Yeh Hai Mohabbatein - Review of previous tracks + Ideas for new tracks

Hi guys, a few weeks ago I posted some ideas on the discussion thread regarding the tracks portrayed in YHM and on modifications to those tracks along with new ideas that would have allowed our precious show to continue for at least 1-2 years more without any leap. I just wanted to create a separate topic for those ideas because it was taking a hard time to find my posts. If you haven't given a read please do so. As always, feedback is welcome :)

I have been watching YHM for a long time now and as everyone in this forum I became a fan of it due to the Divanru chemistry and the homely vibes the show gave. It was so simple and pure and relatable. I have suggestions on changes to some tracks and even ideas for new tracks that would have been a treat to watch. I have been thinking about these for a very long time and I need to get it out there and share these with other YHM fans. Hope you like them :)

• In the beginning of the show, there was the track after holi 2014 where Raman makes Ishita apologize to Adi and Shagun and Ruhi witnesses it and is upset. We saw Raman feel very guilty and share with his mother that he wants to make amends for his daughter. However, in the later episodes I think the comedy and nok-jhok was too over the top which contradicted the sincerity with which Raman said he wanted to make amends. But it wasn’t a big deal. Eventually Ruhi forgave him and was happy with both her parents, so all’s well that ends well I guess. 

• After that we saw Raman give a thank you speech in Tamil and I was gushing over Ishra. So cute! We also saw Pooja’s delivery track as well. The only problem I had was them feeding honey to the baby. I live in the US and it is not advised to give honey to babies and toddlers but I don’t know what’s the procedure in India. Not a problem per se but something that bugged me. 

• And then there was the Param track. Oh my god, what do I say. Overall well handled. I haven’t seen the actual episode where Ishita is assaulted because I don’t have the guts to watch it. I know DT must have given a gut wrenching performance. I just wish Raman would have actually told Ishita that he will get to the bottom of the matter rather than letting her leave just like that. I also thought it would have been so powerful if Ishita left on her own accord and took Ruhi with her. She is fiercely protective of her children and would never let her daughter stay in a house with an offender like Param. I loved the ending to the track. Ishita didn’t come home until Raman apologized and Raman too apologized “kaan pakadke.” Loved it!

• After that we had the Mihir-Mihika and Neil-Trisha engagement track which I loved. Their dance on “Iski-Uski” was so fun to watch. It reminded me of the song “Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari” from Chennai Express. I really wished it would have been picturized on Ishra. The song suited them to the T. If anyone makes vm, please try to make one on this song. I would love to watch it!

• Then there was the Amma accident track which I found tolerable I guess. There was a scene during Ananya’s naamkaran where Param asks Ishita to touch his feet but Romi interferes and touches his feet instead. What would have been fun to watch was if Ishita said that since Raman is older then Simi and since she is Raman’s wife, woh rishte main badi huyi. And then Param would have to touch Ishita’s feet. In the ending of the track I liked that Raman came clean to Ishita himself but I think Ishita got over it very quickly. Maybe one episode could have been dedicated to showing some stress between them and Ishita taking some time to forgive him or getting over the past events. I also wish they would have shown more Raman-Adi scenes while he was doing community service and show a gradual bond develop between the two. Maybe Adi doesn’t call him papa but he respects him and Raman too has made it clear that he must respect Ishita and all his elders. He must accept Ishita as a mother figure since he has accepted Ashok as a dad without him even being married to Shagun. This way we see RKB as a strong but loving father instead of the "majboor baap" that they showed him as. A great scene would have been if Raman makes Adi apologize to Amma for almost killing her and Adi feels real remorse regarding his mistake.

• After that we saw Ishita’s fracture and the whole dental license and Varahlakshmi vrat track. Loved it! We saw Ruhi-Adi’s first raksha bandhan. If they had shown Raman-Adi’s bond developing (as I said in my previous point) then the raksha bandhan would be all more endearing. We’d be able to feel for Adi and Ruhi. 

• Right around this time, Param came back into the Bhalla house and I hated that. It would have made more sense if Simi kind of emotionally blackmailed them into keeping Param in the house but Ishita bringing him home was just beyond my comprehension. This could have been a nice time to make Simi a victim of domestic violence by Param where he emotionally manipulates her into thinking this is love. Many domestic violence victims believe their husband loves them because they are so manipulated to that point. That would allow us to feel for Simi as well. Ishita could find out first and tell Raman and when Ishra try to save Simi she defends Param so Ishra can’t do anything unless Simi herself wants to be saved.

• A great way to end Param’s track would have been that after Simi realizes how he is a bad person and throws him out of her life, Param kidnaps Ruhi to take revenge from Ishra. Ishra being frantic parents looking for their little girl and Ruhi being scared and wanting her parents. Divyanka, Karan, and Ruhanika would have killed in these scenes. We would have cried buckets for sure! RKB gets Param arrested once they find Ruhi and that ends Param’s character line. He could be reintroduced later when Simi wants a divorce. They could also explore Ishra trying to help Ruhi overcome the trauma of the kidnapping like they showed in YRKKH with little Naksh getting kidnapped or with Saransh in YHC. Ruhi clinging to her Ishima and being too scared to let go. It would also have been a way to bring Ishra closer together as a couple. 

• There was the Sanjana track and I had issues with it but I’ll let it slide. Ishita didn’t think it through but she isn’t perfect so I’ll deal with it. We had lots of Ishra scenes though, the palak paneer challenge, their shower scene, Vandu-Bala’s anniversary party, their first rain dance. I really wish Vandu-Bala-Shravu’s characters were used more in the show. Also, did Ishita ever reclaim her reward for winning the palak paneer challenge? That would have been a fun scene to watch. JKR outsmarting RKB. 

• After that, we had the infamous Mani track. I could have digested it if they showed Mani’s backstory and why he was in Ishu’s life all of a sudden. If they would have shown Ishu supporting him as a friend after his sister’s death and him trying to raise his niece and nephew, then it would have made sense as to why she was giving him so much attention. They mentioned in some scene that he was raising his sister’s kids after she and her husband died but never with Ishu. Also, the way RKB was picturized at the time, and what Mani said, it almost seemed as if Mani was right when in the hospital he said that Raman doesn’t know how to handle Ishu. Because Raman couldn’t get Ishu to eat but Mani could. It proved his point. I would have liked to see Mani cajoling Ishu to eat but she doesn’t so Raman uses some kind of trick like challenging her to eat the hospital’s bland food and Ishita being the JKR that she is, she ends up eating to get a one-up on Raman. That would show that Raman truly knows Ishita as a person even if he doesn’t know trivial things about her. Of course, we all have complaints that the track was not wrapped up properly. There could have been just a simple heart to heart between Ishra even if there wasn’t a love confession. Ishita putting Raman’s insecurities to ease and promising to never leave his side and Raman apologizing for his behavior. Obviously, there was no need to show Raman behaving so badly with Ishita. 

• Then there was Ashok and Shagun’s wedding track. Lots of Ishra scenes. I wish Ishita hadn’t given away the dress that Raman bought for her though. She could have just kept it safely and still wear the saree that she wore. She made a great point that day that it’s a woman’s choice where and when she wants to show skin and feel sexy. Loved it! I also wish they hadn’t shown Adi as evil during the time. He should have just enjoyed his mother’s wedding with Ruhi. He was just a kid for crying out loud! All the planning and plotting of sending Ishita to jail and to the wrong bachelor party should have been Suraj and Ashok’s doing. 

• Instead of Shagun’s wedding getting canceled because Ashok traps Mihika, we could have just seen that Ashok dumps her in front of everyone at the mandap saying he doesn’t need her anymore and she is past the prime of her youth. Lots of scope for drama there too; Mihika's character didn't have to be butchered for drama purposes. Simultaneously we could see stress in Mihir-Mihika’s relationship as Mihika can’t handle Shagun as a nanad. Maybe Mihika gets a promotion or a better job which requires her to move back to Chennai to her mother or to some other place. Mihir-Mihika try long distance but it doesn’t work and Mihika dumps Mihir. I’m not gonna lie, I never really liked their relationship much. It always felt that Mihika was too overpowering and they weren’t on the same page regarding their priorities in life. 

• Then there was the Shagun staying in Bhalla house track. It started with Ashok dumping Shagun by getting married to Mihika. In my version, he could just have married any other girl, maybe the daughter of a business partner or something. He throws Shagun out and says he never really loved her. Ishra bring her and Adi home. I agreed with Ishita when she told her Amma that she was simply being human when she gave Shagun shelter. But there should have been a simple conversation where Ishra discuss the permanent solution to where Shagun would stay. Maybe Mihir’s house was undergoing renovation so Shagun would stay there for a few weeks and then move in to Mihir’s house. In those few weeks we could see Shagun create drama in the Bhalla house as she did. Once she moves into Mihir’s home there would be no need for the whole turpentine oil and paint drama to kick her into the Iyer household. Raman could convince Shagun to give joint custody of Adi and so Adi stays at Mihir’s for a few days and at Raman’s for a few days. 

• We should also have seen a sequence that taps into Ishita’s insecurities. There was a fanfiction I read by maanvir called Tu Mere Paas To Hai Na?! It was so good and I would have loved to see something like that in the show. If you haven't read it, I would suggest you to go on Wattpad to give it a read.

• I didn’t like that Adi was shown so evil. He should have been shown as a confused, lost, and insecure kid. Bacche ko baccha rehne dete. Him being drawn towards Ishraru as a family unit but Shagun manipulating him to think Ishita is a bad stepmother. There was a scene where Ishita was reading a bedtime story to Adi and he retorted that all stepmothers in fairy tales are evil and only pretend to be nice in front of the father. The problem I had was that Adi said that with so much malice. He could have said with a tinge of insecurity of his place in his father’s life compared to Ishita’s since his father has made it clear that Ishita was his wife. In that scene Ishita simply left and started crying until Raman consoled her. I would have liked it if Ishita responded to Adi saying that there is one stepmother whose love is even more than the birth mother -- Yashoda. I remember Ishita was introduced while she was narrating Krishna and Yashoda’s story to a patient, and Ishita was also referred to as Yashoda to Ruhi many times in the serial. That way Adi would be forced to think of Ishita in a different light. He could also note that he sees so much of love in Ishra’s relationship which he never saw in Shagun and Ashok’s relationship. This way he would warm up to Ishru and the Bhalla family.

• I hated that Ishita simply gave away her family earrings to Shagun during the New Years Party. They had lots of emotion attached to them (especially Raman and Toshi's). She could have easily just given any other gift. Any jewelry from any place but it had to be those earrings. Ugh.

• Anyways, once Adi is shown having warmed up to the Bhallas and even being civil with Ishita, we could have seen the Rinki marriage track. But it could have been wrapped up with Rinki’s heartbreak and her immersing herself in her studies and career. We could have seen an independent career-oriented girl. There was no need to get her married to Mihir then and there. She could finish her studies and join a firm (or even RKB’s office) and we could have seen an office romance between Mihir and Rinki. Both being childhood friends and both having been through heartbreak, they would have been a great pair. RKB could walk in on them in the office hugging and get so mad and then Ishita makes him see sense and accept Mihir and Rinki’s relationship. Kind of like Ross in Friends when he discovers Monica and Chandler’s relationship (My best friend and my sister! I cannot believe it!)

• After that there was the Ruhi-Adi custody track. In that, Raman could have confided in Ishita that he was going to try to get full custody of Adi, but hides the condition of giving four lakhs to Shagun. So that way, he does make a mistake but not as big as in the show. I have to say, Divanru all killed it in that sequence, amazing performances! They didn’t need to show Raman stealing the papers from Ishita, he simply could have had a conversation with her. And in the court when Ishita says Ruhi will stay with Shagun, she could just try to talk with her and explain that Adi needs them right now. Maybe despite these explanations, Ruhi doesn’t understand (which is obvious, I mean she’s a 7-8 year old child) and still grows distant from her parents. That would have been much easier to digest than Ishita just walking out without saying a word to Ruhi. 

• Instead of bringing Sujata and Subbu in, we could see Raman using his CEO wits to bring Ruhi home. There was a scene where he tells Shagun he would no longer pay her anything and she would have to raise Ruhi alone. To make ends meet, Shagun makes Ruhi audition for an ad. Here Raman could have brought Ruhi home since her education was being compromised. When Shagun comes home to take Ruhi, threatening to call the police to take her if she has to, Raman could retort saying that if the police come, they would take Shagun to jail first for making a minor work and not letting her go to school. Ishita could remind her that she still has the letter from Vohra which would prove she did fraud which would send her to jail for an even longer time. This way we see Ishra as the smart and clever CEO and doctor. They've used their wits time and again (when Ishita fooled Shagun to get married to Raman, and when Raman fooled Ishita during Mi-Mi engagement track) and this would have been easier to digest instead of the whole Hansel and Gretel chase with Sujata. 

• This could lead to another court drama for either Adi’s custody or of both Adi and Ruhi’s custody. Ishra vs Shagun. Ishra could easily prove their financial, mental, and emotional capabilities of raising children with Ruhi and Adi’s teachers and counselors vouching for them. Shagun could resort to tricks to malign Ishra like saying Ishita is infertile, Raman has a temper, or they haven’t consummated their marriage so they aren't an ideal couple. This would be an amazing time for either Ishra or someone from the Bhalla clan (I’m thinking Toshi) to come up and defend their marriage, saying they are an unconventional couple but they love each other most in the world. They don’t need to be physical or say “I love you” to each other to profess their love. They do it in their actions. Both Ruhi and Adi choose to stay with the Bhallas and the judge also gives custody to Ishra. The inspiration comes from a sequence in Grey’s Anatomy where two lesbian moms fought for the custody of their daughter and the birth mother resorted to tricks to malign the other mother’s character. The birth mother did not get custody.

• Instead of the Subbu-Simi marriage track we could have seen Mihir and Rinki getting married since they have been in love after their respective heartbreaks. I didn’t get any vibes from Subbu-Simi-Ananya. Obviously they can’t match to Ishraru but they didn’t even match to Bala-Vandu-Shravu. We could have seen more scenes of Bala and Vandu as a couple or with Ishra. Vandu was going through a pregnancy and we could have seen many endearing moments with Bala and Vandu.

• We could see Ishra saying I love you to each other in a more dramatic way with more heightened emotions. Like saying it when they least expect it or when they think they are going to lose the other one (in the midst of tension or heightened insecurities). I didn’t like the way they confessed in the show. First, the kids had to push them to do it and also it looked artificial and fabricated. 

• Meanwhile, Simi could be figuring out what to do with her life. Maybe we see divorce and Ananya custody drama. Or Simi building her career. Maybe as a chef or something since she has been a housewife for so long. It didn’t make sense that everyone was just going into business. Raman, Rinki, Mihir could be into business, Ishita was a dentist, Bala, Vandu were teachers. We could have seen Simi join culinary school and become a chef. The writers could explore her journey as a working single mother rather than have her sit at home for the rest of the show.

• We could have had the earthquake sequence during Mihir and Rinki’s wedding. It was an amazing sequence. This could have been the end of Ashok’s character. Maybe he kept Shagun and the kids in a hotel that belonged to him. A gas explosion/earthquake causes the building to crumble which proves that he had cut corners during construction and he goes to jail for good. Maybe we could see him vowing revenge against Raman so that keeps the door open for his reentry in the future. Adi realizes Shagun had left him to die in the fire and breaks all ties with her and accepts Ishita has his mother.

• Here Shagun could leave and realize that she has lost everything including a loving husband, her own two kids, and her own brother due to her own mistakes. Would have loved to see Shagun regretting her actions. Maybe she decides to build a career for herself so that she is not dependent on any man (her brother, her ex, or any boyfriend). She realizes that she needs to get her life together and that Ishita was right but she still doesn’t like her much. That would have been easier to digest instead of her gushing and obsessing over Ishita. I would have liked to her go into fashion designing or cosmetics since that was her forte rather than do NGO work. Maybe that could be her part-time job or volunteer job. 

• After the earthquake sequence, there was the whole Adi-Vinni track. I liked it actually. Parents do get into arguments regarding their children. Plus, Ishita confessed and apologized to Raman that she made mistakes, and being a mother to a teenager is hard. The only thing I didn’t like was that Raman shouted that she isn’t Adi’s mother. We all know RKB is hot-headed but he has been praying for the day that Adi accepts Ishita as her mother. He wouldn’t just blurt out such things in the heat of the moment. The ending of that track was marvelous! Raman sat down with Adi and talked like a friend acknowledging his changing feelings but also guiding him on the right path.

• During Vandu’s delivery we saw Raman, Romi, and Abhishek taking her to the hospital but I think the CVs overdid the comedy. Everyone was just shouting and screaming. I mean Raman is not only a smart, sharp CEO, he has also had two children. He must have taken Shagun to the hospital at least once. Plus Simi had a baby a few months before the show began and she was staying with the Bhallas so Raman must have dealt with her too. He should know how to take a woman in labor to the hospital. Even when they reached the hospital there was not a competent doctor ready to attend to Vandu. The doctor they showed was just for over the top comedy. They could have shown comedy in other ways. Maybe an inexperienced doctor comes to attend to Vandu and she refuses to get treated by him/her while Raman is trying to convince her to let the doctor attend to her, meanwhile pulling his hair out as to why all the Madrasi Iyer girls are so stubborn. Then Ishu comes in to save the day by attending to her akka. 

• After that we had Romi-Sarika getting together and Ishra going to Mumbai where they are constantly interrupted. Rather than have Shagun meeting Raman here they could have just shown Shagun’s side story with her trying to establish her career. I know the ideal situation would be to end Shagun’s character but I’m going with this. 

• In Mumbai, Ishra try to take their relationship forward but keep getting interrupted. I think they should have shown Ishita just as eager as Raman to take the next step (if you know what I mean). There was a scene where Raman takes Ishita to the coffee shop but run into Rinki-Mihir and then in the lawn where they run into Toshi-Omprakash Bhalla. Then in public, Raman pulls Ishita onto his lap saying he might as well romance her in public since she brings the family in when they’re in private. Here Ishita could have replied with a coy smile saying that if Rinki, Mihir, and Mr. and Mrs. Bhalla were downstairs then the room must be empty (wink-wink) and so both run upstairs.

• After coming back from Mumbai, we could have had a track where Raman and Ishita want to indulge in their relationship and spend intimate moments with each other in private without their families interrupting. So Raman convinces Ishita to meet outside chupke-chupke in hotels and restaurants for lunch dates, dinner dates, and night outs while lying to the family. Here we could have seen the big C here without any of Shagun or Ashok’s interference. A nice comedic track would have been if the families start doubting their absence. Like if Vandu-Bala find out that Ishu lied about some dental emergency or if Rinki-Mihir find out that Raman lied about some office meeting. The family members finding restaurant bills and hotel room receipts that don’t make sense. Iyers doubting Ishita and Bhallas doubting Raman of cheating. This way we have a new take where the Iyers take a stand for their daamaad and confront Ishita, and Bhallas take a stand for their bahu and confront Raman. In a huge confrontation the families find out that they were meeting each other only and that they are now husband wife in the true sense. Lots of teasing and embarrassment for Ishra. I got this idea from Veedeeann’s fanfiction on Wattpad.

• There was a whole track where the Bhalla family was against Ishra after Raman transferred his company to Ishita. Although in my version, Rinki wouldn’t be the vamp she was. Maybe Mr. Bhalla, Simi, and Romi could misunderstand them while Mihir-Rinki stood with Ishra and supported them. In my version, Mihir-Rinki and Vandu-Bala are Ishra’s biggest support system. Also, in that track, Raman left with his wife and kids and ended up staying in Iyer house. That didn’t make any sense. I mean if he can arrange two fully furnished flats overnight for both his families after a fire, I’m sure he can arrange one for his wife and kids when they need it. It would have been nice to see Ishraruadi living separately and the misunderstandings slowly clearing out with Ishita, Rinki, and Toshi’s help. Then they could return to Bhalla house with a full-on filmy Graha Pravesh style. 

• Then Romi and Sarika got married (which was fun) and Ishra got pregnant. I would have liked to see them trying to get pregnant with fertility treatments and IVF. It made no sense that Ishita conceived after only one night. Even normal couples take a long time of trying to conceive so Ishita should take even longer considering her medical history. They could have contributed a few episodes that showed a time lapse over a few months where Ishra were visiting fertility clinics and were trying to get pregnant. There was an episode like that in Brooklyn nine-nine where the lead couple was trying for a few months (I think six months). Ishra try for a few months but to no avail. And right when they are losing hope, Ishita conceives and Ishra rejoice. They tell the children first and then the whole family.

• For the miscarriage track, maybe it could have been all Ashok’s doing from jail via his henchmen to take revenge. Ishita suffers a miscarriage and is heartbroken but won’t show it to the family. Only the audience and Raman know of it as we see her break down in the confines of her bedroom. Her reaction in the show made no sense. She was over it so quickly. Here, instead of Raman being baby crazy via surrogacy, we could see him trying to convince Ishita for one more round of IVF and Ishita being too scared to go through but Raman encouraging her nonetheless since he knows this would be her greatest happiness. This is the Raman I wanted to see. One who fights the world for Ishita’s happiness, even Ishita herself. So Ishita agrees for one last round of treatment on the condition that they won’t tell the family since she doesn’t want to get their hopes up.

• I hated that they killed off Rinki. As I said before, Rinki and Mihir as a couple could have been Ishra’s biggest support system. Mihir was always doting over his Bhai-bhabhi. And in the Bhalla house, Rinki was the only one other than Mr. Bhalla who supported Ishita during their early marriage days.

• For Pihu’s conception and birth, we could have had another pregnancy with Ishra where the last round of IVF worked. Although no one wanted surrogacy via Shagun, I’m going to propose a theory where surrogacy is possible without characters being butchered. Maybe the hospital where Ishra were undergoing IVF treatment is where Shagun comes as an undercover surrogate mother to stop the surrogacy scandal. Here, she is accidentally implanted with Ishra’s embryo so she ends up getting pregnant with Ishra’s baby (Pihu). When the truth comes out, Raman, Ishita, and Shagun are all horrified, but they make do because this is Ishra’s last chance to have a baby, and plus Shagun's womb is more hospitable and stronger than Ishita's so it is a less risky and safer pregnancy. They somehow convince Shagun and the families to accept it. Here Shagun could be staying at Mihir’s place during her pregnancy or with her new live-in boyfriend (Dr. Manoj or any other colleague of hers). Raman doesn’t trust her completely so he brings legal papers and makes Shagun sign them saying she would have no right over the baby and only Ishra would be the legal parents/guardians. For drama purposes, there would be the potential to make a love triangle between Ishita-Raman-Shagun again and address Ishita’s insecurities as a wife and mother since she can’t carry her baby. Raman could help her get over these once and for all and help her accept that she is a complete woman and the perfect wife and mother.

• A fun way for Ishita to explain to Ruhi and Adi why her baby is in Shagun’s womb, would be through Balram’s story (Krishna’s elder brother). He was Vasudev-Devaki’s son but Rohini gave birth to him so similarly, the baby would be delivered by Shagun but would be Ishra’s baby.

• There were also so many other angles and tracks of the other characters that could have been explored. We know that Sarika leaves Romi in the show, so maybe we could see her fleeing and abandoning Romi and Rohit for some odd reason. Rohit could be Romi’s biological son and Romi rises to the occasion and raises him as a single father while dealing with his heartbreak. If we take the route where Rohit is not Romi’s real son, they could show Romi being so attached to him that he adopts him legally and then raises him. He stands up to Toshi saying that Rohit is his son even if he’s not his blood. This might have given Romi the long due redemption and character development that he needed. 

• This would also be a fun time to have Mihika reenter the show. They could show a brief triangle between Rinki-Mihir-Mihika for drama purposes. They could also show how exactly Romi and Mihika get together (since they do get married in the show). With the complicated history they shared, I never understood how they got together. They could have shown how Romi and Mihika grew close and fell in love. There is so much potential for a story here and both Mihika Verma and Aly Goni had great chemistry onscreen.

• Vandu-Bala’s story could also have been explored like how they keep the romance alive after two kids or how they struggle with finances on their salaries now that they have two kids. Since Simi is single too, she could have been paired opposite someone if need be. Maybe someone from her school or place of work. As always, the banter between Amma, Appa, Toshi, and omi Bhalla could have been shown more as it was fun to watch.

• There was the Pallavi track where Ishita was sentenced to death which I didn’t like but we did get a lot of Ishra scenes. Instead of bringing in the lawyer Chaddha, they could have shown Ashok’s revenge drama where he does some “gadbad” in RKB’s company which causes the police to arrest Raman but instead Ishita volunteers to go to jail since the company is in her name. There was such a sequence in BALH where Priya goes to jail instead of Ram. Ishita could be sentenced to death but saved in the nick of time by Raman proving her innocence and sending Ashok-Suraj to jail ending those characters for good.

• Subbu’s reentry could also have been used in a much better fashion where he enters to try to get Ishu back since his own marriage is crumbling or has ended. He believes that since Ishu is in a marriage of convenience, she isn’t happy with Raman. We could see another love triangle and tap into Raman’s insecurities. This would have been a great chance to show character development for Raman. In the Mani track, he was so insecure and worried about his relationship with Ishu. Maybe when Subbu comes in, he is much more confident in his relationship with Ishita and trusts her completely. Subbu could challenge him directly too and still, he would have unwavering faith in his wife. This idea comes from the inspiration I got after reading ek_paheli’s fanfiction. 

  
  
  

• There was always the memory loss track that could have been brought in before the leap. If Ishita was carrying baby Pihu then Raman could lose his memory and we could see Ishu bring it back with the help of Ruhi-Adi and the Bhallas and Iyers. The family would be supporting her unlike what we saw in the show where Simi-Param and Toshi were against her. Pregnant Ishu would recreate scenes from earlier days of her marriage to help Raman remember her. Raman would be confused as to why he feels attached to and worried for Ishita. Maybe he gets his memory with a bang right around the time the baby is born or right when it kicks for the first time. So much potential for drama there. 

• I think a track where Ishita loses her memory would be much more interesting. This would be in the case where Shagun is carrying baby Pihu. Ishita loses her memory of the past 2-3 years and thinks she is with Subbu and is going to get married to him. Subbu obviously leads her on and maybe Amma and Appa want her to forget Raman and marry Subbu because they blame him for Ishita’s memory loss. On the other hand, Raman, Ruhi, Adi, Vandu-Bala, Mihir-Rinki, and the Bhallas try to bring back Ishu’s memory. Raman could be wooing Ishita back from square 1 while the kids and the Bhallas try to recreate scenes from their early marriage days or from before their marriage. This way we could see Raman courting Ishita, something we didn’t get to see them do before they got married. Ishu would be confused as to why she loves spending time and fighting with this guy. She would be perplexed as to why she feels such a strong connection and so much love for Ruhi and Adi. She could get her memory back in a bang right when she is about to get married to Subbu and instead runs to Raman in a bridal dress and reunites with him and her kids. Ishra get married again and go back to their house.

• Ishra’s baby’s birth could have been such a sweet track. If Shagun carries the baby then after delivering the baby she could leave the country with her boyfriend for a better career and life prospects. This is the most that I can stretch her character. The only other appearance she can make would be as a guest at Ruhi or Adi's wedding in the future. 

• Once the baby is born we could have gotten so many sweet scenes of baby Pihu with Ishra and with Ishraruadi. Ishra trying to balance between all three kids, both Ruhi and Adi's insecurities flaring up (since they are step-children of Ishita), and Ishra convincing them that they are just as special as Pihu. There was such a sequence in YRKKH with Naksh after Naira was born. I guess you can tell I am a huge Naitik-Akshara fan. They were the healthiest couple with the most character development to have been portrayed on ITV. But I'm getting distracted here.

  The show could have ended on a happy note with Mihika-Romi’s wedding or with Simi’s second wedding or even just with Ishra’s baby’s birth. Or with Pihu’s first birthday or something.

• If a leap is taken I would have liked to see some changes. Both Ishita and Raman should have been angry with each other and both should have been guilty. All we saw was that Ishu was sad and guilty all the time and Raman was angry all the time. Maybe they got separated after a huge fight or after a family member’s death (maybe one of the children like Ananya or Rohit or one of the elders like Toshi or Mr. Bhalla). I would have liked to see Pihu be raised by Ishita. Like Ishu keeps Pihu and Raman keeps Ruhi and Adi. Or Ishu keeps Pihu and Ruhi and Raman keeps Adi. I felt so bad that she didn’t get to see any of her children grow up from when they were a baby. Plus if she had Pihu then she wouldn’t be living with Mani, she could just stay with the Iyers or alone with Pihu as a single mother. This way Shagun wouldn’t be Pihu’s mother in any sense and we wouldn’t have to deal with either Shagun or Mani for the rest of the show. Both their characters are done. I would also have liked to see Raman being a doting father to his children (whoever stays with him). This way we could see that he didn’t go back to his old ways like when he ignored Ruhi after Shagun left him. He is a doting father to his kids but misses Ishu terribly and drinks in her memories every night and hides his pain from his kids and family. Raman and Ishita could be reunited because of the kids (Adi, Ruhi, Pihu) but they have many heart-to-heart conversations, both apologize and confess that they missed each other, and have an emotional reunion “ek duje ke liye.” I was sick and tired of hearing them being together “Ruhi ke liye” or “Adi ke liye” or “chota Adi ke liye.” We could see Ishita reconnecting with the Bhallas and Raman reconnecting with Pihu and Ruhi. We could also see Pihu-Ruhi-Adi develop a special bond as siblings.

  Another idea for a leap is if either Ishita or Raman fall into a coma for a few years. In YRKKH, the male lead fell into a coma for four years and in BALH, the female lead fell into the coma for six-seven years.

So these are all the ideas I had. I cannot believe the writers of the show couldn’t think of anything like these. With tracks like these and others that so many fans have suggested and written fanfiction on, the show could have continued for at least 1-2 years more before introducing a leap. 

If any of you want to take up an idea and write fanfiction just let me know and give me credit for the idea. I’d be happy to read it :)

Interesting FF prompts.

RES