Originally posted by: mistofshadows
Brilliant Rin!
You have summarised the true ARC and his beautiful character arc. The quote is aptly fitting.
To this let me add another factor.
The cloak that shields him is his usage of deception. Yet while he cannot let go of it ....there is also the feeling of indebtedness to it because it had saved him when there was no one with him. That cloak had saved him and ARC being the loyal person that he is; will always be reluctant to leave it behind.
Somehow I feel, the older Anirudh Roy Chowdhury is truly dead. He was comparatively innocent and naive to the present version; someone who had the zeal to fight against all but without any bloodshed.
The present version also believes in fighting Against injustice. His core principles are still there but the execution has changed and with it; him too.
Even if Bondita gets through him; the possibility of the earlier version returning is nil. This might hurt the sentiments of some members but this is entirely my take. Experiences that he has gone through have made a mark on him. People don't emerge unscathed out of them. While Bondita may light his life, he won't forget what he went through nor be able to fully let go of the personality that kept him alive.
Like the sailor might finally reach the lighthouse...but will he ever forget those dark nights her was asunder in the sea? Will he never remember those dark places in his nightmares?
Same is the case with Anirudh.
His innocence is tainted, broken and his spirit mutated. Even if Bondita heals him to a huge extent, he will never be her earlier Sakha Babu.
Instead he will be a combination of this agressive protector and her earlier friend.... becoming a new person altogether who will become Bondita's other half, spiritually and legally.
That's my take.
It was a brilliant analysis Rin. Thanks for putting it up and tagging me.
- Niki
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Niki! 🤗
@Bold:
The cloak has become a part of him now. Like you said, it has protected and served him through this 8 years of loneliness so now he cannot let it go. The times when his Bondita was not there, the cloak gave him comfort and solace to push ahead. He will have a difficult time to wrench himself away from it now. The only way to do so is for Bondita to shine the path back to her, illuminate all the darkness caused by the lies surrounding him so that he can make peace with himself and realize that the cloak has served it's purpose and is no longer needed by him.
@Red:
I do not think the old ARC is completely dead. I think that's the beauty and wonder of the character, ie, ARC. His experiences and the circumstances has changed him drastically but somewhere, deep inside him, there is still that peace loving man who wants nothing more than to give up his gun and bloodshed. But, the situation has forced me to sail away from the destination that he always wanted to head towards.
I feel he is one of those characters that despite whatever he may go through, will not be broken to the point he cannot return back. I had thought that might be the case until I read his letters, even without Bondita, his old spirit still lived on even if it was just an echo in comparison to the roar before.
@Blue:
I agree the journey changes the sailor, it deeply imprints into the mind and leaves scars that take the sailor back to the days of staying afloat all alone in the vast darkness of the seas. In the journey of life, change is constant. No one remains the same through the years yet there are some vital traits that never change, there are parts of us that remain unmoved and unbreakable as a stone embedded deep inside a mountain. I feel Sakha Babu is that one part of ARC that can never be destroyed because it is tied directly to Bondita.
So, I also believe that time and an individual's strong willpower can change the course of their life accordingly. It is our faith and belief that can move mountains if we will it to be.
Anirudh has been damaged beyond repair by the cruelty dealt to him by the sea of hatred he had to sail through, however, the moment he will find the light to guide him back to his destination, to the right path, he will return much more stronger than ever before. He will be able to fight the darkness of his past, if she can be the constant light in his path.
I completely agree with the sentiment that he will not revert back to being the old Sakha Babu, he cannot as time does not go back, it only moves forward and thus Bondita will never be able to get her old innocent Sakha Babu back. Yet, she will be able get back the true essence that made him who he is, she will need to shine bright through his darkness to guide him in his journey back home.
And once he does return, he will come back not only as a new, stronger version of her Sakha Babu but a man who can be much more than that.
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