2. Scheduling A Poolside Meeting for 2



The whole poolside meeting was scheduled by Arnav with ASR's scheming mind. The look he gives her as he leaves Nani's room, the way he comes down the stairs with her following (He can hear her footsteps. They are audible to us too.), & the way in which he rushes off to the poolside so that they can have privacy all reveal his meticulous planning. He does not stop when she calls his name, but goes to the poolside n takes up a file, pretending that he hasn't drawn her there.

The beginning of his melting starts when she called him Arnavji, instead of Mr. Raizada.

Then when she tries to speak of his engagement & he half-heartedly blocks her, he is trying to make her realise that she is there with him cos she cares for him & wants to stop him from getting engaged to La. The ASR we see there is a watered down version, just to allay Khushi's suspicions that she has been lured there by Arnav.

'Why are u doing this?'

'I'll do what I like. I don't have to answer to u' (You have lost the right to influence me by saying 'yes' to someone else)

'Why are u in a hurry to advance the sagai?'

'Who are u to interfere in my personal life?'

When she gets her bearings and lights into him, he is so nostalgic. It has been a long time since they have had a heart-to-heart talk. 'Aap samajhte kya he apne aap ko? Just cos most people are scared of u, and don't argue with u, it doesn't mean that...' She can't continue. Arnav is looking at her. ASR has vanished. He Devi Maiyya!

She tries again. 'When Anjaliji n naniji have already talked to the Panditji n fixed ur sagai for next month, then...(what is the bloody hurry?) She can't complete the sentence cos she knows the answer. Her sagai is the reason. She remembers his 'mujhe faraq padta he, kyunki...' He looks at her closely, daring her to complete the question.

She looks away from him. She has started hiding her eyes from him these days, and bitwaa doesn't like it one bit.

'Lavanyaji will need time to make arrangements for...'

'Did she send u to talk to me?' (subtext: Admit u care, that u want to persuade me to stop the sagai for urself. I won't let u hide behind La) 'If she has a prob, she can talk to me...'

Khushi is safe now. She can blame him for treating La badly n divert attention from herself.

'U sh give her a chance to speak. She tried, but u didn't listen.'

Bitwaa is angry that the conversation is not going where he wants. He returns to the game with, 'And I will not listen to what u have to say. Just get lost.' He puts on his khadoos mask. He is also trying to make her realise all that she has lost by getting engaged. (subtext: don't u miss me?)

Her 'Nahin Get Lost' sends a shiver of joy down his spine. 'U have to listen to me. This is ur engagement, not a game.'

Then he gets down to business. 'First you manage your engagement (subtext: get unengaged immediately and I'll throw my engagement plans out through the window.) Khushi hides her eyes from him.'I am talking of ur sagai, not mine.'

Now Bitwaa has reached his destination. 'Exactly. It is MY engagement.' He moves in closer  for the kill. She looks into his face. He is dead serious. 'Khushi (not KKG), meri sagai ho ya na ho, kal ho ya ek saal baad ho, tumhe usse kya farak padta he? What does it matter to u if I get engaged 2morrow or next year...'

She is devastated, and her anguish is clearly written on her face. Arnav does not give an inch. He does not even blink. Unable to look at him, she evades his eyes. He does not let up.

He hopes she will cry or reply honestly or shout at him or at least ask uncomfortable questions. He is now ready to answer them. He swallows, girds up his loins, and looks expectantly at her face, waiting for a chance to answer her.

But the irony is that she is not ready to ask the questions anymore. Too much water has flowed under the bridge since Diwali poolside kiss-miss. Diwali night changed her from an optimistic, romantic child willing to take a chance on the mellowed rakshas to a worldly-wise woman who realised that she meant nothing in the scheme of things to ASR. Koi matlab nahin...koi ehmiyat nahin...mujhe koi farak nahin padta...etc made her understand that she meant less than nothing to him. That night of sleepless reflection helped her reach the conclusion that ASR hates her and that moments of uncharacteristic behaviour on his part are not to be taken seriously. It also taught her that she had to be very strong in dealing with him as he has the ability to identify weakness in others and exploit them for his benefit. She realised that she had to forget the tender moments if she had to survive, and survive she had to for her family's sake.

The Khushi who stands in front of Arnav is one who remembers the Diwali humiliation. Arnav would like to forget the harsh words & hasty actions of that night, but Khushi has no plans of ever forgetting them. She has no intention of fighting against her fate (Shyamu) or giving into her weakness for Arnavji. She wants to deal with ASR, not Arnavji. At times, it is difficult for her to meet his eyes as Arnav looks at her, not the Laad Governor.

She hides her eyes from his all-sseing ones, and says the only sentence she can say,
'Aap ki sagai ho ya na ho, humhe kyon farak padegaa' (subtext: We are two different people leading 2 different lives. Never will our lives meet or mingle. There is a big gulf between us.)

He is astounded. How can she see him as someone separate from her? How can she be dying inside for him and still stand there pushing him away? His eyes widen in shock. Maybe he understands the extent of damage his Diwali night drama has done to her.

He takes comfort from her obvious pain and deep breathing. Then she surprises him again. She looks straight into his eyes, n says,
'Humhe koi farak nahin padta.'

Khushi is a quick learner. She has learnt to lie as well as ASR did on Diwali. But she can't hide the tears and pain in her eyes from an Arnav who stands there gutted, defeated by the guts of a young girl, knowing that he has lost her.

'Hum to sirf sab ke liye...' (subtext: I shouldn't have come to talk to u. Your life is ur own. So is ur sagai. I won't let anything abt u matter to me now.)

But bitwaa is not going to lose his Khushi, regardless of how many Las n Shyamjis litter the space between them. In fact, he has decided to give her her heart's wish (to postpone the sagai), a wish born purely out of altruism 

An Arnav with the steel backbone of ASR takes over Khushi. He claims her hand and a shocked Khushi  is dragged into the midst of the family.
With the satisfaction of an ASR closing a business deal, he announces the postponement of his sagai.

Khushi just stands there, feeling nothing.

He also announces the importance of Khushi in his life, but the idiots listening to him don't get it. He makes it clear that this change in decision is due to Khushi's influence on him. (This will ensure that his family keeps on sending Khushi to him for every small detail). With the anticipation of a warrior scenting victory, he declares that the engagement will be held next week, and adds, 'Kyonki mein isse jyada wait nahin kar sakta, Lavanya.'

Khushi looks at him, hurt at his words. His arrow has found its mark.

Once he has settled his family's issues, he moves on to the MOST IMPORTANT part of his presentation.

He looks towards Khushi standing behind him, and says, 'OK', pauses, then swallows, and continues.
'I have taken one more decision.' He glances in her direction n pauses, knowing that he is going to hurt her and that there is no other option. Thoda Dard Hoga.

'Engagement ki sari teyari Khushi karegi.' Khushi just stares at his back. 'She has contributed a lot to bringing La's n my relationship to this point.' Khushi looks hurt again.

He doesn't want her to back out citing her lack of experience. He puts in on a business footing by saying that he has observed Khushi working in his office, n that she is very hard working.

He turns to look at her face then,  with a bleak but controlled expression.
'Kyun Khushi, is that OK with u?'

Khushi looks at him, all lost, wondering how he can be so cruel, understanding at the same time that he is in no mood to tolerate any kind of protest.

When La stands behind ASR n asks Khushi for her help, she is doomed. Her lips stretch in to a travesty of a smile for La. She nods.

Arnav is not done yet. He walks closer to her, not letting her look down or away from him. He looks into her eyes n says, 'I hope tumhe koi farak nahin padta'. Khushi understands that she has hurt the lion n that now it is time to pay the price.

Arnav-pretending-to-be-ASR leaves the room, having successfully completed his project 'Get Khushi Back At All Cost.'