: shalu79

Beautifully written, Dear❤️

Loved this scene❤️. Fahmaan was brilliant in it. His body language n voice modulation was perfect. Aryan was so nervous....ek toh it was difficult for him to express emotions n same time, he was careful too as he didn't wanted to reveal much n further jeopardize their relationship as it is already in fragile state. Upar se he knew she hates him n won't understand.

Thanks! It is kind of funny because most of the forum have already seen the episode before I see it and so I am aware of what happens in the episode. However, when I watch it the next day for myself, it is such a different feel at times. I didn't expect to feel pangs especially as I assumed that the scene was perhaps going to semi-humourous. Instead, it was a lot of heart in those pauses -- aww, poor Aryan. Imlie had no idea what he was saying because what he says does not make much sense without context. Like you said, their relationship is so fragile right now that talking too much can also push them further away or just get into another argument. If it had Imlie for real standing in front of him, she wouldn't have allowed him to finish his words -- instead she would have torn into him nonstop. 😅

Glad you made a post on this. I was absolutely in awww..How controlled and how difficult it must have been for THE ASR to speak up accepting some feelings..not love but her pain. Very well emoted Fahmaan..Many a times, through choice of my words or tone even remote folks can understand my mood. Yes, the body language and delivery also plays quite a lot to be observed. But this is Imlie here...even if said in plain words wont get it. forget the gol gol posh way.

Originally posted by: mango.falooda

There have been a lot of meaty scenes in this whole wedding track. The problem is the bridge connect between the various scenes has been a bit weak when it comes to the writing. Like many have said, we needed connecting scenes where we see the two of them think about the day and what has occured and how they feel about their interactions before we jump into the next function. If we had those, then we would have had the kind of poetic narration we used to have earlier. Maybe the writers were feeling rushed to get to the next phase. Hopefully they will take into account viewers feedback, stop rushing and start writing those bridge scenes that gave so much punch to the poetry earlier that we really enjoyed.

That said, the actors have a good handle on their characters and are doing well with the material -- when we break down a scene, we can see how someone like Fahmaan is taking into account body language, voice modulation in addition to expressions and verbal delivery. It does feel like a fun treat as a viewer and able to immerse in the drama. 😃

Completely agree to what you have said. Hope they compensate for it in the upcoming tracks.