Rant post alertš
One of the biggest things I hate about an ITV show is they don't know how to make a vamp out of a woman or how to make her character grey (one who is not related to the hero like the vamp sisters or mothers etc)
The only way they turn a woman into a vamp is by making a woman fall for the lead hero
Any serial you can pick up. The only way to make a woman a vamp is through the same old falling for the leading hero as if no other man exists in this whole wide world.
In Ghum, they had the opportunity to turn Pakhi into a vamp (not that she wasn't beforeš) by making her avenge her husband's death. She had finally started to move on in life and when it happened Samrat died. They had the opportunity to show how this happiness coming and going away before she could feel it slipping away from her life could turn her into a cold hearted vamp who wants to avenge the (supposed) injustice at Sai and Virat's hands. But what did they do? They made her fall for Virat. Again.
Tapasya could turn into a vamp simply because of her father's treatment of her and Icchha instead of falling for Veer.
Malini could turn grey to take revenge on Imlie and Aditya for their cheating instead of conspiring to get him back.
Heck, they didn't even leave a snakeShesha was my favourite character who claimed that humans stink. They made him fall for a (gasp) man, the hero. I lost interest after that but that's a story for another time. They could have shown her turning against Shivanya as Shivanya loses her way to revenge because of love while Shesha doesn't and keeps her focus steady on revenge. Or if that is not good for the leading lady's image, they could make her greedy for the "mani" instead of making her fall for the man.
Here, they could easily make Maaya turn against the couple as she fights for her child and MaAn hold on to the kid instead of giving her back. They made her fall for Anuj
Thank God other women characters of the show are already established vamps even before the entry of Anuj. Who knows they might have shown Rakhi Dave lusting after Anuj Kapadiaš¤Ŗ