Thipkyanchi Rangoli – Episode 191 – Written Update and Episode Review

You don’t have to invent a device to find Mr. Kanitkar.
Just find his wife and you will find him.
Even if you can spot a strand of her hair,
Know that he is just right there. Know that he is just right there.
-IAdoreYouCreates

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 Apurva finding Shashank with a mat and water in front of her.

Shashank – You must have been a freedom fighter in the past life because otherwise how your mind thinks of these protests and morchas has no justification.

Apurva rises to her feet and sarcastically thanks him for the compliment but asks him not to say anything as she is not in the mood for his jokes at the moment.

Shashank nods and asks her if she is going to stay there for the whole night.

Apurva – Yes. You have any problems?

Shashank – No, I don’t but the ghosts could have. Should I tell you something? If I stay here with you, the ghosts won’t linger around.

Apurva – How come suddenly you are so concerned about me?

Shashank – Not about you. I am concerned about the ghost. That poor ghost… how will it deal with you? I really am so concerned.

Apurva smacks him and he hands her over the water while he spreads the mat. When he asks her to sit down, she questions him about what the whole thing is.

Shashank – Let’s do a picnic instead of just waiting here like this. Come, sit. Sit.

He hands her over roasted groundnuts making her raise her brows as she asks him what exactly is all of it.

Shashank – This is not a simple picnic. Nuts. Water. We have it all. Enjoy!

Apurva – Khadoos, how come you are being so nice to me, eh?

Shashank – I am nice.

Apurva – Liar.

Shashank – I don’t lie and moreover, you are being pretty mature lately. Be like this and continue to study well.

Apurva’s hand that is putting the nuts in her mouth momentarily stills in the air before she turns to him – that’s what I was thinking, how you haven’t touched the topic of studies yet. Look around. See what’s happening. Studies are all that you can think of? I am NOT going to study now. You get it?

Shashank – So no studies?

Apurva – NO.

Shashank – Let’s play a game then.

When Apurva doesn’t respond, Shashank says that – fine, let’s study.

Apurva – No, let’s play.

Shashank – Let’s play Antakshari. But not of songs but of proverbs, idioms, difficult words and things like that. Okay, let me start. Hath kangan ko aarsi kya?

Apurva – ?

Shashank – It means that you don’t need a mirror to see your bangles. A lot of times, things are crystal clear in front of you. You don’t need evidence and proof for that. L… It’s L. (Marathi proverb ends with L)

Apurva – Lukkhegiri.

Shashank – What the heck is this Apurva? What is this? A proverb? An idiom? What? What is this?

Apurva – Lukkhegiri = the ones who have no work.

Shashank – I see. You mean… like you?

Apurva – Aye, I am not going to play if you continue to talk to me like that.

Shashank – No, no. Sorry. Let’s play. Sorry. Lukhhegiri. What a word! Nice word. New word.  R… Ratra thodi songa far.

Apurva – Songa? (It’s a Marathi word and even though I know the meaning, I am not sure what context it has been used here. If anyone knows, please leave in the comments for me and others to know.) You called me songa? I don’t want to play.

Shashank – No, hold on. You are not supposed to take that literally. Let me explain.

Apurva – I don’t want to listen to anything. I am not playing.

Apurva gets up and Shashank follows her. The duo talks, sits back, eats until they are tired.

Apurva – You know, Babi Aatya loves films. Bhaskar Kaka used to take her to the first day, first show and you know she still has all of those tickets. Khadoos, you… won’t ever do something like this for me, will you?

Shashank – Why should I? We are not in love.

Apurva – Ya. True.

Apurva slips her hand around his arm and rests her head on his shoulder – Khadoos.

Shashank – Hmm?

Apurva – We don’t love each other.

Shashank – Hmm.

Apurva –  Still we got married.

Shashank – Hmm.

Apurva – We are staying together.

Shashank – Hmm.

Apurva – With each other.

Shashank – Hmm.

Apurva – But Bhaskar Kaka and Babi Aatya love each other. A lot and still they can’t marry each other.

Shashank – Don’t know. What are you trying to say?

Apurva – Nothing. Is love so important?

Shashank – Absolutely. Absolutely. Apurva, no matter how – the person we love – is… we just start liking them. Slowly. Gradually.

Apurva pulls her head up, spreads his hand, and sleeps on it.

Shashank – No matter how the person is. We  end up liking them even with the same qualities that we once hated. Regardless of how that person is. Shishta. Arrogant. The one to stick to only her words and convince everyone of it. The one to constantly talk in a high-pitched tone. Just no matter how the person is… we end up liking that person. What do you think? True or not? Apurva?

He looks at her only to realize that she has already fallen asleep. He tries to rest his back properly against the wall but accidentally hits the glass. The sound almost wakes Apurva up but he pats her back to sleep, choosing an uncomfortable position for himself so that she can comfortably sleep.

Babi Aatya walks out of her room and asks him about what’s happening. He gestures to her to lower her pitch, pointing at his sleeping wife – she was insistent that she wouldn’t move an inch from her until you forgive her. Now, what do I do?

Babi Aatya – What do you mean by what do I do?

Shashank – How do I leave her alone here when she insists on staying here? I have no say when it comes to her stubbornness. I am helpless. How do I say no to her?

Babi Aatya – What do you mean by how do  I say no to her? Shashank, are you accepting that you are in love with Appu?

Shashank – Kuch bhi. There is nothing of that sort.

Babi Aatya – Is it so? You are sitting here in such an uncomfortable position just so that she can sleep comfortably.

Shashank – No. Where am I uncomfortable? I am not uncomfortable.

Babi Aatya shakes her head and brings a pillow from her room. Carefully resting Apurva’s head on the pillow, Babi Aatya and Shashank move to the kitchen.

Their conversation begins while sipping on the coffee.

Babi Aatya – I am telling you. Others know before us when we fall in love.

Shashank – Maybe but my heart does not hold any such feelings for her.

When Babi Aatya darts him a glance with like really?, Shashank nods and stays on his word.

Babi Aatya – Eh? Then what is all of this?

Shashank – What?

Babi Aatya – Shashank… you are extremely good at studies. A scholar you are but love and all… not something that you understand. This is beyond you. I will tell you something. When you were in the college… your this one friend used to come to our house – what… what was her name? Sayli. Sayli. Remember?

Shashank – Yes.

Babi Aatya – She used to come here so often. At times, to ask you doubts. At times, to study with you. Do you know why she used to do that?

Shashank – To ask the doubts. To study. You said it just now.

Babi Aatya slaps her forehead at Shashank’s oblivious attitude.

Babi Aatya – Idiot. She used to do that because she was in love with you.

Shashank shrugs it off, refusing to believe that.

Babi Aatya – Really! That is why she used to make excuses to spend more time with you and what are you doing now? Finding excuses to spend more time with Appu!

Shashank – Nah. I don’t think that’s the case.

Babi Aatya – Fine. Let me prove it to you now but you have to be honest, okay?

Shashank – Okay.

Babi Aatya – Have you ever said no to Appu when she has asked you for anything?

Shashank casually nods – yep, I do say no to her. 

Babi Aatya – Oh really? You do say no?

Shashank – Yep. I do say no.

Babi Aatya – Fine. Let me give you an example. Appu had asked you to wear Krishna’s costume on Holi and you… did wear it. SHASHANK. I was surprised. This was the absolute opposite of your personality. Exactly opposite but you did it.

Shashank – That was just a one-time thing. I did it only once.

Babi Aatya – I can tell you more.

Shashank – Go on.

Babi Aatya – You become her teddy every night so that she can sleep, no?

Shashank – I am just being helpful.

Babi Aatya cuts him off, playfully laughing as she continues to make him see that he has fallen for Apurva – even today when she is sleeping outside my room…  you were sitting there so uncomfortably just to accompany her

Shashank – It’s not that –

Babi Aatya – It IS that. Look, Shashank, I know love. I know all of these feelings. I have fallen in lo…

Babi Aatya’s voice trails off and the color fades from her face as she realizes what she has just ended up saying. She rises to her feet and moves to the kitchen slab.

Shashank follows her – I do respect your decision of not marrying Bhaskar Kaka but what was his fault when that day he went to fulfill his duty as a doctor, making it his priority?

Babi Aatya – No, I am not saying that he is wrong. He is a responsible doctor, He did not care about his own happiness while saving someone who was about to die and I truly respect his this perspective and his humanity but no matter what… I am firm on my decision to not marry him.

Shashank – Alright. We all are with you in the decision that you have taken so… don’t worry.

Babi Aatya – Thank you.

Shashank – Aatya (Bua)… Aatya… um I wanted to make a request. Please wake Apurva up and take her with you to the room.

Babi Aatya’s face acquires a sheepish grin as she points at the table where they just had this discussion about how deeply he has started caring for Apurva, making Shashank quickly add – she is childish… immature… just because of that. That’s it.

She playfully pats his shoulder and walks back to her room. She wakes Apurva up who is all ecstatic upon earning her forgiveness. The duo walks into the room,

Meanwhile, Shashank ponders over Babi Aatya’s words and recalls the moments that he has spent with Apurva. Every moment brings a strange joy to his face. His smile stays with him throughout as Apurva’s memories accompany him in her absence.

In Babi Aatya’s room, Babi Aatya shares how Bhaskar used to take her to his class when he was in the final year of M.B.B.S. When Apurva asks her if nobody ever called her out, she laughs and tells her that the whole class knew about their affair and nobody would say anything. Babi Aatya adds that she would have topped the medical exam had she given it that year, laughing at how much she had ended up studying along with Bhaskar.

Apurva – You two really did love each other, no?

Babi Aatya – Yes but what’s the use now? In fact, I feel sorry for myself for having done the stupidity.

Babi Aatya ignores Bhaskar’s incoming call.

Apurva thinks to herself – these two had such a wonderful relationship. They had both love and friendship. They still do. Then what exactly is their problem?

M Y   T A K E 

I was saying this to some folks the other day that I need this particular scene to last a week, believing that none would mind a week-long night with Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar and the episode proved how truly right I was in desiring that! A night that I didn’t wish to end. An episode that I didn’t wish to end.

One of the key reasons why I deeply admire the creatives of Thipkyanchi Rangoli is the fact that even though there are several characters, they strike the balance so well, never deviating from the protagonists. Everything that is happening is shaping their relationship and that has to be the core of every story. No matter how many side characters you have, your focus has to be on the characters the story is primarily about.

Isn’t it incredible that they can deliver such soothing scenes despite the intense conflicts that are present in the Kanitkar home at the moment? What is even more incredible is the fact that everything feels so organic and genuine. There has seldom been any scene or character growth that I found forced. Seldom.

Apurva and Shashank, slowly and gradually, becoming Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar is my favorite, favorite relationship growth. From not being able to stand being with each other to not being able to stand being without each other – Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar have come a long way. In the most endearingly realistic and believable manner.

I will make our home wherever you are,
Allowing nothing and absolutely nobody to write even a day of separation in our stars.
Even in the situations that would knock on our door to tear us apart,
I will lose the whole world… even my entirety to hold you close to myself, Sweetheart.

Shashank couldn’t even sit in peace in his room after knowing that his wife was going to sit outside Babi Aatya’s room for the whole night so him quietly choosing to sleep was not even something that was remotely possible. Not even remotely possible but what I did not really expect was that Mr. Kanitakr would come with the whole preparation of gifting Mrs. Kanitkar a night picnic with the roasted nuts and all.

First picnic date, Mr. Kanitkar, hmm? How sweet!

The very fact that Mr. Kanitkar made a series of lame excuses for yet another time to stay with his wife though. Oof, Mr. Kanitkar! I told you to stop being so sweet. You are already taken. This is not fair for you to make people fall for you.

I really, really want to call out Shashank for the game that he had come up with but it would make me a hypocrite because there was a time when I was into those kinds of games so much and I did enjoy them so much. Not going to lie. Haha. Even as a kid, I was extremely, extremely fond of all these proverbs and synonyms of difficult words. Those used to be pretty interesting things for me to get into but somehow, I never truly heard about – Ratra Thodi, Songe Far.

Thank you for teaching a new one, Mr. Kanitkar. 

The whole hmm… hmmm… hmmmm session though! How genuinely adorable! Apurva was talking about Bhaskar and Babi Aatya but Shashank’s mind was too distracted to focus on them because his heart kept connecting everything that she was saying to them. To him and her. To Apurva and Shashank. To Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar. 

The way she slips her hand around his arm and rests her head on his shoulder. So smooth. 

The way he pats her upon realizing that she has fallen asleep. So sweet.

The whole conversation that was supposed to revolve around love in the context of Bhaskar and Babi Aatya derailed so much and ended up starting and ending with Mr. and Mrs. Kanitkar. Mr. Kanitkar almost… almost said it all today.

When we fall in love with someone… we gradually end up liking them no matter how they are.

Mr. Kanitkar not so long ago – Mala tu kadhi kadhi, thodi thodi aawadtes. Tu jo danga kartes, aarda-orad kartes… te mala aawadta. Thoda thoda. ( I like you… a little… at times. I like the chaos that you create… at times.)

We  end up liking them even with the same qualities that we once hated. Regardless of how that person is. Shishta. Arrogant. The one to stick to only her words and convince everyone of it. The one to constantly talk in a high-pitched tone. Just no matter how the person is… we end up liking that person.

Out of all the not-so-pleasant qualities in the world that he could have used in his examples, Mr. Kanitkar chose to talk about the qualities of his wife instead. We see what you are doing, Mr. Kanitkar rather we know what’s going on in your mind.

After falling in love, we find the one we’re in love with always right even when they are wrong. We start protecting and caring for them. Start hiding and embracing their faults and mistakes. Constantly try to keep them happy. We do LITERALLY anything. What do you think? Right nor not? Apurva? 

Mr. Kanitkar not so long ago – when nobody supported Apurva in calling out Deepali – Mr. Kanitkar – I think you did the right thing, Apurva.

Mr. Kanitkar not so long ago – in the room after the alcohol misunderstanding got cleared – I am proud of you, Apurva.

Mr. Kanitkar not so long ago – chose to abandon his beliefs and preferences and slipped himself into Krishna’s outfit just because Apurva wanted him to.

Mr. Kanitkar not so long ago – gladly let go of his dislike toward color-coordinated clothes and promised Mrs. Kanitkar to match his outfit with hers the next time.

Mr. Kanitkar not so long – couldn’t resist letting his touch soothe her burning heart when she was consumed by her demonic past while recalling it at Deepali’s place.

What is left to say? Sab keh chuke hai, Mr. Kanitkar.
What is left to do? Sab kar chuke hai, Mr. Kanitkar.
What is left to accept? Samajh chuke hai ke pyaar mein khud ko haar chuke hai, Mr. Kanitkar.

At first, he refused to move regardless of how uncomfortable it was for him after realizing that she has fallen asleep but then when he made an attempt to sit a bit better and accidentally caused a sound that woke her up – the first instinct of Mr. Kanitkar wasn’t to wake Apurva up and make her sleep properly aside so that he can sit comfortably – rather the first instinct of Mr. Kanitkar was to put her back to sleep and that too as lovingly as he could. 

Even when Babi Aatya came out and asked him what he was doing there – his first instinct wasn’t to reply but to ask her to lower her pitch. Because Mr. Kanitkar’s wife was sleeping and NOW, Mrs. Kanitkar’s sleep is precious to Mr. Kanitkar.

Those were two of my favorite moments from today. Just how beautiful! Ugh, Mr. Kanitkar. You gotta STOP. Just STOP, okay?

The whole conversation between Shashank and Babi Aatya was quite predictable for me. They did build it up really well. Babi Aatya is one of the few Kanitkars who fell in love before marriage so she has a different idea of love. She is also more vocal, expressive and just someone who is capable of holding that kind of conversation with Shashank.

The way Babi Aatya was all excited while saying that she knows it because she has loved someone too and how her smile faded once the realization dawned upon her – my heart broke a little for her.

Mr. Kanitkar being Mr. Kanitkar and requesting Babi Aatya to take Apurva inside so that his wife can comfortably sleep but making excuses – lame excuses to cover it up though! This man, I tell you!

Personally, I don’t think the Sayli bit ends here. Nah, Sayli’s topic has to pop up again. In front of Mrs. Kanitkar. It will be fun.

This one was a treat to watch. A treat to watch. I still wish this night could last a week even if that’s quite an unrealistic wish to hold.

This is completely my perspective. You can have a different one. I would love to hear if you do. Like I always say, we can always agree to disagree.

Hearing from you makes me want to write more, better and faster so please don’t hesitate to share your feedback in the comment section. I have particularly designed it for you. 

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Much love