Yes, Vikrant did make a deal, but he made it very clear that he would give Sarita all the happiness she deserves if she is a good mother to Abhi. He never once demanded that she be a wife, but that she at least respect the sanctity of marriage. Even though he never said he wanted them to have a normal husband-wife relationship, he expects her to be a decent woman and not have an affair! To him, a woman with loose morals could never be a good mother to Abhi.
It's a different matter altogether that he is crazy about her on many levels:
1. As a perfect mother that he and Abhi can't afford to lose - he was an orphan so he really understands the emptiness a child feels without parents; he obviously wants to make sure his son gets the complete family unit he never had growing up.
2. As his possession/trophy that he got as part of the deal - she belongs to him and his inner circle; she can't leave. He was very determined when Abhi asked him if his mother would always be with him.
3. As a woman of strong character who fights for what she feels is right and cares so much for other people's happiness - I think he's kind of proud of how she has turned out after being treated so bad for 10 years. He likes the fact that she stands up for herself, even though he acts annoyed at her irrational behavior sometimes. Deep down, he respects her because he knows she can really match up to him.
4. Finally, on a subconscious level, he was attracted to her the moment he saw her and she stirred something in him. She is an addiction that he doesn't want to give up, and enigma he wants to solve, and I guess somewhere his ego can't take the fact that she isn't pining for him, considering he's such an in-demand guy. He knows he's attracted to her and cares for her more than he should, whereas he thinks she doesn't notice him the same way. His outbursts and anger are a mix of concern for his son and pure jealousy; I think it also frustrates him that he feels jealous because of her 'activities' with Raj and that she has that much control over his thoughts and emotions. He doesn't want to admit that she has such a hold over him, so he uses Abhi's case as a shield for his emotions.
Sarita, on the other hand, is also attracted to Vikrant - she notices a lot of things about him, and thinks a lot about his psychology and reactions in relation to her and Abhi, before she makes a move. Raj never challenged her or drew out her fighting spirit the way Vikrant does. Vikrant appeals to the woman in her, not just the wife in her. This is very important because Sarita is and should be on the road to re-discovering and appreciating herself after what she went through during her marriage to Raj. As some of you have said, she is still a child in some ways and being with Vikrant will expose her to real love and passion, make her feel alive as a woman, which I think is really important for her. She just doesn't know it yet. Raj told her he loved her at the last moment, but she didn't really get to cherish or experience that with him since she married Vikrant soon after.
To be honest, I don't think they should fall in love too soon. There are many psychological and practical issues that need to be addressed before they can let go of their baggage and really move on with each other. I would like to also see them explore Vikrant's insecurities due to growing up as an orphan and having lost his wife (the background story is still a mystery). I want to see them grow together gradually and shed their inhibitions. They have both been lonely for so long, it would normally take them a while to really give themselves to another person. Let's see how the CVs go about it.
Edited by inlieu - 11 years ago