Week 44 - The Disillusionment

Everything is an Illusion. Happiness, Sadness.. everything... Only Emptiness is real.  This is what we realize in the end, after going through our entire life that is full of ups and downs. All through our life, we work very hard to be successful, to have a family of our own, to earn for them, to keep them happy and to see them succeed in life. And throughout this journey of life, we discover ourselves at every step and also discover that everything we have created around us is only an illusion. We realize that in the end, only Love and Forgiveness never fade. Everything else has faded and gone. This is the Philosophy of life. But, don't worry, I will not bore you with a lecture on Philosophy 😄!

Our very dear Dev had to undergo a lot of desolation this week. Not just him, slowly the illusion that he had created for his dear wife and mother also cleared and created a big hollow.. Remember how we all felt after the breakup?? This is a much worser feeling than that 😒😢

The week started off with our Dev in a stylish vest and suit. There was something different about him that day and he looked very dignified and handsome 😍😍

Although Dev had a feeling of contentment over the bond that had blossomed between his mom and Sona, we all knew what was eventually coming up that day, as we had seen the precap. I did not particularly like the Laddu scene as I don't believe in superstitions like that. However, I strongly believe in inner voice and intuitions and therefore I could very easily relate to Ishwari's anxiety.

Dev needs to really buy an apartment for Maami and company and pack them off. She is being too nosy in all family matters. And really Neha needs to get back her life. While being on the topic of people wasting their life... Is Vicky going to work? Is Eleena going to college?  I tried to distract myself from the reality of pregnancy by pondering on these topics.. However very soon, kakimaa gave the judgement that Sonakshi is not pregnant 😲

To become a mother is a dream that every woman holds dearly, from the time she starts to admire her own mother. And we all somehow think these things will eventually happen very naturally. We never prepare ourselves for it or for a situation in case it does not happen. The biggest agony in a woman's life is when she finds out she is not pregnant, especially after looking forward to it. I truly felt bad for Sona that day, as she found out the truth 😢

If disappointment gives sorrow, betrayal gives pain.. Betrayal is probably too much of a word for a kind hearted person like Dev. However, when Sona first found out that her true report was hidden from her by Dev, I can understand the pain she must have gone through...And the Bose family's initial anger was also understandable. I told myself that very soon Sonakshi and her family will realize that he was being protective of her..not betray her.

I had goosebumps that day, watching Dev struggling to overcome his fear of losing Sonakshi. The way he hugged his dear wife tightly and refused to let go of her and plead with her to try to understand him was by far, Shaheer's best performance till date. I keep telling this every time he touches our heart with his acting. He just outperforms his own earlier performances. To him, he himself is a competition and he constantly proves to us that watching him onscreen is the best part of our day! Take a bow, Shaheer! You are the best actor 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️😍

Erica also supported her coactor very aptly and her emotions of disappointment and pain was bang on.  This jodi is indeed the best jodi - congratulations on the award👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 What I like about this couple (apart from the chemistry that we all go crazy about), is the way they both dwell in their characters with "conviction". Dev has his own shades of grey. And we have seen and talked about this side of him a lot. Sonakshi also has some weaknesses. We haven't really spoken much about it. And this is probably a good time to see that.

Sonakshi's strength is actually her weakness. Being vulnerable to situations and people usually defines our true personality.  Acting stronger than you are, doesn't really make you a stronger person. By the end of Thursday's episode, I somehow felt Sonakshi was trying to be stronger than she actually is. I felt she really needs to use her dear Dev's shoulders to vent the grief. 

Inability to conceive is not just a pain for a woman, its a pain for the couple and the couple need each other's support and shoulders to heal together. Unless she leans on him, he will be unable to lean on her to express his sorrow. The last thing that a real husband will do in a sutuation like this is to express his unhappiness on this matter lest it might affect his dear wife..So its upto the wife to make him express. And I somehow felt, Sonakshi's so called "strength" happens to be her weakness in this situation. 

Her other weakness is to always keep her mother in law above her own life. Sona's constant attempts to be in Ishwari's good books will not actually take her there. The process is a two-way process and Sona's attempts will be futile, without conscious effort from the other side and its about time, Sonakshi realizes this truth and gives more importance to strengthening her relationship with Dev. The Thursday's episode got me into a thinking mode. I felt, she understood him better prior to their marriage. Somehow after their marriage, her energy is all used in making Ishwari happy.

And come on, everyone keeps saying "Dev said lie" and no one even attempts to investigate why he might have told that lie.. By thursday evening, I was totally angry with all the cast of the show except  my Dev Dixit.

And in all these complications,  a third person's presence like that of mami's, really brings in a very unpleasant feeling. The way she instigated Ishwari was very very nasty. Even though that scene was a very TV serial type scene, its pretty common in real life that a third person is the one who is contentious. I hope we soon get to see a fitting reply to mami's nosy behavior and conversations.

But thank God, friday came after thursday.  All my questions resolved on its own and all my disappointments found a channel to drain 😄👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

If tuesday's episode was fantastic, then I would call friday's as fantabulous!! Asha is a role model for all moms of daughters. Any daughter who has a mother like Asha can just relax and completely be confident of a true, strong and sincere support and guidance.

Asha spoke all that was in my mind and defended Dev. Finally there was someone to understand him in the purest way that he was... She was right. Sonakshi cannot have anyone else but Dev as her companion for life. Now I also know the other quiet favors of Dev to Saurabh...He is indeed a gem 😊

I sometimes wonder if Ishwari claims that her bond with her son is strong, why she is not able to openly talk to him 🤔🤔. Even at this pressing situation, even when she knew that her son was undergoing the pain of not being able to have his own child, even when her darling son seeks her lap for comfort, she expects him to open up to her. Her love is very conditional and selfish, I felt. Her love for him constantly only tries to enslave him. But thank goodness, now, Dev is as much a loving husband as a caring son that he is. Even if the world now turns against Sonakshi, he will surely stand by her!

Of all the things I was longing for, I really wanted to see the couple grieve the unfortunate state of Sonakshi's inability to conceive. Because, the grief really can only be felt by them, and no-one else. It was very heartening to see Dev and Sona cry their heart out together and hold on to each other. It was comforting to hear Dev's reassurance to Sonakshi that he really does not need any kids and that only "she" can complete him.. Dev's dialogue on "Time" and that "This will also pass" was profound 👍🏻👍🏻 . I don't know what was magical in those 2 or 3 mins.. May be the magic of Shaheer's eyes that was full of sorrow and despair, may be the pain that came out so vividly in Erica's face, may be the background music, may be the quietness of the scene without dialogues - whatever it was, the cast and the crew conveyed the exact emotions and gave us the warmth of their togetherness in those 3 mins 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️😄😍

The illusion of Sonakshi's pregnancy is gone now. But from one illusion, Ishwari has moved on to another illusion. She thinks Sonakshi knew all about this even before marriage and that she hid the truth on purpose and that she tames Dev to listen to her. My hope is that Ishwari will soon realize that Sona is really a "Sona" (Gold).

As the week and the last episode for the year 2016 ended, Ishwari was missing from Ishwari Nivas. Everyone was in search of her. They all seem to be assembling in the temple. I somehow had a positive feeling about it. We are going to start the New year at the temple on monday 😁 I am a person who believes in Miracles and so I am holding on to the 7% chance of pregnancy for Sona. I am also holding on to the sign that God gave to Dev when he tried to take away the idol from the temple at home. It seemed to me that God told him.. "Not so soon, Son. Give me some time, I have got a better plan for you, than the one you have made for yourself 😊" 

Keep smiling 😊. Happy New year!

Week 43 - When the going gets tough

Family is not just 2 or more people living under the same roof and sharing the food. It is defined by the love that every member shares with the others in the home. There may be arguments, fights or even prolonged silence due to those fights..but in the end, the love which is the foundation wins! Such a family is always seen protected by every member in their own way. 

Our beautiful Dixit family was seen fighting with each other, for each other, as the going got tougher and tougher every day of this week! They relentlessly stood up for each other. A wife fought with everyone, to protect her husband's dear sister's life. A mother in law fought with not just the outside world, but with her own son to protect her daughter in law. A husband, brother and son fought with even God to protect his family. It got us all almost on the edge of the seat every day with some twist or the other 😲😲

The week started off with the "case of Ayaan" taking a sharp turn. Sonakshi's video proof was out in public for Ria, Ishwari and other Dixit members to see. It's a bitter truth that men like Ayaan do live in this world and even a strong girl like Ria could get carried away by circumstances and fall in his trap. But for Sona, Ria's life could have been devastated.

GKB and Neha's dislike for Sonakshi was so much that they were blinded from seeing the logic of the situation. But, Thank God, the irrational Ishwari is history now. What we have in our show now is the genuine mother and therefore Sona's secret mission in "the case of Ayaan" was received well inspite of the resistance by Neha and GKB. I enjoyed watching Ayaan-Khushi's secrets getting exposed in front of his parents. What an encounter it was! 😲😲 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Even though we all know that Sonakshi's pregnancy lie is a bubble and is going to burst soon, we could not but drench in the happiness that this lie has brought, especially in Sonakshi's and Ishwari's lives. Their little talks about the unborn child was pleasant to see. Who will have the heart to disturb that! 😘😘❤️😄

In another gripping episode after Khushi pushed Sona, I almost thought that the truth will get revealed in the hospital. Thank God, Ayaan's treacherous but timely help came in disguise and stopped the doctor from revealing it. Sometimes, I feel the doctor should have just opened it up to Sonakshi.. The problems would have been solved then and there...🤔🤔 That way, I liked the first doctor more - who refused to do any treatment on Sonakshi without her consent. She was straight forward and honest and right away refused to be part of Dev's "incorrect and illegal" plan. 

Anyway, as fate would have it.. Dev had to temporarily fall in Ayaan's trap!

I was reminded of a small story from the Holy Bible. A man asked God "Dear God, you told me, you will never abandon me..Look at the footsteps behind us. For as long as I was happy, you stayed with me. But during my tough times, you left me. See, I was walking all alone". God replied "Son, those are the times, I carried you on my shoulders..I will never abandon you, my dear son". 🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️

When the going gets tougher and tougher for us, we may feel that God is not with us and may get angry with God, just like our dear Dev. But really, God always protects us and those that believe in Him will never fail. See how God made Sonakshi and Ishwari bond so well...

Thanks to Ayaan, Dev was thrown out of the house and in one of the most genuine sequences of this show, Ishwari spoke her heart out to Sonakshi. Ishwari explained how her insecurities overpowered her common sense and how she failed to see the genuineness of Sona, even though it was right in front of her eyes. I was waiting eagerly for that one statement when Ishwari declared that  - she has not changed just because Sonakshi was going to give her a grandchild. Now my confidence on Ishwari is pretty high and I am sure that even if the complications of Sona's pregnancy comes to the forefront, there will not be any regression in Ishwari's behavior... Well.. atleast I hope so..🙏🏼🙏🏼

Just like us, even though Dev was taken aback by this move of Ishwari to throw him out of the house, he was more than happy to undergo that punishment. He was thrilled that his dear mom took Sonakshi's side against even him, for the first time! 😊

Whether it was the helpless Dev struggling to stop the truth from reaching Sona or the happy Dev, rejoicing the Ishwari-Sona bonding or the angry Dev, that took the bad man avatar to destroy Ayaan or it was the cute Dev that apologized with his puppy face to Ishwari and Sonakshi - Shaheer as Dev shone throughout this week! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️😄😍😍

The Bose family track on the side was interesting. The dry and wet waste segregation was a very useful lesson in today's world. And, it was also good to see this side of Bijoy, who can even flirt with neighbors!! The Vicky-Eleena-GKB track was also quite enjoyable. Vicky seems very harmless and a complete good boy!!

But the show stealer was Dev's angry young man avatar which was especially superb this week. His careful execution of the plan to get Ayaan arrested for attempt to murder charges was a "bollywood superstar movie" style and was quite a hair-raiser!  😲😲👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It is true that when the going gets tougher, strong people get to work and not sit and wait for the storm to pass. Strong people never give up. This is what Dev wants to prove to God. However there are some storms that cannot be overpowered. And it often takes the darkness of such a storm to show us the light of God's presence! I am sure Dev will be enlightened soon!

As we move on to the next week, I realize that its now, very difficult to predict in which direction the story would go - unlike the other stereotypic TV shows! 

We just have to wait and watch.

Miracles happen.. especially this time of the year when Santa grants everyone's wishes. Lets hope for the best. Merry Christmas! 😄

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Week 42 - Live in the moment!

To live in the moment is something we are always told - to get rid of our worry and anxiety about future. And this week we got to experience this through our favorite show 😄

What a week it was!! The Dixits had a makeover!! Especially Ishwari.❤️😲

A new improved and lovable Ishwari made a grand entry this monday evening in all our homes. Just like Dev, we were all awestruck to see the big family together sharing the warmth of happiness.. The news of Sonakshi's pregnancy destroyed all the bitterness or coldness or whatever kind of uneasiness that was existing between Sonakshi and Ishwari & Ishwari and the Bose family. It even made maami a lovable friendly person! It was such a happy monday evening for me.

That episode was so very real and similar to how a normal family will swell with happiness and crack jokes, when the news of a child is first shared... Ishwari's droll comment to maami (when maami made fun of the bengali language) was hilarious..😂 😂  Also mama ji's comment to Saurabh on both of them sharing the title "mama ji" was also pretty funny..The way they all teamed up to surprise Dev was so heartwarming to watch.. After all, Dev and Sonakshi only wanted this BIG happy family. And for the goodness that this couple possesses, they truly deserve it..if only it be true.

Shaheer as Dev, once again out did his earlier performances throughout this week ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Monday was only a beginning. His feeling less yet emotion filled face is something not many actors can do. Emotional scenes are Shaheer's forte and he portrayed excellently as the man, the pillar of his family, who had to silently endure the painful truth! Excellent job Shaheer! ❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I liked how he decided to throw away the assumption that "Sonakshi cannot get pregnant" and decided to live in the moment, which his mother and Sona confidently shared with him. 

To live in the moment is very hard to practice, even though we are preached about it all the time. The anxiety of our future always almost completely consumes us.  If only we can live in the moment, we can change all of life's challenges into opportunities for us! Like the blacksmith story about positivity that Saurabh shared that night. A kharghosh went to a blacksmith everyday and kept asking again and again for carrots..the blacksmith who got annoyed, broke the teeth of the kharghosh. But the kharghosh went again to the blacksmith and asked for carrot halwa!! This has to be our attitude in life as well... If life throws lemons at us, make a lemon juice! Why worry about the future! Who can control or predict it? But this is easily said than done.

Our hero Dev also was anxious about what the next day will bring for his family, when the doctor tests Sonakshi. And its very natural for anyone, not just Dev.

Dev never had any relationship with God. Right from when he was a child, he had always been numb towards the Almighty that has been his mother's hope and strength.. He has never asked God for anything. Not even when his mother was almost in her death bed. He did not ask God for any favor even when he was almost dying of Sonakshi's separation from him..but today, he pleaded with God. I kept wondering why he did that.. And then I realized the beauty of this man Devrath Dixit.😄😍

All along, Dev had seen the discomfort between his mother and Sonakshi. But never did he try to talk in favor or against of either of them. For him, both his mother and his wife are equally precious and he loved them both very dearly... Although he knew that his mother was being irrational, he never expressed it to her, only for the fear of hurting her emotions. The little talk he had with his mom gave us a glimpse of this Dev in a nutshell. His contentment over Ishwari addressing Sona as "our Sonakshi" said it all! And all of this became possible only with the news of Sonakshi being pregnant.

He somehow had to make this true..and he was willing to do anything for that.. why not bow his head in front of the Almighty..why not plead with Him..May be he will listen... 🙏🏼🙏🏼

The scene of Dev's conversation with God was such a well made scene, with the perfect dialogues, just the right amount of background music and the bestest performance by Shaheer! "Tod de mera guroor..par maa aur sonakshi ke dil mat tod na" 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I had my little hopes up as well..I thought miracle would happen and that the result will be positive, may be with some mild complications..

But as fate would have it, and as real as it can be, Sonakshi was not pregnant. This came as a big surprise to me... as I got carried away by the previous day's Dev-God conversation.. But this was not unexpected for Dev. However, the little ray of hope that he lit in his heart for God was suppressed one more time..😞😞

Who knows the bigger plans of God? We can ask what we want, but He knows what we need. May be the need of the hour is not a baby, but a glimpse of the beautiful life, if only Ishwari and Sonakshi were bonded.

My favourite scene this week was when Dev came home with the reports and lied to them consciously. He knew that its unacceptable yet true that Sona cannot get pregnant. He also knew that when the truth comes out, the family will be shattered, especially Sonakshi and Ishwari. However, he hoped and believed that by the time the truth comes out, their relationship will be too strong that they can support each other. He knew that neither him not God can fix the heartbreak that will come eventually, only the 2 women can dare to do that by staying together. And we can already feel this change in the way how Sonakshi wants to share everything with Ishwari including the pregnancy complication and in the way Ishwari supports and protects Sonakshi!

In a regular TV show, we see how they capitalise on problems of life and how the womenfolk team up and conspire against that one good soul in the family and how the menfolk are nothing but a dummy! Its really very good to see a unique show where the conspiracy happens for a good cause and where the man strategically moves the coins only for the happiness of the people he loves. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 

However, is Dev doing the right thing? 🤔🤔 Can he write the destiny of his unborn child? Is it even possible? I remember once, (when he found his mother was keen on getting the prenup signed) he told Sonakshi that he is scared of losing her again and its like chasing a colorful bubble..Well, what he is doing now is exactly that! To challenge God that he will write his own destiny and that he will make it happen for his mom and Sonakshi is the impulsive Abhodro Mr.Dev Dixit!! The tension is already on. Sonakshi is already doubtful and as soon as she solves Riya's case, I am sure she is going to take this up!

Shaheer's body language when he is preoccupied with a worry makes us believe that Dev is right in front of us and is one among us! His anger, helplessness, clueless yet a determined effort - all these emotions came naturally to him. It was once again a treat to watch Shaheer this week! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻  And he was well supported by his co-actors.

The Vicky-Eleena-Maami combo got us some distraction from the heaviness of the main track. And Sonakshi finally found some ground to  catch Ayaan redhanded.

No comments about Neha. To ignore her is the best thing to do for Ishwari as well as us.

Spirituality is a sense of connection to something bigger than us. In that sense, Dev is probably the most spiritual person in the Dixit family. He felt connected so much with that superior power that he expressed his anguish and anger with a hope that He might help.. When we are able to do this, we get one step closer to God and we are able to live in the moment. Disappointments might come along, but in the end, we will be happy. By happy, I don't mean that we will get what we want, but that we will stay happy with what we have and what we get.

Week 41 - All is well

Inspite of the many unpleasant things that happened early this week in the Dixit home, All was well and the week ended well! 😄

After that embarrassing dinner with Ayaan's family.. the week began with Sonakshi trying to genuinely break the ice with the sisters. Even the affected bride-to-be Ria was quiet.. But Neha's anger was so baseless and irritating. I wanted to catch her by her ear and give her a nice chiding. And like Nikki said, just because Sona does not react, it does not mean she can say anything and everything! But, Sona set some sister-in-law goals that day. Being empathetic comes naturally to Sonakshi and Neha must be thankful for that!

If the husband and wife are in tune in a home, then harmony will prevail there. This is a statement I may have to repeat at the end of every single day's episode this week. Sonakshi is really an awesomely penned character. Her goodness is just as sweet as a honey all the time. And her understanding of Neha and everyone else in the family is probably the biggest blessing of Dev and his family. 

Of the many cute scenes this week, Dev and Sona's childish fight over the mirror  probably bags the Mr. and Mrs. cute award 👑 because of their cute look and their cute dialogues. The highlight of that scene apart from their cuteness, was also Dev's conversation with Neha. Dev finally said what was in my mind all these 200 episodes. If Neha had a troubled childhood, Dev did not have fun either.. He was working hard as well. I was very happy that Dev took a stand for himself and for Sonakshi. It did not look like Dev's little talk had any effect on Neha, but I am sure Dev felt light after that. Neha can help herself, if she can come out of that "self-sympathy" mode. 😞

If someone asks me to define Eloping, I will say, without any hesitation, that it is the worst possible backstabbing act. Its a proof that you don't believe in love at all. You end up eloping only when you neither believe in the love of your parents for you nor in the love of your bride/groom for you. Vickey was never a good person. Dev, Sonakshi and everyone else never had a great opinion about him. On the other hand, Eleena was also always a carefree girl. But, inspite of her carefree attitude, there was an amount of trust that Sona and everyone in the Bose family had on her. It was very disappointing to see that "Trust" being shattered. A trust that is broken can never be mended ever. 😡 And to top it, if it ended up as an unsuccessful marriage it will be such a devastating experience for everyone. I hope Vickey did not have any hidden agenda behind marrying Eleena. My unsettling mind, found a little bit of closure when Bijoy wrote that letter to Eleena and expressed that he was hurt.😞

But inspite of all this, the maturity and understanding of Dev and Sonakshi for each other and the rest of the family was what stood out that night. Whether it was Dev morally being a big support for Sonakshi's family or pouncing on Vickey for his rude behavior towards Sonakshi - made him a model son-in-law and the most supportive husband that day. Similarly, Sonakshi's heartfelt apologies to maami ji for her impulsive behavior and later mellowing down Dev with her care for the Dixits made her a daughter-in-law that any family would dote upon and a wife that every husband will need. Not just that.. Sonakshi's reaching out to her mom and Dev's reaching out to his mom both with their honest anger, makes them both a kid that every parent needs! Asha once again stood as that pillar of strength of the family that was almost on the verge of breaking down. Dev and Sonakshi turned to their cousins and gave their supporting hand, and that made them the perfect brother and sister as well! That day they bagged the Mr. and Mrs. Perfect award! ⭐️⭐️👑 The garden..the bed..the jhoola..only the moon was missing to make the already perfect night even more perfect ❤️😍 

One person was extremely jealous seeing the happy couple and that was Neha! Hope she learns something from her brother and sister in law.

Dev's decision to give a surprise for Sonakshi, kept us all await the next day. One of the high points of this show is obviously the good looking actors Shaheer and Erica. And they looked stunning that night in their attires. The pictures that were floating on the social media the following day were all such a delight for the eyes. Lovely! The atmosphere that night was romantic, the song was pleasant, the attires of the actors were superb, and the romance quotient was very high. In a filmy way, the couple entertained us that night and it gave us all a break from the drama part that was clouding our mind. Sonakshi..what did you do to our dear Dev.. can't you be a little more considerate! But after all, what can a kharghosh do with its teeth! 🐰Really we need a mosquito repellent in that room or a Kharghosh repellent??.🤔 "Mr. and Mrs. Romantic" award goes to our "Precious" DevAkshi! 💏❤️😍
Hands down :)

The mysterious case of Ayaan shaped up nicely this week! Sonakshi wants to take advantage of Kushi''s insecurity over Ayaan..She created a Facebook profile of a guy with 6 pack and sowed the seeds of fear in Kushi's mind.. Why is Kushi uncomfortable? What is Ayaan's plan? How is Sonakshi going to catch them redhanded are all for next week. For now, I am totally drooling over our model couple DevAkshi who never miss an opportunity to be supportive to each other! From protecting Sona from getting caught for eavesdropping on Ayaan's phone to giving his supportive hand to Sona's byomkesh bakshi style mystery solving, Dev is right there for her as a trusted companion. Being protective and supportive can be of 2 types, one is to do it all for them and one is to be there to catch their back in case they fall. Dev always respected Sonakshi for what she is. I remember the time when he put up her profile in a matrimonial website! He said she is the kind of girl who needs someone's companionship not help! And there he was, doing just that!! "Mr. and Mrs. the most understanding" ❤️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Gareeb-ki-beti and Eleena's combo is going to be a laugh riot I think! The way she embraced Eleena into the family and the way she cossets her! Its ok to wake up at 11AM, its ok to go out for ice cream at 11PM, its even ok to go and party with her friends when Ayaan's family came for dinner. I guess, if Eleena met Ayaan and Kushi once, the mystery might get resolved sooner..so the makers sent her to a party?? 🤔

The positive week ended on an even positive note of pregnancy symptoms. Although I get my doubts about Sonakshi's pregnancy..the 7% chance that the doctor gave Dev the other day, gives me some hopes today. How wonderful to see a genuinely happy Ishwari 😄 One person was jealous and that was Neha!  Neha, you can experience all of these as well.. if only you can see Ranveer with your heart and not eyes.

All is well.

Week 40 - Pride and Prejudice

Its not the Pride and Prejudice of our all time favorite fantasy couple Darcy and Beth. This is all about Ishwari. Her pride of being a mother..sorry.. Dev's mother and her prejudice for Sonakshi!!

The 40th week of this show started off with the big birthday party of our story's hero Dev Dixit. The Bose family and Ria's prospective spouse, Ayaan's family were invited. And therefore the preparation was very grand! I wish Neha had a successful marriage..Ranveer's beautiful family would have been part of it as well... Talking about Neha... Ishwari questioned how Dev and Sona can be happy celebrating their honeymoon, when Neha is at home unhappy. But this celebration is ok I guess - because this is all about Dev only 😏

The "Aunty" issue was finally resolved this week, thanks to Bijoy 😬 What an idea Sir ji!! Batheeja 😄😂 For a family like the Dixits (especially Ishwari, Neha, GKB combo) who create issues for Sonakshi purposely, a person like Bijoy is rather necessary. Only he can keep them wary of Sona! But even before Bijoy pointed it out, I am glad Dev realized his mistake and felt the need to correct it. Dev is a good man. But, still needed that nod from Ishwari 😏 Well.. poor guy, he has to keep both his eyes happy..  

I also loved Bijoy's  intervention during the photo session as well! For heaven's sake, Sonakshi is Dev's lawfully wedded wife.. not girlfriend, my dear Dixits!!

One more main issue of last week was "Mamma's boy". Ishwari was on a mission to clarify that!! If it was not for that purpose, I must say, that I was very much touched by her speech that day. A woman's big world suddenly shrinks really small as soon as she becomes a mom. Very very true. .Her day begins and ends with her kids. Every woman wants to become a mother and is very proud when she becomes one.. But, once she is a mother though, she is not in touch with the outside world at all and therefore even after the kids grow up, she remains and wants to remain in the world of her kids,  I was with Ishwari until she explained this.. But I totally lost her when she started connecting and justifying this with "mamma's boy". And because of that, I could not feel all that sympathetic for Ishwari 😏

Well..What Ishwari must understand is - she is welcome to stay in Dev's world. No-one wants her to be out of it. But she must co-exist in it along with Dev's wife. And I loved how the whole scene ended exactly symbolizing this - with Sonakshi coming into the frame as well..sorrounded by the rest of the family 😊

It happens often to me.. when I go out, sometimes, my mom will ask me to take an umbrella and that it might rain. But I will go telling her confidently that I will come back in 10 mins and its not going to rain that soon.. And then, as fate will have it, I will be delayed and it will rain and I will get drenched and soon catch cold as well. And then my mom will promptly come and tell me "See..I told you to take umbrella!! You never listen to me!!" The ice-cream story and Dev falling sick was exactly this..

I could understand Ishwari's anxiety.. She has seen him sick many times before and how he had suffered in the past whenever he got sick..right from when he was a little child..And she has also helped him recover in her own ways.. So, her anxiety and her confidence in getting him back well was all quite relatable. Sonakshi is still new in these matters, except she has an edge over Ishwari as she is a doctor herself..  Honestly, at that time..even I felt Sonakshi was doing the wrong thing by giving him a shower when he was having such a high temperature..🤔 Medical trends are changing!! And I am glad she did, even against Ishwari's words. I also liked how Ishwari dwelled on this for a while and started accepting in her mind that Sonakshi's care for Dev is the need of the hour.. I thought this would have taken Sona one step closer to Ishwari's heart..but I was very shocked to see that this incident created more fears and insecurities in Ishwari's mind and Sonakshi continued to remain outside Ishwari's acceptance circle!

Because of the sad note in which the show ends these days.. I have the habit of watching an old random episode, so that, I can go to sleep with that smile. And just by chance I saw 2 old scenes that were similar to this week's, but yet so contrasting! One was Sona nursing Ishwari's toe.. in comparison to Ishwari nursing Sona's fingers when she got hurt once, cutting vegetables..In one other old scene, Ishwari had made Kachori and almost force-fed Sona with so much Love..But now, Ishwari has so much grudge against Sona.. Sonakshi is the same then and now. But how much Ishwari has changed!! Throughout the week, Ishwari just showed off her pride in being Dev's mother.. and kept iterating and reiterating how she and Dev have a separate communication channel and that Sonakshi really has no business in it. 

Ishwari is so much busy in guarding her fort from Sona that she doesn't even notice how Dev is being the same son that she always had and always wanted..or even if she noticed, she fails to realize that Sonakshi's life goal is not to snatch Dev or anything between the Mom-Son.. She also totally fails to even look at the love and care that she is getting from her daughter in law in addition to what she is used to getting from her son. It was so very unpleasant when she told Sonakshi that she is taking away all the happiness that Ishwari was sharing with her son..And still, the good person that Sona is, she didnt ponder much on this or the umpteen sarcasms of maami and Neha. And why would she? If a husband is understanding and always caring about you, you really don't care what the rest of the house or the world does to you! 

I liked the last plot that unfolded this week! This one is like a mystery novel :) Ayaan seemed to be a nice smart guy. The only noticeable thing was that he seems to be always busy with the smart phone.. But these days, even 5 year olds are busy with touch screen devices, so it was not that weird. Things took a big turn when Sona met Ayaan in the restaurant with another girl. This other girl seemed to be his girlfriend with all the body language that we got to see.. And Sona made the right move by telling Dev and Ishwari about it.  And Dev did the right thing by taking Sonakshi's side.

But when Ayaan and his family arrived, they all (not just Ayaan, but the whole family) introduced the new girl as his cousin, Khushi!!! Name is Khushi.. but took the Khushi away from everyone 😢 And I feel she and Ayaan went a little overboard by praising Sona so much which could have been a hint to Ishwari if she was really only concerned more about Ria that night. I am glad everything came out by Ayaan open confrontation with Sona and Sona's honest feedback.

But, Ishwari's prejudice stopped her from even taking the right step in protecting her daughter's life. Ishwari is hell bent on believing that Sonakshi does not mean any good. But I was quite disappointed that this notion is clouding her mind so much from differentiating the right and wrong. In this matter, everything is going well so far. Only because Dev is also on Sonakshi's side, inspite of Ishwari's attempts to justify that she as a mother can never ever make any mistake. I am curious to find how this plot is going to be solved.

This week, the family also started talking about Dev and Sona's kids.. I am sure we'll get to talk more about it in the coming weeks. I will reserve the discussion for then. But for now, I just want to say that "Yes, womanhood completes with motherhood... but womanhood is not just about motherhood".

Vicky got lost somewhere in the Bose house. May he remain lost.. But did anyone else feel that he may not be that bad after all?? Or is it just me??

Can't believe its 200 episodes of Kuch Rang pyar ke aise bhi!! How many colors have we seen in this show, a mother's, a son's, a sister's, a brother's, an uncle's, a wife's, a husband's, and many many more yet to come for us.. Congratulations to the team 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Week 39 - Confrontation

How long can we beat around the bush? Sooner or later, its better to confront it and make it clear! Sometimes, thats a better option than to cloud our mind. This week we saw Sonakshi trying to frankly discuss certain things that has been bothering her and us as well. I felt somewhat good. How about you all?

Dev's birthday was the biggest agenda this week. However, before going into that, we first need to clear out that "I have become a responsible good boy" image that Dev created last week!!

Last week ended with Dev feeling ecstatic about regaining the space that the swing had taken. I still cant understand why that cute swing was bothering him so much..anyway it was not a big deal for Sona. She always has a take it easy policy for these small things. Especially after Dev made her believe that he is doing all his work himself..😲😂 

Whats good about Dev is, he is really not someone, who wants to purposely not listen to his wife. He is just a spoilt kid - that too, only in terms of taking care of his basic needs.

Dev was looking super hot in the white shirt and black tie..😍 and all went well up until the point when dhal fell on Dev's shirt. Thanks to mami's timely intervention, Sonakshi witnessed Dev taking his mom's help to clean the shirt 😲 Soanakshi was right in getting angry with Dev - not for taking his mom's help, but for making a fool of her and hiding the truth from her 😏  What Dev did was not fair, and as I told last week, what Sona did was also probably too rushed.. But whatever it is, this adorable couple is never ready to give up on themselves ever! It only took a couple of seconds for Sonakshi to reach out to Dev. Not that she ended the fight because it was his birthday. Even otherwise, their fights and misunderstandings are very rarely long and meaningless.

Dev very beautifully said how he has started loving "Love"..The Love, which makes every problem solve by itself and every issue resolve on its own..That was a beautiful dialogue ❤️😊

One other highlight of that scene was that Sonakshi confronted this issue directly with Ishwari! I have always praised Sona's assertive nature. With that assertiveness, she respectfully yet strongly condemned the "habit" of the mother-son combo. And even though Ishwari had some points to say in her and Dev's favor, in the end, I am sure Ishwari and Dev both realized that there was more logic in Sonakshi's argument 👍🏻

There were 2 simultaneous plans going on for Dev's birthday. One was fondly made by Dev's mom without any agenda of separating Dev and Sona. The other one was romantically made by Dev and Sona with a conscious plan of keeping the whole day free for Ishwari and taking only the midnight for themselves.. If at all there was any manipulation, it was only done by maami and Neha!! Really, what the hell is wrong with Neha?? Cant she just admire her bhabhi's genuine inner beauty, without unnecessary hatred or jealousy?

Although the phone battery went down and the music was loud and Ishwari and co. were too enthusiastic, etc. I am still not 100% convinced that Dev could not reach out to Sonakshi somehow. For example, such a big businessman that he is, he could have called the club and spoken to them and asked for his wife.. Where there is will, there is way. Only that Dev loves his mom way more than any other son does and because of that, we have always seen some hard to believe sequences between the mother-son combo and this is just one such.  Ok.

I don't want to sound as if I am biased about Dev and Sona's date. And Ishwari also did not purposely plan to keep Sonakshi away. But in the end, the reality was shown very clearly. Sonakshi was standing outside the circle - the circle which had all of Dev's family, except Sona.

Sonakshi-Asha phone conversation was by far the best part this week.. However old we get, when we are hurt, we need our mom's lap. I have seen my 65 year old mom look for support from my 90 year old grand mom. Such is the mom-daughter relationship. And this relationship becomes much more stronger when daughters get married. Its true even in Ishwari-Neha's case... Its a feeling only a mom and a married daughter can understand. And only a good mom can advice her daughter, the way Asha did that day. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😘😘

We have seen, in TV serials, how women add fuel to another woman's already big burning problem! Our show is an exception and only because of that are all the awards and accolades!! Congratulations on the AVTA award for best soap! Congratulations to our dear Sonakshi as well for grabbing that best actress award! And another interesting fact about this show is - often there are references to Shahrukh movies! I don't know if you guys noticed this week, the Devdas dialogue reference (delivered by mama ji)😄❤️ In the past also, there had been many references, including the KKR team reference!

Sonakshi had all the rights to make that celebration unpleasant that night. But she chose not to do. This should have been a good lesson for Neha. But Neha chose not to learn from it, but to only find a problem in it !! 

Whether Neha recognizes the goodness of Sona or not, whether Ishwari recognizes it or not, our Dev always recognizes and generously praises Sonakshi for her good heart and understanding ❤️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Sonakshi was on a mission to stump Iswari this week. In yet another discussion that night with Ishwari, Sonakshi proved her genuineness. And yet, Ishwari cannot accept her with all her heart? Very sweetly Sona told Ishwari that she has a lot of respect for Ishwari and an apology is not at all needed in this case. I don't know what went on in Ishwari's mind, but in my mind, I was just thinking how  23-24 years old girls get married and come into a new family having a lot of respect and trust for the mother in the new house and how much of a responsibility the mother, has in making sure, that girl's trust is not broken at all. Similarly the girl has a lot of responsibility as well in making sure that she gets into the groove of the family even if she is repelled and even when the going gets so tough. Family and Love is all so fragile yet so powerful.

The big "aunty" problem was also confronted duly this week. It was bothering me a lot last week and I was finally able to sleep peacefully when Sonakshi told Dev that he calling her mom as aunty warranties her calling Ishwari also as aunty. The following scenes would have been much more cuter if it was for a different fight. But for this fight, I need an answer right away, Mr.Abhodro! If you can call Sona's mom as aunty, why can't Sona call your mom as aunty too? But its good to know that Dev is finding Sona calling his mom as "aunty" as completely intolerable. Thats a first step. Eventually Dev will realize what he did was very bad.

The final Sona-Ishwari conversation was the best of all confrontations this week!     I am glad the conversation went in the direction of Ishwari getting into a self defensive mode! Ishwari's tone had some hesitation, but she tried to tell with as much conviction as possible, that Dev was probably not ready to accept anyone else as his mom other than herself.

Sonakshi explained how she also used to think that way about her mom before and how that perception of hers changed during the wedding, when her mom adviced about taking Dev's family as her own..Ishwari was speechless when she heard that. And if that was not enough, Sonakshi questioned Ishwari why she did not give any such advice to her son!

There is the Dixit family that has so much of hesitation in including Sonakshi in any of their family matters. Yet, Sonakshi has accepted it to be hers and treats each relation in that family as her own.. And then there is the Bose family where everyone pours their love on Dev! They celebrate his birthday even in his absence.. they make sweaters for him with so much love, they treat him and shower him with lots of love and yet, his own mom's insecurities has stopped him from accepting the Bose family as his own..

Neither is Dev bad nor is Ishwari. Because of the basic goodness in these two characters, I still have lots of hope that they will be able to come past this and be able to embrace Sonakshi and her family with all their heart ❤️ That day is going to be very soon. This week's confrontations have surely paved way for it!

Next week, Ishwari is all geared to clear out that "mamma's boy".. Its not a bad word, is it? And more over, she really works so hard in making Dev a mamma's boy..isnt it? And why should she get upset if he finally got that title.. 

I just feel sad for Ishwari. Her possessiveness for her son makes her be someone that she is not..Ishwari is a good person underneath, no doubt. We have seen and adored this mother like no other! The good news is that Sonakshi is not like Neha or any other normal daughter in law. I am sure she will get that good mother out of Ishwari, without hurting her even a bit. And hope Dev supports her all the way!

Week 38 - Happiness is Acceptance

When a new relationship comes in our life, we need some time to adjust and get used to it, and over a period of time, we will be able to accept it with all its good and bad. Acceptance allows us to learn while being happy.

When Dev went to Sonakshi's house, he started to feel one among them without any differences. It came naturally to him, without any outside pressure. There was genuineness in his eating there, forcing Sonakshi's mom to eat and in laughing for Bijoy's jokes. His calling Asha as mom was as natural as Sonakshi calling Ishwari as mom. And its only because of this Acceptance, there was nothing but happiness last week and life was just beautiful...

However, this week was so full of emptiness.😞

The week started off with Ishwari giving a lecture on how the plant needs to forget its love for the old soil, when it comes to a new place and how Sonakshi should keep the fight between her and Dev within their home and not take it to her mom's house. This very first scene this week totally put me off.

Ishwari's advice to Sonakshi was not wrong. However, her inability to use the same logic is Neha's case is definitely disturbing.  I vividly remember the scenes prior to Neha's wedding and even soon after her wedding, when Ishwari kept stopping Dev from helping Neha fulfill her thirst for comforts. At that time, Ishwari's thoughts were more grounded, unbiased and very fair.  The change in Ishwari now, is due to her lack of acceptance of Sonakshi as her daughter in law. Whether she agrees or not, part of the reason why Ishwari is not persuading Neha to go back to Ranveer is to just be on the side where Sonakshi is not there.

When there is no acceptance, there will only be fear, prejudice, self defense and everything that will take away the peace and happiness from you! And because this week dwelled on the lack of acceptance, I realized that it left me also with a feeling of emptiness.

When the swing first came to Dev-Sona's room, I was very happy. In fact Dev's subdued reaction and his explanation of "how much more reaction can I give for this" - all seemed cute. I liked the swing a lot and at that time, I did not realize that this swing will become one of the main negative roles in Dev-Sona's life!! Kudos to Dev, who was making a conscious effort in trying to accept this character in the room 😄 But the lights on it, and keeping the lights on during the night was a little overboard, Sonakshi!! Actually speaking, I will get scared with a character like that just in front of my bed. My oversmart brain will start to imagine someone sitting on it...😨😱 thanks to the horror movies 🙄

Whatever it is, I think they will sort it out. And even if they both are unable to correct their flaws they both know that their Love is bigger than their flaws! Dev and Sona are 2 matured individuals to figure these things out. Their chemistry is something to adore ❤️, not feel jealous. 

However, Neha's unhappiness and jealousy over Dev and Sona's life is not surprising to me. She has always considered Dev as someone who takes away her limelight, and by fate, this time also, her brother has something that she doesn't have..Neha's unhappiness is also due to her lack of acceptance of the life she had. Neha could still have that chemistry with Ranveer, if she really wants it. Only time will teach her this lesson. Until then, Sonakshi must endure all the sharp, hurting words of Neha.

Thank God, Sonakshi is a much level headed person that not only the Dixit family, even the viewers are spared of an emotionally high powered typical TV serial drama 😊 She does not react much to any negative criticisms or comments at home nor does she take it all and complain to her husband. There is one soul, though, in the Dixit family that is aware of all that is happening with Sonakshi - maama ji 😊

As the week moved on, a new family was introduced. Ria's marriage is on the cards! But, the fear factor of Ishwari stopped her from informing Sonakshi of the visit of Ria's fiancè, because she knew Sona will be able to easily manage the whole show on her own and she did not want it to happen! To justify her actions, this time, she used self sympathy and explained how she didnt want Sonakshi to skip work even one day (reminiscing her old times when Ishwari knew what it meant to skip even 1 day of work) .... All of this uneasiness can easily be wiped out by accepting and embracing Sona into her heart. Well, again, only time has to teach the lesson to Ishwari.

Dev has completely gone off track this week. His role of "pyaara pati" is now taking a break, as he is busy playing the role of "adarsh beta" 😏

How much ever I try, I am just unable to find any nice way of justifying him calling Sona's mom as aunty, especially since he took this decision based on Ishwari's uneasiness. Dev has long ago, accepted Sonakshi as his life partner. However, Ishwari, due to her inability to accept Sona, managed to cloud Dev's mind of many things. Well, why blame Ishwari - Mr.Dev Dixit should have a brain of his own!

But, when Dev is so dependent on his mother for everything, what can be done!! It was quite a surprise for me to see a business tycoon Mr.Dev Dixit, unable to keep his wardrobe organized..Howver, in reality, I guess some men can be like that! After this week's episode, I told myself that I better teach my little boy all these things now itself 😬

If someone comes and tells me that they will help me with my household work, I will be happy to hand them over some work and sit in my couch and watch back to back episodes of Kuch Rang Pyar ke aise bhi...I don't know why Ishwari is having so much trouble in letting Sona do some household chores.. She considers herself to be in a race with Sonakshi all the time!! She is determined to prove Sonakshi that she cannot excel in everything, especially in matters pertaining to Dev!

I remember one of the cute discussions of Dev and Sona long time ago, when Sona said that their new relationship will not compete, but rather complete all the old relationships. Sona is living those words, however, Dev is not, thanks to Ishwari's mood swings and long faces and occasional pep talks. I think Dev was quite guilty of having to do things that he is not in total agreement with.. Probably because of that, he had trouble looking into Sonakshi's eyes this week!

Even though whatever Sonakshi did was right in terms of trying to get Dev to not depend so much on his mom (for all his daily tasks), her way of doing it was probably not the best. And its a learning curve for every girl who gets married - to understand that men are made differently and their organizational skills in the home front, is very different from women's. One suggestion, which I will give Sona is that these things has to happen like sticking a needle in the banana..I mean it should be done so smoothly, without the other person even guessing it is happening to him. Men resist change in all forms, especially when its forced on them. After all, Dev has been having this habit for the past 28 years..so its not easy to come out of it. It was natural for Dev to seek his mom's help to get out of this problem. How long can he go to work with black socks on one feet and white on another!!

But more than Dev struggling to get organized, I enjoyed Ishwari's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.. I am somewhat like her in keeping the things in order..hmm..I used to be like that..but not anymore. Once you have kids, the OCD in you, gets cured mostly.. I wonder why Ishwari's didnt cure yet..🤔  I guess hers is chronic...

As we came to the end of the week, many things changed. The swing came down, Ishwari unofficially took over the care of Dev's wardrobe, Ria's wedding talks started and the new family was introduced and finally Eleena and Vicky broke up! I have long been postponing talking about Eleena and Vicky because of the fakeness in it.

It did not hurt any of us seeing Eleena heartbroken..because we all know she is going to be thankful for this later. However, knowing Vicky, I am almost positive that he is not going to stop until he does what he wants to do. The only ray of hope is that, since Sonakshi knows about this now, she will do something to protect her little sister.

The end of the week also was my favorite part. I really loved the way they made the scene of Ishwari taking the side of Sonakshi in Dev's birthday celebrations. And I also loved how Sona quietly slipped into the kitchen to feel that moment and how maama ji followed her and gave his blessings.. Thats how acceptance feels. I am sure you all felt it too. 

❤️

Week 37 - Life is Beautiful

Life is beautiful, if you know exactly what to focus on. The story of this week was all about this. Before I proceed to talk about all the lovely things we got to see this week, let me first stop and say a word of appreciation for the writers of this show. Although we saw the cuteness of the world's best couple this week, it was really meant to be a lesson for Ishwari and Neha through them. Any other show would have given this hard hitting lesson in a very dramatic way, but the writers chose to do it this way and I want to really appreciate them for this. 

As if we don't have enough drama in our own lives, TV shows compete against one another in giving high voltage drama all the time. Amidst all that, is this subtle show, that has taken up the same old story, but has given it in an easily digestible and easily relatable way! So this one for the crew and cast 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

The week started off with the left over fight from friday, which was about taking away Ranveer's job. Even though Dev had changed quite a lot for good, ever since he met Sonakshi, often times, he goes back to the Abhodro mode, due to pressures in the home front, especially in matters related to Ishwari and Neha. Whenever he is in that mode, he forgets his logical reasoning ability, his basic common sense and fails to show even a little bit of compassion for people around him (other than his mother and sisters, of course) The current problem that Neha is facing, is a direct hit on one of Dev's life goals, which is to keep his sister happy forever. 

Sonakshi's argument was completely true and justified when she said - "Dev-you are becoming someone that you are not. You are not someone who will take away the job of the only bread-winner of a house, just to revenge him! And that "him" you are talking about is someone your sister was in love with.." But, Dev, who is now Mr.Abhodro, the person that believes in balance sheets only is in no way going to listen to Sonakshi who believes in fairy tale love stories.. I was thankful that Neha herself came up with the request of giving back that job to Ranveer, resting that drama then and there..

The Dixit kids have taken after their mother a lot. Otherwise, why would Neha feel happy about Dev listening and obliging to her request as opposed to Sona's 😏😏 But what Neha has to learn from Sonakshi and also Dev is how they are going to sort out this difference of opinion. I was very proud of the way Sonakshi told Neha that she and Dev will sort out their problem!! 

Even though it was not orchestrated by Sonakshi, the whole week of episodes ended up to be one beautiful lesson and I especially loved how it all ended with 2 school kids learning the moral of the story!

Sonakshi was obviously hurt by the fact that Dev, once again kept her away from the problems of the house saying "you don't understand, Sonakshi"! Even though Sona is more important to him than his own life, Dev still could not take her advice in this matter and that really saddened her. She used the opportunity that Ishwari gave her on the occasion of Bhai dhooj, to go to her mom's place and stay away from Dev for a couple of days.

Well, for Dev-Sona 2 hours is a big deal, forget 2 days!! Dev promptly showed up and it will be the biggest lie if Sonakshi said, she did not expect Dev there 😄❤️😍 

Its hard to try and make up your couple fight in front of others..especially parents. The discomfort of Dev and Sonakshi was pretty visible. Sonakshi was not ready to give in and Dev was not ready to give up. So the casual visit to pick Sona turned into a dinner and later into a sleep over as well..

Neha who was watching all this silently, was bound to feel sad, because Ranveer never went so much out of his way to make up to her for any mis-understandings they ever had..Its a good start that she is relating Ranveer to her brother and I sincerely hope that soon, she will start to relate herself to Sonakshi also.

There was a clear contrast between the Bose and the Dixit family. One was at ease and the other was rigid. In one family, the problems start and end at the dinner table as they share the food but in the other, the problems are never shared. In the Bose family, everyone has a free mind yet bonded by love, but in the Dixit family, there is only love that enslaves the others. In one, the principles are rigid like all families, but the means are flexible. But in the other, there are strict expectations from every individual to follow the guidelines that are set. I wont completely blame the Dixit family for what they are. We should never forget the fact that Ishwari had to play the role of a father and mother as she was struggling to bring those 4 kids up.

Amidst all these contrasts, one striking similarity is how both Dev and Sonakshi are the go getters of their families. I really enjoyed the Bhai dhooj at the Bose house. Just like Dev, Sonakshi was always the protective umbrella above her brother's head. Sonakshi's business idea was very cool and I wish Saurabh all the very best in this new venture.

For Dev, I must say, the experience at Sona's house must have been like a breath of fresh air that even though he was well aware that he was going a little over board, he really did not mind it. It was very warm to see the bose family bond with their son-in-law - Dev beta, who has come a long way from Mr.Dev Dixit and Dev babu and later on, a drunkard as well 😢

It was extremely cute to see Sonakshi acting to repel Dev and Dev trying to make up in all possible ways.. and very endearing to see them relive their "ghar pe rehna seekhiye and chup rehna seekhiye" moments 😄😍

It came as a small shock to me, when Bijoy threw them both out of the house at midnight!! But, inside, I was only really laughing (just like mama ji), because I realized that Dev and Sona had to have a chance to talk it out in private. Obviously, we cannot expect Ishwari to take it that light, nor can we expect maami to leave this aside.

Every bit of Dev-Sona's date at 2AM was enjoyable! Even the part of getting into trouble with the 2 responsible Indian citizens was quite interesting ! The subtle facial gestures and expressive eyes of Shaheer was as usual enjoyable 😄😍, especially as Sonakshi explained how Dev was occupying most of the bed and that she almost even fell out of the bed, a couple of times! 😂😂

I really liked how Sonakshi never really brought the topic of Neha at all. Instead, she just claimed her place in the house where Dev has taken her as his wife. She just wanted Dev to see the contrast between her and his house and wanted him to know that, it is his responsibility to make her feel at home in the Dixit house, by allowing her to participate in everything. Really, that was what was missing. Whether its Neha's problem or Vicky's problem, or any issue that might come in future, its important that Dev trusts Sonakshi and her opinions as much as he does himself or his mom's. And, if Sonakshi is wrong, she should be told that she is wrong, in a way, that anyone else in that home will be told. The message Sonakshi wanted to really convey that night was that its important for Dev to understand that Sonakshi needs to feel "at home" in his home.

I always wondered how come Sonakshi hasn't changed the look and feel of Dev's room.. And I cant wait now to see the make over :)

The two little kids were the highlight of this week, not just because they were cute, but because through them we got the lesson that we need to talk in order to solve all problems. I told myself yet again, that this is fiction and Dev is fictitious! But I am going to try and show my husband this episode where Dev was willing to "listen" to all that Sonakshi had to say!! Hopefully, Ranveer, my husband and all other husbands will be like Dev one day.

But on a serious note - Dev and Sonakshi gave one of Life's very important lesson this week on making relationships work. To break is not an option at all.

Its probably unfair to compare Neha's problems with Sonakshi's problems. But amidst her problems, Neha has to learn to appreciate her blessings.. her blessing of an understanding mother in law who was really willing to let go off her son to a different house nearby, much before they even got married. I am sure that her mother in law is not as clingy as Ishwari is with her son Dev. And I say this to show Neha that her passport for happiness is not in living in a mansion with all material comforts, but is in living in the small hut that her husband very lovingly builds for her and others in "their" family. All this distance that is now created can still be defeated by her Love for Ranveer.

If only Ishwari accepts Sonakshi as her 4th daughter, things will be so much calmer in her mind and Life will be beautiful for her as well.

Life will be beautiful for all of us, depending on what we want to focus on. We may never be happy if we stand outside in rain worrying about getting wet. However, if we learn to dance in the rain, we will be able to experience how beautiful this Life is.