Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin : Gate’s
Easily one of the best & nuanced episode to come out in a long time. This was an episode that was long awaited since it appeared Sai & Virat’s journey had stuck in a rut with both circling around rather than plunging ahead onto the tumultuous sea of love.
As does happen, the rut has caused rust & the rust had begun to corrode the surface. For the ship to sail, the rust had to be removed.. How does one remove a rust ? by introducing a third element that acts on the rust causing it to dissolve or pare off. The process of cleansing a rusted thing is not beautiful, it is ugly, smelly & laborious but the out come.. It’s so beautiful!!
Today’s episode began the process of cleansing the rust.
The rust of frustration, suspicion, uncertainty & insecurity has been slowly but steadfastly tarnishing the beautiful relationship of SaiRat. For it to shine again, something had to give & it was Ajinkya. He was introduced as the ‘solution’ that would force the clinging rust to loosen its death grip on SaiRat relationship. As expected it happened.
Virat whose growing insecurities were beginning to leak sideways with odd probing questions thrown Sai’s way only for him to deny it (Jealous accusation) when Sai counter questions him or the reassurances he seeks by provoking her without much success had to come to a head. So a trigger that leads to a confrontation letting loose the tightly reined in emotions. Pakhi being the head chef adding measured amount of inflammable oil when required to keep the emotions hot & flowing.
What I loved today was how the word ‘ characterless’ actually got played out.
However before that lets visit Chavan heir, Virat!. By now it has been clearly established that Virat possess a ‘possessive’ streak that is as deep as the pacific, wide & long as Amazon. It is also known well that when his inner demons wake up, he loses sense of proportions, be it words, actions or reactions. Today was no different, his emotions kept dammed, breached sweeping away all sensibilities yet strangely, he did not go to the lengths he went to during ‘Pulkit gate’. In other words, he did not dictate nor condemn . He asked, he demanded to KNOW.
The arrival of Ajinkya in Sai’s life has scared the hell out of Virat. Her constant assertion of him not being handsome, he being someone that she does not find attractive, he being old has lead to unhealthy growth of insecurity. On top of that, Sai’s obvious approval of Ajinkya as a talented classmate & a friend has added on to Virat’s growing fears. Despite Sai’s assurances, Virat’s fears have refused to die. For Virat, Sai leaving him for someone younger, accomplished is a real prospect. This fear is also fueled by the fact that Virat does not know his place in Sai’s life. On one hand, Sai says he is important, in the very next breath she speaks of leaving him after 5 years. Every time he has broached the subject, Virat has been forced to end the topic prematurely or divert it or to fob Sai off saying that he was just teasing but he wasn’t.
That constant suppression finally came to a head today when he spies Ajinkya in THEIR room! A room that is meant for them both, that’s theirs. Virat does not have any problem if and were Ajinkya to come to Chavan House, he makes that clear when he demands to know, why Ajinkya did not wait it out in the living room like other guests. His issue is that Ajinkya came into their room, stayed too close to his wife. A place that he is not sure of, a place that he is deemed unworthy of. Virat has had enough, TODAY he wants to know.. Why did Ajinkya come? ( Am I not needed anymore?), Why did he come to their room (Are we not close anymore? How could you let a stranger intou our intimate zone?). Notice at no times, Virat passes a sweeping judgement on Sai rather he demands to know.. Jawab Sunao/ Mujhe jawab chahiye .. A man who decides or decided about his wife will not seek her answer instead he will let her know of his opinion, nor will demand to know her response. A man who has questions, will earnestly seek to know answers. Virat needs to know not what Ajinkya is to Sai rather he wants to know whether he, Virat has any relevance in her life.
Interestingly, the word ‘characterless’ first slips from the lips of Sai! Sai who has been aware of Virat’s raging jealousies. Sai who has been trying in her own way to reassure him about her platonic relationships with all men. Being ‘Not in love’ & being a forthright person, she hardly has any gauge on the simmering depths of Virat’s emotions. Sai is caught offguard & is shaken when she had to face the brunt.
Sai assumes that Virat is accusing her of being a characterless woman, a charge that leaves him flabbergasted when he first hears it. But what one must wonder is why would Sai think of, ‘characterless’? From day 1, she has maintained that the marriage is a farce. Even recently, Sai had reminded Virat that while they may discharge the duties expected of married couple, they will not ‘commit’ to each other. When you are not committed to each other emotionally or physically, then there is no scope for ‘cheating’, there’s no leeway to betray. In short she is free to pursue her own life replete with the ‘love of her life’ without incurring the title of ‘characterless’?
Has Sai unknowingly already committed to their relationship? Has she subconsciously accepted their relationship? So that when Virat questions her, she assumes that he considers her a ‘characterless’ woman. Ironical!! That Virat feels that Sai does not belong to him whereas Sai thinks Virat does not belong to her. Yet their hearts have twined quietly & silently, beating together, unknowingly already belonging together.
:: Kudos to the writers for introducing the note of ambiguity by getting Sai to say the ‘word’. It achieves two purposes, it lessens the poison , makes Sai more vulnerable & clears the decks for a clean Virat. On the other hand, if games are needed to play, they can subvert this word, make it more serious & draw it to its maximum potential thus tarnishing the hero, giving him an opportunity to redeem thus winning viewer’s hearts & appealing to sentiments by creating a forgiving heroine!
