Hello to the fans of BALH2. Also to the ones who are sort of stuck with it now. I discovered BALH1 in late 2020 during the lockdown. Enjoyed it (could skip anything I wouldn't like. lol) more than expected. TBH when BLAH2 was announced, I didn't really think it was required. But had heard about Nakul for the woke stuff he does- the poetry and all. So, 8 pm became like an escape or something to look forward to at the end of a hectic day. Have been watching this on and off. I skip a lot (have not watched the pre-leap jail bit). And like everyone else, I like Ram and Priya, of course. I also have this thing where I accept the writer's version of the story. It's their characters and imagination. So, I have accepted both Ram and Priya with all their flaws. Now, obviously, this is a TV drama and the execution will be to meet the expectations of the TV audience. So, to meet my expectations, I started writing my POV on the mature love story.
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The conversations had been had. The confessions had been made. The hurt had been shared. Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor were now living with their daughter Pihu in an apartment in Mumbai. Away from their families and friends. Some wounds heal with time… and distance. There was not one person who had betrayed them. Various people had... Some intentionally, some unintentionally. In fact, they themselves had crossed each other. But they decided they had their share of time and distance apart. The wounds they inflicted on each other could only be healed if they were together. And that’s what they were doing.
Ram Kapoor, the industrialist from Bandra, took the first selfish decision of his life. He stepped down from his role in the company, let the board decide on the succession plan, and started working on only one independent company. He needed the distance but he was also not going to let his wife and daughter go through any more hardships if he could help. He knew he would forgive Brinda one day, and forget that Vikrant could have told him the truth a long time ago, but that time was not in the near future. He’d miss Adi and Kunal. But he knew they’d understand. He had asked them to let him be for some time after reassuring them he’d reach out if he needed them. On the other hand, Priya Kapoor, the wife of the industrialist from Bandra, took the decision to face her fears every day. She decided she’d choose her love and happiness every day.
Both of them also made one more promise to each other. They’d start a ritual. The ritual of having a conversation for half an hour every day. Just the two of them. For the time being, they also promised that they wouldn’t lie or hold the truth from the other one. Even if they knew the other person would be hurt by the information.
After the truth unfolded and Ram learned about his family, Ram wanted to move as far away from that place as possible. That day, holding each other’s hand, with their 4-year-old in tow, they had moved out of Kapoor Mansion and the city. Priya asked the driver to drive out of the city while Ram settled Pihu in his lap so that she could sleep. In that 4-hour car ride to Pune, Ram’s one hand was around his daughter and the other engulfed in both of Priya’s hands. The tears were rolling down their eyes and whenever they’d hear a whimper, they’d squeeze the other’s hand and bring it up to their lips to kiss.
They stayed in a hotel the first week. Both of them held each other and cried themselves to sleep.
When Ram got up in the morning the first day and did not find Priya with him, he wondered if everything was just a dream, but then he heard voices out of the bathroom and walked towards it.
“Pihu, brush your teeth with this brush only. I forgot to pack your toothbrush, please beta” said Priya, putting toothpaste on a toothbrush from the Hotel’s Dental kit.
“But aap to har adventure mein mera toothbrush lekar aate ho. Aap kaise bhool gae. Mujhe mera hi brush chahiye,” said Pihu.
“Bhool gai main. I am sorry. Please abhi aap brush karo. Aapke pet mein se awaaz mujhe yahan tak aa rahi hai. You need to eat something,” said Priya, giving the brush with the toothpaste to Pihu who clearly was not happy.
Ram watched the scene in front of him with a smile on his face. When Priya saw him, she said, “See, Papa is also here. He will also brush his teeth with a brush like yours.”
Papa. He was a Papa. Pihu’s papa. Despite the initial hiccups, both Ram and Pihu had reached a good place in their relationship already. When the cakes, dresses and toys had not impressed Pihu, Ram didn’t know what to do. The next day, he was having a croissant at Breakfast when Pihu asked him what was he eating. Ram offered her a bit and Pihu loved it. She had immediately declared it her favourite food ever. He told her how to have it with butter, cream and nuttella. Pihu was over the moon. She was giggling the whole time and Ram smiled a real smile after a long time that day. Their relationship improved leaps and bounds over the next few days. Ram helped her try a lot of new food items and both of them always loved or hated the same thing. Yesterday, her mother told her that her food partner was her father and that he’d be part of all their adventures now. Ram apologised to her for not being part of the adventure with them till then and asked if he could join them now. Pihu wasn’t sure what was happening. She looked at her mother and when Priya smiled and nodded, she said yes to Ram. She had started to grow fond of her food partner. She wasn’t sure what to do with a father.
“Arey haan.. Haan.. main bhi yahi brush karunga.. Bilkul.. Do mujhe ye,” said Ram, joining them and opened another dental kit.
“But mera brush…”
“We will go shopping after breakfast and buy new brush and a new dress for you, ok?” asked Priya.
“Mera brush purana nahi hua hai mumma, abhi new lene ka time nahi aaya hai,” replied Pihu.
“It’s ok. Hum aaj new le lenge aur phir aapke paas 2 brushes ho jaenge,” said Ram, holding his two fingers up.
“Yeah. This is wonderful!” said Priya, “Chalo, abhi aap dono brush karo”
Ram looked at Priya, and his eyes asked her if he did it right. Today was his first day as a parent. And when Priya smiled back at him, he got his answer. Parenting is hard, and being a single parent is harder. Yes, if she had to do it all over again for Pihu, Priya would do it in a heartbeat. But here, today, in the bathroom of a Hotel in Pune, she realized she wouldn’t be doing it alone anymore.
She left the father-daughter duo to brush their teeth while she called for room service and breakfast.
Pihu was having her croissant sitting on the bed while watching cartoons. Ram had connected his headphones with the TV and given it to Pihu.
“Mr. Kapoor aap khana shuru kariye na” said Priya, as she came out of the bathroom after freshening up.
“Nahi tum aa jao. Ek saath karenge,” he said and when he saw her looking at Pihu eating, “I have given her the food… Noise cancelling headphones hain”
Priya came to sit beside Ram on the small couch that was in their room and took his hand in hers. “I want to make one promise to you today. I had refused to make this earlier. And I was foolish. But I am not going to let the mistake repeat. Mr. Kapoor, I am not going to lie or withhold any truth from you ever. I will not decide for you if it the truth will hurt you or not. God forbid if there is ever such a situation, I will still tell you the truth and will hold your hand while we’ll go through it together,” said Priya. Ram was feeling he’d burst with emotions. He brought Priya’s hand to her lips and kissed. “I know” he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, making both of them laugh.
“I missed your hand in my hair,” said Priya.
“Me too. But I saw Pihu doing it as well,” said Ram and got a confused look back from Priya, “When you fainted after the Pooja and she came to the room to talk to you,”
Priya smiled. “Let’s eat. I searched on Internet. There is a market nearby. We need some clothes and books for Pihu for the time being. Till we decide what we are doing next,”
“I want to stay here for a few days,” said Ram, “Just you, me and Pihu”.
“Yes. Our first adventure together,”
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