Romantic History

Just a random thought I wanted to share 😃. As always.

I've noticed that shows, such as PV, have increasingly started to give their main female leads a romantic history, prior to the relationship with the male lead.

Letting go of unnecessary gender roles, and taken-for granted beliefs,really opens up scope for great storytelling. I was first made aware of this in GSHP. Geet's past really evened up the playing field between her and Maan. Her reluctance to open herself to a relationship, was what drew Maan closer, and made him more insistent.

Sometimes having a lack of romantic (emotional and/or sexual) experience puts the woman at a disadvantage, by giving the male lead more confidence. The girl is usually completely asexual up until he touches her the first time, and then we have the regular cat and mouse thing happen.That look of befuddled passion when she feels lust for the first time is fun, but I find I much prefer a knowing look (or at least something not so lost). It adds a little something to the equation. Plus, its just plain hot⭐️

Without some sort of experience, there are only so many places you can take your female lead without it seeming out of character. If a girl has no reason to distrust love, or even if she has no prior baggage, what's to stop her from immediately throwing herself at him?

Some shows end up doing this whole "rape past" thing with the female lead, as an excuse to give her a past, without her actually having a past. Don't even get me started on how horrendous it is to be romanticizing violence. But some shows do it (ex: Maryada, Kyunki) And they do it to open up scope for conflict between the male and female leads. One of two tracks is possible:
(1) The male hears only fragments of the woman's history, and jumps to conclusions, or
(2) The woman has a reason to distrust men (and sex) without actually have given her heart to another beforehand. Its a way of justifying her current relationship, by making her previous experience (a single violent encounter or an abusive relationship) something she hadn't chosen for herself.

In PV, Aarti chose Prashant. Her past has shaped her interactions with Yash. They would never have had the conversation they had in that last scene (where he absentmindedly re-folds Ansh's shirt👏), if she hadn't shown him distrust. If she hadn't felt she was his equal in every possible way. Her romantic history, her experience, and her maturity all contributed to the woman Yash faced in that room. I just love it when shows portray real women. Its like the Mittals said to themselves, "give the girl a past, who the hell doesn't have one these days?"

When the truth about Aarti's divorce comes out (to Yash), I want her to be completely unapologetic about it. And you know what? I think she will be. Oh she will be apologetic about the lie, but not about her past. She won't be apologetic that she had loved and "lost" Prashant. And I think that's where Yash's anger (and ArYa conflict) will stem from. She won't apologize for her history, or for being a divorcee.

Yash is very SP-like in his conservatism and belief in gender roles. He chose an arranged marriage quite happily. If he had been opposed, I don't think SP or G3 would've been against it (ex: Prateik). It leads me to believe he wanted a virginal bride. Which for him, a man who has been raised to believe in 'traditional marriages', there is nothing wrong with it. Up until now, Aarti's past (and Prashant) had been a non-factor. But we see that changing now, with Yash's insistence that Aarti trust him. He won't be able to stay away. And ironically, it is her disinterest that will make him feel safe enough to draw closer. He won't be able to control his curiosity.

But, when the truth (in the form of a man who she shares history with and made a child with), walks into his life, he will be SHOCKED😲. I don't think he knows that Aarti and Prasant had a love-marriage. Is he even aware that she was orphaned?

I'm not saying he'll be angry, or that he's a chauvinist, or that it is all about sex. I'm saying the reality of competition and of who Aarti is as a person (ie: confidence personified) will be a little earth shattering for him. Intellectually, he is aware of the plurality of her sexual/romantic prowess. He knows he's not the only man for her. But when he is actually physically faced with the truth, when he watches Aarti interact with Prashant, what will he think?

He will fight these feelings of possession and (in his mind) ungrounded jealousy. But I think that is where the heart of their conflict will be. Aarti has made it clear that she has no inclination to fight Arpita's ghost. But Yash can most definitely fight a living man. And if Aarti challenges Yash to accept her past and move the hell on, how will he react? She is very patient with everyone, except Yash. She expects quite a bit of understanding and maturity from the man in her life. She will be considerate of his conservative beliefs, but ultimately very dismissive I think.

I wonder, will Yash, for a moment, look at Ansh and see him as Aarti and Prashant's ansh? Will he be angry to be so easily uprooted as Ansh's father in the eyes of people around him (or even in his own eyes)? A place Prashant didn't and doesn't want, but Yash had to work for?

Ultimately though, Aarti's being a fully empowered woman, unapologetic about the life she had led, or the decisions she made, after initially shocking him, will humble, and then enslave him.

PS: I know i'm gettin ahead of myself. But I can't help it👏⭐️

very interesting post...I loved these parts most-

awesome post...fab analysis..👍🏼

that always happened, but yash is easy person to handle situation

@DMKJ_VB: ria di, i agree with your this sentence...As far as being a divorce is concerned,I think Yash's main reason of anger will be the lie itself and not the fact that aarti was in love with Prashant...

Very interesting post. Many valid points about how Yash would react when he knows about Aarti's divorce truth or when he sees Prashant _ Aarti interactions,if it happens. There is no reason to be apologetic about past in today's world,most of people including Yash have a past. But if you have kept your life partner in dark about your past/or let him believe something that you know is entirely false, then I think there is a reason to be apologetic. Fact is Aarti has unwillingly supported her in laws in keeping up the facade they presented to Yash's family. I know it wasn't her fault and she herself came to know the truth at the last moment. But since then a considerable time has elapsed. Aarti could have shared the truth of her being a divorcee,and not a widow with Yash. I know its not her priority right now,and she probably isn't even thinking about it. But whenever she raises the issue of trust( like in y'day's episode), I cant help but wonder if she is keeping her end of bargain. She is quick to judge Yash,but doesn't same rule apply to her too. Is it right for her to keep Yash(and whole Scindhiya family) in dark about her divorcee status? And I am not even talking about telling the truth to whole Scindhiya family,it would be really difficult for her. But I hope she tells Yash the truth before its too late.

And I am not yet sure how much the truth of being a divorcee would affect Yash. It was Gayatri's condition that their DIL shouldn't be a divorcee, but I dont think Yash had the same thinking. He chose Aarti,knowing that she has a son,which of course means that she had a past. He could have gone for an unmarried girl without any past(as her mother mentioned). But at that time his first and only priority was finding a loving mother for his daughters. In fact if you remember in temple scene,he was so relieved to see Aarti's name etched with someone else. He was glad that her heart belonged to someone else,just like his. But that was then. As the story progresses and Yash starts developing affection for Aarti,it would be interesting to see his reactions. If he knew Aarti's divorce truth from the start, it probable wouldn't have made any difference to him. But once you develop feelings for someone and then come to know that they hid truth from you, things become different. He would surely feel betrayed and hurt, and the extent of these emotions depend on the feelings he has for Aarti at that time. Deeper the feelings,more would be the sense of hurt and betrayal.

Yash is very well aware of d fact that Aarti was in love with Prashanth and believes that she still loves him despite of his death(frm his point of view) like he loves Arpita even after her death. He felt relieved that Aarti will not expect anything frm him as a husband and till now he is not emotionally connected to Aarti as wife.Its more like he respects her,understands that they r tied up together by society and she will b mother of his children. He doesnt avoid interactions with Aarti bcoz he doesnt feel anything like attraction when she is around her except when there r too close moments:there also he seems quite undisturbed and these scenes dont last longer in their minds or heart.
I think Yash will take a longer time to feel a pull towards Aarti bcoz he had beautiful life with Arpita and still feels connected to her.
Aarti is more nervous while interacting with Yash though not like teenagers. She is also mature and have had experiences. She is strong but when it comes to Prashant she cant hold on. She has suffered loneliness and lack of trust and so it will b quite natural for her to fall for Yash.

Let me clarify a little lol

Yash will have a problem with her lying. But he'll get over it quickly, once he realizes she did her level best to tell him the truth. He'll be hurt initially, but he'll work past it. Who knows? Maybe Aarti will start to feel guilty and tell him the truth herself. His reaction to the truth is largely dependent on how he will receive it.

I honestly don't think the lying part is going to have much of an effect, on him. His family is another story. I think they will have more of a problem with it than he will. Probably, she'll come close to leaving home, and then he'll stop her, saying "I don't back down from any of my decisions".

I think the overarching problem, that will exist just between the two of them, and create further tension (within their private world), is the fact that her former lover is in the flesh, in front of them.
Yash knows Aarti was in love before, but the reality of being faced with it is something else altogether. And this wasn't just any man. She was going to run off on the day of their marriage with him. Prashant is Ansh's biological father.

I'm not saying Yash will have a problem with her being a divorcee. I'm saying Yash will have a problem with his wife's ex-lover being up in his face. I'm saying he'll have a hard time dealing with the realities of Aarti's sexual/romantic history. Its not going to just be about love, its going to be about sex too. Well, I think anyway 👏😆