Posted:
Today, Rudra executed his version of the Great Indian Rope Trick, and much like the other magicians who've performed this classic act, he left his audience shaken and stirred.
Having dumped the still-out-of-it Paro on a rather oddly wall-papered stage, Rudra made haste to get his props in place. First up were the black-out blinds in an appropriately dramatic colour. And then came the actual rope itself - not the simple-coil-in-a-basket rope, but coils-and bundles-in-the-Jeep rope - this rope trick would clearly be without parallel.
Commenced the act: Rudra tied one end of the rope to a pillar in the far courtyard, and then the rope underwent complex contortions that saw it being wound, looped and knotted in a fantastic reconfiguration. Until, (drumroll and...) Voila! Magician Rudra presented his Great Indian Rope Trick - the Partition of the Haveli version, complete with every magicians' staple - pigeons!!!
His newly-released audience of Kaki and daughter-in-law were suitably shocked and awed. Rudra was thoughtfully providing water for his dry-mouthed audience, when his Kaka swelled its ranks. Having successfully captured their attention - Rudra embarked on his, well, not-so-charming-but-very-effective spiel: "This side of the rope belongs to me...and if any of you tries to cross it, you will pay for it."
Finding their reality dissolving into a nightmare, Kaka, on behalf of the audience, tried to reason with Rudra, but to no avail. Rudra, like every good magician faced with an unhappy audience, had disappeared.
At the other end of the rope, the (literally) captive Paro had come to her senses. Except that she couldn't make sense of her surroundings. Props lay scattered everywhere. There was the soft couch she'd risen from, the discarded boot underfoot, posters of strangely-garbed women, an exercise bench...all bathed in a red glow. She switched on the light, and saw the writing on the wall - Rudra. That explained it.
Rudra, meanwhile, had reappeared in the kitchen, and was rousing wilder emotions still in his audience by throwing pots and pans into sacks. He hefted the sacks and strode away again, leaving his audience wild-eyed and dumb-struck.
Now Rudra joined Paro at the other end of the rope and held her mesmerised as he conjured up tins of dry-fruit, pickle, and flour of the self-raising variety, which promptly levitated itself out of the tin and painted his face white. This trick so captivated Paro that she forgot to be afraid. And for a moment he held her gaze - her unwary, lingering gaze - and read its message right. Because with a flick of the wrist he magicked up a mirror, restored his colour to what it was before the flour, and done with the reflector, turned it back into a lid.
Now he offered her water, and like with his other audience at the end of their rope, it released her from the spell. "Where am I?" Paro asked. His answer only deepened her anxiety. "Where no-one can get to you and you can get to no-one," he said. He was going out for the night, but she needn't worry, he soothed her, she was safe. With that he picked up one sack, preparatory to disappearing.
But she couldn't let that happen.
"Rudra!" The sound of his name on her lips, soft, entreating, stopped him in his tracks. "This is your name?" "Yes, so?" He still wouldn't turn around. "It's the name of Lord Shiva the destroyer...of evil." It was her turn to try and put a spell on him. "Tell me clearly what you mean." She sweet-talked him: "They say there is a devil and an angel inside each one of us, so I appeal to the angel in you to have mercy on me." But he'd have none of it. "This food, your life - this IS mercy."
She tried harder: "...Why have you kept me captive? Why am I not free?...Why have you killed my people." His voice harsh with anger he gave her the reason: "...because your people are traitors and the punishment for treason is death..."
Now her chant was edged with despair: "You want to kill me too. You've only kept me alive because you want me to implicate the Thakur." He did not deny it. "But marrying across the border is not treason!" She cried out in anguish. He wouldn't give an inch. "But to help traitors in the guise of a wedding is."
Now she binned the pleas, the persuasion, the sweet-talk. She just protested her innocence and called him a liar. At that, his control cracked. He grabbed her shoulders and promised her that he'd make her confess that the men he'd killed were traitors and terrorists.
Singed by his fury, she grabbed her own charm, her Mangalsutra. He caught her looking at it, and his temper blazed out of control. "What does this prove - all this hanging on to this...running away?...That you are blameless, innocent?" Frightened by his fury now, she begged him to stop. And surprisingly, after a breath, he did.
But as he made for the door, she couldn't resist one final taunt: "You may have control over my life, but not over my death." He'd reached the door, but at that he returned. All menace now, he told her in no uncertain terms that actually since the explosion he did have control over her death. And threatened her that if she tried anything stupid, he'd lay to waste everybody in her village - much like Lord Shiva, when his third eye was opened. And once more robbing her of her senses, he vanished.
On the other side of the rope, his Kaka told him they'd had enough of the trick, and begged him to take down the rope. But Rudra was unmoved. The rope would stay. Kaki was made of sterner stuff and hurled insults at him. Only the tic flickering in his face hinted at their impact. And then, with his glares firmly in place, the magician made his exit.
The rope remained. And on either side of it the captives pleaded into the unhearing night for their release. Both unaware that the trick was incomplete still, and that a final reveal awaited that would put the Great into this Indian rope trick.
Good episode today developing the partition theme, and hinting at its consequences, thereby feeding the plot. 👏👏👏 Kudos to the CVs and crew for great lines and some nifty juxtaposition of shots.
Ashish was convincing as the ruthless Major, determined to have his way come insult or plea. The payback to Kaki made for great entertainment, and yet Rudra had better watch out, because this one stings. The actress who plays fulminating, furious, vengeful Kaki gave us an admirable performance. 👏👏 And Kaka continues to be likeable.
But it was Sanaya who stole the show today. What a performance!! She gave us bemused, persuasive, challenging, unafraid, terrified, frantic all in one episode. And her sobs at the end when she asked to be let out were really heart-breaking. 👏👏👏 Rudra, you'd better be nice to her in tomorrow's episode or else...
Hindi TV Shows
