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Today, the CVs allowed Rudra to umm... play...with everybody's minds in a ruthless bid to unmask the truth.
It was all a game to Paro. Of that Rudra was certain. There was no other reason why she should insist on remaining in the house even though he'd told, no, ordered her in no uncertain terms to leave. He didn't want to see so much as her shadow in the haveli.
The girl had the nerve to look him in the eye and tell him that she would not leave. And when he threatened to throw her out of the house, she had the gall to hold out her hand to him. To call his bluff.
And then she walked in to Bapusa's room with a pot bold as brass and folded back Bapusa's blanket off his feet. That's when Rudra's eyes fell on her wrist, now encircled by his rudraksha. Her explanation: that it had accidentally entangled with her rudraksha in the Mela when he'd grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving with the Thakur, to save her from certain death. And it had protected her, saved her, she said, when he could not, physically. But she wouldn't give it back to him until he forgave her.
He was on his way out, when her voice arrested him. The herbal paste she was applying on Bapusa's feet was her Mamisa's concoction with amazing curative powers - applied three times a week it could bring a man back to consciousness. And she hadn't mixed any poison in it.
That was it. No more games. He gave up. He had to know. So he sat down and asked her straight out for the answer. What was she doing? Why was she doing it? No, not her care or playing at care for Bapusa. But her stubbornness that didn't back down in the face of his requests, threats, humiliation. Her search, desire, demand for his forgiveness. Why? Why was his forgiveness so important? Why did she set so much store by it?
Her explanation didn't make sense. Should he believe that she was actually dying, breaking from inside because he wouldn't forgive her? That she wanted to convince him that she had no hand in what happened to Bapusa, he could well believe. Although even that didn't make sense. After all who was she to him, to Bapusa? But that she was in an agony of repentance that she hadn't believed him earlier that she'd given him so much trouble, was frankly beyond his understanding.
He simply couldn't comprehend why it mattered to her at all what he thought of her, whether he believed her, if he forgave her. What difference did it make? What was he to her anyway? Why long for forgiveness from the man she'd called a jallad?
She wouldn't let him call himself that. She'd been wrong to call him Jallad, she apologised. And it mattered to her...all of it. He was her protector. How could he ask her what he was to her? He was...and the words trembled on her lips, shimmered on her lashes, hovered on their breaths, feathered against their skin, knocked on their minds, almost sank into their consciousness...almost.
Then Rudra narrowed his eyes against the clarity, the innocence, the sincerity shining in hers. Rejected her new game. Because that's what it must be. A new scheme. He stalked out. But couldn't escape the words. It mattered to her, she'd said. He was her protector. Then how could he ask her what he was to her. Unless. Unless it was hero-worship. Some delusion in her brain that he cared for her well-being. Therefore she was bound to him. That he mattered. So she couldn't leave him. Unless that's what she wanted him to think.
It took him the best part of the night to figure out a plan that would reveal the truth. Ruthless, but it would do the job. He was back in control when his eyes rested on her for a long, calculating moment as she slept at his father's feet. It was time to play ball.
He went to his room and packed a bag with money. Then went to get Paro. He spoke without heat, reasonably. He'd thought long about what she'd said. He believed that she repented for what she'd done. And he accepted that he was important to her. Her eager agreement that he was important to her only spurred him on. Now they had to figure out to what extent she could go gain his forgiveness, he told her, and received more uncontained enthusiasm, fervent promises. She could go to any extent; could do any thing; whatever he asked her to do; as long as he forgave her. He didn't really care, but he asked her anyway, to rethink her decision. Just so his conscience was clear. And she fell over herself to have him believe her: she'd thought about it. And even if he asked for her life she wouldn't question it.
He took her to the courtyard, before his family. And declared that he would forgive Paro, on one condition. She would have to do what he asked of her. Only then would he accept that her repentance, penance, her apology and her innocence were true and not an act. He turned to Paro for confirmation. Which the girl gave without hesitation.
So then he picked up a little pot of sindoor kept in front of the Lord and held it out in his palm for all to see, and tipped back the lid. And proposed marriage to Paro. To a shocked, speechless, Paro. He repeated his question to the girl who'd been willing to give her life for his forgiveness, but couldn't answer this one question. "Will you marry...Sumer?"
He might as well have thrown a grenade into the courtyard for the shell-shock that greeted his proposal. The gasps only accentuated the silence. But he was only interested in Paro's reaction. Her wide-eyed, open-mouthed disbelief. "Yes or no, Paro?" He prompted, brows-lowered over narrowed-eyes. It was Kakisa who took offence. Sumer would say no, she said. So Rudra asked Sumer, whose sneers had also melted into shock, to open the bag at his foot.
Sumer would not open any bag, Kakisa was furious. But Sumer had already pulled out bundles of cash from the bag. "There's three lakh in the bag. I'll give you 10 more. I know you dream of leaving Chandangarh and going to Jaipur. It will be fulfilled. Think about it. In return I want you to marry this girl and take her away from here." "Enough! That's enough!" It was Kakisa who broke. "This is my son not some vegetable in the market that you'll throw money at him and buy him!" "When do I marry her?" Sumer, however, had other ideas. Rudra made no attempt to mask his triumph. Sumer could marry her today. And leave that evening. Sumer would get the rest of the money after the wedding. The smile on Sumer's face told its own story. And he stepped up to shake on the deal, take the sindoor and Paro off Rudra's hands.
And dusting the traces of the sindoor off his hands, Rudra turned to the bride for her answer. Turned to a numb, horrified, girl on whom her avowals of repentence, penance, need for forgiveness, had all backfired. Bigtime!
What an episode!! Rudra's audacious, ruthless proposal, came out of left-field and knocked the breath out of me just as much as it did Paro and all the Ranawats gathered in the courtyard. So, this then was cool, calculating Rudra upping the ante. Responding, as he thought, in kind to Paro's game - her false avowals of innocence and need for forgiveness, her claims that he mattered. For, how could that be true? Because if her claims were true then... then they went against the grain of all that he believed in, beautiful women, their deception, their self-centredness. And so he drew back from the truth that stared him in the face.
The CVs gave us a captivating episode that tugged at the heart-strings as much as it played with the mind. And gave us rage, intimacy, pathos and humour all in one episode. The episode continued with Friday's PaRud altercation in the kitchen. Paro was the winner. And again in Dilsher's bedroom. So it was Rudra's turn to win at the end of today. And tomorrow it looks like Rudra will realise that his win isn't making him happy. No win at all, actually! Many lovely moments today such as the PaRud conversations in Dilsher's bedroom. There were some unlovely, but searing, moments too - I refer to the sindoor exchange between Rudra and Sumer and the way Rudra dusted his hands off afterwards.
Fabulous acting all around! But especially Ashish, who proficiently rolled out the many shades of his mind-games, which didn't quite conceal his anger and frustration or the moments of hope in between. Sanaya's defiance, enthusiasm, shock and pain were palpable. And the actor who plays Sumer was delightful especially when he thumbed his nose at his furious and frightened mother, played impeccably by Ananya. đđđđ to all the cast!
After the precap I absolutely can't wait for tomorrow!! đ
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Mangal Lakshmi
