I Don't Hate the Leap- Wanna Disscuss?

Don't come for me. Just hear me out.

So, I've been a long-time fan of this show, secretly watching all episodes, had stopped during Ram's birthday wala track and just caught up with the latest episodes last night. So, right now, I'm watching the Pihu track + random episodes from before to keep the love/angst alive. And I don't hate the post-leap version. Except for a few totally nonsensical ITV things (like Ram not seeing the similarity in eye colours, or "coincidences", I say this is not a bad track, considering ITV standards).

Let's address a few things (feel free to disagree, cause I've been a binge-watcher, so I've just skipped through the nonsense and stayed for the good stuff):

1. Why did Priya take the blame? Okay, because of Ishaan, yes, I get it. But, more so, I think she genuinely believes that it was her fault, at least partly. I know they showed the whole Priya gets pushed by Shivina, when she's pregnant to counter that, but still, had I been in her place, I would've been shattered if my husband's sister died in front of me. Obviously, I don't need to physically kill her to feel guilty. Me not being able to save her for whatever reason is enough. If I as an adult is not able to prevent a death, what is my worth? Can't I handle even this much responsibility. What am I doing? Okay, there may be a sensitive teenager, but I as an adult can't even take care of that? Priya and Ram would think on similar terms.

2. The way Shivi dies: Okay, I get it, it was stupid. Falling down the stairs is not going to kill anyone, but I think what I took away from this is that- Shivi's own idiocy/ignorance/stubbornness killed her. They could've had done a better job- eg. they go for a cruise-outing and she drowns or something etc. The writing her was lazy, but I think, the point was that Shivi was a selfish person till and during her death. The power Shivi had to bring Priya and Ram together, she even had the power to rip them apart. And personally, just saying, I'm glad her character was killed off- cause she really didn't add any real value to the progress of the plot. Akki and Shivi were really cute, but you could see Shivi's immaturity from a mile away. Although endearing, it was getting repetitive, and I guess the CVs didn't know what to do with that, so they just axed her off, which is unfortunate, but it was a good decision. I like watching Pihu more than Shivi. Making Shivi more mature was an option, but I think their rationale was that Shivi is a foil to Priya: Akki-Shivi's marriage acted as a foil to Raya's marriage: so, the entire reason Shivi was a character was because of her immaturity/carelessness, which killed her in the end.

3. Ram's response: Valid. Very valid. I was Brinda the whole time. Had I been Ram's best friend, I would've been pissed off at Priya. Even as a lie, hearing your own wife has slept with someone else (someone you know), is heart-shattering, especially it's one the day of your sister's death. So, I understand him. I understand why he fails to see the similarity of blue eyes, I understand why he fails to see Priya's longing for him, because Priya may not have physically cheated on Ram, but oh, she did cheat. Her betrayal was worse than cheating, she lied, and lied about something she should've never dared to lie about. If I put myself in Ram's shoe, knowing Pihu is my blood-daughter would be worse than knowing Priya slept with Krish. Because the latter reflects Priya's lack of faith in our marriage, but the former is my failure as a parent. As Ram, how did I leave my child for 5 whole years? As Ram, who is so attached to his father, how did I rob my child of that happiness? It's not as simple as: oh shoot, Pihu has the same eye colour, well she must be my daughter, but I can never get back those 5 years- the time where your wife and child need you the most. So, it must be Krish. It has to be, it should be. Because only then will I have the consolation of knowing my child had a father when I was not there. Figuratively, it's not as if he doesn't see her eyes. It's that he doesn't want to see their similarities. Because if Pihu is his daughter, it means all of this- a) Priya lied and lies are the strongest betrayal, b) Raya will have to reconcile, which will be a life full of problems as long as Nandini is alive, Ram is stuck here, he loves the both of them, c) He will have to forgive someone who is linked to his sister's death.

^And all of this is not easy. Even if Priya tells him the truth, the fact still remains that she was linked to Shivi's death, Shivi who Ram has pampered all his life. He still feels guilty and is not even disciplining Shubhu for all his police crimes. He will carry this forever, because that's who Ram is. And even if you think about it- I have a brother for example, I love him to death. If I get married and my husband bears a little part towards my brother's injury, let's say, it will be very difficult for me to accept that. I wouldn't be able to take it. So, for Ram, he might say "Yay, Priya is pregnant, oh the little of my life has gifted me with a blessing" and all of that crap, but the fact remains- till Priya is responsible for Shivi's death, he would not able to treat Priya and Pihu the same. Which brings me to:

4. Was Priya right in lying, then leaving? Debatable. But, I completely 100% understand her. I think in one of the earlier episodes- Ram asked her to promise him to be a 100% honest and not lie (when he knew of her kidnapping), and she said no, she can't make promises that she won't keep. She realizes that in a way, Ram will associate her with Shivi's death, so he will keep being in denial and care for the baby despite being haunted by memories. He won't be selfish. So, she robbed him of suffering in silence. Ram is in pain now, but at least, he is vocal about it. This is different from when Vedika let him, he kept crying in silence. Now, he feels that he has the right to be angry about it. Also, secondly, the real reason I'm glad she took a break given the circumstances- Pihu. The Kapoor mansion is full of snakes as Krish pointed out, it's dangerous. So, Priya, being a practical mother, wanted to raise her daughter in a free environment, this was more important than anything else. If she would've stayed, Pihu wouldn't be a carefree and full of life as she is now. What do you think?

5. Was Priya right in cutting ties with her mother? YES. Enough said.

6. Thoughts on other characters:

• Adi and Brinda- Overall, I like them. I love how Brinda now dislikes Priya, but her dislike for Priya can never ever beat the insurmountable exasperation she feels towards Vedika and Nandini- it's like whenever they enter the screen, the camera has to show a shot with Brinda just rolling her eyes.
• Sarangi-Vikram thing- I think I messed up the plot in my head, cause I actually used to think that they were already a couple or something lol, so I don't really have a problem, they're cute.
• Sandy- she's okay, I guess, better performance when in a group.
• Meera ma- Lord, I- Let's just say I skip all her scenes.
• Vedika and Nandini- I find them funny lol. Manipulation comes to them as easily as breathing, so I love to hate on them in a way. The actresses are stunning though.
• Shubhu- I love him, he is so stupid, but doesn't even realize it, ahaha. Can't take him seriously at all, I don't know why, maybe it's the way he talks. We should make Shubhu memes, cause he has to be a troll.
• Krish- I have no issues with him. I view him as Pihu does- 'Handsome' is something I would call him as well, so yeah. I like how his friendship with Priya comes first. He respects her, he loves her, but it's like, "I want her to be happy, with whoever she is" wala love, I don't get romantic vibes at all. And Priya, lol, she doesn't even see him, all this new Baarish-wali-Priya can think about is pihu.issosmart-ram.issocute.whenangry-pihu&ram.mybabies-baarish.socute-flowers.remindme.oflove-i'msad.buthappy.exe
• Pihu- I love how Priya has raised her, will discuss more on this as more episodes come out. Mahi78 wrote a lovely post on 'Ram and Pihu's equation'. I echo all her sentiments.

Overall, I think I'm okay with the leap, cause all are true to their characters. There were many unnecessary devices pre-leap- Shivi, the mystery thing, Varun, Ishaan's issues, Neeraj etc- so I feel like they didn't know what to do, so they did a leap, kinda lazy, but better than messing up things more badly.

Post-leap, My favorite part is that, I don't know how they created this magic. But, I can feel Priya and Ram's love (actually, love also sounds cheap lol, their faith/commitment/marriage) or their bond through the screen. Priya 2.0 has really touched my heart. Her sad smiles and her hope- it's like I'm seeing my daughter who has gone from hating the joys of living to now loving them. I'm happy for her growth. And, I feel for Ram, he is just a kid at heart. But, I'm glad I could sense one thing- Ram is not just in love, he is obsessed by the idea of love. A true hopeless romantic. When he loves, he loves deeply. So, while it's a double-edged sword, I'm glad they're showing that he hates Priya precisely because he loves her. Even after 5 years, they still care for one another, as two individuals. The honeymooney love may topple, but their bond is unbreakable.

All in all, I like that they are true to their characters. Like another post said- Priya's biggest weakness is that she is chained by principles and Ram, his weakness is love, he is irrational, an emotional fool when it comes to his family. (@BlurredLines has done amazing analysis on this in the post titled "Priya Sood Vs Ram Kapoor"). Now, whilst Priya thinks of her hypothetical dream-like future with Pihu and Ram, Ram is stuck in the past- the time he lost his love. Weirdly enough, now, Priya's biggest strength is love (Ram even commented in one of the earlier episodes that Priya acts out the whole unconditional love thing, while he just says it), and now, Ram's biggest strength is loyalty towards his principles, that his father taught him. Hopefully, these new found strengths will help them see reason.

I'm staying for the journey, cause apart from the shenanigans, it's just a show, sometimes Ekta pisses me off (and I just use the skip button), sometimes her ridiculousness is a recipe for absolute hilarity. But at the end of the day, mujhe toh Ram aur Priya, bade hi ache lagte hain.

The last line got me, and mujhe bhi Ram aur Priya bade hi acche lagte hain
unka pyaar, unki tunakbaazi aur voh 🤗
Tysm for the little positivity in this negativity

Yes! No matter how ridiculous things get, they just have to show one scene with Rama and Priya, just one, and I'll watch it. Even during the last episode, they were quarreling in between the pooja (just Prira things ahaha), and oh lord, I missed that so much! The way Ram kept saying he hates Priya's guts and then continued to drool over her saree was just🤡😂. He even tried to make Priya jealous, he's such a kid ahahahah.

Even Vedika was like, yeh Raya 2.0 hummein mhenga padhne wala hain. Imagine, the biggest challenge Vedika and Nandini face is keeping Prira apart, lol, cause they are like magnets, just keep getting attracted to each other. Like, other ITV villains are doing poisoning, scamming, killings, but these two, keep switching the AC OFF and ON 🤪so that the diya blows off, only to get pissed off when Prira share a moment because of it. Like, where is the negativity in this? It's so funny lol.

The only scene that really pained me was when Priya imagined a future with all three of them laughing and playing together and then reminded herself to not keep dreaming.

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I'm really lazy about writing when there's a lot to say, but I'll try.

I don't have any great issue with Priya taking the blame for Ishaan. It wasn't necessary, but okay. You may be right, that she assumed the blame because she feels she was a curse to Ram. May also be that she wanted to protect Ishaan from being further branded, further traumatized after the father he adored turned out to be a murderer. And to protect the future Ram had planned for him.

I don't think every adult has to assume a burden for an accidental death, but yes, Priya had promised she would always take care of Shivi.

Shivi's stupidity and immaturity killed her--no doubt. She didn't need to even do so much drama. Just pack your frigging bag and slink away. Ram would tell her to go back, but he'd never have forced her. I liked her. She was silly, but with a good core. If the cvs wanted her character gone, just get Akki a job abroad--done. But no, they wanted a rift wide enough for a good number of post-leap episodes.

I don't think many would blame Ram for his response to Shivi's death, given that it was highlighted, underlined, and marked in bold that Shivi was his baby girl. That death would cut deep, regardless. Coming on the heels of what had happened, it was worse.

As far as I recall, Brinda was NOT reacting to the Krish lie. That lie happened later, after Nandini's visit. Brinda acted way beyond her brief by refusing to let Priya talk to Ram. She had NO right or justification.

I get Ram's refusal to do anything besides remind himself that Priya betrayed him. It would be good if the writers could clarify what exactly is his biggest grudge. Is it Priya supposedly protecting Meera over Shivi's death? Because he'd have probably done the same had Shivi pushed Priya to her death. Is it Krish and that he presumes that Priya is happy while he had chosen to suffer by becoming some caricature, or is it because she really was a curse? How does his present persona help matters?

I agree, he won't let himself consider Pihu is his or that he may have been wrong because it makes for admitting the waste of those years. In 5 years, he has chosen to act like an idiot, refused to think back on any of the things that would make him at least rethink how the Priya whom he knew could have betrayed him, and why, if she was such a cheat, did she even tell him. And the bit where you say that acknowledging Pihu is his would open a fresh can of worms is so right.

Ummm...by making it easy for Shubhu to keep doing what he does, isn't he contradicting his own stance about being bitter that Priya supposedly protected Meera? What if Shubhu kills someone? Isn't Ram the enabler? Allowing Shivi's death to be used as a Get Out of Jail FREE card doesn't do him credit. Adults need to take responsibility for their actions.

I don't hold with Priya's lie, but I understand why she lied. I wish she had stood up against Nandini or even been enraged, but the deal was clear. Take 2 years and then be free to raise your child outside or be tried for murder. Even Ram would have had to testify that Shivi told him ALL THE SOODS were torturing her. Besides, Priya's curse thing had kicked in, Brinda had added to her guilt, and in some part, she felt she deserved to lose her Mr. Kapoor.

I like Adi; Brinda not so much (even before her return). Didn't like Sara, but barely seen her post leap. Vikrant I don't mind. Meera I could never stand. Sandy is okay post-leap, but again, hardly seen her. I mostly see BTS and the occasional segment. Shubhu I have always enjoyed. He has this brash, truth-telling air that is usually fun to watch. Love Shubhaavi. She's gorgeous and a super actress, but Nandini is getting tiresome now. Maybe it's Heera. Nandu and Heera are such a bad team

No issues with Krish unless he becomes another boring villain.

I don't like the storyline post-leap, because it's full of inconsistencies, tropes, and manufactured angst. Not even tempted to watch so-called dil ki dhadkan moments, though I keep updated, more or less. This has no resemblance to the early show. Where is the snappy, practical, muhphat Priya? I mourn the loss of the-Priya-that-was more than I do the stupid makeover of the endearing Ram to this version. I like the acting of both leads even now, they're good, but as completely different characters.

I don't think every adult has to assume a burden for an accidental death, but yes, Priya had promised she would always take care of Shivi. Yeah I get you completely, but both Ram and Priya tend to be very irrational and a tad bit extreme when it comes to anyone in their family, and of course this is one of Priya's weaknesses- her principles/usools. So, I'm waiting for when Ram find this out and expresses how what she's done is harmful. But, there is one more thing- for us, viewers, it's an accidental death, but even if Ram knew the truth, Ishaan is still from Priya's side of the family. Realistically, Nandini won't let her live this down. Plus, Sara would feel heavily guilty and all of this would put a strain on their relationship, even AFTER the truth is out. So, I feel like this is Priya's way for pre-punishing herself. She has done this in the past, and is doing this now. Well, it could be right/wrong- that's always an argument, but weirdly enough, it's what fits with her character, however flawed her actions seem.

Shivi- I agree. I honestly wasn't a fan of her per say, but I didn't mind her, and I loved her and Shubham- it reminded me of my bond with my sibling ahaha! So, yeah, I was also very shocked honestly. But, there was something quite disturbing about her character. See, Shubhu would do shit and then just own it up and be matter-of-fact about it but Shivi repeatedly threatened suicide. I don't know, she used such a sensitive subject to almost manipulate Ram on multiple occasions. She has a good core no doubt, and her improvement was endearing, no doubt, but still threatening self-harm and stuff, um, I didn't know how to feel about it, especially, because after she got what she wanted, she was cool again. But I agree, her character was not handled properly. And that's precisely, I'm not that unhappy about her being axed off, because I felt that they would ruin her more.

As far as I recall, Brinda was NOT reacting to the Krish lie- Oh, that could be true, I really watched the show in the fastest speed possible ahaha. But, even so, I mean, I get she was out of line, but at that point she knew that Priya had 'killed' Shivi, right? So, after a death, it's possible to act a little in defense of a very close friend. But, I see what you're saying, Bri was the rational one out of all, she should've remained so.

I get Ram's refusal to do anything besides remind himself that Priya betrayed him. It would be good if the writers could clarify what exactly is his biggest grudge. Is it Priya supposedly protecting Meera over Shivi's death? Because he'd have probably done the same had Shivi pushed Priya to her death. Is it Krish and that he presumes that Priya is happy while he had chosen to suffer by becoming some caricature, or is it because she really was a curse? How does his present persona help matters? Hey, this is really lovely. There are so many layers to this. Would love an angsty monologue on this. I think it was a culmination of things, even during the whole track, he was never truly angry or upset at her, he looked so lonely the entire time- he was just getting hurt, then finding reasons to forgive her, then getting hurt, and then finding other reasons to forgive her, until he was out of reasons/till Nandini made sure he was out of reasons to forgive Priya. I genuinely believe he is just hurt, and hates himself for not able to stop loving Priya despite everything. Care for her comes naturally to him, because deep down, he knows her true, kind, and strong self. From all the previous episodes I've been binge-ing, his biggest grudge seems like it's the fact that she is no longer beside him, he's angry at the universe for it. Cause that's all he's ever wanted.

And the bit where you say that acknowledging Pihu is his would open a fresh can of worms is so right. That's gonna be one angsty track ahaha! I'm anticipating it with dread. Also, the fact he didn't go ahead with the paternity test, despite his gut saying otherwise. His instinctive reaction was to call bullshit, but he didn't trust his gut- ahhhh, it's gonna haunt him.

Allowing Shivi's death to be used as a Get Out of Jail FREE card doesn't do him credit. Adults need to take responsibility for their actions. This sound of reason is something he needs. But, Ram's biggest weakness is his blind love for his family. It's very visible that at least now, he clearly disagrees with how Shubhu is behaving, it's very wrong on so many levels. But, he is the only brother he has, he can't help but hope that if he gives him so leeway, Shubu at least for Shivi's sake, will self-correct. He probably fears that if he disciplines him too much, Shubhu might leave him as well. This reminds me of that whole sautela fiasco. In one of the prior episodes I saw, Ram and Priya were having this convo- about Ram ignorign his own thoughts in front of family. And he finally was starting to be selfish because of Priya. With her out of the picture, Ram has gone back to square one. But, maybe if Priya knows Shubham's truth, may be, they could have such a convo again and sort things out.

I don't hold with Priya's lie, but I understand why she lied. I wish she had stood up against Nandini or even been enraged, but the deal was clear. Take 2 years and then be free to raise your child outside or be tried for murder. Even Ram would have had to testify that Shivi told him ALL THE SOODS were torturing her. Besides, Priya's curse thing had kicked in, Brinda had added to her guilt, and in some part, she felt she deserved to lose her Mr. Kapoor. Yeah, it's a tricky one. I wouldn't want my kid to ever know I was tried for murder, especially at such a young age. The 'freely raise your kid' reason resonates with me the most. Priya being Priya, there would not be another choice for her. And I think, I've completely skipped the Priya's cruse part. Did someone say that to her? I mean, at this point, I kinda just make logic from the show, and skip the parts that don't make sense- it's peaceful that way, but I may have skipped that part. So, not sure.

I like Adi; Brinda not so much (even before her return). Didn't like Sara, but barely seen her post leap. Vikrant I don't mind. Meera I could never stand. Sandy is okay post-leap, but again, hardly seen her. I mostly see BTS and the occasional segment. Shubhu I have always enjoyed. He has this brash, truth-telling air that is usually fun to watch. Love Shubhaavi. She's gorgeous and a super actress, but Nandini is getting tiresome now. Maybe it's Heera. Nandu and Heera are such a bad team- I like Adi too, I like Brindi, Vikram, Sandy and all the others when they are in a group, as individuals, i only care for Priya, Ram and now Pihu lol. Just to the point. And yeah, they make an awfully, laughably bad team, it's my source of entertainment. Did you see that AC thing last episode? It was so stupid, I spat out the water I was drinking ahahaha. But, anywho, as long I get to watch Prira, it's all good.

No issues with Krish unless he becomes another boring villain. 100%. I don't think he is villain material.

I don't like the storyline post-leap, because it's full of inconsistencies, tropes, and manufactured angst. Not even tempted to watch so-called dil ki dhadkan moments, though I keep updated, more or less. This has no resemblance to the early show. Where is the snappy, practical, muhphat Priya? I mourn the loss of the-Priya-that-was more than I do the stupid makeover of the endearing Ram to this version. I like the acting of both leads even now, they're good, but as completely different characters. I 100% see what you're saying! Again, I just binge-watch, so the story constructed in my head is the way I want to remember it ahaha. But, I still do believe, Priya always was, deep down extremely kind, it's just showing now cause all these event. And yep, they sorta do feel different and unfamiliar, but I think it's reflective of the unfamiliarity they feel between themselves as well. Also, probably motherhood, changed her ways. I want to write more on this, but I really need to go now, lol, so I'll fill in later. But, all in all, I can appreciate your perspective, probably, the leap skipped a lot of character changes- but ITV is always like that- they show the change and then they explain the character development after that. So, I guess, we need to be more patient.

Personally l feel Shivina 's death was The Kapoor's and majorly her own fault Ishaan was brought up by a criminal was volatile too a great extent but he truly cares for his dad and idolised him as a hero ,Shivi was continuously goading him regarding something he had never thought of his dad is a criminal and not the person he believed was a shock to him so he as a kid denied to believe itand that was natural but Shivi here had zero conscience she was an elder but was adding ghee to fire she never once actually thought the consequences of her actions and hence got what was an unfortunate result.

Regarding Priya l get that why she did what she did but l don't know whether it was right or wrong coz she was already trapped in a tight spot which would have consumed pihu's healthy deserved happy life one way or another hence she chose the better option that was a tough but good decisions

Ram first needs to sort his emotions and for once use his mind rationally and decide the pro and cons because he is now being a kid who is spoon fed lies which he happily accepts .

Hey thanks for replying!

Shivi here had zero conscience she was an elder but was adding ghee to fire she never once actually thought the consequences of her actions and hence got what was an unfortunate result. Yep! You echo my sentiments. I was not a fan of the whole Shivi-Ishaan fiasco, so I'm very glad that stopped after the leap. I agree that the way the way that they executed it was dumb, but still, I get the messaging. Shivi's 'zero conscience as an elder'- also pissed me off, very much so. So, yeah 100% bang on!

Regarding Priya l get that why she did what she did but l don't know whether it was right or wrong coz she was already trapped in a tight spot which would have consumed pihu's healthy deserved happy life one way or another hence she chose the better option that was a tough but good decisions. A hundred 100% I again see what you're saying. More than right or wrong, I feel like we all can understand where she comes from. In a way, all her ties with people around her chained her up, but now, just like her long flowing hair, she is free. Free from all rubbish, free from Nandini's drama, free from Vedika's scams, free from Meera maa's gyaan, even free from Ram's obsessive love, in a way. She is a little sad, yes, but she is free, this was very much needed, in a way, at least for Pihu's sake. And it shows- Pihu has turned out to be a very adorable and smart little chumpkin- which would have been very difficult if she would've stayed in the Kapoor mansion full of snakes.

Ram first needs to sort his emotions and for once use his mind rationally and decide the pro and cons because he is now being a kid who is spoon fed lies which he happily accepts. I agree with you, but I feel like that's his character. He trusts blindly and loves deeply- a strength AND a weakness of his. He kicks rationality out of the window when it comes to his family. He still feels guilty about his dad, his sister, his wife- it's like he can't take care of them, despite being so concerned for them. Remember, his when we were introduced to Ram, his friends were worried about the same thing. The same problem was seen when he loved Vedika. Had he not fallen in love with Priya, he would never have seen Vedika's ulterior motives as he sees them today. Even so, he keeps giving people the benefit of the doubt, cause that's how he has always been- and people keep using him for it. With Priya in his life, that had stopped cause he had become a little more selfish, but without her, it's all back to where it was. So, let's see what happens next!

Pretty comprehensive analysis….😊…and agree with many points you brought up.

I feel even before the leap the creative team had long lost their way…they had no idea how to proceed further with the plethora of villains and vamps populating the show & many half baked plots thrown into the cauldron (Shashi, Varun, Mr Sood etc) And they were frankly too incompetent & afraid to show a mature love story without any huge melodrama where RaYa would grow together in love through simple day-to- day interactions. For ITV audience that would be too boring and mundane according to Ekta Maiyya. So they went with the tried and tested formula…take a leap, create a separation to bring angst into the lead couple’s love life and that is the easy, lazy route….zero creativity required!

Killing Shivi and making Priya culpable (directly or indirectly) was a very extreme step I feel. But they were hell bent on creating a huge fracture in Ram and Priya’s relationship so they bumped her off unceremoniously. She was a positive benign presence who could have become a big supporter of Raya standing against Nandini and the rest of the villainous brigade had they found a different route for separation.

As for Priya she was completely cornered from all sides by the situation she found herself in. What she did for Ishaan may have been stupid considering it was an accident & he was a juvenile, but it was her maternal instinct & love for her nephew knowing his troubled psyche and suicidal tendencies and she being Priya the protector of the Sood clan she did just that. The lie about cheating bothered me a lot more but then again I feel somewhere she was hoping Ram would not believe the lie. Also Nandini’s blackmail and threats simply revived her inner demons and convinced her that she was a curse for Ram…after all her family was responsible for single handedly snatching away everything he loved and help previous in his life…father and baby sister.

Ram’s biggest problem is his vulnerability & soft emotional core where he loses this rational thinking ability & his blind faith in Nandini mom. I have said this in another post too…she is like an albatross around his neck. It’s a toxic co-dependent relationship and he is stuck in the mould of a little orphan boy who feels indebted to his step family for just accepting him in their lives. He is still carrying the burden his father left on his shoulders to take care of them till eternity. The conditioning is very deep and the one and only person who was able to break through that mindset with her unconditional, all encompassing love for him was Priya. Revelling in Priya’s love he had started to put their relationship ahead of all else just before all hell broke loose… and felt guilty & selfish for wanting to do that. And then the tables turned, and the sole anchor of his life was put in the position of becoming the reason for his biggest sorrows. And since then he has been in a state of inner chaos, confusion turmoil. But Priya is still the only woman he ever loved and he still desperately wants her n his life…the anger, hurt, confusion, bitterness, dalliances are all but coping mechanisms of this man-child. He needs to wake up and listen to his heart…hopefully soon!!

See even with all the illogical stupid writing they could have salvaged the show post leap. They need to write better scenes with greater depth when they show Ram and Priya unravelling what happened to them. It’s not just about eye locks showing deep angst, passion & hurt. They have the best leads on ITV at their disposal who are giving 100% even in ridiculous scenes, Disha and Nakul just fire up the screen with their acting chops and superlative chemistry but they better material.

There are a few things Ek’s team got right post leap which I appreciate:

I really like how Ishaan’s character has matured and evolved - his masi’s sacrifice has paid off well; His love, respect and devotion for Ram and Priya is commendable. He will play a big role in bringing them together

I like Maitreyi and Sandy post leap…both have become sensible and come into their own. Maitri’s interaction with Pihu in the last episode was one of the best scenes in a long time. And Sandy giving Nandu a proper reply was good to see

Priya not really forgiving MM is a huge plus but her presence in the puja and taking centre stage was really in baaad taste

Vedu becoming a joker vamp is actually fun

Adi is still the best friend and the most dependable person for Ram; don’t know why they brought Brinda back…she has nothing much to do other than raise her huge eyebrows:)

Nandu has crossed all lines just pre and then post leap…she did care for Ram at some level in the initial episodes…now she is pure evil gone completely to the dark side. She needs her comeuppance soon!

Boy…can’t believe I wrote a whole thesis on this show when it’s all gone down the drain…I guess I had too much time on a Sunday and your post made me nostalgic for what could have been😅😅😅

Your thoughts are so good and detailed.

Too bad I don't have much time for something like this right now.

But still I want to say. Leap is great in that it shows what it teaches.

What is happening directly tells us that if you are really connected with a person, then your feelings will survive everything - death, time, lies and the scrapping of this very person.

Look everyone, Ram is sincerely hurt by Priya's act, although not real, but he continues to save her, her (his) child, who is like a stranger and loves like crazy.

That's why he still wears the ring, even though he gives a different reason, fool.

On the other hand, Priya, her love also survived everything, and taught her that love, if we have it, even if it is not nearby, can make us lighter, more cheerful and stronger than before. She literally and figuratively rises from her knees and carries herself high with the child. Because the lessons of life and her love clearly said that death does not mean the end, it means the beginning, different, sometimes very difficult, but this same death says that one must live and grow, as Priya does with her child, for the sake of herself, Pihu and Ram, because she realized that neither the sacrifice of Shivi's life, nor her sacrifice of being with her love should not go in vain.

She has no right to close again and deprive her child of life, real, complete openness of soul and thoughts.

Someone here wrote that Pihu would not be like this if there was no separation and other things. It's probably true, being in that house with those people doesn't give you air, and over the years, Priya and Pihu have both gotten it and grown up, both of them.

Therefore, reunion through time and another lesson for Ram with the discovery of the truth is even better than a measured or not very life all these years in a house with a gathering of individuals who are not lost, but did not want to take the lesson earlier. Well, they'll take it now. Because as I said in one of my posts, the hostess entered her house again. Quite different than ever, because she grew up.

And they were frankly too incompetent & afraid to show a mature love story without any huge melodrama where RaYa would grow together in love through simple day-to- day interactions. YES. I completely agree with you. Being a fan of Kdramas, I appreciate such a day-to-day wala romance, but as ITV viewers, we also have to understand, that if the CVs find something too difficult, they will either a) add mirch masala angst b) ruin the whole thing. So, whilst they did show lazy, absolutely lazy writing, I think it's stll better for them to go ahead with what they are good at. Although a separation plot is the laziest way to create angst, at least it's a 100% sure shot way of doing so, at least with this, we can get ahead and move on with the story- and hopefully, we get to see more better scenes, cause in my opinion, the magic between Raya is still there- hidden, but it exists.

She was a positive benign presence who could have become a big supporter of Raya standing against Nandini and the rest of the villainous brigade had they found a different route for separation. Yep! Totally, but I feel like they either didn't want her to be supportive or just couldn't handle her being written as a complex character- ignorant, yet harmless. I sensed this through the extreme suicide threats she used to give Ram for small things. Yes, she was improving, but more than her being supportive towards Raya, she was barely supportive towards Akki at times. Even the entire fish cake fiasco, all just made her character unnecessary and repetitive after a point. I mean, I honestly did love Shivi and Shubham on screen together, my brother and I are similar, but the writers had a choice- and from what I was seeing, they were going to keep making Shivi do dumb stuff. So, then, just axe her character, why ruin it further, was a part of what I felt as well.

The lie about cheating bothered me a lot more but then again I feel somewhere she was hoping Ram would not believe the lie. I had the same feeling! I think Priya deep down was relieved to her Ram suggest a paternity test. But, I also think it was kind of like a dead-end cycle. Priya wanted Ram to believe in her despite lies. But, Ram wanted to believe that his Priya would never lie about such a thing, he even repeatedly asked her for the truth. A deadlock was reached. And even if Ram would have believed her, what could be done? Nandini would never let Priya live this day down and evetually, Pihu would know of Priya being involved in a 'murder'. So, Priya would still want to leave to raise Pihu well away from all this drama, I guess.

Also Nandini’s blackmail and threats simply revived her inner demons- I loved how you framed this. Yes, Nandini did blackmail, like all ITV villains do, but here, Nandini's source of power is not herself, it's Priya and Ram's inner demons. Nandini just knows how to feed on them. This reminds of the post-leap scene- where Nandini after acting like a bechari-maa-suffering-from-PTSD towards Ram, she even said something along the lines of, 'How can someone be so blind and trusting? I keep lying and he keeps believing. But, oh well, it's fine as long it works for me.' So, yeah, Ram's gotta work on his character flaws.

Ram’s biggest problem is his vulnerability & soft emotional core where he loses this rational thinking ability & his blind faith in Nandini mom. I have said this in another post too…she is like an albatross around his neck. It’s a toxic co-dependent relationship and he is stuck in the mould of a little orphan boy who feels indebted to his step family for just accepting him in their lives. He is still carrying the burden his father left on his shoulders to take care of them till eternity. The conditioning is very deep and the one and only person who was able to break through that mindset with her unconditional, all encompassing love for him was Priya. I wholeheartedly agree with this! You have explained this so well, I read it thrice. Ram's issues run deep. Really deep. And he can sink back again if he loses Priya.

He needs to wake up and listen to his heart…hopefully soon!! You echo my sentiments!

They have the best leads on ITV at their disposal who are giving 100% even in ridiculous scenes, Disha and Nakul just fire up the screen with their acting chops and superlative chemistry but they better material. YES! Things can get so so so so ridiculous but Naks and Disha make it make sense. Like, I feel the characters, they are so so good. The last time I felt something like this was Jodha Akbar and Mehndi Hain Rachne Wali- Both of those give me chills, so the magic is a 100% there. For sure and I'm hooked, I want the chemistry to be explored more and more!

I really like how Ishaan’s character has matured and evolved - his masi’s sacrifice has paid off well; His love, respect and devotion for Ram and Priya is commendable. He will play a big role in bringing them together. I honestly just couldn't tolerate his character pre-leap so yes, the growth is a huge plus!!

Maitri’s interaction with Pihu in the last episode was one of the best scenes in a long time. And Sandy giving Nandu a proper reply was good to see. I'm so glad you talked about Maitri- again a character I thought didn't make sense until that scene- it was indeed one of the best! And yes, Sandy can be interesting- Shubu stealing her ideas + I don't mind them showing her workplace struggles- many girls would relate to that.

Priya not really forgiving MM is a huge plus but her presence in the puja and taking centre stage was really in baaad taste You read my mind. I thought the scene would play out like this- Them asking Priya to call Meera Maa, and then Priya being extremely reluctant. Ram's visible confusion. Then, them asking, why, don't you like to hear MM speak about the poojas and stuff? Then Priya saying something like- no, not really. And then Sandy interjecting that Priya has broken ties with MM. Ram realizes this- in deep though- dill ki dhadkan music plays. I totally thought I was going to be right about this one- genuinely. But, yeah, I wasn't.

Vedu becoming a joker vamp is actually fun OHMYDAYS YES. When Ram tried to make Priya jealous by using Vedu and she was like bruh I ain't born for this. LOL. And the AC thing- peak comedy- even Nandini was pissed off with Vedu.

Adi is still the best friend and the most dependable person for Ram; don’t know why they brought Brinda back…she has nothing much to do other than raise her huge eyebrows:) I like Brinda's character- but idk, her dialogue delivery is too animated. I guess we'll see what she's gonna do, but yes, Adi's character is really like a sounding board for Ram- Ram needs him.

Boy…can’t believe I wrote a whole thesis on this show when it’s all gone down the drain…I guess I had too much time on a Sunday and your post made me nostalgic for what could have been😅😅😅 Aww, thanks for replying, I loved reading your thoughts. I haven't really discussed this show with anyone offline, so I like this feeling of an online community, it's like we have virtual friends, it's lovely! And bout the show, I still haven't lost hope, if things get really bad, I'll just use the power of the fastforward and the skip button. I only care for Raya, and hopefully, I'll make more posts (ofc, shorter in length ahaha). I guess I just love to romanticize things- a little like Ram, I too have an unhealthy obsession with love ahahaha. So, seeing Raya on screen, with flames around them, I just- I can't resist it. They have my dil ki dhadkan in their control.