episode 42 vows and lies

"if you're gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty."
~~~ marilyn monroe ~~~
 
filled with love, promises, vows, came episode 42. just as duplicitous as the man it was crafted to introduce; two-faced, like the enemy, shyam manohar jha. named after the sublime lord, there was never a blacker soul. if we'd ever had any doubts as to his nature, thinking maybe he didn't mean to harm anyone, fell in love with the innocent lovely khushi by chance, lost his head, didn't know what to do, etc., etc., all those thoughts were laid to rest here. no need to wonder.

he indeed was pure evil. no compunction, no remorse, not even a shred of guilt. he would take advantage of a handicapped, tender hearted woman to further his own cause and find his way to his current obsession. the girl who'd looked back at him in lucknow that day. perhaps shyam did feel the closest thing to love that someone like him could feel, for khushi. but that didn't make it any better or condonable.

"and thus i clothe my naked villainy
with odd old ends stolen out of holy writ;
and seem a saint, when most i play the devil."
~~~ william shakespeare, richard III ~~~

creatives deserve credit for the design of this intense episode, made in the model of shyam, loving and tender on the outside. violent and ruthless underneath. deception in its core. only one crib: too much shyam and too sweet anjali. c'mon, my man out there is a diabetic... hold the sugary.

a beaming anjali is at centre flanked by the two dearest people in her life. they rush to her side as she stumbles. she believes they'll both protect, love, honour her, if necessary with their lives. little does she know. the camera tells us of the men's place in her life. no shot is wasted, each one says something about our characters and their story. i have always enjoyed this aspect of ipk. not that the visual language was always very subtle or unique, but it was dealt with stylishly, lightly, without making a mega issue of things. we were invited to pick cues, not clobbered into doing so.

"and we all know love is a glass which makes even a monster appear fascinating."
~~~ alberto moravia, the woman of rome ~~~

the other thing was music. i know i digress, but i wanted to say this here, as today's episode was loaded with connotation and allusion in music too. can't say i've ever seen a serial with such lovely, stirring, and polished sound track. rabba vey apart, there were all kinds of occasion and moment related background scores. many memorable and nice. then there was asr's score. raju singh, who had worked long with r d burman, brought that svelte sexiness to his music that his mentor was famous for. that's how it seemed to me. i wasn't too fond of a couple of tracks, but the main ones were beautiful. today's episode had an undertone of war it seemed to me in terms of sound. pace, drums, chanting, conch shell blowing, a sense of preparation for something momentous. and of course, shyam's slimy signature.

everyone is beaming at the return of damad ji, even asr looks relaxed, emotional (unbelievable). when he sees the man who makes his sister happy, he almost has a sense of gratitude. he would do anything for her, we know. and the boy who's never had an elder male to trust ever since his father broke it, has possibly come to trust this man, his jija ji. strange how in three years, shatir asr has never sensed the lie in shyam, how we lose our instinct where those we love are concerned sometimes.

anjali has never smiled more, and shyam is all supportive and adoring. flowery words flow out of his mouth effortlessly, no one detects their emptiness. it was interesting how ipk revealed its hero and its villain. the former started out looking really mean while the latter was the heroine's saviour in the first scene. yet, even when asr snapped her dori we knew there was a decent man in there somewhere. and though shyam was as good as gold it seemed, there was always a sense of dross clinging to him. it was in his music, his sudden appearances where khushi was, his shiftiness at bua ji's questions and any mention of the raizadas. by the time he hobbled into the temple, 99 percent of the global population knew who would be revealed as anjali's husband. and the story had been told in a way that made us feel sorry for anjali already, and angry with shyam for his transgressions with khushi. but not just the two girls were his victims. the entire family was. as was asr. great woe, that's what shyam brought in his wake.

off the devoted couple go to practice a ritual, one most wonderful, according to mama ji. and what is it? the renewal of vows, anjali and shyam's private ceremony before fire and god, practically a wedding. as the words are spoken and the two look meltingly into each others eyes, a chill enters. even the fire can't drive it away.

she:
iss pyaar ko... humare vishwas ko hum kabhi tootne nahin denge... bhale hi hum dono kitne bhi door ho... phir bhi hum vishwas ke iss pavan dor ko hamesha bandhe rakhenge.
this love of ours, this trust, i'll never let it break, even if we're apart, i'll always keep this sacred thread of trust tied.

yes, she will, and that will be more the pity, cause of tragedy. had we not known it then too, we'd have sensed her trust will be sorely tried.

he:
iss parivar ke prati humari jo bhi zimedariyan hain hum unhe nibhane se kabhi peechhe nahin hatenge.
i will do the right thing by each member of this family, never shall i back away from my responsibilities to them.

oh well.

she:
hum har kadam par, sukh mein, dukh mein, acchhe samay mein, bure samay mein... aapka saath denge. aapki dhaal banke rahenge... aap ki anjali banke rahenge. 
at every step, in happiness or sadness, in good times and bad, i will stay with you. i will be your shield, i will be your anjali.

poor poor girl.

he:
hum apne aane waali peedi ki mangal kamna karte hain... bilkul aapki chhaaya ho humare santaan... kyunki keval aap hi humare jeevan ki neev hain... keval aap hi hain humare jeevan ki muskan...
i pray for the wellbeing of our coming generation, may they be your reflection, because only you are the foundation of my life, only you are the smile in my life.

liar liar pants on fire. oh the horror of his treatment of his coming generation.

she:
hum prarthna karte hain... ki humaari vajah se kabhi bhi aapko dukh na pahunche... hum kabhi bhi aapke khushi ke raaste na aaye...
i pray that because of me may you never receive any sadness... may i never come in the way of your happiness (khushi).

how the man changes at these words. in a second his mind flies to his dark place, where he's trapped the picture of a girl in his prison. she's peering from behind her mother's shoulder, scared, feeling embarrassed without her dupatta... she's turning back to look at him... the utter duplicity of this cretin.
            
he:
iss shaadi ke rishte ko jo aapne darja diya hai hum uska samman karte hain... humari zindagi mein aapki jagah aur koi nahin le sakta... hum se pahle aap hain... yeh humara vachan hai.

the place you've given our relationship of marriage, i respect that... no one can take your place in my life... you are before me, i promise that.

she:
humara diya hua har vachan pavitra man se diya hua vachan hai... hum vachan dete hain humare shaadi ke pavitra bandhan mein hum kabhi bhi jhoot ya dhoke ka kaala saya nahin padne denge... bhagwan na kare agar aap pe kabhi sankat aaye, toh woh bhagwan hume dein...
every promise of mine comes from a pure mind, i promise i will never let the black shadow of deceit or cheating fall on our relationship... god forbid, should some danger come your way, may god give it to me inst...
he rushes to cover her mouth with is hand, and avers:

hum aap par kabhi koi sankat, koi bhi dukh, jhoot ya dhoke ki parchhai nahin padne denge... itna pyaar jo karte hain hum aapko... raani sahiba. 
i will never let any danger, any sadness, deceit or cheating come your way... i love you that much... raani sahiba.

and so the web of lies gets spun with saat vachan, seven promises, words of sacred love ears do yearn to hear; and believe, no matter what. yet one day, she would crack the web and sit before a fire again.


 
the gifts come out, and all are impressed by shyam's thoughtfulness. he has these blokes eating out of his hand. et tu, asr? how confidently he persuades saale sahib to wear di's raksha dhaga, think of it as a wrist band. wow, what's this man, a kid you're handling? but alas, at this point, asr is indeed as trusting and pliant as a chiild before him, aapko to mana nahin kar sakta... can't refuse you, jija ji.

and so it goes on. till that little trick with the sari. but then the phone rings, and he sees khushi's name. he can't help but show his true face.

as the episode went by and i got restless for my favourite couple, the unsweet one, bua ji came to the rescue. intent on selling shyam bitwa to khoosie bitiya, she went on and on. but nothing could divert madam from the serious business of eating. certainly not stories of shyam ji. well perhaps, not such a bad chaat maker... but gotta eat.

and then suddenly bua ji asked, hope you did the fast the right way, didn't eat anything before time or whatever.

halfway to the mouth, the hand with the morsel of delicious poori stopped. the laughter disappeared from the face, a quiet fell. memories and a yearning. so much longing.

imagine she actually stopped eating for a while. that if not anything else should have told titaliya, this is love. but sanka devi was not listening. not yet.

   






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