This episode can be encapsulated in one word: “Kada”! Riddhima wants it, Anupriya wants it & Ishani wants to know why Anupriya wants it. Meanwhile the Kada flaunted itself shamelessly throughout the episode, sometimes lolling on the table top, most of the times yawning in boredom while resting around Ishani’s hand.
Vying with it for attention was 2 other things – Garden shears & Watermelon with watermelon having a slight edge over the shear. The other actors played supporting roles to these 3 main characters!
A wobbly Riddhima is engulfed in the strong arms of Vansh. He quickly picks her up and carried her to their room. Riddhima is tenderly administered by Vansh who is perturbed by the burn wounds. Riddhima soaks it in. With her permission Vansh treats Riddhima’s wounds. Once Riddhima is as comfortable as possible under the circumstance, Vansh probes to know about the incident. Riddhima as usual fibs her way out of it although the furrowed brows of Vansh does suggest that he simply does not believe her tale.
** “Thank You” – To me this was the most powerful dialogue of this episode today. A simple word that simply changed the dynamics of Riddhima & Vansh relationship. Both have “Thank You-ed” each other before but the depth of this “Thank You” is simply different.
A young orphan girl, all she wanted was love, home and someone to call her own. Riddhima chose a man to love. But the man demanded sacrifices, pushed her for a trial by fire to prove her love. All the while stood in the sidelines, giving pep talk.
In a ironic twist, Riddhima’s love sends her to battle an enemy in his stead. Under the influence of ‘Love’, an ill equipped Riddhima does forge into the battlefield. Bristling in anger & brimming with righteous fury Riddhima tries to initiate a attack. However, the repercussions are unexpected, taking her by surprise. Riddhima confidently expects her ‘Love’ to extricate her from the ‘hotspot’. Her ‘Love’ does come instead of saving her as she expected, he gives her a peptalk while deftly manipulating her emotions to do her bidding.
Married to the enemy, Riddhima is left with no other option but to study the habits of enemy in close quarters. What she learns surprises her. The blinkers that was covering her eyes falls down and she slowly & unconsciously begins to analyze the actions of her ‘love’ and the enemy standing with her.
Slowly awareness seeps in, where she faced the brunt of the fire for Kabir, all he did was bolster her with peptalks while cleverly pushing her deeper into crisis, even endangering her life in the bargain. On the other hand, Vansh saves her from peril, sometimes going beyond the accepted notions. At the same time, he does not weaken her, he makes her stronger, imbues her with a will to survive.
Riddhima has begun to realize that love is not earned by paying bribes ( in the name of missions, justice). Love nurtures, love strengthens, love sustains, love gives. Love makes a person worthy, Riddhima finds her worth in Vansh’s eyes, his care, his concern. Vansh does not weaken Riddhima, he becomes her strength. His presence gives her the confidence and very importantly Vansh fills her need without making her needy or without giving the impression that she has to earn her place.
Thank You Vansh for being the non intrusive shadow who helps me help myself out of trouble. Thank You for being the strong presence, imbuing me with courage, strength, determination. Thank You Vansh for making me whole. Thank You Vansh for freeing me from the cage!
When his strong arms hugs her, burying her in his vast chest. Riddhima smiles through her pain for she feels complete, healed & alive. In him she has found the missing puzzle piece that completes her!
However old habits die hard, Riddhima is covering up lots of things from Vansh, lying through her teeth about most of the things. Vansh has not questioned her versions of truth nor is he taken in by her explanations. At the moment, he is observing her, noting the omissions, nonetheless all these lies are going to have a domino’s effect later on their relationship.
