Misunderstandings are not always bad. At times, they make hearts grow fonder, trust in each other firmer and the delicate bond bloom stronger.
W H A T H A P P E N E D I N T H E E P I S O D E ?
The episode begins with Suva Aai expressing her disbelief that Apurva has indeed consumed alcohol. With a heavy heart, she expresses how she was just telling everyone that Apurva knows her responsibility. Kukki reprimands Apurva for her behavior as well. He asks her if she is just joking. He asks her to go and tell everyone that she is joking. Apurva denies it. Instead, she adds that she indeed went to a pub and the next time, their whole Kukki gang should go to the pub and enjoy themselves.
Shashank asks Kukki what happened to his trust in Apurva? He reminds Kukki how confident he was that Apurva must have gone to her friend’s home. Now, what happened?
Apurva cuts him off – Khadoos, who do you think you are? I did go to the pub to enjoy. So what? What’s your problem?
A visibly furious Kukki calls her out – Apurva, we enjoy ourselves at home, don’t we? Why did you go to the pub for that? What was the need to go there?
Apurva – What was the need for this Khadoos to call and inquire about me?
Shashank – The thing is – my family has a lot of misunderstandings about you. They think that Apurva is this home’s Lakshmi. She will never do something wrong and behave inappropriately. That is why I had to bring this in front of them. Apurva, nobody from my family knows you better than I do.
Apurva laughs – wow, congratulations. Happy realization.
Vitthu Baba asks Sumi and Prachi to take Apurva inside but Shashank doesn’t let them go. He asks his father to punish his dearest student. He adds that he didn’t say much so that Dada doesn’t feel more guilty than he is already feeling but today – are you going to punish her for her inappropriate behavior or not?
Babi Aatya asks Shashank to stop and let Apurva go since she is anyway not in her senses to understand anything that everyone is saying.
Shashank – If Sumi or Prachi had something of this sort, would you have forgiven them so easily? You people otherwise show enough right out of love on her so now that she has gone wrong today – as elders – are you going to tell her anything or not?
Apurva – Khadoos, shush. How much do you shout at everyone? How do you not get tired of doing that? Khadoos, listen. Because of your this behavior – I have to go out with my friends.
Suva Aai asks Shashank to just let it be for the time being. She asks everyone to stop the discussion and asks Sumi to take Apurva inside. However, Shashank refuses to let Apurva step into their room.
Apurva – One minute. Why wouldn’t I? That is my room too. I am going to sleep in my room. If you don’t want to come – you can sleep anywhere… sleep outside.
Shashank –This is ridiculous. Mom, Dad – so far, I have tolerated everything because of your stubbornness… I forgot everything but not anymore. After this fiasco, if this woman stayed here… I will leave this house.
Suva Aai – Shashank, enough! What are you saying?
Shashank – I am saying what is right. I can’t stay with this woman anymore.
Apurva – Okay. Go. You can leave. I am not going to stop you but Khadoos, how about you give me company? Before leaving, drink with me.
She grabs his hand and tries to make him sit beside her but he jerks her hand off and marches away. Manasi tries to stop him, saying at least he shouldn’t behave that way.
Suva Aai asks Manasi how Shashank is supposed to behave in this situation. Every time Shashank is wrong, we support Apurva so now do you think she is right?
Suva Aai moves toward Apurva and tells her that no daughter-in-law of Kanitkars has ever behaved in a way that would make Dada regret his choice and if she did that, neither Shashank nor any of the Kanitkars will tolerate that. She asks the girls to take Apurva inside, leaving the place.
Kukki asks Manasi to take Apurva to the bathroom and pour cold water on her head, saying that they must bring her back to reality. Apurva says there is no need. Manasi shushes her and asks her to listen to them now. Nikhil asks her to sleep with Sumi or Prachi to avoid any more fights between her and Shashank. Apurva refuses, saying she is anyway not going to talk to him and if he says anything, then she is not scared of him. She says that she will kick him out of the room. Prachi takes Apurva to the room. On their way, Apurva shares with Prachi that she has not consumed alcohol. Prachi asks Apurva to tell the truth to everyone but she denies it.
Kukki gang confronts Prachi after she comes back, inquiring about what she and Apurva were talking about.
The scene shifts to a furious Shahank, pacing back and forth in his room – my patience has ended today. Apurva has crossed every limit today. Tomorrow, it will be either me or her in this house. I don’t want to stay under one roof with her.
Apurva enters the room after he finishes his monologue. Looking at her drunken charade that he still doesn’t know isn’t the truth, he doesn’t allow her to enter – stop, Stop right there. Apurva, stop there, Don’t you understand? This room does not have a place for you.
Apurva continues to act drunk – this house, this room is mine too.
Shashank – You won’t understand. This house has not been built with just bricks and cement. This is a sacred place and that purity is in this room as well and I am not letting you destroy that.
Apurva laughs – I didn’t understand anything. Fine, I will go and sleep with Suva Aai.
Shashank – Absolutely not, Apurva. Dare not trouble, Mom. You have already snatched everyone’s sleep and if you trouble them anymore – I am not going to tolerate that.
Apurva – Then what am I supposed to do? You saying – don’t go here, don’t go there? Where exactly should I go?
She stumbles and is about to take his support but he warns her to stay away.
Apurva – You anyway don’t want to stay with me. Then how does it matter if I am here or not? She tries to place her hand on his shoulder. Look, today is the last night. Tolerate me, no?
Shashank jerks off her hand and moves away – don’t try to come close to me.
Shashank’s harsh words start making a crack in Apurva’s sham. She takes the support of the bed and murmurs in a normal voice, why do you always behave this way with me, Khadoos?
Her normal voice catches his attention but she quickly resumes the act again – you’re not going to change, are you?
Shashank taunts her back saying that she should be the last person to talk about it – look at yourself. What did you say before we got married? That you don’t like and drink alcohol? What happened to that? Your truth has come out now.
Apurva – You always think that I am bad, no? Fine, I am bad. Happy?
Shashank – it’s not something to flaunt, Apurva.
Apurva – it is the problem of your perspective. I am bad, no? Yes, I am and this is how I am.
Shashank – you misbehave and then blame me on top of that? Did I tell you to go with your friends and drink? Did you ask me before going?
Apurva giggles – had I asked you, would you have let me go?
Shashank – of course, I would have come to drop you at the pub. I have married you, no? I have to pay the price. I must face the punishment.
Apurva – why punishment? You are never wrong, are you? You are the intelligent scientist, no? In this whole world – only two people are nice and intelligent – you and Netra Tai and you know what, the best part – you both have the same opinion of me.
Shashank – where did Netra come from in this conversation?
Netra’s mere mention in the conversation starts breaking Apurva. She moves away from Shashank and allows tears to grace her eyes as she confesses – she has been telling you from day one how I am a spoiled brat, how I don’t deserve you…
Shashank says that he does not make his opinions based on who says what. He adds that he knows Apurva and her friends very well.
Apurva – I am not interested in listening to your blabber. Doing these things bring me joy. I am happy, doing these things. Let me do it….
Shashank – so you don’t regret your behavior? Are you never going to change yourself?
Concealing the extent to which his words affect her, she shakes her head and says – never. Why should I change myself? Have I ever asked you to change yourself? Even if I asked, will you change? No, right? So I will not change either. This is who I am. This is me. You anyway don’t want to stay with me so how does it matter if I change or not? Tomorrow, Dad will come. I will go back to my home tomorrow.
Shashank – oh wow, That’s good. It’s anyway impossible to stay under one roof with you. I will go and sleep outside. You sleep here. As he furiously moves away to take his pillow, Apurva’s mask starts falling off again but she again pulls herself together.
She stops him and asks him to call Netra after going out – do one thing, Khadoos. Call Netra Tai and take out your frustration.
Netra’s mention upsets Shashank. He warns Apurva to watch her words. He points at his phone on the table and says – that’s my phone. I haven’t even touched it.
Apurva brings his phone and charger to him– take these. Your phone should not get discharged. Nothing should interrupt your conversation.
Calling her impossible, Shashank leaves the room. Apurva shuts the door and has a moment of breakdown. Neither Shashank nor Apurva can sleep. Shashank keeps remembering the awful memories of what happened a while ago. He ponders the situation and wonders if he is failing in understanding Apurva. He acknowledges that she seems good to him but today’s incident cannot be overlooked. She has even hurt Dada-Kaka today.
On the other hand, Apurva breaks down in tears – as a husband, Khadoos doesn’t have even a bit of trust in me. No matter how nice I try to be, he just finds me wrong and bad. Just because I stumbled and was limping – how could he think that I drank alcohol? My leg is hurting so much and he did not even bother to ask what has happened. There could be a different reason behind my limping but he preferred accusing me and that is why I pulled up this act. Tomorrow when Dad will come – you will regret what you said and did. Why should I change my lifestyle? I will not.
M Y T A K E
I found quite some dialogues problematic, starting from Kukki’s question as to why Apurva went to the pub to Shashank confronting her if she is never going to change.
Apurva grew up in a different lifestyle and everyone knew about it before she and Shashank got married so these kinds of statements shouldn’t enter the picture in the first place. Because she enjoys with the Kukki gang at home – is she supposed to abandon her friends and lifestyle? Apurva had made it clear when they were signing the contract that she will do what pleases her and that he should never interfere in her matters. She had explicitly stated that she has a boyfriend with whom she will go to the pubs and Shashank had agreed to that. So why and where are these issues coming from now?
That is what I would feel if I consider the surface things but dive deeper and things will start making sense a lot better.
Kukki had no problem with Apurva going out with her friends, even to the pub for that matter. His problem was the condition in which she had returned home. Concerned for both her well-being and image, he had to call her out. I would like to believe that he must have silently blamed himself a bit and wondered where he failed, that she chose to step into these addictions. Kukki loves Appu to bits and that’s how your loved ones would react if they see you in such a state.
Coming to Mr. Kanitkar – the less said, the better. No, I am just kidding. I am quite sure that Mr. Kanitkar’s heart has secretly sneaked into his brain and erased the memory of the meeting where they had discussed the contract.
That is how Mr. Kanitkar feels that he has a right to speak whenever and wherever she is concerned!
That is how Mr. Kanitkar’s face turns red in fury wherever Krish’s name falls in his ears.
That is how Mr. Kanitkar can stand the whole world but his wife’s so-called boyfriend named Krish. Probably the name that Mr. Kanitkar loathes like no other by now.
That is how Mr. Kanitkar constantly finds time to remind his wife to study because he wants to see her touch the sky with her accomplishments.
Back then in the contract meeting – Mr. Kanitkar had said that he would never interfere in her matters because he has no interest in her. We can see the interest, Mr. Kanitkar and we wonder when you are going to acknowledge that.
Apurva felt let down by Shashank and rightfully so, in my opinion. Even though these two have a long way to go and they shouldn’t be expected to know each other well – but like Apurva, even I feel that Shashank has spent enough time with her to at least understand her core nature and values that she lives by if not anything else.
Shashank knows that his wife loves his family like she has been theirs and they have been hers forever so it’s not rocket science to know that she would do anything but consciously do something that she knows would hurt them.
Being judgmental is always the easiest road to step on, Mr. Kanitlar. Being understanding is the road that is hard to choose but it’s not just the right one but it’s also the road that is worth picking. Always.
Shashank refusing to stand Netra’s name and showing Apurva that he has not touched his phone after she asks him to call Netra after going out was wholesome. Despite being so tremendously upset with his wife, he did not let her stand in the insecurity. I caught a glimpse of a doting husband there who clearly let his wife see that no other woman has a chance with him.
हुशार, gold-medalist scientist ना अरे तू?
असं कसं रे मग तुला अख्खं जग कळतं बस एक तुझ्या बायकोचं मन सोडून?
फार अशा कधी अपेक्षा नव्हत्याच अरे मला तुझ्याकडून,
पण माझे मलाच नाही कळले, कधी गुंतले हे मन तुझ्यात आणि होऊन बसले तुझे मला सोडून,
जाणवू जरी देऊ शकत नसले,
तरी फरक पडायला लागलाय मला.
तुझा माझ्यावरील अविश्वास,
आता त्रास द्यायला लागलाय मला.
कधी तरी फक्त शिष्टंचा खडूस नाही
तर अप्पूचा शशांक बनशील का रे?
– Appu 💜