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Tonight the CVs gave us bonds old and new being forged afresh or acquiring a new look as relationships in the Ranawat haveli were rebuilt.
It was largely the tale of the two Mangalsutras tonight, as Rudra and Dilsher contemplated the black and gold bead strings in their hands. Mangalsutras that should rightly have encircled their wives' necks, the gold heated by the beating pulse of a thriving relationship. Instead of which they dangled or lay cupped in partial significance in the hands of the father and son.
For Rudra, it was his own reticence that stopped him bridging the chasm. He was the one holding back - waiting for the perfect time, the perfect occasion, the perfect mood to complete that ceremony. To cement their relationship and grow it. Paro had confessed that she was more than ready.
For Dilsher, who had clung on to Mala's discarded Mangalsutra for fifteen long years, the necklace was a symbol first of his wedding and then of his mistakes. And Dilsher was unwilling to let go of the memories of either, or the hope that flared anew when Mala returned. A hope that was snuffed out when Mala confessed that she'd returned for her son. To rebuild that relationship. And the only relationship she could offer Dilsher was that of a partner in their team challenge to win back her son's love. Meagre though the offer, Dilsher took it, even as he set the Mangalsutra down, for now, and turned to the task closer to Mala's heart.
There were other bonds being forged without the benefit of ceremony. In the kitchen, Mala was finding it difficult to rustle up Rudra's favourite dish - his loves and hates having reversed unrecognisably since she'd left him. But Paro and Mythili had a solution to sweeten this mother's relationship with her son.
Outside in the courtyard, another mother and son were revisiting their relationship. Sumer was rubbing salt into Mohini's wounds at her recent reversals. Payback for letting him take the punishment for her sins. While Mohini tried to hold a mirror up to Sumer's less than perfect behaviour as a son and figure out a way to get even with her three female in-laws.
It was in the courtyard, as the entre family gathered for a surprise treat that all the many aims collided.
Paro offered the kheer to Rudra so that he would not turn down what his mother had so lovingly prepared for him. With his first spoonful, Dilsher tasted Mala's effort in the kheer and decided to do his bit in their team endeavour by praising the kheer as awardworthy. With his first spoonful, Rudra realised the kheer tasted like his mother's. He continued to eat. With her first sniff, Mohini saw Mala's hand in the kheer and Mythili and Paro's hands in the conspiracy to get Rudra to eat it. And set about spoiling the dessert.
She'd just succeeded in wiping the smiles off most everybody's faces, and was filleting Mala with barbs about her uncertain marital status, when Rudra, eyes narrowed, lips compressed, unexpectedly rose to his mother's defence. And throwing the front-doors open, asked Kakisa to continue now that he had saved her the trouble in case she or her sister wanted to walk out of the haveli. After all, that was how all recent confrontations had ended, hadn't they? But he had a feeling that Kakisa wasn't quite in the mood for threats and departure - not when her comfortable room beckoned instead. And picking up her untouched bowl of Kheer, Rudra dug in. After all, there was no fear of poison since neither Kakisa nor her son had had prepared it.
Challenge dismissed, Rudra turned to face his wife. A wife who beamed with happiness that he'd eaten the kheer and defended his mother. There was no way Rudra was ready for that allegation. He was just getting warmed up in telling-off Paro for giving him Kheer prepared by 'that woman' to eat, when Paro turned her back on him, refusing to take any more of his anger, and walked away. Leaving Rudra stunned for the second time in one day by her unpredictable behaviour, and re-evaluating his approach to her and their relationship.
Perhaps the time had come to unclasp Operation Mangalsutra.
A gripping episode tonight as the CVs packed in many layers into the acceptance and rejection of Mala by the many members of the Family Ranawat. And used that device to advance the plot and develop the characterisation. The nuanced unfurling of the story was capped by Rudra's decimation of Mohini's grand scene before it could become grand. But now that Mohini has cottoned on to the 'make Rudra forgive his mother' campaign, no doubt, she will try to make it fail.
Pitch perfect acting by Ashish, Sanaya and Ananya was the highlight of tonight's episode. And they were supported ably by the rest of the cast. The acting was set off by some fine lines and some thought-provoking cinematography. Enough symbolisms for anybody so inclined - the placement of the kheer next to the red chillies; Mohini outside in the courtyard with Sumer cribbing, looking into the happy family played out by the trio of women in the kitchen; and of course the Mangalsutras. 👏👏👏 to the cast and crew for a good episode tonight.
Waiting for some Mangalsutra Magic tomorrow! 😃
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