19/7/11
In spite of what has passed between them, Kesar comes back to their room, checks on Gulaal, feels bad and sorry. He just cannot walk out on Gulaal's comfort and happiness that he walks in puts the blanket on her, gives her a comforting pat on her shoulder and just leaves. Gulaal notices him, tries to apologize but Kesar is too hurt that he does not want any more arguments, he asks her to sleep since it is quite late at night.
Kesar is happy to make this wedding memorable for Talli more so since Motaba has ordered for. Gulaal tries to involve him. But Kesar is just not in the mood to get into any trouble and also states that his involvement may be misunderstood. Gulaal handing him the gift wrapper and cellotape was such a cute scene. Kesar was not relenting and Gulaal tried to get to him. He ignored her smiles without reciprocating though he was watchful of what all she was up to especially when she readily agrees to what Pannba suggested as if it was THEIR decision not just hers. . Once the work was done, Kesar excuses himself for some more work outside and Gulaal had to seek him for extending her apology. Kesar replies back saying he is not angry with her and he is just fine.
20/7/11
KESAR"S DINNER
Kesar was delighted to know that his favorite food has been made. There was a child-like sparkle when he heard that. Given the undercurrent between him and Gulaal, his smile fades instead of openly showing his happiness. Kesar does look at her in awe, in surprise. I just love the expression when he does taste a mouthful, feels content and smiles at the tasty favorite cuisine. Kesar does give a glance towards Gulaal when she served Dushyant and slightly nods his head. Gulaal is all set out to please him that she takes the extra care to ask him if he cares for some more Sabzi. Kesar is not all that willing to act normal with her but he is actually enjoying the food that he could not refuse and though grimly, he says "Hmm" at the same time his eyes keep track of the direction she is moving around and never leaves her.
Was that a satisfactory smile on Gulaal's face when he says he is done with his dinner? Kesar excuses himself from Dushyant with a silent gesture as he leaves. What I noticed was Gulaal picking his plate and going to the kitchen once he was done. I say I noticed this instead of saying I liked it because; the feminist in me does not believe that it is a wife's duty to pick the plate but it does add to the essence in a relationship between a couple. And more so, Kesar has always done his share of duties towards her without being the conventional husband kinds (Like the ones who would not know what was packed for his lunch and learns it only at office).
KESAR GULAAL IN THE KITCHEN
I liked the scene where Sudha has readied the plate for the three of them and meanwhile Gulaal empties the preparations from the "kadai" to the containers for storing. It added meaning to Sudha's dialogue that only the three of them were left for dinner and hence the rest being emptied for storage.
Kesar walks in to the kitchen, looks at her and walks away to help himself. She notices his aloofness, asks if she could help, but he snubs her saying she did not have to bother. That makes her approach him directly, she gives reasons that they can help each other and that he always expects that she does things for him. Well, he utilized the chance to tell her that it is wrong of him to expect her for all his little demands too.
Kesar has been really hurt at the accusations she hurled at him for all the sincere well wishes he had for her. The depth of the hurt is clear when he says there is always a limit in every relationship and he is just trying to understand the invisible line that exists in the relationship between them. Gulaal feels sorry for what she said and also admits but Kesar being Kesar does not want her to blame herself and agrees that she was forced into such thinking because he behaved in a manner that would raise suspicion and hence when his behavior changes, everything would fall in place.
Kesar feels truly bonded to Gulaal. Like he himself said he is using that "haq" over her to once more explain his stand that he cares for her. Kesar reminds her that he has always felt he had his rights on her, this feeling was not a recent change in him but he believed he has his rights on her ever since she came to this house even without caring for a named relationship but today the same behavior is giving room for doubts about his intentions. Kesar still believes in that bond. That makes him say it is better for him to understand his limits, stay out of the restriction zone and care for her happiness. Be it standing outside it, but CARE he must.
Gulaal does not have anything to say because here is a guy who still wants to give her happiness by molding himself in just the way that she wants him to be. How can she accuse him anymore, because he is trying to stay away only she can't take this aloofness from him? To make it clear that he came to the kitchen for need of something and not just as a pretension to talk to her, once again clearing any chance for suspicion he picks the piece of jaggery and says he wanted it and had hence come over. Gulaal has understood the gravity of the situation and the impact of her accusations that she hurled at him without any hesitation because her opting to help out with the gift wrapper or making his favorite food has not brought out the Kesar she was so used to seeing in a while now.
KESAR GULAAL'S FRIENDSHIP
Kesar is seriously attending to the job given to him by Pannba of making the list for Shagun that he does not even realize that Gulaal has walked into their room. Gulaal has decided to set things right between her and Kesar by hook or crook.
When she starts to play the mouthorgan, he is in for a surprise as to who is playing it. Kesar never allows anyone to touch his belongings. The last time Talli was seen with the mouth organ, he had lashed out at her not to touch any of his belongings. So obviously it is GULAAL. He has no problem with her playing it. He turns around to look at Gulaal blissfully playing it.
He sincerely avoids it rather than reacting to it because he does not want to get into trouble. But that one look when he turns back to his notepad suggested "What the hell is she doing with it". Of course he is slightly irritated for the wrong notes that she is supposedly playing, he tries to concentrate on what he is doing, but he can't, realizes she is seriously continuing with it, and at this point he can't help but smile. And what a smile, I was grinning wide seeing Kesar smiling at this naughty Gulaal. She has decided she would not let him work in peace until he softens on her. He had to come to her but he had managed to compose himself by bringing back some seriousness when he spoke to Gulaal. And should I say GALOOL, she is no less, she sees him come closer and still turns her head, closes her eyes and continues to play it.
Kesar tells her that it is not the correct way to play the instrument, she requests him to teach, when he moves away, she insists. Kesar looks into her eyes to understand her behavior, when she hands it out to him, seeing her genuine interest, he agrees. Seems good they have come to such comfort zone that they don't mind sharing the mouth organ without attempting to wipe it clean for the other. Gulaal is prompted to sing when Kesar plays the tune, this a very refreshing change. This was the Gulaal who probably two days back told her friend that she can't sing anymore and that it has been years since she did. I feel it really changed her mood and rather than as an attempt to break the ice between them, she takes it back from him asking if she can play it now. She tries, asks him with a nod if she is doing it right and he agrees with a nod too. Kesar excuses himself to attend to his work. He is strictly attempting to stick to the permissible boundaries. He fulfilled her wish to teach her to play and when it was done, he wants to go back to his work without hovering around her that might give the impression that he longs for her.
Ab kya karegi Gulaal? Kesar is being the thorough gentleman that he is. Only she has not seen this version of him because she has always seen him through her delusional filters that made him appear stubborn and tantrum causing. She openly admits to her mistake. That is a big step coming from Gulaal. Kesar's helplessness is seen when he says he does not know how to be or react with her. I like Neil's rendition of that "Jaisa hoon" with a stress because I felt here it showed Kesar's uncertainty if what he IS was actually a blessing or curse. So he goes on to say, if he stays as to what he IS, he can't stop himself from caring for her, and he cannot worry of the limits to which he can go to make her happy, he can't remind himself and instead of making her happy it ends up in Gulaal getting upset with him.
Gulaal assures him that he has never overstepped his boundaries and it was her who had set unnecessary and UNWANTED boundaries when it came to Kesar. I think Kesar's reminding that they shared a bond beyond the confines of a named relationship has really set her thinking that she had been too strict about her relation with Kesar, that the problem lies in her perception of him and not in his actions. She very much missed that Kesar and could not take this behavior, this aloofness from him.
Her apology is taken but he is not yet sure to return to his actual self that he tells her that he does not know how to behave with her. This time Gulaal steps in to say she wants him to treat her as a friend and extends her hand of friendship and that he was right in saying she did not move on but now she intends to. This time there was more warmth in the handshake than the previous time he held out his hand and Gulaal just brushes her fingers in his hand something like what we call a 'polite pinch', where it is just a formality and there are no emotions involved. The handshake made them feel better, both Kesar and Gulaal gave out a whole-hearted smile.
Talli walks in seeing that Kesar and Gulaal stood shaking hands, it gave her one more jolt that indeed Kesar and Gulaal have progressed in their relationship because just the previous night she had seen the flowers given by Kesar to Gulaal. What was surprising is that Gulaal does not immediately drop her hand from his hold but instead takes her time after seeing her so that she may gesture her in. Talli was still lost in Kesar when Gulaal asked her in.
I liked how they showed Kesar and Gulaal on one side while Talli stood opposite to them. Talli had not even opened the gift; obviously she was least interested and would never match the "Chunar gift" that she had longed from Kesar. I guess she had brought it along with her to show-off that she got a gift too. Actually I did feel bad for her and probably she must have brought it only to be opened by Kesar. That gift reminded me of SRK's Om Shanti Om. Kesar welcomes the idea that it was okay for Talli to meet Kunal under Raman Ba's vigilance. He finds the gift cute. I think the rejection from Kesar has actually taken its toll on Talli. She mainly finds reasons to prove to Kesar that she will have someone better than him in her life, that she went out and met Kunal (she had longed for the outings with Kesar), she got a gift from Kunal (that someone gifted her too which she was denied from Kesar), that he cared for her just because she was quiet for a while (Kesar always found her talking annoying, remember he had also left her midway after her exams). Though she loves Kesar (or she thinks she does), she wants to prove that it does not hurt her that she was rejected by him and she is all set out for finding the best husband in Kunal who could do all the things she had always longed for. But because she still has not got over Kesar, obviously because loving Kesar has been her habit in the past ten years, she gets affected by the growing fondness between Kesar and Gulaal. I still think she wishes Kesar well, for Gulaal too, but she is uncomfortable seeing the blossoming fondness, something that Kesar denied her and seeks in Gulaal.
When Kesar mentions about Talli hiding a big truth, Gulaal and Talli are shocked. Kesar has totally skipped the love aspect of Talli for him and he is teasing her that she is a " noisy Nagada" and not the "soothing Basuri". This time Gulaal joined in the fun but also chided him for troubling her. I like that hand gesture by Kesar as a response saying "Just like that, for fun"
He hands it over to pick the call, while Talli stands there sulking, but she hands it over back to Gulaal when she asks for it. Surprising that Kesar has stored the number to recognize that it is Kunal and generously hands his phone for her to talk. Talli wants to talk to him in the privacy of her room and Kesar and Gulaal are too happy for her need of privacy for a small talk with Kunal. This is why it makes me think that she is only set out to prove to Kesar that she can be happy too and the rejection does not matter to her anymore. She presents herself in such a way as though she feels the need to have a private talk with Kunal only to disconnect the call without answering him or holding the call for not more than few seconds.
KESAR AT KUNAL"S HOUSE
Why didn't Kesar seat himself along with Gulaal and Sudha ? All the three did not look as if they were dressed up for the occasion like Shagun. All of them were in their casual home wears. Kesar sad at the parent's talk, angry at their decision but stopped by Gulaal to cool down for a cool-headed talk.
CID
Ishaani
