Well, today's episode does amble along at a slow pace, or perhaps jogs along would be better, for there are some jerky movements in between. The main highlights were as below.
- Epiphany: Arjun, ne Kirloskar, discovers that job satisfaction is to be found only among the grease and grime of a ramshackle garage, that the best tasting tea in the world is the 'cutting' chai served in the selfsame garage, and that the meaning of life – it is not clear whether it is only his or in general – and the understanding of who Arjun really is, can also be found only in the above-mentioned surroundings and in the chawl.
It is a pity Prince Siddhartha Gautama was not in the know of all this in his days. He could then have spared himself all those years of the most severe austerities before heading to the Bodhi tree (as they did not have greasy garages in the 6th century BC), finally attaining self-knowledge and becoming the Buddha. Our Arjun is already nearly there. Laurie, I would have thought all that he has learnt so far is more in the category of boy scout camp jungle survival tactics, rather than of such an epiphany, but who are we to object when he is so convinced of what he asserts? This rebooted Arjun reminds me somewhat, in spirit if not in looks, of his namesake in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, the frantic stockbroker played by Hrithik Roshan, who just steps off the treadmill of his hitherto existence and gets himself a life.
Arjun imparts all this newly acquired wisdom to Teju, when she lands at his garage by accident after her car stalls. She, being still a free spirit even if she no longer drives a taxi, understands what he means, and when he adds that he means to earn Rs.10000/- one day, plonk them in front of Archana, and carry Purvi off, it all clicks into place for her. It remains to be seen if and how she uses this fresh insight she had acquired into Arjun's motivations to try and wean Ovi from her delusions that he still loves her and her alone.
- Romance a la the 1960s: The song in the background is still Shirt da Button with its abysmal lyrics (trust Ekta to milk in house promotion to the limit), but one hardly notices that when Arjun and Purvi are making eyes at each other from a 100 feet away (unlike Juliet, here it is Arjun in the upper floor corridor looking down at his Purvi). There are the shy-yet-come-hither looks from her that suddenly galvanise him to come running down the stairs to catch her before she leaves. Then a lo…ooong moment, when they stand in the middle of the street, oblivious of the passers by and the gazers on from the chawl, looking at each other in the sheer bliss of their nearness. Purvi this time does not seem at all worried about who would be looking on and what they would be thinking of her. The girl is definitely making progress!
- Backbone ahoy!: Purvi's, that is. Not quite a full grown backbone yet, but something stiffer than anything she has ever displayed so far to her aai. Having learnt from Churan that Arjun is now working in the garage, Purvi secretly takes a look at him at work, and is deeply distressed at what she assumes that he is having to put up with. This leads her to actually take up panga with Archana, feebly as yet but distinctly, complaining that her having imposed that condition on Arjun was wrong.
I did a double take when I heard that, but my gladness was immediately tempered by Purvi's response to a very sharp question from Archana, delivered in the style of the Spanish Inquisition, as to whether she had met Arjun. (So the embargo is still very much there, whence the old style languishing looks from afar). She falls all over herself assuring her aai that she had not met Arjun, adding "on't you trust me?". (Now either the girl has learnt to lie with a very straight face, or she does not count accidental meetings like the one in the temple yesterday, or the silent screen encounter in the street!)
With this feeble response, Purvi slid back to point zero in the backbone stakes, alas! But maybe there will be some incremental improvement in the days ahead. Archana, after listening to Purvi's account of Arjun's sufferings with ill-concealed irritation, snaps back that Arjun seemed to think that the path he had chosen was easy, but it was not. It was easy to talk, but tough to actually do things. In just 4 days, she snarls, sirf char din, Purvi would be able to see Arjun's asli roop (true self). Uske sar se yeh bhooth utar jayega (he would be free of this obsession) and he would go back to his father. As her aai spits out these harsh words, the expression on Purvi's face is inscrutable. Is it distress? Or is it a dawning realization that her idolized aai too has feet of clay? Is it the bitter understanding that Archana hopes that Arjun will fail, and is waiting eagerly for him to do so, no matter how much this would hurt Purvi? Only time will tell, but clearly, Janhvi, your ladli she is a changing!
- Chawl frolics: Purvi's believes firmly that her Arjun, who she feels should have been lording it over his company, is suffering untold indignities in the chawl and at work. However, the truth is quite the opposite. 'Arjun dada' is having a good time. He is coopted by Churan to repair his toy car: the scene between the two is delightful in its easy camaraderie, and in the unaffected sense of enjoyment that Arjun displays. He is pampered by the neighbouring couple with kandapoha, and chai that started out garam but must have been lukewarm by the time the lady finishes talking. Not just this, he is to acquire a good bit of furniture and kitchen equipment for free from the same couple, who seem to have adopted him. He listens to their homilies about the chawl being 'one big family' with smiling acquiescence and no hint of disbelief (but to us, who know how the chawlis turned viciously on Manav without any valid reason, these homilies sound rather hollow). All in all, Arjun is by now quite at home in his new surroundings, and not just because Purvi is across the street. He is bivouacking in style. Archana is in for a rude shock one of these days when she is called upon to deliver on her part of her challenge.
And so the PR bail gaadi (bullock cart) ambles along. The precap promises a large dollop of dullness tomorrow. Manav is lamenting the loss of his peaceful, if wifeless, life in Canada to a very disturbed looking Sachin (and you all know how much effort that would take!) Here, Manav asserts bitterly, no sooner has one problem been tackled that another surfaces. One wonders what the latest problem is. Archana, who generally looks these days as if she needs her ajwain-hing ka nuska more than anyone else - is, true to type, peeping out tearfully from behind the kitchen door. It is not clear whether it was onions or the Vicks.
Shyamala B.Cowsik
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
CID
Book Talk
