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.

Week 36 - When Love is not above all

When Love is above all, forgiving is easy, forgetting is easier and keeping the faith and trust in fact becomes easiest! Its not at all possible that Love will be absent in anyone's life. The priorities might change as we face life's difficulties at different stages. Sometimes, Love is above all.. Sometimes it is not. Something else takes the place of Love and those are the times we feel lonely and sad. Sometimes, Love is present but is in disguise, that its so hard to even recognize it.. It doesn't always present itself as hugs and kisses and kind words. However, when you completely give all of you, to the person you love, then you start to trust that person so much that you can recognize love, even if its disguised and then forgiving, forgetting, keeping faith all becomes easy.

With that prelude lesson on Love, lets go on to talk about this week of Kuch Rang pyar ke aise bhi.

One of the highlights of this week was the matured relationship of Dev and Sona. For them, Love seems to be above all of their day to day problems and difficulties. The real demonstration of "Tu mujme mujse zyaada hain" was seen this week, from this couple's angle.

However, Love was almost absent in Neha-Ranveer's life. It was Self respect and HIS family minus Neha for Ranveer and comfortable living & getting away from Ranveer's family for Neha. These priorities have taken up so much of their life that there seems to be no room for Love to even peek and ego clouded their mind.

Dev and Sonakshi have undergone the pain of separation much before they got into their marriage..and probably because of that, they both know how much they mean to each other. When they both had no other choice and were forced accept their separation and move on, the power of their Love for each other came in the forefront above everything else. It was so profound, so strong, that even rock solid Ishwari had to give way for it to flow through..and for it to blossom and grow...

Neha and Ranveer probably haven't yet realized the power of their Love. They say that the importance of someone's presence can be realized only in their absence. They probably need this separation. But I am scared if this separation will become permanent..As Dev said, there was no fire in Ranveer.. Dev perfectly compared his own state in Sona's absence with Ranveer's current state. For the first time, I agree with the Abhodro avatar of Dev in this context. Ranveer seemed to totally lack that compassion for Neha.. Atleast she thought of him while having Golgappa..

It takes two to experience the beauty of Love. Dev and Sonakshi seemed to have mastered this art. 

As Dev was going through the trauma of "I need to fix my sister's life right now", Sonakshi stood by him all the time.. At times, she was a caring wife who gave him a warm hug and assured him that tomorrow will be a better day.. At times, she was a good friend and took him out for a coffee date in her sleek scooty and gently checked with him on the issue thats on everyone's mind at home.... Dev was no less either. He was protective of his wife, always admired and praised her inner and outer beauty, never ever showed his male ego, and always had time for her.  Dev has turned out to be a perfect husband that every girl will ever want! 

With Dev and Sona, I especially admire how they are able to genuinely cherish the beauty of their relationship amidst all the stress in their mind. I keep telling myself that Dev and Sonakshi are fictional only..My husband is no Dev and more importantly I am no Sonakshi either!! But, they are so adorable that its hard not to dream ourselves as one of them. 

After this week's DevAkshi moments, am sure every wife will want a husband who will wake her up so lovingly every morning. And, if at all he makes any mistakes in waking her up, he should allow her to sleep for 5 more minutes and wake her up again, in the cutest way ever possible! 

And every husband will need a wife who will make him smile even during life's toughest moments and will stand by him always!

There is this perfect couple Dev and Sona and then there is this imperfect couple Ranveer and Neha and I cant even begin to classify the third couple Eleena and Vicky!! What is wrong with Eleena? I know Love is blind and all that.. Still...How did Eleena miss the Ravan inside Vicky?? Well, my sincere hope is that she recognizes the real Ravan and saves herself from a disaster.

Amidst all the tension in the house, I honestly liked the idea of celebrating Diwali. Apart from the religious significance of our festivals, those are the times to reassure ourselves of new beginnings and that happy times are just ahead. Festivals are that time of the year when we can put aside all past bitter days, genuinely feel happy with what we have today and be hopeful of the future. The Dixit family deserved to be happy.

And, gifts have the power to make everyone happy... even Gareeb ki beti!!

Dev, the world's bestest brother, got the perfect gift for his darling sister, Neha - A talking doll that she always wanted...  Sometimes, I wonder if Ranveer knows the deeper details of Neha's childhood.. Because, if he knew, he might be able to see why Neha longs for "things" that may not be important for normal people..And I wish soon Dev gets the right temperament to sit down and talk to Ranveer about all these things. Or atleast Ishwari should get into the groove of the problems and solve it in her style. Talking might be easier for these two, because Ranveer always held Ishwari in high esteem and he was her favorite son-in-law. 

The son in law of Dixit home was in trouble, this Diwali. But, the son-in-law of the Bose family got some brownie points by sending gifts to them!!

All went well until Sonakshi burnt her feet. Every happy time, leaves a mark just as a token of remembrance :) This festival left a mark for Dev, Sona as well as  Ishwari. A hurt feet will probably heal soon. And even if it leaves a mark, Sonakshi and Dev may only cherish it, because, for them Love is above all. But for those that have expectations from Love, the mark leaves only bitterness in the heart.

Ishwari could have waited just a little longer for Dev to come or could have knocked their door and asked him about the temple.. or atleast sent Keechu bhaiya to call Dev (knocking on their door and disturbing their private time is not new!!!) . Of all these options, Ishwari resorted to going to the temple all alone with a long face. 

The poor son, Dev, wanted to genuinely go to the temple with his mother to fulfill the tradition they had formed over years..Ishwari not just disappointed him, but also confused him by talking about dividing his time between her and Sona!! Ishwari... Tumi ekdom impossible!

Caring for the person you love and feeling responsible for them are essential constituents of Love. But without the knowledge about the beloved person or the respect for him/her, Love deteriorates into either possessiveness or domination..The actual feeling of Love will not be predominant anymore. 

Neha felt that her care and Love for Ranveer will probably motivate him to improve his standard of living. But she failed to understand what Ranveer is basically made of. Eventually what she thought was Love, became "domination".. It was very sad to see Ranveer file a case against Neha in those grounds...

Dev's love for his sister was blinding his logical thinking. His Abhodro avatar was back in form and took away the job from the very honest Ranveer. 

I feel that although Ishwari went through lot of difficulties in bringing up her kids, she is right now, not being a good mother to either Neha or Dev. We all know that her possessiveness towards Dev is blinding her logical thinking as well. In Neha's case, she has failed to show the right path to her.. She must start thinking.."Agar, Sonakshi aisi bahu hothi..tho?" That will probably make her send Neha back to her husband as well as accept Sonakshi with all her goodness.

Well... Some colors of love are so..

Week 35 - It's all about Neha!

Neha has always been sad that she never got a chance.. This week was all about her (atleast, mostly about her). But don't worry, our blog will have Dev and Sona moments as well. 😄❤️

I have often been interested in comparing Neha-Ranveer's relationship with Dev-Sona's. And this week was a perfect contrast between the two couple. The main striking difference between them is that one is based on "desires and expectations" and the other is "just love and nothing else".

Long ago, when Ranveer refused to take up the job offer given by Dev, we saw how Neha and Ranveer almost broke up. On that same day, Dev and Sona also had a difference of opinion on that topic. Sonakshi was upset that Dev gave more importance to the economical status of a person than his character and personality.. I am sure you all remember the night when it was pouring rain and Dev waited for hours to clarify his position to Sonakshi.

That night, 2 important decisions were made by the 2 couple. Dev declared to Sona that he is like that - a difficult person to deal with and asked her if she was willing to accept him just like that. On the other hand, Ranveer mended his ways.. and changed for Neha's sake.. and took up that job. On one hand, Sonakshi told Dev that she was absolutely willing to accept him the way he was and that she just needed his company. Neha, on the other hand, accepted Ranveer because he accepted that job. There is one thing that we all know - when there are expectations, be prepared for disappointments as well.

Since Dev and Sonakshi's bond was made only with love, they were able to withstand all storms and ended up happy. Neha and Ranveer's bond was not made with love... Ranveer probably thought accepting that job offer was all that Neha expected of him... Neha herself might have thought that she will be happy with Ranveer with this new job. "Material needs have no limits" is probably the lesson that Neha has to learn. Ranveer should probably learn to embrace Neha with so much love that her love for material needs vanishes from her sight completely and forever.

Having said that, I cannot but feel extremely bad and sad for Neha.  Tears came rolling down, hearing the flash back that Ishwari told about Neha. The year that Dev started going to a better school was the year that Neha had to give up her schooling completely and almost became a mother to the two younger sisters.. She had to give up her opportunity in life, to Dev.. so that one day, he can grow up and earn more and take care of all of them.

It was endearing to watch little Neha take care of her big brother Dev and little Dev trying to help Neha learn...The 2 innocent kids thought they have a lot of time to learn and grow. That was an excellent scene conceived by the makers 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Dev definitely did all his duties as a brother...There is no doubt about that. And he is definitely sad now that Neha is undergoing this right now...As Sonakshi later said, everyone makes mistakes and this was a mistake on their part to have overlooked Neha's current state in planning for their honeymoon. If this was the reason Ishwari fainted and was upset with Dev, then I am with her. However, apart from this, Dev's "15 days away from home and mom" is also bothering her equally or more...😞

Whatever be it, the much awaited honeymoon was cancelled. The story, dialogues and emotions are in the realistic zone always, even amidst highly demanding emotional sequences. One example was Dev's expression of helplessness through anger and Sonakshi's compassion towards Dev as he was struggling to find a shoulder to lean on. I was reminded of the time, when Neha was given away in marriage and Dev was fighting to hide his feelings. Then and now, Shaheer is just excellent as Dev 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 This particular scene was very well made. Three cheers to the makers and actors! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Again, I want to reiterate - because, Dev and Sonakshi have "love" that is binding them together, all of this was not a big deal for them. They continue to love each other the same way or even more. While Sonakshi cares about Dev's every  pain and every sorrow, Dev also cares the same about Sona. I particularly loved the subtle way he acknowledged Mami's hurtful talks and asked Sona to rejoin work and to be away from such stress at home ❤️ and to especially not become like her idol Keechu bhaiya (part 2) 😂😂

It was a treat to watch our "old-songs lover" Shaheer who slowly peeked out of Dev...😄❤️ But did Sona just say that it doesn't suit him? Ofcourse, it does!! Dev, everything suits you! Go ahead and live your life. You have been through your share of harder times as well, in your childhood.. And now is the time for you to live and experience happiness!!  The TV screen never fails to brighten whenever the lead pair come together onscreen. Even when they fight onscreen, our heart might feel sad, but our eyes always become 😍😍.

As time went by, Sonakshi slowly seemed to get into the Dixit family, like water in a bowl of flour. It was a wonderful comparison of how people are bound together in a family, just like making the dough using atta flour 😄 Well, its got to be good! Mother-in-law Ishwari Dixit was herself impressed!! 

The reality struck one more time to Ishwari. Mama ji's sensible talk was another highlight of this week. He made Ishwari realize and even express that she is scared of Sonakshi being so good that in her company, Dev may one day, even forget his responsibilities towards his sisters..Dev and Sona are not like that and will never have such intentions and only time can prove this to Ishwari.

Time does heal many wounds, especially in matters of Love. But, Neha's hatred for Ranveer and middle-class life was only increasing day by day. Comparison of husband to brother or father, and comparison of wife to any other woman is a definite bummer in arguments between a couple. Ranveer and Neha just did that 😬😬 Now, this fight that is going on is definitely ego. Honestly, I feel Ishwari and maami are only adding fuel to it. Maami is deliberately doing it. But Ishwari, due to her own insecurities is reiterating Dev's duties (highlighting the terms of the prenup!!) every now and then!! And with such energy around, Neha cannot think calmly, can she?? 😞 Towards the end of the week it came till Divorce request.

The makers have always made sure to weave the right flashback at appropriate times. Neha's emotional and psychological state came through vividly when she explained what happened to her as a child and what was happening to her now. Ishwari had always controlled the flow of Neha's life and especially her thoughts - a small ribbon in place of a new shirt for her brother Dev made Neha happy as a child, only because her mother asked her to be so. But Neha is grown up now and cannot be fooled by what Ishwari wants...Neha made Ishwari realize that bad times surely took away a part of Neha's childhood, but Ishwari had a very big part in taking away all the opportunities that Neha ever had in her life.

Nobody in the Dixit house can think for her from her angle, is Neha's conclusion. Things will turn around for her if this is proven wrong. Will Ranveer or Dev or Sonakshi be able to prove this to her? We have to wait and watch as the beautiful story unfolds next festival week 😊

Week 34 - To Love and Be Loved

They say we should never go to bed with an unfinished argument.. Our Dev and Sona even made those rules for themselves. But never were able to follow it even after more than a week into marriage.

I have always wondered about why its so hard to be in Sync after marriage. Mine is also an inter-community love marriage like theirs. And after many years of arguing and fighting and making up in repeat mode, I have been able to come to a logical reason behind it. Prior to getting into the marriage, its always about demonstrating "who loves more" and therefore there are many gift exchanges and nice romantic talks, etc.However, after marriage, its all about "who is loved more"! There is a lot of expectation and there is a constant need to surprise the other person and even if one tries his/her best, it never seems sufficient enough. There is always room for mistakes and misunderstandings.. With a 3rd person constantly around, the situation is more demanding.

Ishwari is the 3rd person I am referring here and probably Dev will fight with me for saying so and will tell me that I was not there to witness the difficult times he and his mom went through.. I know that Ishwari is a good soul and that she loves her son with all her heart. However, between a husband and wife, even a mother becomes a third person. Not that she is not loved or not that she doesn't have a say in anything. But a couple need their privacy, for many things, apart from sex.

Coming to Dev and Sona's fight itself - I felt Dev went a little overboard with his choice of words like "hume har bare mein baat karne ki zaroorat nahi hai.. Mein 'apne' bhaayi ko 'apne' office mein ek job di"... in contrast to Sonakshi's genuine advice of "Vicky has to become a good person and that opportunity was taken away by giving him everything without effort". Having said that, I also felt Sonakshi should give Dev his space... its only a week into their marriage and she has to get in slowly into everyone's heart..After all, this marriage has happened amidst hatred from Ishwari, Maami and Sona knows their personality...

When a fight like this happens, the effect lingers even after they resolve the problem for which it all started in the first place! One might say that its the ego of the couple thats stopping them from getting over the misunderstanding. But for me, "ego" is a very negative term.. I feel its not as bad as that. If that day, one of them fell sick, I am sure that the other person will be willing to even give their life in return for a healthier, happier spouse. Its not "ego" thats stopping them from making up. Its the need to be "loved more".. If she loves me that much, let her come and talk to me..If he loves me that much, let him come and talk to me...So, the night, the morning, the afternoon, the evening went by waiting for the other person to take that first step.

Even after many many years of marriage, I feel that hesitation to take the first step might always be there because even after we become very very old, we will have the need to be loved more.

While the couple themselves are trying figure out their own space, Ishwari was almost strangling their neck by involving herself in things she doesn't have to.. It was obvious that Sona was trying to do something special for her husband that night in the dinner table. I am sure, Ishwari knows the purpose of the candles on the dinner table . There was absolutely no need to stop Sonakshi from making Dev's dinner special and send her upstairs to sleep. And it was such an ugly lie when she told Dev that Sona was sleepy, so she went up to sleep..

When a couple allows a 3rd person to decide the reason for their fights, its going to be difficult to find peace. However, its a learning curve where we learn the Do's and Dont's... and thats how we grow in marriage..A marriage that lasts long amidst all this, becomes a special one. Thats why, its such a pride to have a long happy married life.

Even though it was hard to see the cute couple fight, I had my heart set on them, because I could see myself there arguing with my husband 
Sona-"Are you saying its my mistake!" 
Dev-"I didnt start anything..i am just agreeing to whatever you are saying" 
Sona-"Dev!!"
Dev-"What??"
Sona-"Ok fine. I don't want to talk. I will go"
Dev-'Ok fine. Go!"
Am pretty sure, this is how most of the fights go on in every household!! Well done guys 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The following morning scene was very beautifully conceived and so full of emotions.. And perfectly done by the lead pair. I am usually more biased to Dev, because I just adore him. In this scene I have to give it to both for so rightly capturing that feeling of "I cant let you go.. I love you with all my heart..and I miss you so badly..." When a similar disagreement came prior to marriage over Ranveer's acceptance of the job offer, they were able to agree to disagree.. It was quite easy then, because there was a not an Ishwari standing in between them!

If they had just a few more seconds to express, I am sure that scene would have ended differently. Its not ego thats stopping them, and one will do anything if the other is in trouble..There he came, running to his Sonakshi before she could set her eyes on that report and hurt herself. The cute moments that followed, was a well deserved treat for the fans after sustaining more than half a week of heart ache 💕💞💖

On the day of Dussera, I think Dev did the right thing by keeping his mother also happy. Ofcourse, he over ate and he might end up having a tummy ache later. But, I think he did the right thing. And I felt Sona was really pushing him that night about his mom, and not giving him any space at all.. I particularly liked the "data transfer" comparison. As much as we find Ishwari's presence between the couple, annoying... its also true that Dev and Ishwari share a unique bond, much more stronger than a normal mother-son. And I loved how Dev felt it was his responsibility to tell Ishwari that he was eating out that night, but he forgot. Thats the strength of Dev - to love every member of his family with all his heart and to go above and beyond to keep them happy and content. Its going to be interesting to see him keep the new addition Sonakshi also happy and content.

But on a jovial note, is this how people put on some extra weight, post marriage? over eating?? 😲😂 
Talking about eating, I am also noticing that every single time, Ishwari only feeds Dev and makes it a point to not serve for Sona 😲. Either Sona serves for herself or Bhola serves for her.. 

Its probably more than 10 days since their wedding and the couple weren't able to consummate their marriage due to family traditions on one side and Ishwari's surveillance on the other! Finally, one of the sisters took that bold step of booking the resort (that Sona had already bookmarked!) for the couple. On her own accord, Sonakshi wouldn't have thought of lying to Ishwari and going away for the night. But when the situation was created for her by someone, it was quite natural to go with the flow! Especially, given the distractions they have been having at home. Sometimes, a 3rd person's intervention helps!!

In a welcoming change on TV (and movies too), the lady took the first step of bringing her man to the dream world and surprise him!! 

This was probably the first time, someone has ever surprised Dev like this..with so much love for him in her eyes... I was remembering that scene after the initial proposal when he told Sonakshi that he wants to keep her for himself.. as he has never before desired for anything other than her for himself.. It was natural that he had a feeling of pride over his possession, Sonakshi.

Its probably very rare to see a girl compliment a guy for being handsome. It was so cute when Sonakshi complimented his looks and his already glowing eyes just brightened up more!! An unusually casual Dev Dixit was really looking handsome..Well, considering that Sonakshi packed the luggage, this was not a big surprise to me!

Apart from his looks, Shaheer's eyes are his asset 😍😍 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Have I been telling this week after week? They emote so well and bring out the essence of the scene in just one deep look. Well, I say, he should insure his eyes.

The Resort was beautiful just like the couple! Very romantic place, perfect for 2 beautiful people totally in love with each other.. There was just the right dose of romance to show their intimacy - it was like a poem, a soft music, that took us gently into their world and kept lingering in our mind until long after the show was over...

Back home, Ishwari was anxious that her son was not home yet, angry that Sonakshi had probably tricked her this time in getting away with Dev, and embarrassed when she called the Bose house... She is bottling up all the things in her mind now. I don't know when and how its going to burst out!! We should pause and appreciate the actress Supriya, who plays the role of Ishwari. She manages to show all her emotions in her face with zero dialogue!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I loved how the makers underplayed the drama of Dev and Sonakshi's lie to mama's house.. I was very much worried what will happen when Ishwari finds out..In any other TV serial, this plot would have been shown for more than a week with the women conspiring and the bahu being blamed, etc. One more round of 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 for the makers.

As we came to the end of the week, it was good to see the newer, more confident Sonakshi, who was ready with her answers to Ishwari, over waiting for her husband Dev, that night for dinner. And Dev's happy union with his wife for dinner was heartwarming to see, inspite of Ishwari's growing discomfort. 

Ishwari should really be proud of her son, who genuinely makes it a point to spend some time with her, acknowledging the fact that she needs him as well. He was right there for her..taking care of her physical and emotional needs.. And yet, it was just not enough for the insecure mother and she wants to put the pressure of her hopes and wishes on her very devoted son... 

As Dev and Sona's relationship grows stronger and more intimate, its hard not to think of Neha who has just come back to her mom's side with a failed marriage. Neha is not ready to talk to anyone and is totally rude and insensitive, especially to Sonakshi who constantly attempts to talk to her. Until she is ready to talk, its hard to reach out to her.

If Neha's love for Ranveer and his love for her is strong enough, then this distance is definitely temporary. Because, there is only one happiness in life - To love and be loved. 

Atleast for Dev and Sonakshi, things are starting to fall in the groove, I hope.