episode 134 love, pyaar, chemistry

"bhai... khushi ji thoda pagal hai na? ekdam alag hain..." khushi ji is a bit mad isn't she... she's absolutely different, said akash with a bemused look as the two cousins walked into rm after a successful mission to save akash and payal's love.

khushi was exactly that and therefore totally valuable, especially in the context of indian tv where girls are constantly being told to be the same, the same and more of the same.

but that wasn't the reason a man in brown looked sort of lost, a gleam in his eyes as he said, "haan pagal toh hai..." yeah, mad she is. a graze in his voice, especially on that "haan!"

oh the tender tender look. khadoos has no idea how that pagal-ness is completely taking over his every feeling.

cut to gh, and a girl is doing a pretty convincing jija ji act. the specs look large and awkward, the voice is halting and gentle, there's utter confusion in the eyes... and payal is blushing practically at this. because that indeed is how her... akash ji is... say it softly, sigh.

that love between two sisters. it all started there, didn't it? that very first episode... a young woman most perturbed by the thoughtless act of her sister's to be in laws, and out to change things around.

jiji means the world to khushi, she will do anything for her. actually, payal too... she is completely doting of her sanka sister and protective. that night when khushi finally returned home, though her own wedding lay in a shambles, payal stood by khushi, refusing to blame her for anything. intelligent and strong enough to know that perhaps it was better not to marry such a spineless man. she told khushi, abhishek ji knew.

deepali portrayed a deep and lovely girl who always stood by what she felt was right and had a special place in her heart for the little girl who came home one day and became her playmate, her sis.

a sense of full circle as we sat in the room with the two watching them fool around. from jiji's wedding to jiji's wedding again.

khushi is delighted. and of course, delight brings on a special dose of madness and so the out of blue the jija ji act. hidden behind the big specs and the act is all her love, her joy, perhaps even her relief, because she has seen her sister balk at any talk of marriage and maybe even somewhere blamed herself for not reaching in time that night...

payal is smart, she worries about her paramour's family accepting her. in a totally trusting voice, khushi says, arnav ji has said he'll take care of things.
"khushi, arnav ji bilkul waise nahin hai na.. jaise humne socha tha..." payal says, arnav ji isn't at all the way we thought he was.

a play of emotions on khushi's face, suddenly vulnerable. perhaps too much has happened between them and the hurt is deep, but then she smiles and tells one of her little lies, for her jiji's happiness and peace of mind... no he is nothing like that.a feeling of family as two brothers do a bear hug, a solid jhappi, in the hallway of rm while the sisters hug on that bed of theirs in gh.

just a couple of steps into rm and all hell is waiting to break loose. mami is holding court as prospective daughter in law's parents beam at her while the girl simpers. mama ji sits a little away.

how gleefully manorama calls out to her son, her mr india, to come and see his bride to be. miss india (of some colony or the other). the always amiable akash, who never ever says anything to his mother... or anyone, suddenly starts acting completely unlike himself."main yeh shadi nahin karoonga!" i shall not marry... good boy says grimly.

bad boy looked on keenly.

akash's rebellion... like a chapter in itself. an insight into pyaar itself perhaps in that very stance of his. pyaar does make us do things we never ever would otherwise. it made akash stand up straight, look his mum in the eyes and say "no", loud and clear.

he will marry someone else... aur unka naam hai payal ji... and her name is payal ji.

hello hi bye bye... said manorama. possibly the most killing use of that favourite phrase... akash was pretty magnificent. not as gussa as the one true gussa man, but angry enough, young enough, and totally smitten man.

he refused to marry the girl his mother had invited home. this being a scene around mami, i guess had to be campy. there sat the young girl all giggly and overdressed between her proud parents, while mami beamed and cooed in loud turquoise and kilos of gold.

the whole family was soon there. the young girl's father admonished manorama. akash was resolved. arnav sigh looked surprised, but happy... and he watched his mami. he coudl sense managing would be needed. mama ji also did an about turn and supported akash bitwa. nani ji beamed at teh thought of payal being akash's wife and scolded mami, you don't even know the sort of person your son likes... di grinned and stroked akash's cheek.

mami swung her hips angrily, her lips shimmied. but not a scratch on akash's resolve.
authoritative akash now,"main sirf aur sirf payal ji se shadi karoonga. and that's final." i shall marry only payal and that's final.

mama ji looked proud of his son.

bad boy was struck by this new facet of his cousin.

does love do this to us? it can... sigh, it can.

but mami ji was having none of it. the lady has managed everything with her melodrama and canniness and a fair bit of crassness all her life.

she would not let that khoon bhari tang get her poor bitwa. she decided to bring hell to that girl's life and made a phone call.

oh so much storm and thunder all around. lovely.

as the bolts landed on payal and she wept and called akash to say, they really must forget each other, khushi lost it...

two little whirlwinds seem to whizz away through the episode. mami... khushi. each balancing the other. almost in harmony.

hah, that man. arnav singh raizada, muttered a furious khushi... pehle kahte hain ki sab kuch sambhalenge... aur ab? ye? first he says he'll take care of things, now? this? angry cute and trusting girl... call the man. rave at him.

"aap kya kar rahe hain... aap aap ko pata bhi hai ki kya ho raha hai? aap kuch kar kyun nahin raha hain???"

what are you doing... do you do you even know what's going on? why aren't you doing anything? she went at him straight.

what the f... said the eloquent one and disconnected the call.

raging and undeterred, khushi stormed out of the house to meet him. yes, at night, she'll be back in an hour... she the "lakshminagar ki baan" as per bua ji, who is totally perplexed by the "ganga jamna" tears covered payal too.

and in no time, she was there where so many things transpire. the poolside. she had walked into the house and not bothered with any niceties, going straight to where she was told arnav ji would be found.

he sat working, she stomped up to him.

"khushi?" he looked up.

a gorgeous sequence followed with dialogues and expressions that had most of us laughing and happy.

there was no talk of love between the two, no emotion charged fight, no almost kiss, no falling, no catching, practically no undercurrents.

but that chemistry.

i noticed just how much of that was there between them. funny dialogues, repartee, great comedy... but always that sexiness somewhere there. the body language between them sparkles with something. as if they are in some sort of constant tango... so much vibe and rhythm. the jhalli girl in classic khushi attire with gota and bad hairstyle and the suave man in smart well cut clothes, just to see them in the same frame brings on acidity.

she raved.

"relax... calm down..." did he say that. aargh.

clearly when it comes to shatir mami, nautanki is failing... strategy boy's input is needed.

"gehri saans lo..." take a deep breath he advises. note, he is not yelling. that funny sort of feeling for this spitfire girl... i think this huge love she has for her fam always touches him. that's one place where they are identical.

"shh... maine kaha hai na main baat karoonga..." i have said i'll speak. so tender. why why why?

maybe because she is looking so distraught. maybe because he plans to kill the onlooker, as in me.

"main baat kar loonga..." i'll speak.

she is not convinced. she knows he and mami will cross swords and then he'll lose his cool. she knows her candidate well. his gussa is at his nose practically.

poor man, tries to hold down his temper, "main kah raha hoon na, main baat kar loonga..."

"ek kaam karte hain..." let's do something, she cuts in, "hum abhyaas karte hain..." let's practise, she's looking sanka devi.

"what?" deadly look.

"haan, aap sochiye ki hum mami ji hain aur aap hume manao!" commands the goddess, think i am mami and you appease me.

what the f, says man.

she clears her throat, narrows her eyes and goes hello hi bye bye...priceless look on lg's face.

while madness and mirth rise by the pool, fury courses in a room in rm, akash is angry.

at the poolside, khushi points out her plan has worked before, so he must listen to her... what is he going to say to mami ji.

sure enough, tycoon reels off survey figures re love and marriage. i giggle thinking this is what i wrote in 133.

"aap aise kahenge?" horrified sanka devi asks, you'll speak like this!

survey? percent?

"aap thode bhavna ke saath kahiye na..." say it with some feelings, please...

"maine kaha na... main apne tarike se kar raha hoon... bhavna ko beech mein kyun laa rahi ho..." i said i'll say it in my way, he avers, why are you dragging bhavna into this. clearly he has no clue what bhavna is, he thinks it's a person.

pretty hackneyed joke, but smooth to and fro... that chemistry at work.

"feel..." she's trying to explain.

"feelings..." curtly, and devastatingly he.

"haan, wahi... feelings ke saath kahiye na," yes, that... say it with feelings.

he is about to erupt.

deadly khushi does the most flaky, couples are made in heaven bit.

asr gobsmacked.

"aur yeh sab main kahoonga?" and all this i will say? clearly the incongruity of it has completely escaped kkg in her desperation to get things going.

"mami ji se?" to mami ji? he knows what cuts ice with his favourite relative.

"bilkul!" absolutely.

"aur iss filmi lecture ke baad bhi woh mani nahin toh?" and what if after this movie type lecture she doesn't give in?

well if she doesn't, advises chief planner, then turn lightly thus and say, "kuch kuch hota hai, mami ji..." 

khushi in her world all smug and happy... asr's expression changes... 

what a sequence.

"aap nahin samjhengi..." something happens, mami ji, you won't understand, goofy dreamy look on kkg's visage on that filmi dialogue from a very filmi hindi film.

camera pulls focus... asr in sharp lines... i need to say the next two words for him...

"what crap."

the new assertive akash is leaving... the fam runs after him. that music in the background, where is it from.

end note
somewhere in the middle a hiss was heard. poor bua ji has a cold but you know syam babua has given her that medicine, that special marham, that cures everything. really? and where has khushi heard someone say exactly that? quite smoothly alongside is building the shyam's revelation story. nice detail that prayer book in bua ji's hands.

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a ditty for fifth

get an suv get angry fry jalebi
wear mojri say hey dm play with op
shout get out swear what the
let a dori snap let a goat chat
make a mami face make your kismet
does a nani dance does a di pray
can an akash make a payal ji stay
take a poolside on a holi trip
via nainital and a dhaba
let laad governor of kahin ke
hate the true devi of sanka
make an nk all hai re
and a bua say humahoon do
may hp's avatars grow
and happy ji's happy smile floor
and la do many round round
shhh!
shut up don't make a sound
does a moustache look good on a
jeeja ji hone wale does a snake need
a slap or two from his own very saab saaley
hug babu ji hold amma
golgappe balushahi
sheeshmahal is in lucknow
lakshminagar is in dilli
but no one will ever know
where exactly is mama ji
how dare you aap shut up
tum theek ho she's beaaautiful
shadi karni hogi ramanchi
yup that's it tum kitni intelligent ho
let the rain fall go atchhoo
go on girl fall he'll catch you
say kya kar rahi ho tum hoarsely
and pass out in a guest house
stay mere paas and mere saath
it's five years get the cake out
make an almost kiss diwali date
ha ha happy fifth i wish ya
hum bhi aapse i love you dammit
rabba vey did you say hamesha?

wrote this last year for the fifth anniversary of this crazy making show. :) sixth anni in two days. lots of rumours floating about the new show called ipkknd 3. keeping nimbu mirchi handy.

n i s h a n a   e p i s o d e s
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episode rambles

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episode 133 alag achha dhamakedar

brothers and sisters, enemies and lovers. an episode that opened out and seemed to do a big group hug all around, a smart move i thought by writers to bring two antagonists to a place where they must stop fighting and collaborate. and so it was that asr and khushi got seriously involved in sealing the fate of payal and akash's love story.

the two may hate each others faraq not padta ways, they may hurt each other, okay, he manages to hurt her more most times... but when it comes to their siblings, they are putty and completely like each other. they will both do pretty much anything for their family. some day he will use this knowledge to force her to go to a temple, but for now, he can't bear to see his coz, his brother, sweet lost akash so forlorn and she has understood that her sister actually loves akash ji, just that she is stubborn and must be persuaded to change her mind.

to solve this imbroglio, the gussa and the sanka are out on their first date. i am totally delighted, i don't care what the reason is why they sit across the table from each other, they are out together, makes me happy. kkg is looking totally cute and lovely today. never more kkg. and asr, uff in that brown three piece and all his asr-ness about him... supremely amused and superior, a bit giddy too i think.

of course, he repeats this "deal" will be good for akash, has kkg immediately cutting in "deal? deal matlab?" quite uncharacteristically i thought, he looks about a bit then says okay, "this" will be good for akash. of course, he is a good boy, because he is asr's brother. in that tom and jerry back and forth that is quite their way, kkg almost falls into the teapot as she says, yeah, despite that he's nice.

an eyebrow ascends. dealmaker hasn't missed it. must have sharp hearing i guess to be good at making deals.

"usske bawajood bhi jiji ne na kaha..." despite that jiji said no, aww poor sanka devi is trying to be nice to her favourite most hated laad governor. he is not taken in.

he devices a simple plan to make payal change her mind. get akash to flood her with many gifts and... he thinks that is what girls like... poor chap. i have to say, a part of me feels bad for this slightly dry young man who has never really understood girls or romance or anything like that. he has never gone that route and so the obvious things are what strike him. 
 
kkg is horrified. what... never. not going to work. one must think, "kuch achha... dhamakedar... alag!"

priceless expression on self confessed unromantic man's face.

"humare paas ek plan hai!" i have a plan, beams she. the most "yeah, really!" look on his face and a matter of fact, "bolo." say.

she actually waves to him to come closer. lovely feel for khushi's character. when she is engrossed in something that she believes is important and all her energies are engaged, she forgets to keep barriers and be stiff, even with lg... i loved the way she beckons him.

so she must whisper this whole thing to him in the middle of a restaurant where no one knows them? completely ripping off an old ad slogan, all i can say is:"only kkg". maybe even, only sanaya.

while writing was smart and took the story forward effortlessly, there were many things that happened, that kkg or even at times asr did, which were really not that sharp and a bit silly too. i feel sanaya got khushi so so well, she could do the oddest even pretty duh stuff and still keep building khushi, making her come alive, everything added to that sunny jhalli sanka clean lovable and pretty sexy personality. there was a disarming openness in sanaya's acting that was hard not to fall for.

not even the slightest self consciousness marred the portrayal... made khushi really unbelievably cute and dishy, despite all her weird ways and clothes, even her sanctimonious preachy bits.

"aaiye toh sahi!" she insists when he just looks around a bit frazzled.

"wait!" says tycoon loudly. killingly. that accent, sigh.

and then he actually leans across to hear her.

much gesticulating, he looks totally unconvinced.

"hamare beech jo kuch bhi hua hai... ya... ho..." whatever has happened between us... that... ahem... as they leave the restaurant, a truce is called for the sake of siblings. hands are shaken... but...

"par khushi ek problem hai, tumhara plan bahut stoopid hai.."

"kya!!" 

"fail ho jayga!"

he's sure her stoopid plan will fail. but then he is a man whose mind operates more rationally, western in attitude. he would possibly do a feasibility study, and apply other validated means of examining a situation before devising a plan based on research, calculation and much deliberation.

whereas madam is a master of the instinct. what's beyond the strictly rational. she knows her sister is stubborn, but she also knows her sis is in love and her key consumer insight comes from watching many films most likely... people in love behave irrationally. she is a hundred percent sure her plan will work. because it will tug where it needs to tug.

later he will tell her the plan had several loopholes... it did. yes, really, what was he doing bringing letters to payal if he knew his brother was out there about to kill himself. and yet, khushi is right... doesn't matter, plan is good. it worked. the proof of the pudding.

i thought, this is true in life too. we tend to over cogitate, over rationalise. sometimes you need a khushi strategy... kuch alag, dhamakedar, that comes straight from your gut and you just go for it.

a poignant scene as he drops her off. a look in his eyes, a strange hesitation. takes off his shades... ruminative music, as if something is on his mind.

the little eye movements of asr...

he's trying to say something. was it sorry for his behaviour on diwali as i thought earlier? or was it an apology for that terrifying meeting in sheesh mahal? he has just realised, what khushi said that evening was true.

"khushi, mujhe tumse..." he takes a decision and turns around to talk to her, alas...

she is nowhere in sight. she is of course, sitting all alert and in high dramatic mode on the floor of the suv. normal. this is khushi after all.

"tum wahan kya kar rahi ho?" what are you doing there? a totally wacky and cute sanaya. seems jiji is out there and so she must elude detection. again i wonder... why? what would happen if jiji saw her with arnav ji... 

he actually leans back to see how her crawling off is going... khushi does take you to her crazy land with you. you forget to say this is dopey, even if you do, you go anyway. sanaya knew this bit of kkg like no one else could. we keep talking about the cleverness and smartness of script, but i abs believe, you needed these two actors to make this whole thing so totally unforgettable. even to pull it off.

the hair brained plan involves the horoscope of course. so payal is a libran. yeah, she feels like one. does anyone know kkg's bday? she feels like a scorpio to me teehee. there's also suicide... we met this devil first in the funny post janmashtami scene in the guise of a scene from sholay, now it's here as the filmi ruse to get payal to agree... but in its third appearance suicide will be really damaging. i wonder who was into this self killing idea among the writers, seemed sort of irresponsible after a point. especially that third time. here, though, it didn't offend, it hinted more at the nature of the planner than anything else.

in his den, the leo is trying to assert his superior might. 

no need to call the "client" four times as advised by that khushi, three is enough. why, asks hapless fuzzy akash. because you must do things with apne style, apni sharton, your own style, on your own conditions, client must not think you're desperate.

really, we must all remember, the other party is always "client", even if she is your lover or wife or light of your life.

he fails to sway his smitten brother, who decides he will do exactly as kkg says. again, kkg shows a feel for pitch... how far a thing must be taken to have the impact one desires. maybe she should start teaching marketing and advertising...

a look from bhai. and like most of his looks, one can't put a price on it.

fourth call has a very angry payal...  and khushi in throes of major happiness.

she loves natak. this is essential khushi, i think she's born this way, the drama gene inherent in her. even with la, it's constantly weird overly dramatic means that she must devise for her to win over asr. the character comes with its resident over the topness... 

the scene at the verandah... i guffawed at the thought of poor lord of all he surveys asr having to do things the way madam has decreed. so he stands there with a letter yelling at payal as per script provided by khushi. but when the smart, rather rationally oriented payal points out the gap in the whole scene. what are you doing standing here if your cousin is about to commit suicide?

the completely flummoxed laad governor.

the opposite of ott is he. no drama in him. not a jot. so now what... the deal maker is stumped.

and the cutest, angry, "kya boloon ab!" what should i say now. exasperated man. can't take all this any more.

in her elements though is his partner in mission and she saves the day.

"mananiya arnav singh raizada ji.. yeh kya hai?" respected arnav singh raizada sir... what's this! sanaya does a brill job of reading the suicide note, which for some unknown reason has words in hindi printed on the flip side, the beginning of a letter to the honourable mr raizada. let's not discuss how it got there. writer was in kkg frame of mind no doubt... damn the loopholes, on with the plan.

"itne loopholes hain... tumhari jiji sahi kah rahi thi..." there are so many loopholes, your sister was right.

"shhh! jiji aa gayi na, matlab plan achha tha." shh, sis is here, means plan was good.

it was delightful to see the two who had fallen out so badly after diwali and who were both hurting at what had happened, on the same side and at complete ease with each other, vibing. every time something happened the way she had predicted it would, or there was success, he looked at her... then she at him... smiles, wonder, even liking perhaps in each others gazes.

and when payal cried out, they ran together to be by her side. somehow this one scene really touched me.

khushi was anyway in that ecstatic mood over her sister and akash's love, because she believed in this emotion... so much.

not he. yet, the look on his face when with a "samhal ke, payal ji" his bro comes back... hmmm, again, no price tag.

when the mention of family comes up, the brave, strong brother steps in, "main baat karonga..." i'll talk to them.

asr is pretty much head of family when it comes to the big decisions, but for him to be involved in the romantic pursuits of akash, beautiful... and that look of almost gratitude, trusting and happy, kkg bestows on the khadoos... you can sense a trust, a bharossa grow.

the two hugs between siblings added layers to asr and kkg too... such complete people, not just whimsically drawn characters, devised to create dhakdhak trp generating romance.

of course, the most telling and lovely scene, khushi jumping with glee and grabbing asr's hand. they'd shared smiles at payal's despair before, two slightly heartless but completely loving brother and sister. now khushi held his hand, without thinking. an instinct? she knows whose hand she wants to hold maybe? and there's enough comfort between them despite all the nastiness of the past few days. there seemed to be that sense of huq she has too... and he didn't draw his hand away, just let it be.. looking at her searchingly. maybe  searching within him too to understand what he was really feeling. tender, ephemeral, beautiful moments.

felt real to me. when people care for each other, they may hurt each other badly, even hate each other, but then that abates and somehow normalcy returns and sometimes with it a little unguarded moment of happiness shared.

four young people walked toward us, the sky big behind them. a simple effective shot. i always appreciated this about ipk... the creative team got the most out of whatever they had. and they rarely had fancy budgets or sets or locations. to me that's a sign of true creative ability, to find the dhamakedar, the alag, the achha, in the ordinary, in whatever one has.

as they walked, asr and khushi kept looking at each other... so much conversation in those silent gazes.
through payal and akash a love story continued and got thicker, more entrenched.

just a thought 

seems initially there was no plan to write a payal akash romance, but then it came along... possibly as a good means of allowing the asr kkg relationship to progress. both deepali and akshay were great at being akash payal, a depth to their feelings added by payal's deep nature, her denser emotions that when expressed spoke volumes, balancing tat, the gentler, more expressed akash... this jodi deserved more attention i can't help but think.






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episodes 133/134/136/137/138 it's in your eyes

time was running out... saansey was about to complete its term, i was still far behind the target 139. only done up to 132. decided to do some ramanchi. i would try and find one scene to talk about in the episodes pending and see what i came up with.

and so i began to search and noticed the moments... "something in the eyes" little scenes that were there right through. almost every episode had them. asr's eyes mainly... once in a way khushi's too.

after the blast and heat of:
"tum samajhti kya ho apne aap ko"... who do you think you are...  you think i am angry because of you... that whatever i do i do because of you... if you think it makes any difference to me your being or not being here... "tumhare hone ya na hone se koi faraq padta hai..." then forget it... you don't even exist for me... do you understand...  tum ho ya na ho... whether you're there or not... kuch kaho, kuch karo... mujhe usse koi faraq nahin padta... whether you say something or do something, doesn't make a damn difference to me...
after that tirade, that spiraling of rage, something seems to have cooled inside this ravaged, man constanty grappling with that edge of raw pain writhing in him, trying to shut out all feelings with desperate ramparts of don't care. but suddenly now there's an easing... especially since she cut the fire with calm... and non aggression. a sort of cleansing perhaps in that outpouring, a detox as it were.

ever since that evening, he is curiously aware of her. and of course, just now in the restaurant her "phree biskut" spin has him reaching desperately for his smug, superior air just in case he should completely melt and show those "pyaar wyaar" feelings he knows nothing of.

i was completely blown away by these scenes coming up. if you string them together it's a gorgeous length of, well this is ipk so it must be pearls, pearls that would never lose nacre or lustre. arnav means ocean, and pearls find so many references and allusions here. sometimes i think, the ocean had all the pearls in him, among them the most precious one, his dil, someone had to dive in and find it. then she came, togged in gota and off centre plait, slip off mojris, pompoms bobbing, and a smile that would cheer up the gloomiest soul. sunny, bright, sparkling a creature, that could reach and light up the darkest corners of the ocean and find those pearls.

how he enjoyed her "khushi" type sanka as they planned the charging of jiji's resistence and uniting akash and payal. a love of their siblings brought them together, but those hours of scheming together, guard down, khushi in filmi overdrive, and then success, achieved together... somehow it all made him feel all sorts of funny things for this jhalli babe.

i must say again, he fell for her at those weird khushi moments... that's when she got right through, past all barriers and reinforced concrete walls, to his heart and left a little mark there that was indelible. permanent damage.

and yes, he did feel a certain something when she fought back and refused to take nonsense from him. i think that fire attracted him too.

anyway, the scenes.

episode 133

here as she tells him to manage akash, he looks at her home and suddenly his mood seems to shift. a bit thoughtful, almost mellow, then he turns and wants to tell her something... "uh, khushi, mujhe tumse kuch... "

uh, khushi, something to you i wanted... the quality of his voice, a little lost. contrite? unsure? the music had changed, become tender, like that day that she told him about the stars.

what did he want to say to her? this was a moment of quiet after the rage the previous evening and all the hectic activity of the day... did he want to tell her he didn't mean those things he'd said? about her not mattering? tum ho ya na ho?

i couldn't figure out, but there was something sort of terribly important he wanted to tell her... however that was not to be since someone had disappeared.

"tum wahan kya kar rahi ho!" what are you doing there?

then the crazy coot talk from the floor... tell me he didn't fall for her then.

a cute exchange:
"akash achha hai... mera bhai hai." akash is good, he's my bro. so innocently arrogant if that makes any sense.

"usske bawajood bhi achchhe hain..." despite that he's nice. at his what the look, khushi's spin on that unwise comeback was really funny.

my favourite line:
"par khushi ek problem hai... tumhara plan bahut stoopid hai... fail ho jaayga." but khushi there's a problem... your plan is very stupid... it will fail. love the way the boy says "stoopid." very delhi... i say stoopid just like that too.

a series of moments from the time he comes to give payal the letter to all four of them walking back happily to the car, where he looked at her, sometimes exasperated, or challenging, but also oddly tender, considering, curious. they even managed to laugh together, he was certainly utterly amused with this melodrama queen. and had to admit her plan, however stoopid, had worked.

though uncomfortable with the plan, he is happy for his brother, and at least once he looks at her with what seemed like acknowledgement; of course, our jhalli is in her hyper, over excited, doer mood and possibly misses it.

his eyes find her again and again and there are so many things they seem to say... but for now she misses most of them, though once in a way there's a meeting of eyes and and a delightful awkwardness in her, always a search in him.

"main baat karoonga, ghar walo ko main sambhal loonga..." i will talk to the family and manage them. when he says that, she looks at him with clear, happy eyes, gentle, grateful, acknowledging.

so she does one part, he the other. partners... team... equals? can't stop looking at her as they walk to the car.


episode 134

"bhai, khushi ji thodi paagal hai... ekdam alag hai," bhai, khushi ji is a bit mad, absolutely different... when akash says that, involuntarily a look in asr's eyes. akash walks away. a pause... music running around the mind...  his face getting softer, he's reflecting upon something rather lovely... a smile lifts a corner of his lips. "haan pagal toh hai..." yes, mad she is. sounded like, "absolutely gorgeous she is." and tell me, what's that look in his eyes. i mean how terribly doting and tender and dreamy must a man look.

"pagal," he said like a man in love on a holi morning, even when he thought she was a harlot, a home wrecker.

such a telling scene this. she is firmly entrenched under his skin... dare i say, in his heart.

when she storms his den with many questions, alleging gross inefficiency and ineffectiveness in his mission, he doesn't yell at her... most unusual. instead, he tries to get her to calm down.

"khushi? relax... calm down... gehrin saans lo," take deep breaths. but she is incapable of such things at this point... too excitable.

and so comes the fabulous...

"shhh!"

a hilarious exchange between the two about the problem at hand. he is trying to stay cool, obviously he's told himself that he can handle miss sanaka. brave fellow. see i'm cool is his air. but she manages to irritate him and the snarl is almost out. madam is delighted, hero is unable to control emotions, gets gussa. she will teach him how to be poised and persuasive and influence mami. after listening to her filmi dialogues for a while, asr has to say what he has to say.

"what crap."

episode 136

  
everyone is at gh, nani ji has come to ask payal's elders for her hand in marriage...  as everyone settles down, khushi goes to shut the door, and his hand comes and touches the door at the same time as hers. his hand covers her hand. neither flinch from the touch. instead, a long, aware look. he seems to just want to look at her... almost searching for something at times. i loved the car keys hanging from his thumb... felt like asr. something terribly active about this character... he strides, he goes up to life, he moves... sometimes mountains. that key looked somehow sexy, don't ask me why.

later his ire at the talk of khushi's fiance and those looks exchanged between them as she knocks on her fiance's door. this man is terribly aware of her. more than ever before.

episode 137

a moment with her when she is troubled... a helping hand on the door, as though to say, "i am here." what an intimate and intense shot up there. the body language is so expressive. they seem to flow into each other, she turns to him, seeking, he look sat her, his body protective almost in stance, eyes looking into hers... need me? i'm, here.

they are just acting, right?

then he lingers... shall i call the doctor... some people feel like your own, even if nothing says so officially.

"kuch dawaiyya ya kuch..."  some medicines or, some... he doesn't just walk away. even when he leaves, a turn back, a bit of thinking, perhaps wondering if he can help her in any way.

later, he returns to apologise to payal.  the sorry is almost blurted out like he couldn't wait to say it. asr never says sorry. "sorry, meri vajah se apki shadi tot gayi... ekbar rishta pukka ho jaye, phir sorry bol doonga..." sorry, because of me your wedding was called off... i thought let the relationship get the nod, then i'll say sorry. an air of urgency, an innocence, an almost vulnerable open face. "maine use jaane se roka tha... i'm really sorry," i stopped her from leaving... i'm really sorry.

and finally, jumping to her defence... "usski koi galati nahin thi," it was no fault of hers. bravo, asr, you've come a long way, baby.

my favourite line, "decide khushi kumari gupta, what do you want?" around that forceful turn around and almost collide into each other... lots of centripetal force here.

then as she is about to answer, he says, you know what... i don't want to know. nice. when his eyes said things, she was too hyper to hear. now her eyes are soft and yielding, so he must run. could be because he could sense the danger... he might melt and become puddle.

no problem. she lets the air out of his tyre and we are treated to another classic bout of comedy.

episode 138
 
as i look at babu ji reacting to anjali, and all the "sya... sya," i am amazed that khushi never made the connection once she found out... she didn't figure out that babuji knew.

138 builds up toward and gets set for the revelation of 139. khushi has picked up enough hints to get really concerned. perhaps a part of her has already arrived at the truth. but it is so shocking maybe she can't process it. 

"tum yahan kya kar rahi ho..." what are you doing here, he asks sensing she's not quite herself. in her confusion and growing suspicion she's wandered into his den... it's him always she needs when she needs real help, like in the hospital... beautiful touch, she does it instinctively.

"kya hua?" what happened? she's silent, eyes lost.

"kuch chahiye tumhe?" do you want something? a little brusque the coice, yet there's concern... and patience.

"kuch baat karni hai?"  do you want to say something? i wonder did he want to hear something from her?  so tender...  seems to bridge right back to 133 and his searching preamble "khushi, mujhe tumse..."

  
she is terribly troubled. her eyes focus but it's brimming with an ominous feeling. she turns and leaves, unable to say what's bothering her.

edit: reading anita's comments reminded me of something i wanted to say here. it's such good story telling and insight, she's found her way to his room... to him, without knowing so consciously. in fact, she's startled to find herself here. it looks as though she's wondering aimlessly in her frazzled state, but she has unerrigly made her way to the place where she needs to come... to him, to find calm, sense, protection. her insides have sensed that care, that protectiveness that flows from him. beautiful. there was never any need to say this was love, you just felt it was. uff if only i could write like that.
 
he goes back to work with an "unbelievable..." maybe, he needs to shake off that unfamiliar feeling of concern and care for this woman who means nothing to him... whether she's there or not, it really makes no difference. faraq nahin padta.


only one piece, this item.

 

completely unedited. hmmm.

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episode 137 khushi's crazy uncle

it has to be one of my most favourite asr kkg moments, that white sleeved arm coming out and pushing the door open, even as she struggled to reach it as she took her father back to his room.

and the look asr gave khushi, how much was in that... how can all the time so much be said without using practically any words. back in communications class, we often talked of subliminal communication, non verbal communication, etc. with these two one gets a complete sense of that.

earlier he had pushed open a door when she least expected it. now again. maybe all this means something. even if it doesn't, the way he looks at her and she responds, it's hard to imagine these are actors and that isn't love, just make believe.

of course, shashi ji has recognised anjali and is beside himself with worry and a desperation to communicate the truth about shyam. "sya... sya..." he calls out. khushi understands it's shyam he speaks of... but she doesn't even begin to guess what the truth might be, although she knows both anjali's husband and her fiance have the same name.

in the sitting room there's talk of calling khushi's mangetar, fiance. the look of ire and that something else on asr's face is again talkative as hell, shyam babua is mentioned again and again. yet, all these fairly intelligent people, none of them connect the two names when all hell breaks lose later post kidnap... of course, asr doesn't believe khushi when she tells him the facts. no one seems to recall that bua ji had clearly uttered khushi's fiance's name and it was shyam. 

a beautiful look exchanged between the two lovers over the fiance search. the lovers quite unaware of their intense attraction, one deciding to relegate it to acidity and the other hellbent on running away from any and all tender feelings coming over him. but he keeps being terrifically sweet to her today.

clearly this is arnav singh raizada's dil at work. the same one which he complains about to khushi one evening on a telepathic chat. '"itni koshish ki, maine itni zyada koshish ki tumse nafrat kar sakoon... par main tumse nafrat kar hi nahin paya, mera khudka dil meri baat hi nahin maanta,"  i tried so hard to hate you but i couldn't, my own heart wouldn't listen to me.


 
he'd told her it's best if she kept away from him, but he couldn't stop himself from rushing to help her. as he stood there watching her fret over babu ji, he looked so concerned, maybe he recalled how important her father was to her, and her fear and despair at the hospital. when he came out of the room, he hesitated and looked back, something was bothering him... as he left their place he saw khushi hugging her sister in great joy, he watched, his eyes seemed to twinkle as if he were really happy to see her so thrilled... maybe he did a little bit of all this not just for akash, but also for the girl who means nothing to him.

then came that sublime hesitation and his decision at last to come back. khushi was totally taken aback. he wanted to speak to her alone? no, not her, her sister. kkg jumped in front of payal protectively. he looked sternly at her, looking even more drop dead gorgeous if it were possible and said with his impeccable delhi amriki accent, "leave us alone."

payal was lovely as she told her sis to be reasonable and let him talk to her. khushi pouted. asr frowned. does this man practice his frowns? how does he get them to look this good? inbhestigasson kareka padi.

thankfully, the favourite ipk rescue devise, the phone... it rang.

out came "hay.. haylo," kkg style.

and a few feet away, a quick "sorry," asr style.

i loved that scene, everything about it. payal was magnificent, asr was moving... then with a touch of the comic khushi barged in. she heard what was being said... and again was struck by a million emotions. tears threatened to pour, a tremulous smile its first indication.

payal said the trouble was khushi believed the breaking of payal's wedding was all her fault.

a man who said he had no heart in his chest, who said she meant nothing to him, jumped in protectively, "usski koi galati nahin hai..." it's no fault of hers.

again i felt that traction, something entered and settled in my heart. this was a feeling that needed no name, just needed to be cherished and pondered... if need be in lengthy essays on a hindi tv serial, even if people thought one was mad for doing that.

lovely writing and direction all through. episode was so thick with meaning and beauty and every kind of emotion... hate, love, nurturing, wonder, joy, sadness, sombreness, playfulness, comedy, an exciting sexual tension.

he said that and immediately noticed khushi was standing right there, she had overheard him.. she was reacting and he knew she was getting really emotional. tears in her eyes.

he attempted what he had to. a quick get away. by the way, has he grown even more lithe and there's a catlike grace to his movements which is causing fairly severe breathing problem this side of the screen.
she gave chase... he had to listen to her... he turned back and said, okay, tell me. she started saying what she waned to, clearly she was going to be nice.

could he risk that? his instincts leapt in to protect him khadoos asr man of dimag, just as he'd repeatedly moved with alacrity to shield her. the same momentum with which he'd suddenly turned and blocked her, he turned away and marched off... seems he didn't want to hear what she had to say.

of course, he didn't. it might touch him too much and no way could he let that happen.

such fascinating play of a so many subtle and not so subtle emotions of attraction across the episode.

she rushed after him and did something totally bizarre. she took the air out of his tyre with a hair pin. i felt all sorts of things coming through, led chiefly by a sense of extreme sexual tension that makes you almost giddy headed and you need some sort of release...

for the past two days they'd been too close too often... planning together, wholly immersed in a shared project, not being nasty, sensing each other's emotions, especially he could feel her many feelings for her family and was clearly moved... and just as by the poolside on diwali night there was the "wo sab" she didn't understand and that left her breathless, so also this caring protective man, gently asking her questions, there for her, apologising to her sis, saying she is not at fault.

it was all a bit too much.

something had to be done to go back to even keel... a little nafrat times. back to laad governor and sanka devi equation.

thwarted when she tried to be nice, khushi opted for nasty. and the tyre went flat. she stood grinning her head off, while he looked stunned then freaked out.

now you'll have to stay... she declared.

he swung out of his car and did some more of that lithe killer walk ending up right before her, angry and incredulous. what the f... went his angry voice, while his eyes grew most ungentle. are you crazy, he asked.

by now, her reply possibly didn't surprise him any more.

aap crazy, she retorted of course. he turned back to leave. i was intrigued. no real yelling again. he was really crazy, wasn't he? for her.

she did her sorry aur dhanyavad  bit. he stopped, rabba ve notes wandered in on a lilting note, a little inquisitive... asr looked at her quizzically.

yeah, he reminded me of mills and boon words a lot today.

when she said there's a reason for her weird words, he muttered under his breath since when does she need a reason to talk. sounded like  a possessive, smitten lover to me. his "isse" and "usse" sound so intimate, almost caressing. never have i heard the third person singular sound this endearment like. and that avoiding of all eye contact or conversation about his apology to payal... again it said he cared too much and needed to not be found out, by anyone else or even himself.

he couldn't help himself and began to smile a bit at what she'd said, when again sanka attack, she summarily wished him bye and told him to leave.

oh that look on his face when he processed this. that smile which said, she's crazy, ah well... i love her just like that whispered something amid all that shrug and bye and cocked head and amused half smile.

turned out, he didn't know how to change a tyre. they wrangled a bit over it, what! you can't change a tyre?! yeah so, big deal!

of course, the jalebi maker was also an expert tyre changer. she might not be able to push a car but change tyre she is expert at.

we went right back to the adversaries mode of lovers, a little aggression, skirmishes, constant contact of another kind, through anger, ire, irritation... but contact.

kids laughed at him, really why are kids constantly making fun of this man... anyway, they called him "uncle".

then she referred to him as uncle.

he was genuinely horrified.

she fixed the new tyre and prayed for a good and safe journey. obviously writers were dropping major isharas, hints about something...  a new track maybe? i was never good at understanding all this. so i just gawked at the fabulous romance.

she refused to say sorry to him. but khushi, he is also going to thank you for changing the tyre... not.

ha, the man had the last word.

such a game of love, this last word getting.

a young beautiful funny girl in tight churidar and a young totally handsome guy in formals, that too grey and white, changing a wide, heavy tyre together, well  he did help her roll it into place... all this looked unbelievably erotic and also cute at once. asr and khushi always evoke layered nuanced response.

she called a spanner... paana... the hindi for "to get". paana hai... need to get, she called out. kya paana hai? what do you need to get, he barked back, frowning. again much more than what was said, was said.

 


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episode 136 get the ishara?

koi kissise se milne wala hai...

kaun?

janam janam ke liye, jiji!!

someone is going to meet someone... who?... for all their lifetimes, jiji!

one scene caught my entire attention and floored me this episode. it was a scene that had sort of made me pause and wonder when i first saw it, this time it seemed like the most significant part of story even though it lasted a few long seconds and there was nothing said.

as khushi went to close the door, a masculine hand, wrist covered in white, appeared and covered her fingers, it held a set of keys, car keys you could tell, it stopped the door from shutting. why did newton's laws of motion come to mind even if i barely recall them accurately, force, state of rest, motion, momentum, acceleration...

and the hand slowly pushed the door open.

khushi's eyes widened and her face held an expression one really couldn't read as arnav singh raizada came into view. slowly, deliberately and with unsmiling face. but even in his eyes there was a thing unfathomable, unusual. for a moment, time went calling on some other universe, and they stood vis a vis... just looking at each other.

then he took back the moment, brought it here and walked in almost brushing her aside.

there was a sense of a horizon opening out, some conversation happening in another plane... don't shut the door, i am here... who are you?... it's me... yes, it is you... shall we cross the threshold, go to our next universe... do you understand the ishara... are you here for all my lifetimes? koi kissise milne wala hai... janam janam ke liye...

the doorway has often been a place of story telling in ipk. almost like a border, a gateway to something new, wondrous. one can sense many meanings here or just the plain factual one, but i had a feeling the directors wanted us to read more, sense more. how carefully the shot is taken and edited. the depth of field almost not there as we see only the faces, the gazes, the touch, the stop, the wonder, the feeling of another space where only he and she exist, and a key and two hands colliding accidentally... but really there are no accidents... sometimes i think there's only you and me in this universe... kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai, khushi... he says that later.

this was certainly a space where only they were there... and all the laws of motion, as they whirled away igniting each other, in search of nothing and everything toward that inner utter peace.

that key... it looked terrifically masculine dangling from that sure, confident thumb. there was a maleness about it hard to describe or deny, her fragile long fingers never moved or jerked back, as if unconsciously prepared for that touch.

mannat ki chabi. there was always a key somehow symbolic, telling a story. doors were being opened, galaxies crossed, arnav singh raizada was stepping right up and meeting khushi kumari gupta, this was the ultimate chakkar, orbiting... love ka chakkar (as mano memorably said), the wheels and orbits of love.

pretty neat, the way of course on those words editor cut to asr and kkg looking at each other... while we were speaking of payal and akash's love.

the writers and directors had had fun telling the bit they had assigned to this episode. khushi was delighted and it of course manifested in a show of complete sanka... she jumped about and chirped what seemed like nonsense but wasn't and yes, ishara, sign, one of her fave words... writers possibly wanted us to read the ishara.

lifelong commitments were the topic of the day, ostensibly akash and payal's. but look a little away from mami's deadly pink and kundan ire, di's beaming delight, nani ji's gracious progressive words, payal's tremulous joy, akash's happy confusion, bua ji's astonishment, garima's stammering wonder and all you see is a girl in green with the widest grin and something in her eyes, a man flat out killer in white with that same something in his... this is forever.

tum door hi raho toh achha hai... if you stay away it's better, he may snap, but his eyes long for the reverse.

she's put haldi on his cuff. what could be symbolic of a shadi, a wedding.

no, he doesn't eat sweet, she chimes in quickly when bua ji goes to give him mithai.. yeah, she is the one who must watch out for him...

aasmaan, sky, akash.. her charade was all about somehow saying what she was told not to. amma didn't guess akash... but yes, aasmaan, paani tapak raha hai... rain, skies, a man called ocean...

ah allusions. the isharas.

the whole episode was rich in those things.

there was also the endearing straight talk of ipk on nani's lips, something indian serials rarely see... even mami spoke clearly about love/pasand, a family that values tradition but is not blind and mired in things irrelevant. love is a great reason to get married... there is acceptance of that and the positive idea that you still start belonging to each other's families and everyone's happiness is sought through the alliance.

nani saying, yes, mano darling is not pleased but they have "manay rahi" her... that she is nasty on the outside but a lovely person within, that she will keep her daughter in law happy... ah such straight and real talk. there's no doubt nani gives a lot of her directness, her strength, her attitude to her favourite angry grandson.

of course, most times i was passing out looking at asr and nothing registered.

today again khushi was beautiful... a glow almost in her and that wide eyed innocent yet strong appeal. her sunniness was out and bright and not at all affected. her complete dhakdhak sanka in the kitchen, ha ha ha, only kkg, only sanaya.

must say, payal and akash rather sweet. beautifully done sudden proposal by raizadas scene. and why don't we just bury the snake in that room... don't let him escape.

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