{MS Episode} Chaos, Randomness, and Silver Lining

I was planning on titling this "Silent Vigil," but then I saw The Making of Lag Jaa Gale online and got thoroughly distracted...So this DotD is going to be a mixture of observations, comments, and reactions to things that were in the episode and in the offscreen footage as well. In short: Chaos and Randomness, because that's what we got today. I will try to find the silver lining that I glimpsed every so often...Let's see where this takes me!

Honestly speaking, I was prepared for the worst ever since we received news of this Mahasangam being focused on romance between Asad-Zoya and Yash-Aarti. I was wondering how that would be possible when Yash and Aarti are preoccupied with the custody battle in court, and how the romantic scenes would come up later on in the episode...I had hoped we would see more of the trademark romance that I have come to associate with Yash and Aarti: soft, subtle, sweet, lightly playful, with a dash of humor here and there, perhaps...

When the courtroom scenes began, I was on the lookout for subtle gestures - as usual - and I have to give our Punar Vivaah actors a huge round of applause for their attempts to keep their characters' essential personality traits intact and keep the Mittals' carefully-developed relationships preserved while trying to create an equilibrium of sorts with the creative team that seemed to not be too familiar with the subtleties and sensitivity that drive this story of ours. Both teams reached out and tried to meet halfway, maybe...For that attempt to find a middle ground for this episode, I thank them...Even if it didn't quite work in our favor...

- Aarti is distraught when the judge announces that Ansh will stay with Prashant for a night. She immediately protests, and Yash rushes to her side, holding her, attempting to calm her down. What I managed to catch from the disconnected shots of the courtroom was that Yash tries to console Aarti first by putting an arm around her shoulders, then by placing both hands on her shoulders, and then finally by placing his hand on top of hers when she finally falls silent. I also really like how natural Aarti's grief and panic is - Yash tries to restrain her, but she struggles, frantically turning this way and that, and Yash moves with her, trying to take her hand and hold it...She finally gives in when she sees that no one else is going to say anything.

Kratika is always able to effectively convey pain and anguish, and she did so yet again, reminding me of Ansh's kidnapping, when Aarti broke down completely but didn't collapse before letting out a strong cry for help from those around her. Gurmeet's nuances caught my attention the second time I watched this episode...As Aarti cries silently, Yash is glaring at someone across the room...Probably Prashant. The initial concern and patience that shows on Yash's face as he tries to soothe his wife, and then the way his features harden as he looks up at Prashant - fantastic job by Gurmeet there! I just wish we had more time to catch all those gestures smoothly, and this remains a major complaint of mine. The nuances are probably there, but it's hard to see them in one or two viewings. That is usually never a problem with our episodes, since things aren't as rushed.

- Yash leans down and tells Ansh about having to stay with "Prashant Uncle" for a night, and Ansh responds with a wide-eyed, "Main akele jaaoonga?" which causes Aarti to cry even harder. Her baby, the baby that Prashant had abandoned so many years ago, the baby who found his father in Yashji, has to leave their little nest. For Ansh, this is like an outing, a fun playdate with his "dost uncle" - but Yash and Aarti are nowhere near as thrilled as their little boy. Who knows what Prashant might do?

Gurmeet and Divyam are always incredibly sweet in their father-son scenes, and that is so wonderful to watch! Divyam is a fabulous little actor. The worried tone of voice and the glum pout he makes when Ansh's face falls...and the way his mouth lifts in a small smile when Yash says that their family will be back together tomorrow...Oh, and the way Palak and Payal immediately ask Yash whether they'll be going with Ansh, too...The closeness of the siblings is heartwarming! Love all those nuances!

- Later in the day, Prashant tries to shoo Aarti and Yash out of the Dubeys' house; the entire time Prashant is speaking, Yash fixes him with a hostile stare, thinly veiled anger burning in his eyes. As soon as Prashant stalks off to sit at the dining table to be a silent spectator of the husband-wife conversation that follows, Yash walks to Aarti's side and places a supportive hand on her shoulder. He knows how difficult this is for her, but she needs to take care of herself and the other three little ones also; he gently reassures her that Palak and Payal's Ansh will be with them very soon, and Aarti draws strength from his words, leaving him for the night with a hoarse, caring, "Khayal rakhiyega..." to which he responds with a gentle nod.

This Yash-Prashant moment is nowhere near as intense as the one in the Scindia driveway, but it gave me a feeling of the one-upmanship game that Prashant has been turning Ansh's custody battle into...I like how Vineet displays Prashant's irritation with Shobha, Yash, and Aarti in tiny ways. I tend to feel slightly amused, slightly sad...mostly annoyed with Prashant whenever he does that. Kudos to the Mittals for still making me feel sad that Prashant could have been allowed into Ansh's life at one point, before his need to be in complete control of everything that "belongs to him" took over...The "could have been" is a tragedy, but what we face now - Ansh's kidnapping and both Aarti's and Ansh's lives at stake - has turned cold even the little sympathy I used to harbor for Prashant, hoping against hope that he wouldn't stoop so low.

I love the consistency in the moments when Yash and Aarti support each other. Physically, they are becoming more and more comfortable with being slightly more demonstrative beyond the sphere of their own home. It's as if they are the only ones in the world at times like this - Prashant be damned - if they have each other, they will be okay. I really like how Aarti instantly takes Yash's hand into her own, while his fingers wrap around hers reflexively. She looks at their hands for a moment, looking up at her husband to quietly request him to take care of himself...He nods and blinks slowly, his mouth twitching ever so slightly in a hint of a reassuring smile. I will take care of myself, Aartiji...Don't worry. Aarti notices Prashant sitting and watching them, like an arrogant ruler of his own kingdom, and it is only then that she wipes away the tear on her cheek, her face hardening for a second. Another tiny thing I noticed is that when Aarti turns away from Yash, she holds onto his hand for as long as possible before she has to walk away and let go. It seems as if she is clutching his hand, even squeezing it, maybe. Ah, the way her face falls and clouds over as she turns away...the way Yash's face loses its serene smile as soon as her hand leaves his...the pain that spreads across his face as he swallows, watching his Aartiji walk away from him, entrusting him to stay with their son, their Ansh...Aarti is truly Yash's support if Ansh, Palak, and Payal are the ones who complete their lives. She provides stability and solace for him as much as he does for her. I initially didn't notice the way that, as soon as Kratika left the frame, Gurmeet stood motionless and swallowed as if it was slightly difficult to do so...Such small details that stand out, such touching performances by Kratika and Gurmeet in this short scene!

- THIS is our PV. How did this stay intact? The sequence was short (it seemed like it might have been cut or compressed into a tiny mini-song sequence in the interests of time) but it was still very sweet. Yash and Aarti's little family, which started out as a non-entity composed of reluctant "parents-to-be" and arguing children, now has such a close-knit, loving sense of togetherness that while Yash Papa is staying up, outside on the inner courtyard stairs in the cold, for his son's sake, in the upper room of Scindia House, Aarti Mumma and her two darling angels are also still awake in silent vigil for their loved ones who have been temporarily separated from them. Like the earlier Yeh Dil Hai, Bhare Naina, and Kitni Baatein sequences, as far as I can remember right now, this one is also broken into segments that transition from one set of characters to another, simultaneously showing what they are doing in a small period of time.

- The first shot we see is a tilting one that begins with Palak rubbing her face quickly. I instantly wondered if she was wiping a tear away from her cheek...Maybe, maybe not. She and Payal turn toward their Mumma, watching her as she strokes their hair absent-mindedly, a tear poised, unmoving, on the edge of her lashes.

- She notices the girls looking up at her, gives them a brief smile, and then wipes away that tear, which had slowly begun to trail down her cheek. What they are going through is not just painful for her and her Yashji...It is also affecting their daughters, even if they are too young to understand why all of this is happening. Their brother isn't with them, they miss him, and it is so, so touching that they choose to stay up with their beloved Mumma for as long as they can - because if she is worried and unable to sleep because of thoughts of Papa and Ansh, neither can they. Aarti senses this, and bends down to drop a loving kiss on both daughters' foreheads, wiping more tears away with newfound determination to stay strong for them.

- As the girls fall asleep, comforted by their mother's touch, the vigilant mother and worried wife fights back a fresh wave of tears, trying desperately to hold them in check because of her children. This will be over soon. A new morning will come, bringing Papa and their Ansh home again.

- It breaks my heart every time to see Yash sitting on those stairs in the courtyard. Just like Kratika in her scenes, Gurmeet's body language also says so much about the ordeal that his character is going through, and the full impact of the sequence for me lies in that body language and the juxtaposition between Yash/Aarti/Palak-Payal and Prashant/Ansh that arises because of the transitions and the lyrics of the song.

- Yash shifts positions multiple times, trying to find a comfortable sitting position because sleep evades him, just as it evades his wife...He is cold, very cold - brilliant micro-detailing and nuances here, portrayed and captured perfectly: Gurmeet's hunched posture, arms crossed or attempting to provide some warmth, toes curling as he moves his feet so that the toes are facing inward; the shaky, chilly intakes of breath and exhalations that come out as puffs of expelled air...All that, plus the way he finally moves closer to the stair railing and leans his head against it, still unable to succumb to sleep...My heart goes out to Yash every single time.

- The desperate father...The one who will stop at nothing to get "his son" back, as if Ansh had been snatched away from him wrongfully. From the interactions between Ansh and Prashant in this sequence inside the Dubeys' house, it seems as if Prashant would have been a very warm and indulgent father...but in moments of trouble - or even in situations that rub him the wrong way - he pulls his hand away, as seen in the courtroom scenes that follow later...

- Yes, Prashant could have been a good Papa, maybe...He indulges Ansh with Maggi noodles, toys, ice cream...and Ansh, like any little boy, laps up all the attention (and food) that his "dost uncle" is showering on him in a display of kindness.

- "Aapka galaa kharaab ho jaata hai na?" - Mumma had reminded him to take care of what he eats, since Ansh is probably prone to sore throats, colds, and the like...Yet he eats Prashant's proffered ice creams...and he has to pay for it later, with a cough that doesn't go away in the morning...Prashant seems to be all about providing things that will keep Ansh entertained. Things that Ansh wants. And that's fine. But what about things that he needs, like a gentle reprimand and advice if eating ice cream during winter months is not good for his throat?

- Prashant pulls Ansh to him in a hug that is initiated by him and that seems, once again, quite desperate. Just like the day in the park, Prashant takes the initiative to hold Ansh close, possessively...He doesn't want to let go...because in his mind, Ansh is his, and only his. And he will win.

- This song can be interpreted in a few ways, but if I look at the transitions of the portions that are shown, I see a thin thread connecting Yash, Aarti, and Ansh in a rather interesting way. Possibly. Just a few thoughts out loud because they caught my attention:

- "Dil hai kahin aur dhadkan hai kahin..." - Ansh is the heart, Yash is the one for whom that little heart beats - Yash is the one who embodies those heartbeats...and connected to them is Aarti, to whom Palak and Payal are connected...

- "Saansein hai magar main zinda kyun nahi...?" - Aarti's breaths (her daughters, perhaps) are with her, but she is not complete without her heart and those heartbeats - her Ansh and his Papa. Like living corpses, Yash and Aarti cannot live without their children, just like those three little ones (and the fourth) depend on their parents...

- A new morning arrives...Aarti, Palak, and Payal are already waiting in front of the court for Yash and Ansh to reunite with them before the final proceedings begin. As Yash's car pulls up, a happy and relieved Aarti murmurs, "Ansh aa gaya!" watching as father and son get out of the car and walk over to Aarti and the girls. Ansh reassures his Mumma that he is fine, but when Aarti leaves to take Payal and Palak to the restroom, he begins coughing. An anxious Yash notices and quickly rushes to the car for some cough medicine, but when he returns, Ansh has disappeared. The worry sets in instantly, and the father calls out to the son, searching...

Divyam and Gurmeet. Love them! I adore the way Gurmeet always ruffles Divyam's hair, cups the child's face in his hands, and often places his hands on the boy's head or shoulders when they're standing, kneeling, or sitting together. I've noticed that Kratika does the same thing with Divyam, Palak, and Dhriti as well (except she pulls their cheeks instead of ruffling their hair). The comfort between the adult cast and the younger cast, especially the bonds between the three children and their "Yash Bhaiyya" and "Aarti Didi" is just lovely; these "parents" and their "children" have come such a long way and the bond seems to be getting stronger by the day!

- Maybe that diamond was symbolic? I can't figure out if it actually means anything or if it was placed there just so that Ansh could slip and fall. Maybe it has something to do with Ansh liking toys or things that catch his eye. I don't know if this will make any more sense after next week's episodes, but let's see. More importantly, Yash reaches the spot where Ansh is and barely begins to express his concern about Ansh's condition when he receives a nice scolding from a woman (Dilshad), who calls him irresponsible and unattentive and tells him to take care of his child. As Dilshad leaves, throwing a disapproving look at Yash, Aarti watches the older woman, clearly unhappy with the rebuke that Yash has just received. I wonder what Dilshad would've said if she had known about how Prashant had abandoned Aarti while she was pregnant and had never cared to look back for years...I wonder if similar thoughts of Prashant flashed through Aarti's mind at that point as well...Yash is a very attentive father - definitely much more than he used to be - and he is more caring than Prashant...but how would Dilshad have known that?

- In the courtroom, Aarti is the first one to notice the woman they had run into in the corridor; she senses something familiar and reflects back, linking face to words. As recognition sets in, so does apprehension.

I think it is rather cute how Yash leans forward just a tiny bit to take a look at the woman Aarti recognized and told him about only seconds before. Gurmeet's face is like, "Huh? Is it? Oh, no..." And as Kratika's face reflects Aarti's newfound tensions, Gurmeet reflects the same worries Yash has for a moment; but then he looks over at her, probably wanting to say something else at first. He stops, sees her eyes fixed on the woman sitting in front of them, and senses that Aarti is very stressed about this. I love the way he whispers, "Kuch nahi hoga, Aartiji..." and holds her anxious gaze with his own in an attempt to combat tension with determined optimism. I think he also places his hand on top of hers...I wish we could have seen that more clearly, but that's okay. This Mahasangam would've been even longer, and I don't know if anyone besides the dedicated PV viewers would've appreciated such "small gestures." I'm just glad I caught it.

- While the judge explains the Game of Trust to the people present in the room, Prashant, Yash, and Aarti listen carefully. Prashant is the first one to rise from his seat, ready to play this game and win...For Yash, this is not just a game - his son's happiness hangs in the balance.

I like Gurmeet's furrowed-brow expressions and attentive body language here, but I really enjoy watching Kratika's expressions during this part - while both Gurmeet and Vineet are listening to the judge's rules, Kratika's face transitions through quite a few expressions of incredulity and worry in varying degrees. Well done, Kratika, really, because I felt the same way: "A game? To decide whom Ansh loves more? What sort of a game is this? Ohhh, God. I hope everything goes well..." And the moment she puts her palm to her face, I always end up chuckling in spite of myself. Just the little things she does to express Aarti's rising stress levels are so fabulous and they end up being unintentionally amusing sometimes (like the famous suhaag raat episodes) simply because they seem so spontaneous. Aha, and I think Yash gives Aarti a little nod just before he gets up - love that split-second nod from Gurmeet! I just wish we could've seen Kratika at the same time as well so that the camera didn't have to pan over to catch her face at the end...Oh well. Aside: I like the actor playing the judge's role. He was great in Thursday's episode, and quite nice here, too.

This game. I think I might understand the intentions behind using this game as a test for both fathers...Presented in the courtroom as a test for Ansh, in a sense, I think that was sort of like a blind, so that the fathers wouldn't think that they were being observed as closely as Ansh would be...I really, really wish this had been handled better, with more sensitivity. But still, silver lining.

- Ansh calls out for his Mumma repeatedly when the playroom is plunged into sudden darkness. If the intention was to make the child uncomfortable so that his responses to the adults' presence would be based on finding the one he gravitates toward in times of fear and discomfort, I suppose I can tolerate the flashing lights and all. Dramatic effect? Umm...If you say so. I prefer sensitivity. But then maybe we wouldn't have been able to see the faces of the two creatures...Okay. [Why, why, why was Gurmeet given that costume? I know they both start with "G" but this is Yashji we're talking about...We know what the man sounds like! *exasperated sigh*]

- Something I noticed in the middle of all the random, confusing, pointless shots...Possibly one of the only meaningful moments that actually managed to make a little bit of sense to me: We hear Yash's voice, calling out to Ansh gently...Ansh is terrified of the figure and runs away, only to be accosted by the other figure, Prashant. While Yash reaches out to Ansh and requests for his son to come to him gently, Prashant tries to scoop up the boy, issuing what comes across to me as more of a command than a request. Yash doesn't try to control Ansh against his will...For Prashant, it's all about making Ansh come to him and stay with him...

- Ansh screams for his Mumma and Papa, wanting to be let free. Aarti's frantic pleas to let her son out of the dark room fall on understanding ears - the game is almost complete, just wait a little longer...In the playroom, Ansh's fear causes him to wet his pants slightly - a natural reaction when fear and stress are overwhelming - and he cowers in a corner, feeling trapped...

Throwback to the time when Ansh was locked up in the storeroom by Gayatri, possibly. Then, too, Aarti had tried to plead for Ansh to be let out; he had gotten hurt out of fear then as well...Yash had not been around for Ansh at the time, but a connected series of events led to Yash taking a bullet for the little boy, effectively consolidating his bond with Ansh as one of father and son. Yash gained Ansh's trust, devotion, and love...and gradually he earned Aarti's respect, admiration, and love, too...Aarti trusts Yash with Ansh, just like Ansh trusts only his Yash Papa wherever Mumma is concerned.

- Prashant takes advantage of Ansh's immobility and takes the opportunity to pick up the child, but he drops him just as quickly, disgusted. From Prashant's impulsive shouts, Yash realizes just how frightened Ansh really is by all of these antics, and he wastes no time in taking off his mask to take a look at Ansh properly. Both Aarti and the judge see all this from their vantage points outside...

It is interesting how Aarti responds at this point. First she seems shocked that Yash took off the mask, but then the shock is replaced with relief as Yash gathers Ansh into his arms and picks him up. Their son responds immediately, hugging his Papa just as tightly. "Papa, aap kahan the?" His Papa, who helps him with his pant zippers when they get stuck, isn't repelled by what Prashant considers to be "gandagi." Yash, although unrelated to Ansh in terms of bodily fluids like blood, understands what his son is going through, transcending the physical and linking it to the emotions within.

- The camera shifts back to Aarti's face...and I can't read her expression very well because...ABRUPT CUT. Hooray.

[I will take this chance to say...I can't believe I've written so much. I'm getting closer to the end of the court scenes, which means that will be the end of this post. And I'm not done yet.]

- Back in the courtroom, Prashant asserts that he won the game since he didn't break any of the rules. Yash turns to look at Aarti with an expression that was panned over so quickly that I am left wondering if he was thinking, "Are you serious? Ansh was so terrified and this is all he can think about? Winning?" or if it was just plain dramatic shock. Anyway, Yash and Aarti are understandably not pleased about this. Dilshad seems to think this is the right time to speak up, which stuns Yash and moves Aarti, who looks at her husband with a glimmer of pride in her tear-glazed eyes. Notable moments: One, Dubeyji's nod of agreement when Dilshad voices her opinion in favor of Yash. Two, the look that SP gives to Prashant, who expresses irritation again. Three, Gayatri's smile - even before the final verdict is announced, she cannot hold back her happiness. Aww! [But what about the February 1st thing? And the whole issue of "getting Yash and his daughters back" - I hope we get some more clues about this soon.] I will disregard that for now, because that smile was so unexpected. Aww! Four, Dubeyji's glance towards Prashant after the verdict is given - I am confused about this one: Dubeyji seems happy until he happens to glance at Prashant...I thought Dubeyji looked kind of disappointed and mildly disapproving during that brief glance. It seemed almost dismissive to me. But I don't know. It went by so quickly.

- "Ansh ki custody...Mr. Yash Scindia ko saunpti hai."

Aarti is beside herself with joy, while Yash squeezes his eyes shut, overwhelmed. Such a beautiful moment! Both Gurmeet and Kratika are spectacular in this scene. Every shared glance, every smile...Watching the two of them left me overjoyed as well! It is remarkable how Gurmeet lives this moment and lets the emotions sweep him away. Yash shuts his eyes, takes a deep breath, and the tension floods out of his body, replaced by a wave of happy relief. Just beautiful! The glow of joy on Yash and Aarti's faces as they look at each other and smile is the manifestation of the love that two parents have for their children - each other's flesh and blood, united by a very strong bond of love.

Yash puts his arm around Aarti and then helps her up with both hands on her shoulders a moment later, his eyes hardly leaving her face. She takes his hand into both of her own, clasping them tightly together. He smiles warmly as she lowers her head and touches her lips to their hands, nearly laughing, her voice filled with pure happiness. "Thank you, Yashji, thank you so much!" He takes her into a light embrace, resting his hands on her shoulder as she half laughs, half cries, leaning into his chest with one hand close to his heart. Yash lifts his eyes upward as his fingers lightly rub his wife's shoulder briefly. Everything seems all right in the world, now that their Ansh is going to be with them. They made it.

That was a lovely throwback to the night Aarti confessed her pregnancy complications to Yash, tearfully asking for his support...Not long after that, he had opened his arms to her one more time, offering her his shoulder to rest her head on for a few moments of peace...

- The transitions between the QH and PV portions were both frustrating and amusing at times...I still think the editing of the motorcycle scene near the beginning is hilarious. Oh, memories! 😆 Less amusing is the abruptness of some of the transitions between the courtroom scenes and the Mangalpur inn portions. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

- SP and his bitterness against "that woman" continues...Yash took a chance, perhaps with the hope that his father was as moved by the verdict of Ansh's custody case as Gayatri was, but no such luck. Foreboding wipes the optimism off of Yash's face, even as Gayatri tries to cheer up her son and bahu. Prashant and his fabulous dialogue: Mangalpur se Amangalpur. Waah! Please don't say that again on Monday...

{MS Episode} [Part 2] Lag Jaa Gale...: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/punar-vivah/3399929/ms-episode-lag-jaa-gale

Now i am waiting for ur analysis on the rest and esp. lag jaa gale...

You know I can't NOT do a commentary on that BTS footage! It's Gurmeet&Kratika! I won't be able to sit in peace until I write about it! LOL at the "asking for too much" bit. You are, but you're lucky you know my weaknesses 😆 Keep waiting...Intezaar ka phal meetha hota hai!

@ashGC_arja: Thanks so much! That interpretation is one of many possible ones, I'm sure...Those were only a few of the thoughts that came to mind the first time I saw the episode. I might expand on that later, if I have time...

Ur write up is so soothing as well as beautiful..it is just like re watching a our own PV episode..

I was thinking the same..but read so many negativity about the episode..

.From yesterday episode I have separate the PV part in my mind then I loved the all above scene ...

Jyo..I agree with u...this is our PV...I love that night scene too...

All caps in it? Well missy, the only way to drill the fact into your head was to emphasise the point and since I can't say it out to you, using caps is the only thing that I can do! 😛 I am gonna write more for sure, since my laptop has finally been repaired! That thing is more annoying than Prashant! 😆

Heee that I do but you know, just for the sake of being courteous? 😛😆 Meetha phal?! Wonder how meetha the meetha phal is gonna be! That aside, why are Gurmeet and Kratika so naturally adorable? ☺️