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Today, faced with two impossible choices - marry Sumer and get Rudra's forgiveness, or refuse to marry Sumer and remain unforgiven - Paro prayed to Bholenath for a way out. And Bholenath heard the pleas of His clean-hearted, sincere devotee and sent her a rescue package.
It was useless to expect any help from the Ranawats. In the aftermath of Rudra's exit, they stood there wrangling about Sumer, while she stood turned to stone. Unseeing, unhearing. Just feeling. Feeling so much that her cheeks dampened with the overflow. Yet she made no move to dry them. Insulated, weighed down by despair, heartbreak and betrayal so that nothing penetrated. Not that Sumer was going to be ruined. Not the flaws in Sumer's upbringing. Not the unbeatable bargain, the cash gift that she was.
She just waited until the courtyard emptied of the last avaricious or disgusted or fed-up or pitying or hate-filled glance before she turned to her last resort. She pleaded to the Lord for help. She wanted Rudra's forgiveness. But not by marrying Sumer. She was at a loss. What should she do?
Sumer's crafty marketing spiel targeted at the tender-hearted butterfly of a girl who was made for romance, she rejected outright. Ignored all his talk of wanting to love her. Of his large heart. Of making her a good husband.
But that didn't stop her eyes welling up when he called her Paro. That name that she hadn't given even Rudra the permission to call her, but which was now his and only his to use. A privilege that Rudra had thrown away without a second thought. Sumer was talking about leaving Chandangarh and going to Jaipur, leaving everything behind, the girls, Bapusa, Rudra... She could not stop her eyes brimming over, and watched helpless as Sumer reached out to brush the tears off her face.
Only to be rescued by Rudra. Once more her protector. Standing between her and the slightest harm. His conversational tones at odds with the look in his eyes, Rudra flicked Sumer off like an irritating fly. Before turning to the one who mattered - she, Paro. Sombre now, brows pleated, as he took in her pain, her averted, tear-stained profile.
He offered her a way out. "You're going to back out of this wedding," he told her. Urged. Insisted. "I know you won't marry. You'll leave this house. But you won't marry that loafer." His eyes bored into hers, tried to sway her to his will. "That's your intention, isn't it?" He backed her against a pillar, his fingers biting into her shoulders as he brought his face closer. Did she know that beautiful women couldn't be trusted? Couldn't belong to anyone, he offered, his throat working. "Refuse this marriage and go from here. Go." His eyes were as fierce as his tone, compelling, distraught. But the order sounded like a plea. So she threw it back in his face. "Your words say something and your eyes something else." He left her then.
But divine help was on its way. It brought to Mythili the duplicate bridal veil that Devyani had dropped during her flight. And the absence of the mended border raised enough doubt in Mythili's mind that she made her way to Paro.
To a Paro who rejected the very idea of marriage to Sumer as much as she wanted Rudra's forgiveness. What should she do? She begged her Jija for help. To tell her what to do. And Mythili showed her the way. She should ask her heart, she told Paro, why it hesitated to marry Sumer. Was it worth Rudra's forgiveness to spend the rest of her life with Sumer? And if Rudra's forgiveness was so necessary then why the hesitation? Could it be that Paro wanted to spend her life not with Sumer but with someone else?
And Paro, turning to the mirror to peer into her heart, found her answer when she looked back to see Rudra. He had something to give her, he said, that might help her with her decision. He took hold of her wrist and led her to his room. He knew she would not back down; that she would say yes to marrying Sumer, so he wanted to give her something for the wedding.
And before her puzzled eyes he opened his cupboard and pulled out his gift, which fell to the floor in a bundle of blue and red, as he turned around with something in his hands - her very first wedding dress. It had all started with that dress, he said, returning it to her as if by giving it back he could turn back the clock, undo it all - the past weeks, the old memories, the new feelings.
The pain of his rejection leached into her voice. Why was he doing this to her? He denied he was doing anything to her. She was the one who'd wanted his forgiveness, so... So she asked him straight out. Would he forgive her with a clean heart and be at peace if she married Sumer? He paused for a telltale moment. Then his face firmed and he said "Yes" loud enough to convince everyone in the room.
Then turned away to pick up the blue shirt off the floor and throw it back into the cupboard. That's when Paro saw the red doll. A doll so familiar that it was in her hands as soon as she spotted it. And out of her hands even faster, as he snatched it from her. She was not worthy of seeing, touching it, he told her. This, the one sweet, pure, unselfish memory of his childhood. Of a small friend of a few moments. He clutched the doll to his heart. The balm that stopped his wounds bleeding. But he didn't expect Paro to understand. He just wanted her out of his life with or without his forgiveness by the evening.
Paro flew to the cupboard the moment he was out of the room to take out the doll. Her doll surely? With trembling fingers she turned over the corner of the doll's red veil, and saw her initial embroidered in. It was her doll. The one she'd given to the inconsolable boy in the bus. The precious memory, the small friend that Rudra treasured was her! Paro stared at the rescue package in her hands. She'd found a way.
Today, the CVs gave us the doll dhamaaka. The episode meandered through much humour to give us the dramatic reveal right at the end - Paro's rescue package out of the Sumer-means-forgiveness mess. But more importantly, the doll was Paro's means to finally acknowledge what she felt for Rudra. Paro's love is out in the open now, and makes me worry about what lies in store for her at Rudra's hands. How ruthless is the man - gifting her her first wedding dress just to make her back down!! I expect many more low blows.
A lighter episode today with moments of hilarity and some razor-sharp lines. Kakisa's panic, Sumer's intransigence and crude courting added to the enjoyment. The lightness lent gravitas to the serious touches - Mythili's find of the duplicate dupatta, which hopefully she will pass on to Rudra and restore Paro's reputation - the PaRud moments, and Sanaya's quandary.
Acting honours are shared between Sanaya, and Ashish for their chemistry that burned up the screen just through their eyelocks. And Sanaya's portrayal of a woman at war with herself, standing on the brink of an earth-shaking revelation. đđđ to them and to Ananya and the actor who plays Sumer for giving us many delightful moments today.
After the precap, dreading but still looking forward to tomorrow night!!
Noyontara
Kumkum Bhagya
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