I think he does admire her and likes how she is from the start. He clearly don't like Amal and her idle life style. Even saman shah praised mehru's guts. It's only that her guts and personality are working against them which is the problem.
He does seems to be in love as well but for him loving someone is owning them and having them in his life by hook or by crook. He is too self centred to have a selfless love. There is obsession and possessiveness as well.
Ummmm... If you remove his internal monologues (not sure if they are only to mislead viewers) then I'm not sure about the admiring part... Mehru was always in his face since first episode... And he hated it... Saman shah used to praise mehru, he was always like - just give me a free hand and I'll crush her
He wants her to bend, probably hail him while bending too
I think it's just obsession right now..
I guess we'll know on the suhaag raat what he is playing at 


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