{Episode 227} Broken Hearts, Wounded Souls

What a way to start off the New Year!

This episode will always be memorable not only because it marks the eagerly-awaited confrontation between Yash and Aarti regarding everything that she had kept hidden from him, but also because it has extremely powerful performances from both Gurmeet and Kratika. The two of them live their characters of Yash and Aarti, expressing every feeling with finesse. Ever since they teamed up with the makers of Punar Vivaah to bring this story to us, they have been consistently outdoing themselves with every passing episode. They are strong, nuanced actors individually, no doubt, but when they come together in front of the director's camera as Yash and Aarti, the way Gurmeet and Kratika support each other to do justice to the PV team's vision is beyond beautiful.

There are far too many nuances that I love from this episode, so I'll point out as many as I can along the way...

Aarti begins narrating her side of the story, going back to the days when she had been opposed to the idea of remarrying. She explains why her in-laws hid the truth about her divorcee status, tells him how she was forced to keep quiet because there would have been no other way for the Scindias to accept her; she recounts how her own wishes took a backseat when her priority was to give Ansh the love of a father, a right that every child deserves...

"Ma-Bauji ke khushi aur Ansh ke iccha ke saamne haar gayi main...Chup reh gayi...Kuch nahi bol paayi..." That was when Aarti's silence began. For the sake of those dear to her, she agreed to remarry, even though she did not want to. She had no idea then that her silence would bring her to a juncture like this...The regret can be heard in her voice and seen in the way her eyebrows furrow, contorting her face into a painful frown.

"Lekin Yashji...Ma...Ma shuru se jaanti thi ki...ki main aap ko sach bataana chahti hoon..." Her tone becomes frantic, desperate, as she tries to tell Yash that she did not lie to him willingly...Shobha is a witness to the inner turmoil that the Dubeys' lies inflicted upon Aarti by making her a part of their web of deceit. Kratika's voice modulation is superb, especially when Aarti discloses Shobha's reasoning behind hiding the truth until the relationship between Yash and Aarti strengthened enough - her expressions almost make it seem as though Aarti is having trouble speaking, since she knows that these lies have shaken the foundation of that same relationship.

Finally, Yash speaks up, referring to the day they reunited at the mandir...That was when everything became all right again - or so he thought...I found it interesting that he says, "aapko khone ke baad...", implying that he felt as though he had almost lost her forever when she had left him then...The temporary peace that is visible in both Yash and Aarti's expressions at this point in their conversation lingers for a while...But it quickly disappears when Aarti continues to share the events that turned their lives upside-down once more.

"Prashant laut aaya. Aur iss baar woh akele nahi aaya tha...Apne saath ek...ek jaanleva bimaari lekar aaya tha..."

Aarti struggles to say those words, disdain mixed with pity. She divulges quite a few things here, and Yash absorbs the new information rapidly, his face registering surprise: Prashant had come back before...but this time, when he returned, he brought his fatal disease with him, placing everyone in difficult situations that no one could have ever expected to face.

"Aur ek baar phir se mujhe aapse jhoot bolna pada...Jhoot bolti gayi...Bolti gayi...Bolti gayi..."

Aarti's frustration and anger at the fact that she allowed herself to be pressured into staying quiet for so long is very well-portrayed here. I love how Kratika's dialogue delivery (the way her voice starts out strong and then gradually cracks at the end) is enhanced by the movement of her arm she continues to speak while using her hands to express Aarti's unhappiness as well.

"Lekin Yashji..." She regains her composure and moves to face him, speaking calmly, emphasizing each word. "Inn saare jhooton ke beech...Ek bahut bada sach bhi hai..."

There is a flicker of a question in Yash's eyes as he looks at her, trying to read her eyes and see if she is telling the truth. She continues, "...jisse koi nahi jhutla sakta..." and the brief spark in her eyes is both happy and earnest, as though Aarti finds strength in the depth of her love for Yash in that moment and seeks to communicate her love for him through her eyes and her words.

"Apni zindagi se zyaada chahti hoon main aapko!"

And here begins a continuous chain of reactions and interactions that always, always leave me spellbound and moist-eyed. Such brilliant performances from Kratika and Gurmeet!

Yash's impassive expression causes Aarti's face to fall slightly as she realizes that her words may not have had any effect on him... "Accha?" His voice is quiet, his eyes contain a dangerous glint in them - I absolutely love the way Gurmeet's demeanor here conveys something that I can only describe as "deadly calm." A barely perceptible, earnest nod from Aarti in response - her forehead smoothens out and a hopeful gleam can be seen. Perhaps he does believe her...

Confusion mars her features again as her husband asks her to repeat herself. If he wants her to say it again, she will. As many times as he wants. Her voice rises with each declaration, tears fill her eyes as she beholds her Yashji's unmoved countenance. Another quiet, sharp-edged request from him, and she looks at him with furrowed brows. "Zara zor se boliye. Aur zor se boliye." If his words are filled with quiet intensity, then hers are quickly becoming cries that rise from the depths of her heart. I love you, Yashji, she screams over and over, desperately, but this truth of hers sounds like a lie to him.

"Jhoot, Aartiji! Sab kuch jhoot hai! Sab jhoot hai, Aartiji!"

Yash is a broken man, a wounded soul...He finally lets loose all of the thoughts that had been tormenting him endlessly ever since the night that turned his dream into a nightmare. "If you had even an iota of true love for me, you wouldn't have hidden such a colossal truth from me, Aartiji!" He presses on, laying all his feelings out in front of Aarti, who silently bears the onslaught of words that hurt her as much as they are hurting the one who is articulating them.

During this impressive, heartrending monologue, Yash's anguish finds expression through a powerful yet strained tone of voice and the tortured look in Gurmeet's eyes as he speaks; Aarti's equally distressed state can be seen from one look at Kratika's tear-stained face, as well as from the way Aarti responds to Yash at every point of the initial phase of this confrontation.

"Aapke ek jhoot ne...Sirf ek jhoot ne humaare rishte ko khokla kar diya."

Every word Yash utters inflicts a fresh wound on both of them, and just when it seems like there is no greater pain that can be experienced, he lowers his gaze, bends his head, and says, "Main haar gaya, Aartiji..." Aarti's heart shatters as her Yashji raises his eyes to hers again, tears flowing down both of their faces now. "Main haar gaya."

It breaks my heart every time I watch this part of the episode. Beautiful nuances. After Gurmeet says, "Main haar gaya, Aartiji," he looks up..and the devastated, miserable expression on Kratika's face is beautifully mirrored by the wounded expression on Gurmeet's face as well. Just as he begins to repeat the phrase, Kratika shakes her head, as if Aarti is saying, "No, Yashji, you are not to blame..." One of the most powerful moments during the first half of this scene is the one where Yash sidesteps Aarti and starts walking away from her, only to come to a stop a few steps in front of her. As Gurmeet moves, Kratika lets out a heartbreaking gasp, unleashing the emotions held within Aarti's silent sobs in a single gesture. When she holds back another sob and raises her head to show that Aarti is trying to pull herself together, in the background, Gurmeet does the exact opposite motion - he lowers his head. Standing with their backs to each other, we see both actors embodying their characters so flawlessly that the pain is palpable - Aarti and Yash have never been more vulnerable than they are now.

But if they are vulnerable, they are also able to find their last vestiges of strength to face each other again. Aarti, ever the fighting spirit, takes it upon herself to correct her husband. "Haar hui hai, toh sirf meri...Sirf meri!" Her voice breaks as she fully acknowledges her fault in this deception, and then it grows stronger as she asks, demands for a punishment from him. Yash is troubled by the pleading in his wife's voice, so he breaks his silence once more, offering her the chance to go back to her first love, her first husband.

As he speaks, the sadness in his eyes belies the calmness in his voice. If Aarti will be happier with Prashant, he will let her go...Aarti looks at Yash, disbelief spreading across her features. She reduces the distance he created between them and shakes her husband angrily. How could he even dare to think that she would ever want to return to a man who left his parents, wife, and son without once caring to look back and see whether they are alive or dead? Superb voice modulation from Kratika, with wonderful responses from Gurmeet as well. I love how Yash's eyes remain on Aarti's face as she challenges him to say that it won't matter to him if he lets her go...His eyes are trying to read hers, looking for sincerity, and he sees it. He sees the steely glint in her eyes when she challenges him, her voice lowering dangerously, with a question that he cannot answer: "Aap dekh paayenge mujhe kisi aur...kisi aur aadmi ke saath?"

Yash's silence gives Aarti more strength, and she continues to question him about Ansh. "Woh kisi aur ko 'papa' keh kar bulaaye, yeh sunn paayenge aap?" "Usse kisi aur ko saunpne ki himmat hai aap ke andar?" Now she is the one delivering the blows with her words, and Yash stands still, absorbing everything and answering every question with his silence. He listens to his wife declare her love for him again - "Meri zindagi, mera wajood, sab aapse hai, Yashji" - along with an incredulous, "Aur aap keh rahe hai main kisi aur ke paas chali jaaoon?" From the way Aarti's voice drops to a whisper as she asks, "Kaise chali jaaoon...?" to the manner in which her pained voice strains and breaks as she says, "Dobara apne zubaan par aisi baat mat laiyyega ki main aapki zindagi se door chali jaaoon!" to the way Yash reacts when Aarti is overcome with tears as she says, "Kabhi nahi..." From the time Yash begins watching as Aarti prays to the Goddess to the moment when shock perturbs the inscrutable expression on his face when Mata Rani's dupatta falls on Aarti's head as a blessing for their relationship...then, the transitions between joy and ebbing hopes as Aarti sees Yash turn away from her with a pensive look on his face even as she clutches the dupatta tightly...All of it, every single moment, is outstanding.

Yes, this episode was a truly fantastic way to begin 2013. Thank you to the entire team of Punar Vivaah - creatives, story writers, dialogue writers, directors, actors, and everyone working behind the scenes - for giving us an unforgettable New Year!

Your takes are addictive...can't wait for the next

@Puvi: Thank you!

@nan0102: Thanks!

@Frozen007: Thank you! It was a phenomenal episode...I still go back and watch it every now and then!

@Nina: Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed reading this! And yeah...One memorable New Year for all of us!

Thank you so, so much, Enid! 😃

I love the way you put it - "emotions crying from the inside and spoken on the outside"

Very well said. It is amazing how well the scene was executed, because the body language and even the smallest of sounds was spot on. There wasn't ever a break in the mood of the scene, and I always find that so impressive. That is one of the reasons I keep going back to this episode even now.

You have a way with words, Enid. The entire second paragraph: The lies that became a "burden on Aarti's soul" as she said during that confrontation affected both of them profoundly, but I am so glad that they both finally acknowledged all those issues in front of each other instead of letting them fester even more.