IPKKND | Arnav Khushi : The Fire to His Ice !

Arnav & Khushi , One an immovable, inscrutable ocean who can be seen but whose depth remains unrealized, another an intangible feeling, emotion that can only be felt but can not be kept captive.

The ocean appears serene on the surface, never revealing the pulls, tugs, undercurrents coursing through just beneath the surface. A large, immeasurable body of water that lies placidly capable of whipping up a storm or a hurricane in jiffy that wrecks havoc to anything that dares to come in its path. Nevertheless, Khushi that intangible emotion is set on a course to intercept the ocean’s (Arnav’s) path. How will a mighty ocean turn into a hurricane to destroy an emotion that can be felt and cannot be held ? How will a formless, restless Khushi tame the mighty ocean and at the same time merge into the ocean, finding her permanent anchor within the abode of the ocean .. There’s a transfixing tale right there!

I loved how the characters of Arnav and Khushi played out in keeping with the meaning of their names. Khushi as seen from the first scene is seen to be impetuous, when she feels or thinks that something is wrong, she gets proactive in setting it right. A straight shooter, she prefers to get to the root rather than digging around it gradually weakening the structure, thus causing it to fall on its own. She prefers action over caution.

Another notable feature is, Khushi true to her name is restless, fidgety. She is constantly in motion either moving around or talking incessantly.

Arnav on the other hand makes his namesake aka ocean proud. Calm, tranquil, detached almost like an ascetic who has cut himself off from the world and like waves that gives a hint of ocean’s moods, Arnav’s eyes hints at the emotions roiling within. From aloofness to glacial to ruthlessness to warmth and utter vulnerability, his eyes are the only outlets for his emotions while his face remains a mask.

Unlike fidgety Khushi, Arnav is the picture of stillness ! he is not prone to move much but he remains lethal all the same. Where Khushi proceeds to set things right without thinking it through, where Khushi opts for direct confrontation without any snares or traps, Arnav is all deviousness! He has the patience of the hunter, detachment of a judge and the ruthlessness of a king. He bides his time, fortifies his defenses, lays traps and then attacks his enemies savoring their fall but unmoved by their plight.

But just like a destructive ocean can be seen nurturing various lives within its depths, protecting them from inimical elements, Arnav too softens, exposes his vulnerability to one person and that is his sister. He turns into a protective brother, a supportive pillar for her hinting at the core of softness running within that smooth, granite surface..

The Beauty of the Characters :

How does one breach a granite or for that matter, how does one break an ocean? You simply can’t !! if you attempt to to breach a granite, you’ll break it, destroy it into pieces, an ocean will simply stream away from your grasping hands or in dire case, it can simply destroy you by turning into a tsunami.

But Khushi, that formless but pervading Khushi can sneak through the cracks and layers, she can if she wants to merge with the vapors and become one with the ocean WITHOUT destroying Arnav nor breaking him into pieces YET altering him subtly, softening him without weakening him !

By the same token, Arnav  if he chooses to destroy Khushi, can change her very essence if he puts his mind into it. But the very nature of water is such that, it accommodates for the co-existence of various forms within it without losing itself in the process. It does not impose its will nor restrain the freedom of those within its world. Khushi, the restless khushi would have suffocated were she to be restrained or tamed but the gentle water while slowing her impulsiveness can leave her be as she is !

When she turns all fiery, he will calm her with his serene, cool approach. When he withdraws and turns into a cold, forbidding icicle she with her fire will melt his detachment, connecting him back to warmth!!

What a perfect match!!