episodes 30/31 of jalebis and life

a few thoughts on 30.

right at the end of the episode he came and stood at the head of those interesting rm stairs. the essential arnav singh raizada. dashing, handsome, authoritative, impeccably turned out, exuding charisma and power, legs planted wide apart, taking stock of the situation. there's no doubt who will take command out here. i melted. complete puddle. even without his music, i could hear it playing, cool and luxurious, heat and power at its core.

yet, just a minute before that, he wasn't so much in control. in fact, akash commented, he wasn't his usual self. what was the matter? hadn't bhai slept last night? what's akash to know of what asr went through the night before. quickly, he gathered himself and shot back, drawing energy into himself, "main hamesha aise hi to tha..." a heartbreaking neat turn of head and, "nahin?" i was always like this... wasn't i?
nahin.

sorry, arnav singh raizada, you were not like this hamesha. because now, to develop a theme as logically as you developed with nani later in 31, now you are not who you used to be. someone has broken into your carefully erected fort faraq nahin padta and look how clearly faraq padta hai.

how peculiarly alike asr and khushi are, i thought. both are immersed in thoughts of the other, yet neither knows why. one doesn't want to know and the other in her wildest wouldn't have guessed; in fact, months later, she would diagnose the cause as gas, dhak dhak. acidity. 

in its delightful light way of handling things ipk had a way of slipping in great insights and truths about human nature.

he's worried sick about khushi, and when anjali confronts him with his follies, his complete error in sending her to the guesthouse, he's without any convincing argument. asr? anjali hits the nail on the jalebi, "tum usse itna pareshan kyon kar rahe ho? tumhe toh kissi cheez se faraq nahin padta, na? toh khushi ne aisa kya kiya-?" why are you getting after her like this? nothing makes a difference to you, right? so what has khsuhi done that's...

before she can finish, he cuts in hassled, lost, unguarded, "pata nahin kya kiya, di?" i don't know what she's done, di... so he does admit he's getting after her for something she's done? hmm. quickly realising that was not what he should have said, it might be an acceptance of something there or a probing he wasn't ready for, he brushes aside, "aisa kuch nahin hai." there's nothing like that.

anjali isn't one to give in. after a very interesting conversation about the past, where he reiterates that he is not letting that colour his present, and he is writing his own kismet, we come to a lovely scene. he will not admit he worries for khushi. how troubled he sounded when di asked him how was khushi when he left, and he said, "behonsh thi." she was unconscious.

of course, straight after that denying he needs to know her condition. anjali has had it. "tumhe faraq padta hai," makes a difference to you. 

she insists. instinctively he looks at his hand, the wound. he remembers. and when she calls, he pretends not to care, while turning to hear the news from a safe spot behind her back. and then quickly resumes fort faraq nahin padta air the moment she puts the phone down. you'll be glad to know she's fine. "maine poocha hi nahin, " i didn't ask... but your eyes asked, smashes back di. good girl. but, win he will, "mujhe faraq nahin padta," makes no difference to me. yet he's thinking of the guesthouse. 

curiously gentle, yet intense sequence, says much about family, ties, elder sisters, relations, and of course, pyaar. barun and daljeet vibed beautifully, and saved the scene from becoming too cute. the asr thing never left, but interestingly the man in command wasn't sounding so sure of himself. interesting, a situation in which the debonair tycoon is a tad out of his depth. 

her head is full of thoughts and images of hims. to drive the devil away, she is making the himalayan range of jalebis.

if he has fort faraq nahin padta, she has her castle jalebi. there she stands, frantically frying, dipping, and munching away, trying to get some equilibrium. trying to get "apne gussa pe qaboo," a grip on her anger. so she too has her gussa, it was good to know.

there anjali, the trusted sister was trying to help her brother calm down. here, shyam, anjali's trusted husband is fluttering around khushi, completely forgetting himself and the boundaries of ties. the episode design and screen play had an enjoyable tension, and cheekiness to it, as though creatives were keen on really crafting and honing each aspect of the production. give it a polished unity and finesse.

anjali made a phonecall. shyam broke a jalebi in two. both achieved what they set out to do. bring someone important to a better frame of mind. shyam's little game with the whirls was sharp, even more because the most coiled of them all was explaining how to simplify things by unraveling the swirls.

khushi went to bed, but her worries and the images of that man wouldn't leave her. would khushi get sleep tonight?

weather phorecasht from mami ji. post anjali's chat with nani re chhotey's marriage, and nani's angry walk out with the promise of getting things done her way, wait and see (oh asr's nani she is alright), mami ji opines in muhavra mode: toophaan ke pahele ka silencewa hai. it's the calm before the storm.

moving on to episode 31.

asr came down those stairs and took charge. he told his prospective in-laws to leave with their daughter, he would not be speaking with her. his logic was simple, direct, compelling, you had to feel a certain empathy with him. sometimes elders can land us in really troublesome spots. nani wasn't wrong, just that in her love, her concern, her worry regarding love marriages (mami ji's hint giving, "repeat telecasht"), and her complete inability to get through to her respectful but individualistic grandson, she thought presenting an alternative might work. ok, i'm being nice because i like the old lady, she wanted to get her own way but, out of love.

unlike last night, in this matter asr was completely sure of himself.

after all, his dil was not in the picture, his dimaag ticked, and using nani's own words and teachings he logically showed her that what he did was right. because nani had taught them never to do galat, and this was not the way to take such a decision. this concerned his life, he would take advice, "par main karoonga wahi jo main chahta hoon," but i will do what i do want to. a character got more and more clearly etched, and the plot was moved toward the inevitable, a real clash over lavanya.

this time, the music did play, and he walked out, elegant and exciting, a man almost recovered from a bad night.

and khushi? well she also hadn't slept last night. unlike asr, she was openly grumbling about it. nothing to hide. just a man to hate and feel confused about.

but today, everyone was after her to get that man out of her life. no, no more office, decided payal. the protective, loving, empathetic elder sister, payal is becoming a woman to reckon with. deepali pansare was lovely in these episodes. good looking, smart, emotionally rich. as the gentle kind akash, a perfect foil to his towering cousin, fell in love with her, it was nice to watch and again in terms of design, a great counterpoint to this indescribable love brewing.

but khushi remembered the deal and demurred. she couldn't walk away. however, by the end of episode, payal's love and commitment got through to her. she promised to go to office for one last time. to give her resignation.

khushi looked beautiful today. who'd have guessed madam hadn't slept at all.

noticed a clever mirror imaging in dialogue. ipk often plays with reflections. here it was with words. the philandering shyam said, "humey toh tabhi chain aayega jab..." then noticing everyone's expression he switched to, "... matlab hum sabko." i will be at peace only when... i mean we all...

his faithful wife who believes in "safi" as the most important trait of a life partner, said while speaking of her wonderful husband, "kyonki sab jaantey hain ki yeh sabse..." she paused and shyly corrected, "humse kitna pyaar karte hain." because everyone knows how much he loves everyone... i mean, me.

also, both presented their object of affection with khana to make things better. food is so important to our way of showing love and a whole lot of care isn't it?
at this point, we are not to know these two are married to each other. only later would we connect. nice. but we wouldn't remember all this in just one viewing surely. uh huh we were meant to watch it many many times too. maybe that's the "repeat telecasht" mami ji really wanted to hintiya at us.

 

while her son walks around in a daze induced by sweet love, where he dreams of the ideal world where money and status don't matter, no no they don't matter at all.

 


g.u.e.s.t.h.o.u.s.e.  e.p.i.s.o.d.e.s

................

episode rambles

fan fiction