This is a general post although it is triggered from Sammy's death.
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With the kind of society we live in and especially the one Ghum shows, Sai being an orphan makes her a soft target for everyone. And with the patriarchal and misogynistic mindset Ghum promotes, Sai as a character stands out.
For her value system, her honesty, her conviction, her strength and her daring irrespective of her gender.
There have been many men in her life who have surrounded her and her life has changed because of them. I am trying to see them in a chronology because those experiences have shaped her in that manner.
1. KJ - Aaba as she rightly called him was her Father and her mother. He supported her, encouraged her and gave her a good value system but did not pamper her unnecessarily. He also gave her the conviction to stand against wrongs. That inadvertently led her into trouble but it also strengthened her. It is sad that she had to lose him so early. What he couldn't do however, and that's purely because he is male and a police officer, is how to deal tactfully in situations... something that a woman or a mother can teach. It is not necessary to react to every damn situation be it eve teasing or taunting. Sometimes its better to take things lying down, ponder and then react. This and precisely this, is what triggers her conflicts with Jagtap and later BK. She has never been taught to be mellow and she therefore she finds herself in situations often out of her control. (Contrast this to Pakhi who sweet talks her way into arguments... and while Sai speaks the truth, its unbearable to them and Pakhi wins with her diplomacy)
2. Jagtap - This leads to the second man in her life... Jagtap... who is hell bent on troubling her. Jagtap is a macho man, roams arounds in jeeps and commands a respect. He is after Sai since years and had it not been for values instilled by KJ, there was a possibility that Sai would have been enamored by Jagtap in an impressionable age of 12-15 years. She doesn't because she can differentiate between right and wrong. But because she doesn't buckle down to threats, she lands in trouble with Jagtap. Even in the recent episodes, Jagtap mentions to her "ye jo aag hai na tere andar... vahich mere ko pasand hai".
Please be assured I am not victim blaming.... but I don't agree with Sai reacting and writing 'Loser' on his forehead when he has cornered her in a remote location and she has two kids with her. That's the sensibility missing from her. She is daring that way... I don't know if Jagtap would have backed off sooner or later if she had not resisted. Because to him, her resistance makes her his conquest. His sense of entitlement makes him go after her. Up until Samrat's death, he stalls for few seconds when she says I am pregnant. But then he immediately takes his barbaric stance by planning to kill the unborn child and having relations with her. At that moment, Sai had appealed to the Jagtap she knew, who would have probably given up on her. But her continuous refusal and jail time has triggered a more sinister man in him. He sees her as a possession, a female body that needs to be consumed. Again, nothing wrong with what Sai did. Not blaming her for what Jagtap did. Just a reference to how that shaped things for her in future.
3. Virat - Virat in contrast is a subdued person... always taking things slow... and that's exactly their interpersonal struggle is right from GC days... be it KJ's transfer or how to deal with Jagtap. Sai wants immediate actions and results and V wants to take time. This continues in the marriage and the delayed confrontation with Pakhi. It is only with time, that Sai learns from experience how to deal with situations like this... there is a marked difference in her behaviour right from MiMo track and then the whole 'manaoing V' post landmine accident. It is not the fierce Sai we know, because she has changed over time... and I don't mind it actually because that is growth. All of us go through that, Sai has too... and its not because she loves V that she is tolerating all that. Sure that is one part of it, but she is also doing that because she knows an alternate way of dealing with stuff.
4. Pulkit - Even though, Pulkit as such has no say in matters of CN and his words don't weigh much, he is her undying supporter. She always has him to fall back on. That's the trust they have gained from the relationship. He is her sounding board, her mentor and her guide in matters of heart, relationships and career. His not being a Chavan is also relevant because he can be as objective as he can be. Something that mattered in Shruti track when everyone else turned their back on her. He himself might be a meek character but sometimes just the assurance that you are not alone helps. Sai has that in Pulkit and Devi. They are her safety nets when things go wrong. And its heartening to see the purity of that bond.
5. Samrat - Samrat is the relationship Sai formed without V. She met him first, talked to him, impressed him and he came back only because she convinced him. He saw the truth in her and also saw the equations that were formed. The way Samrat stood for her, every time, even going against his brother and his family strengthened their bond. His stance was weakened during Shruti track and that was the only scenario where he failed her. But he came back and redeemed himself in his death. Gave up his life trying to keep her safe. I don't believe it went waste only because Jagtap could still catch her. He was at that moment, overpowered and yet he fought valiantly.
As for the leeway he gave Pakhi by staying in the marriage, I do believe that once he saw the dynamics between SaiRat, he understood that his presence would matter to keep Pakhi reined in. Also maybe he felt that Pakhi will finally give him a chance. That forgiving nature of his was to ultimately bear fruit but was sadly taken away.
In his death though, he blessed Sai and unknowingly gave her something everybody has denied her.
Pakhi has always been treated as badi bahu. She still will be given importance but with her husband dead, Pakhi in the long run will be just another member of the house. Whereas for all intents and purposes, Sai will be true uttaradhikari of all that CN stands for. Sai was always that but was never accepted. With his death, Sam cleared that for Sai. However much BK and gang might crib... Sai now has a position no one can deny her off.
His death leaves her in guilt though and with time, it is V who should relieve her of that pain.
I feel all these people played a significant part in her life and her life revolved around the decisions they took on behalf of her or she was required to take because of the circumstances caused by them.
Had KJ given weightage to her concern and not be bound by the sense of duty, he would have been alive and Sai would have been away from CN.
If Jagtap was captured or had stopped pursuing her after her marriage, Sam would have been alive.
There can be a separate essay and everyone can contribute on how V should have and shouldn't have reacted to her.
And Sam would have been alive. ❤️
All of them changed Sai, transformed her from a spunky teenager to a sensible young woman who still has an immensely strong mind and perception in spite of the blows dealt to her. Sai Joshi will remain the character that is always inspiring.
Just a random post, on all the thoughts that engulfed me after watching the last few episodes.
Reiterating again that I am in no way blaming Sai for whatever that has happened in her life. This is just to make sense of it all and how that shaped her.
Comments welcome 😳
CID
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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