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Essay Alert! 😆
Mishti! Our first introduction to her was of a happy child, secure in the comforting childhood her mother, Popsie and her grandmothers offered her. She did not have much demands beyond what would be expected of a child of her age. Her family was complete, because Ishaan was a father to her even if he was not a husband to Maui. The complicated world of adult relationships was none of her business.
One day, a man entered her life with a child of his own. There was no reason for her to feel insecure, because popsie was her father. Her whole family behaved as if he was, and life was perfect. Then came a day when she got to know by accident that Kunal was the man who had abandoned her and her mother and to her horror, she found her mother wavering about her popsie. Her little world turned topsy turvy and she rebelled. She felt unwanted and unloved. Most elder siblings have a taste of the rivalry they feel when a younger sibling seems to grab the attention, but in Mishty's case it was complicated. If Kunal had left them alone, she could have ignored him. Instead, he seemed to steal her mother away to pour her attention over the other child. If she felt unwanted by her biological father before, now she felt insecure about her mother too. Some unfortunate incidents later, normalcy was retained in her life, though no one really talked to her about these issues. It was so complicated, even the adults didn't understand it after all!
Then we see Mishti going through an understanding phase where she feels bad for Pari who is practically orphaned and their father who doesn't recognize them anymore. At this point, she is willing to put away her demands for a perfect family, in order to fulfill Pari's dreams of a perfect family. Mind you, this is not because she felt anything for Kunal or any less for Ishaan, it was just pity that moved her, along with a little brainwashing from the matriarch. Adults must know better, right? Her simple heart felt for Ishaan. She wouldn't have him feel left out.
A few more twists in the tale, and Mishti had her happy family as her happy ending. She grew up feeling the love of her parents and most likely had a great friend and guide in her biological father. She loved both her fathers, but that didn't change the fact that he had once abandoned her and her mother.
Then we see Badi Mishti. Many a times I have looked at Tejaswini and admired her for taking it up from the child actor. There is a beautiful continuity in the way the character is written and portrayed by both the actors!
So we have the grown up Mishti who is still trapped in the insecurities she had felt at one point in time. After all, no one had really sat down and counselled her regarding this. Kunal was the only one who had recognized the depth of her trauma, yet he seems to have only superficially dealt with it in a Santa avatar. Life got busy for everyone until the girls grew up and disaster struck in the form of losing their parents one by one or all at once.
Years later, we see a Mishti who has taken up the role of the breadwinner. She has some notions, some rules and she refuses to budge from them. I really like the very many layers to Mishti. She is a very dynamic character and her journey is going to be painful. The insecurities of her childhood have resurfaced and we find a Mishti who is willing to go any length to have an uncomplicated marriage. Is it Right? No. Is it natural? Yes. Does she not trust Veer like Mauli trusted Ishaan, to pursue a career and expect her man to support her? Well... We all know Ishaan is a rare gem, in the bottom of her heart Mishti must feel too that no one can top her Popsie. She will have to settle for the apparently best. And once she has committed herself, nothing can change that, or so she wants it to be.
OK. Let us have a look at the men in her life.
Ishaan: A doting father like him is every little girl's dream and pride and it is hard to measure up to him. He gave selflessly to his wife and children. He was even willing to give up his love and needs for the sake of their happiness. This was also the man who chose Mauli over his own family. That is a huge plus!
Kunal : She found him funny and cute when introduced as Pari's dad. After a brief period of hatred, she was willing to let him into her life. Apparently, his abandoning them was never discussed. She loves the man with his flaws.
Veer: She is struggling to see Ishaan in him. She will do anything to avoid him turning into a Kunal. So much so, she is willing to bury her dreams for the sake of marital happiness. ( Big Mistake, Girl!) Veer appears pretty flawless too. He was quick to
sense her real choice in the case of the rings and got it for her, avoiding any major drama. A sensible man by all rights, but is he going to do everything behind his mother's back? What if it ever comes to choosing between Mishti and his family? This is the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION! In the dumb charades episode, there was a minuscule moment when he touched Su bua's feet as he entered. Though personally I don't believe in such gestures while advocating respect for elders, I must say I was floored! It was such a simple gesture. It was also very very subtle. Of all the people, Su bua! Well, is there a simple message hidden there? This is a guy who has strict orthodox values. He is perfect, but how far will he bend?!
Ruhaan: Is there something beyond the superficial attraction he felt for her? He seemed to want to capture her as a beautiful memory and move on, at first. Fate threw him in her path again and again. Slowly, he got to know things about her in bits and pieces. Now there is a lot he knows about her. He knows exactly why she is avoiding him and what she must feel to have such extreme reactions. Is he going to be a passive participant or actively pursue her. Will he let her be a slave to her fears or truly liberate her? Will he understand her as she should be and guide her selflessly, nurturing her?
Ansh : This is a bond that is very basic and has not been highlighted. Could he be the bridge between Mishti and Ishaan, seeing how he looks up on him as an elder brother.
Here is wishing Mishti all the best as she finds her way through the maze of conflicting emotions. Hope the journey is as realistic as possible.
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