In my estimation, Gauri's the rock and Ips, the hard place!
Gauri's the rock coz she refuses to move
Away from Shiv,
Away from her blind belief that Shiv loves her...thanks to that dumb talk with Vivan abt love,
Away from Kapoor mansion/palace/kingdom/madhouse.
She's also like a rock around shiv's neck, ready to drown him in disaster with Ips over the miracle baby.
She's impenetrable as a rock like the three monkeys who don't see evil, speak evil or talk evil....not a good or smart trait these days.
On the other hand, Ips is the hard place coz she gives shiv
a hard time over Gauri and other family matters
a hard to swallow ultimatum
a hard look everytime he doesn't do what she tells him to do...like spill the beans to Gauri
a hard day whenever she's with anupam
So, our sympathies are with the poor chap who's bitten off more than he can chew!