Priya,
Goodto read your post.. I had told Dibya in an earlier post that I will write on Ani but it will be a long post but now adding my points here since you have expressed your perspective. I am not going to counter yours but will just give my impressions.. feel free to disagree 😂
Well for starters I would like to know how is Chotton’s characterisation inconsistent? If we were expecting him to offer counsel to Ani during some of Ani’s difficult times….i would say that Ani almost shut the door on that by making a distinctive choice in several phases of the relationship… for different motivations. Or let’s just say he was going in that direction eyes wide open.it was despair from Ani’s side when they both dropped her to station and anger at the PDA stage and complete alienation post aag. How is Chotton supposed to read this except as free will of an adult? Apart from Chotton actually sitting him down and telling him that you will rue your life choices I don’t think he could have done anything else…a scene may have helped 😂😂 yesterday AY made an insightful observation about his judgement for his family when he was doing a similar thing . I did agree that the righteous do have a tendency to take the high moral ground… Jhanak also does this for that matter… Also no point to shift the onus even while accepting that while your loved ones should have your back at all times, there may also be extenuating reasons for them not to be there at times.
On a philosophical note Jo kuch nahin karte woh kamaal karte hain 😂😂😂 the burden of judgement will always fall on action more than inaction… that’s just life!!
On Ani’s part, he is responding exactly as expected. If you observe, Ani’s reactions are exactly in line with his core characteristics. Since I don’t know the Ani much before he met Jhanak … I am viewing his characteristics from that point of meeting Jhanak and being involved in her life..
Ani manipulated situations for a purpose…but from what I observe, That purpose is Jhanak and Jhanak alone coz I haven’t seen him manipulating for any other reason. So… I won’t call it a standard trait but one that he took on after meeting Jhanak…so Why did he do that? In his view, that was the correct thing to do coz any other way won’t yield best result. While Ani is most even tempered, it is only in the case of Jhanak that he loses control of his curated emotions. I don’t have to enumerate the instances… Jab Jhanak ki baat ho toh woh kissiki bhi nahin sunta. Mere liye Jhanak sab kuch hain… over every other relation. Was self preservation of his soul the reason for him taking on a trait that made him go deeper and deeper into this association even as it threatened his relationship with Arshi is an educated guess one can make.ANYWAYS
Whether he will have to pay a price for emotional infidelity or there will be solace for his integrity of intent only time will tell. But one thing this narrative clearly indicates is that the transition from responsibility to love happened for Ani in way that he couldn’t even recognise much less articulate which is why post marriage revelation when Jhanak goes crazy in her sense of guilt and loads it all on Ani casting aspersions on his character, he isn’t feeling guilty but chagrined ( Krushal aced the scene).
Here genuinely he has no guilt and so he is able to move on past her anger and still think about her welfare as his concern is how will he keep her here as the cover has been blown. He is also not able to think of it as a disloyalty to Arshi as his mind hasn’t grappled with the boundary transgression. It has occurred to Jhanak and so she incessantly pounds Ani on that… but Ani is oblivious even if he is crossing the boundary. That night when Arshi commits suicide and he brings Arshi to her home there is a fleeting moment where he has a startling reaction on hugging Arshi and imagining Jhanak, the first time perhaps where he had them on his thoughts simultaneously but he dismisses it as an aberration looking to focus on keeping this compartmentalised. It’s just that the heart/brain never understood this instruction and did the opposite.😂 Is ehsaas par bas hain kisi ka? Bodoma’s wise words recently…and there were wise words on that situation from Bodoma to Jhanak as well that night ( it should have been to Ani too but anyways)
At the same time his actions towards Arshi are completely in line with his traits. I will try to explain that too
When Jhanak went to Mumbai after aag, we see an Ani who goes ballistic ( as is his nature) but yet is composed as he knows that his actions have caused turmoil and he wants to sincerely move on and do right by Arshi (And principally Jhanak too) . It might have seemed strange to Runak lovers but it is indeed move on in the strictest sense that Leena planned for both Ani and Jhanak at that stage to say if these are to meet again, fate would have to play a role. His attempt at SR even while conflicted was his way of putting his past behind him. He respected Atshi’s wishes to give it time or whatever it was that convinced her that Ani wasn’t committed fully. Yet the Mumbai visit for the competition proved to be his undoing, he couldn’t move on and he came back bitter and later the baby saga unfolded. His insistence to Arshi to be there is still his commitment to her based on his accepted course of life. Similarly, his mind does not see any reason to forsake Arshi even at the height of the baby announcement…. True, his heart again wanders and somehow Jhanak going away not claiming anything from him leaves him heartbroken but he soldiers on…OFC The only way Ani makes sense to me in this track for my sanity is he is thinking that Jhanak is getting back at him for asking her to lose to Arshi ( this is the aag episode reloaded but here too suspension of logic is very important 😂😂)
BUT then again that call comesWhen Ani went to Mumbai after Adi’s call all that mattered to him was that Jhanak had asked for him to be informed. That quelled any anger bitterness he had and his mind was just focused on her well-being as always. His outburst with his family was his extreme worry for Jhanak and as always her well-being linked to his…He sincerely offers to Arshi to accompany him to Mumbai to satisfy himself that she is fine. At that time too, he doesn’t see this as a forsaking of Arshi but when the family questions him and Arshi threatens, his wall of patience breaks , his mask everything drops and he walks out of the relationship as the moment of reckoning was close. At the core was Jhanak’s well-being in question and in that he has always crossed all boundaries. It could have happened at any stage in the past but maybe Jhanak not being there made all the difference that the moment of realisation of boundless love was unusually ripe. If his family or Arshi hadn’t cottoned on to it, sheer bad luck 😂😂
When he reaches Mumbai, he is in that state of having been more vocal ( at least to himself) about his love for some length of time and he has now realised that there is place for only Jhanak in his life but he comes back disappointed and dejected with Jhanak’s rejection. He accepted his love for Jhanak as inevitable and when he returns home dejected to break off with Arshi ironically when Jhanak had rejected him completely. That question of why Ani never left Arshi irrespective of Jhanak is answered coz at no stage had he linked the two so when Jhanak rejected he didn’t think he must be with Arshi after his complete acceptance of his love..
He is lifeless and is also ready to break it off to Arshi but he finds it difficult to break it to Arshi COZ in his mind, Arshi wasn’t ever the cause for his involvement with Jhanak. As any decent person, he was having his moment of reckoning where he finds it difficult to articulate that he fell in love with Jhanak and if things had progressed in normal course and if he hadn’t been unwell maybe he would have found the words to articulate his desire to part with Arshi in as humane way as possible.
HOWEVER,
When he returns the family and Arshi pounces on him at his physically weak moment and he succumbs to that pressure ( his backstory a testament to his lack of intent for his own self preservation). He aimlessly proceeds to UK and there the full force of Arshi’s brutality is felt by him. Nothing prepares him for that lack of humanity… I wish the narrative had lingered on Ani’s expressions where he holds on to her in his pain and she yanks it off… Something broke irrecoverably …. The love they shared had long past died but even the sense that they could have been partners in a loveless relationship died. Atshi’s lack of humanity in that moment and Jhanak’s overriding concern even amid a chasm of misgivings providing a stark contrast. Her actions have always been adding up in his mind’s eye but the ferocity of Arshi’s hatred for Jhanak had only begun to dawn on him as it played out in all its naked glory. Once you awaken there is no sleep!!When Ani chooses himself for the first time.. he does it with clarity. When he has a chance at life, he does not want to waste it on people who don’t deserve it. The time to tell Arshi carefully in a way that we have always seen Ani do things is now past. That moment is gone forever. So, his backlash comes in a torrent.
Priya, I am not belittling your concerns… there has been butchery ofc but it’s also a love story that has been built so beautifully so I am looking for signs it is breathing 😂😂Now as they are bringing on ML I have no idea where this goes but for my sanity I am assuming that Ani would have sought her out in Jammu even if he hadn’t read the letter and fallen in love with her after bringing her to Kolkata and sab ki band bajata at some point… I can’t accept that their meeting again was dependent on that letter 😂😂😂
Rekha - thanks for the reply. It's nice to see a thought process explained consistently from start to end.
Choton - initially gave Ani advice and counsel..then suddenly gave up on him, never once asked him why he was marrying Arshi when he was obviusly pining after J. Then suddenly he took him to task when J said she was pregnant and then all the jabs during Apu's wedding.
Response to Bold
Unfortunately this thought process of how you have perceived Ani - albeit likely true, strips him of the traits of his, I fell in love with. I am not a viewer looking for a principled man as a hero. But I am looking for a man who is consistent in his beliefs, sticks to them and does not sway along with the wind and his influences.
His sharp brain; his ability to manipulate, go to any level for the one he holds above all other; his unwavering and selfless care for Jhanak; even at the extent of deceiving his family, fiance, all of these when consistently held appeal for me; even though he was wrong wrt Arshi. For me - being wrong in one area and consistently so - is easy for me to accept as I can see it as an abherration - only for Jhanak - Ani is like this. But alas no. By saying he truly was unable to understand his feelings for a long time; makes him a weak man; who acted as he did based on what he perceived was right at the time on not on his own heart or convictions; and overall did not do right by either one.
If as you say everything he did was centered on Jhanak, and her alone; and yet he never realized he loved her - I have neither admiration or sympathy for him. It is simply not a love story for me. By establishing the claim that Ani never even realized he was doing things for J out of love; was unable to see what every single BH wasi realized; takes away aspect that I admire most in a man - intelligence, iintegrity, introspection and self-awareness.
Only when I see the story as Ani realizing early on he favored abd loved Jhanak but had to stick it out with Arshi out of some misguided sense of responsibility - does the magic work for me. Because then he is acting out of his inability to control his love; yet staying the course of a righteous man (however misguided it really is)
Also remember he took vows with J a second time in front of family willingly; he had Choton and his own alterego question him on his intent regarding Jhanak; he did all he could to enforce J stayed with him at all times, he was physically attracted to her during his bday; saying he did all this without fully understanding his love for J makes him a certified and ignorant idiot.
Biggest joke is - after saying he cannot imagine his life without her etc....he questions if he really loves J since he let her go and did not go after her? He then convinces himself he loves Arshi and is actually quite resolved to being with her. Seems like double personality issues to me.
Response to underline
Again you bring down Ani for me with your interpretation.
I felt Ani did his best to be with Arshi because he recognized his love for J and subsequent actions caused her great consequences she did not deserve - and he set out redressing them - I can then maybe see good abt Ani. If he had been honest to Arshi telling her he loved J but was willing to do the right thing - I can respect him. Here again after acknowledging to himself he loves J many times during his own wedding functions he thinks she could actually kill Arshi on account of jealousy over him; when she literally handed him over to Arshi; that is simply nuts. If it was always only Jhanak for him - pls explain why he went to the police station asking for the most severe punishment for J - ? is that Jhanak and only Jhanak for him? Jhanak showed him the mirror abt how he treated Arshi...any man with common sense can see he has done wrong with Arshi. Arshi has since turned negative and is no saint - but Ani def has a big hand to play in her progression to the dark side.
Seeing him now blame Arshi and become the victom while expressing zero regrets for his own actions are what is putting me off Ani. If he said - I did all this along with BH Arshi and Shristi to J and show some regret - it will be palatable. He is now acting like he was always perfect and his family forced him a 28 year old man to do all these bad things to J; and he is giving them all his 'OG' Ani side. Who is to show him the mirror for all he did? AK did it in one episode - with zero regret or response from Ani.
Response to italics
I get Ani was overjoyed at what he saw was J's involvement of him in her life when she was sick. That means for him; she considered him her husband - great. Now go to Mumbai and show attitude to the man you need to be be grateful for - for saving J's life? act like a petulant husband after promising Arshi you were coming back to her to continue married life with her.
Pick a side man. You left BH as Arshi's husband saw J and AK and decided you were J's husband and you never let that go? So he considers himself a certified bigamist - the number of times he called Arshi his wife? too many to count. OR is he again lying to Arshi that she is his wife over and over while in his heart thinking J is his wife? Which one? cant have both. He is deceiving one. So glad J threw him out of the hospital and asked him to go back to Calcutta.
Again in Calcutta he gets a chance to fess up to Arshi; esp now he has no excuse whatsover - he has full realization that he loves J. Yet even now there is no backbone to tell her or his family and he goes like a servile lifeless man to UK.
The fact that Ani will only shove Arshi out when she walks out is such a disappointment. Saying he loves J and sleeping next to Arshi is yuck!!! I tell you 100% Ani is going to believe Arshi again. For her to be relevant Ani will have to be the fall guy again and be cheated by Arshi. People are too excited abt her be-izzathi. Ani is just not to be trusted. He will change with the tide with zero remorse or sense of regret.
The only credit any in this love story goes to destiny. Such a disappointment from both leads. For me I'm only watching for any remaining onscreen chemistry between Runak.
I'm really glad a lot of viewers are loving the sequence and wishing I could have been loving it as well. I'm just super disappointed with the way Ani was whitewashed and justified overnight and Jhanak seems like she had lost her memory since her stomach.surgery.
Sorry Rekha. Dont want to rain on everyone's happy parade. I'm so disappointed; that my response is also more a rant than structured as an appropriate response.
.....the yearning mostly remains from his side and from Jhanak's side, they will show some brief episodes before totally diverting the plot again....lol 
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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