The party planner gets in full swing of things arranging a party for the family where not even servants come to mark their attendance.
A dance off, I mean kite-off between Ahana & Riddhima sees the apsaras waging a duel for ‘who gets to permanently vacay in VR Mansions?” reality show.. Riddhima gets Angre as her assistant..Angre whose nest, I mean his hair has been disturbed by a pair of bickering sparrows quietly tries to help his Bhabhi…But Hey!! remember this is Angre, the security officer under whose watch each and every enemy of Vansh gets Red carpet welcome, whose private agency never comes up with juicy maal’s on Vansh’s enemies.. so the inevitable happens.. with Angre assisting, Riddhima loses the duel & Angre gets to keep his record pristine.
Riddhima looks at Vansh for assistance but the brat is still sitting on ‘miffed’ tree & refuses to climbdown. Riddhima knowing that it is time to retreat with good grace opts to leave but not before giving a befitting reply to Vansh.
Sia who has been having her own competition with Sleeping Beauty wakes up . Being the obliging and helpful Cupid, she manages to time it just when Riddhima has crossed the gate, making it easy for her darling bro to catch up on his wife, were he so inclined.
Sia reveals everything to Vansh, who deigns to climb down his Miff Tree. He rushes to get back his wife. Riddhima has already decided to move on and is actually moving on in a taxi. Vansh employs his baaz nazar & spies his wife’s dress material peeking out of the cab. Invoking the spirit of super hero’s, in particular Flash, Vansh gives chase to the taxi and outpaces it easily!
He stops the cab, has a heart to heart confession with his wife involving bit of groveling and Hey!! the sun shines in his kingdom as his wifey agrees to forgive him and have a new beginning again.
** A wonderful episode with lil moments happening in bigger moments ..
Be it the opening scene.. Vansh working on the kite, his back turned to Riddhima, largely ignoring her until she goes towards & near Kabir.. Up whips his head as his eyes fix on Riddhima, watching her and when she catches him looking at her, how quickly he averts his head.. A man who thinks he can move on easily breaking the webs of love, ignorant that the more you fight against love, the more the web tightens around you.
In the crowd of vultures, his eyes and his whole body is attuned to that little sparrow bravely living among the preying birds. Vansh’s ire increases as he listens to the non stop heckling of his sparrow, Riddhima. He almost loses his temper when his favorite punching bag, Aryan bullies Riddhima ..but exercising immense self restraint he stays put and lets her face the music.
The kite competition begins with a small, silly wager thrown in. The flight of her kite is watched anxiously by someone who had “moved on” and had no place in his heart for the petite sparrow. A lovely moment showing the contradictory emotions of Vansh. A man who is broken enough to plot his wife’s downfall, who planned to give grief to his wife for her betrayal and at the same time, a man so in love with his wife that he cannot help himself but hope that his wife wins..
As expected, Ahana wins the competition. Riddhima walks up to her husband and demands to know whether he will trivialize their relationship and reduce it to a wager (But..but but… Wasn’t it Riddhima who accepted the wager.. thus reducing their relationship to a wager?).
Anyways,, MOVING ON… yes, yes, we are moving on unlike Vansh !! This was one defining moment in the lives of Riddhima & Vansh. For until that moment, Riddhima believed that Vansh will be by her side when trouble hits her. The anger that was simmering inside her from the moment she discovered her husband’s gameplan, the anger that had begun to bubble comfortably when Vansh appointed her as Sia’s caretaker finally bursts forth. The patience and calmness she had been exercising in the hope of smoothing things over with Vansh vanishes like a fog evaporating under the first rays of morning sun. It finally dawns on her that, there is only one person in their married relationship and it is she!
Riddhima realizes that Vansh is completely blinded in his quest for vengeance that he will forsake his relationship, his love but will not unbend to accept her apology and initiate a new start. A woman who willingly let go of everything to make this relationship work will not put up with any more humiliations inflicted on her by hurt ego’s.. Pain she understands, hurt she knows but punishment due to bruised ego, she will not accept! But at the same time Riddhima knows that Vansh loves her deeply & cannot live without her. Yet she makes a choice !! The choice of leaving him..for now she has only dignity to clothe her, she cannot and will not compromise on that.
She leaves the mansion earning a pleased smile from Kabir. Kabir who knows how formidable Riddhima is in her own steam, Kabir who knows with Riddhima’s departure, Vansh becomes highly vulnerable, an easy target to play on and win.
Here I must appreciate the choice of “Mahishasura Mardini” Stotram played in the background as Riddhima leaves. It is a chant to drive away ego, doubt and anger from those who hear it or chant it..It is a chant that is said to remove obstacles from devotees path.
what happens… Sia wakes up and clears all the doubts and suspicion that Vansh has had about Riddhima. Interestingly, Sia’s first word is “wafa” and then “Bhabhi loves you “.. It just tells you how much Vansh values “loyalty”.. for a man who has been betrayed again and again, a man who constantly lives under the Damocles sword of betrayal, loyalty is something that he cherishes, an emotion that has been scarce in his life, a feeling that he longs for.. Loyalty.. a moment that can give him peace without having to worry about being stabbed in the back. Riddhima had that in spades for HIM!! Not just that His Riddhima LOVED HIM.. She did not lie nor betray him…
Vansh runs after Riddhima. A Riddhima who already is on her way to begin a new life but then we have “Aigiri Nandini”… With that chant, how can things go negative or how can obstacles continue to persist. Vansh traces her to the cab.. Again another beautiful moment where Riddhima sits inside the cab instead of running into Vansh’s arms as is the norm. Again another beautiful moment when her eyes turn downcast as Vansh begins to talk, going slowly up when he admits his mistake .. A complete honest admission from Vansh, an admission of his weakness, an acceptance of his need for her, a promise and a pledge ..but above all FORGIVENESS… for in forgiveness lies the well that contains love within it.!
