Originally posted by: austen-eliot
This is an interesting pov.. In support of it I want to point out two incidents from the sisters' bachpan... Don't know if you saw that.. One is when they are both in their prams and their parents Kartik and Sirat were in her club, practicing for a match. When suddenly some logs that were kept in a corner are about to fall right on Aarohi's crib. The parents notice it and come running but they wouldn't have been able to reach in time.. So Akshu being the toddler she was still, reaches out and pushes way the pram and Aarohi is saved. Everybody is amazed at the way Akshu seems to have a connection to her sister, even at other times they are shown to laugh and cry together. Another time Aarohi gets lost as some couple with an identical pram roll her away and leave their baby in her place when Kairav and Vansh were supposed to be taking care of her. Later it gets resolved.. while the Goenkas are all upset over seeing a different baby, the other couple comes and bring Aarohi and everything is sorted out. However years later when Akshu is in her pre teens and Aarohi is 8-9 years old, Kairav tells the sisters of this incident.. And then Akshu starts having nightmares of losing her sister, of Aarohi getting lost.. So such ott scenes were shown from the beginning to underlay this weird love Akshu has for Aarohi. I do remember those scenes and I often point the second one in posts to show that Akshu’s loved Aaru like this their entire lives. She protected Aaru before she even knew what protection meant. It’s such an odd thing. Like I said, Sirat taught Akshu to forgive Aaru for her indecencies, but she didn’t teach Akshu to love Aaru like this.
It was this way from before the parents' death and the family were aware. It wasn't even because Akshu was conditioned to be like that by Sirat as so many people here have claimed, because Sirat never did anything like that.. She actually often scolded Aarohi whenever she put herself forward and suppressed Akshu.. In fact it used to look like Sirat inclined more towards Akshu than Aarohi, which I think is the basis for Aarohi's insecurity. In the show we saw Aarohi’s insecurities peak in relation to Sirat when she saw Sirat and Akshu hugging on Mother’s Day and saying, “meri Danae pyaari beti” to Akshu. Furthermore, she was insecure of the dance academy being named “after” Akshu and she ran to Sheela who further poisoned her idea of Sirat-Goenka relations. also the fact that Manish never fully accepted Sirat into the family and would often compare her unfavourably with Naira and her upper class family..and many times Aarohi overhears it even. That's why I never agree to the point which is raised that Goenkas have spoiled Aarohi by blindly loving her and pushing Akshu away to keep her happy. It's probably more like to compensate for Manish's discrimination Akhilesh and Swarna might have given her some extra attention.. But Akshu was always the reigning queen in their hearts and Aarohi is aware of it even if it isn't overtly shown..and that's the thorn for her. After all, I am thinking, why does Aarohi keep mentioning that she is alone, she's always been alone? Her loneliness reminds me of Abhi actually for I’ve seen many comments about how, at times, he comes off ungrateful for his family for they all seem to adore him, even Harsh (tho Harsh is very toxic and unhealthy). There must be some reason for that.. And from what I saw of the sisters from the beginning, Aarohi has not been actively manipulating and emotionally 'abusing' Akshu since they were kids.. Before Sirat’s death, Aarohi was seen actively demeaning Akshu (causing her a pauper) and her work but it didn’t seem as if Akshu minded for she added to Aarohi’s princess. It was when Abhi praised her for her simplicity during their first meet that I saw Akshu recognize herself as special and we saw her confidence boost. She was only shown to push Akshu away and not want to do everything with her.. But the concern was there always..like when they come to know that Akshu is Sirat's step daughter Aarohi worries for her and wants to comfort and assure her that she is still her real sister. But every now and then her competitiveness and insecurities would get the upper hand. The parents die just a few days after that and the girls don't even have a chance to talk and understand the issues with their father after coming to know the facts. So to say that the parents conditioned the girls in such a way is FALSE. A lot is said on how Akshu had to stay away from her family because of Aarohi but then in the twelve years after the parents' death, it's only in the last three that she goes away, presumably to pursue her studies. Aarohi does say hurtfully that those were the best years of her life, but it doesn't mean that she was the one who drove her away.. That point is unresolved.. Aarohi's active wronging of Akshu started only with the Abhimanyu matter. Mine is a minority opinion, but initially it would have looked to Aarohi, it's understandable I feel, that Abhimanyu was rightly hers because his family want her as their bahu, and to her mind she is better suited.. Being a cold person who doesn't even understand love, her being attracted to Abhimanyu and materially matching him is seen by her as what would develop into love.. That's why she accepts his indecent proposal too bcz she thinks his mistaken infatuation for Akshu due to her singing will eventually wear off. I do agree with that. She presumed his love for Akshu was an infatuation and eventually, he’d fall in love with her instead. But didn’t she know Akshu’s feelings for Abhi were real? Akshu risked her life to save him! Anyways, so Akshu's love for Aarohi is definitely beyond what is normal or usual, but it isn't some neurotic obsession and she hasn't been blackmailed or manipulated by either her mother or Aarohi to be this way.
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