thedupattaknowswhatsup

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Wish this happened so bad, such good angsty promt for my mind fiction (fic in my head). It gives me such heartbreak that for the most of the show post both reveals Anjali was shown as Shyam's sole victim. Like it was never acknowledged that my poor Khushi was literally harassed by him. I think the only scene that explicitly acknowledges that Arnav was even aware of Shyam being a creep towards khushi was during re marriage when he told shyam not to even say her name ('don't even dare in ASR voice *fanning myself*), before that i thought he didn't even realise the torment she went through, and even post that scene he doesn't realise the extent of her pain because she would never share that.

I wish at any point post reveal, expecially after arnav literally blames her for being harassed & calls her the biggest mistake of his life, we had lavanya back to talk some sense and guilt trip him sooo bad. Because we cannot expect khushi to do all that, that's just not her; if somebody blames her for something, my baby would blame herself harder, she wouldn't be aware of terms like victim blaming and all. They could have shown literally anything to have at least someone acknowledge how she suffered in silence

{Lavanya and NK could have literally teamed up as love gurus, that would have been so cute}

WE NEED ALL OF UR WHAT IFS!! Your canons are literally the actual plot of the show for me

What If, ft. IPKKND #1

Always Sometimes I like to indulge in thoughts on where could the characters and stories have gone, with a slight twist.

What if... Shyam had the cameras installed during Akash & Payal's pre-wedding rituals

Shyam loves to keep control of the situations around him. And to add another layer, he loves to manipulate how things would go, according to his convenience.

And so far he's been absolutely accurate. He has the Raizadas eating straight out of his palms, the Guptas worshipping him, and his law circle and shady friends never overlap.

He manipulates people so well that even after his and Khushi's breakup, nobody in Lakshmi Nagar poses an actual problem to him.

His tracks are perfectly covered.

But the only person on whom nothing worked, was Shashi Gupta.

And the only person he ever misread was his daughter, Khushi Kumari Gupta.

He was convinced that Khushi was falling for him. That him being married was just as much as a heartbreak for her, as for any woman in love with a married man.

But no... with passing days it was evident... evident that she had nothing for him in the first place!

It was a thought that niggled in his mind, which he obviously vehemently rejected.

And to make it worse, there was Arnav.

That... came out of nowhere.

So to control the situation, Shyam installs cameras all over Shantivan.

Because he was increasingly heading to failure. He had to know what was going on at the mind of every Raizada family.

When were Arnav and Khushi meeting? Just... what consisted in those meetings?

What was Anjali and Dadi thinking? Beyond their irritating chatter of bringing the two together, was there anything more? Were there any official talks?

Cause if it's a marriage they want, they will not get that.

As long as he's alive, he will not let Arnav and Khushi get together. As long as he's alive, he will not let Arnav and Khushi marry each other.

And the camera continues to give great, great, great benefits!

Shyam was terrified when Arnav married Khushi out of nowhere!

But one quick look into their room and, of course, they were nowhere close to being married.

Arnav's cruelty and Khushi's helplessness was a pleasure to watch. (It was his favorite TV show)

He was worried though, that how much of the hatred was conveyed.

Did Khushi and Arnav talk about the Shyam situation? Did Arnav demand explanations from Khushi? Even in anger... if Khushi knew what 'version' of the truth Arnav believed, Khushi would raise hell.

And with Payal now being a bahu and beloved of the Raizadas, it wouldn't be too hard to believe the truth. At least Akash would definitely stick by his wife. And Arnav knew Akash was the least gullible. It's why Akash had the role in AR that he did.

So even though Shyam could find a way to dispel whatever Khushi says... things would get too ugly.

So Holi was a gift, because Arnav - out of whatever self preservation - didn't tell Khushi anything at all!

Ha!

So Shyam will always have a control over the main narrative for Arnav & Khushi.

And on tough days, he would rewatch his proposal to Khushi. One day, Khushi would say yes.

But Karma works differently, the same cameras would bite him.

Shyam at this point had lost. Despite trying every trick up his sleeve, Arnav and Khushi were in love, remarried and had united forces.

Right now, money was all that mattered.

But then, of course, there was this horrible idea to paint the house so he had to sit, burning, with his cameras gone.

And on his and Anjali's anniversary, they begin this random A/V of Akash's marriage and Anjali's pregnancy announcement. But something felt off about the video.

Especially when it featured scenes of him and Anjali, sneaking up and meeting each other.

No one had recorded that moment.

Except his own cam-

And then it shows up. The terrace, lit beautifully. Khushi, waiting bashfully. And then Shyam... on screen... proposing to Khushi. Then Shyam, orchestrating Anjali's miscarriage.

Someone had gotten access to Shyam's laptop.

Slapped, yelled and arrested, Shyam was thrown out of the house faster than he could blink.

Shyam's own weapon turned against him.

Bonus:

Arnav is unable to sleep, restless at how horrible he was to Khushi.

Nauseous over the harassment she faced - from both of them. And in shock, at how easily Shyam slipped through everyone's eyes.

But even before he can apologize to Khushi, she forgives him. And he's humbled, as always.

Let me know if you'd like to hear any of my other what ifs!

(The cameras have always been a fav what if world for me)

Tagging the usuals (pls mention if you'd like to be tagged - also this is a new list so if I'm forgetting anyone - sorry!):

@chutkiandchotte @dreaming-star @professor-cant-fuck @thedupattaknowswhatsup @bigfatreader @muttonthings @da-ka-ba @fresh-child-bouquet @hand-picked-star @fancydreamphilosopher @scorpio-smiles @thenainitaldisaster @titaliya @sankititaliya @sampigehoovu @jalebicheesecake @dnkkpi @nammy07

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

The way I'm obsessed with this guy! Haye. I love love love khushi but ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA has my heart.

Reading analysis about his character >>>> 😫

Sometimes I randomly think about how if their first meet was a little different, and they had met again and again and he had seen her weirder goofy side before all the wrongs, he would have definitely courted her. And considering the kind of attraction they had, and how immoral (by her standards) khushi could be at points, and let's just assume she had also seen him buying all mannat ke pigeons for that little girl and it was 2025, she would have definitely agreed to a courtship as well (I use courting instead of dating because that latter phrase is so below my little *gootar gootar* lovebirds)

AH TO READ A FANFICTION ON THEM DATING, staying true to their original characters and NO FAMILY INVOLVED FOR A LITTLE WHILE (like she'd be his actual freaking girlfriend, i cant im already dying of thinking about this 😭😭)

This is how them being in a healthy relationship (dating/live in whatever) would look like (what it has looked like in my mind...multiple times over different timelines, if only I could write the fictions in my head like imagine khushi getting ready for Tej and him with his wet hair and that smoulder & then meeting at the mandir but pretending not to know each other hayeeee I'm gone bye)

[Very subtly hints at a fanfic i always wanted to read, completely out of context of the post I was reblogging & giving all the great writers a subtle wiggle of the eyebrows. Kahe arnav bitwa, kaaaheee]

Helllooooo Jalebi! How are you doing? I have a dark and kind of disturbing question for you, sorry about that. Well, the show itself can be dark and kind of disturbing at times! So the infamous dori tearing scene - I know from a Doylist (ie out of universe/writers) point of view, it was done to establish a male lead about as dark as one could make him on ITV thereby making the journey of him as a romantic lead, becoming a hero over time, more complex and interesting. I mean there was a big "lets shock and awe them" element to it so I accept that I might be over thinking things. But from a Watsonian (in universe/Arnav) point of view, was there, in your opinion, is Arnav a sexual harasser with a history of such behaviour? Like - is there any lust/desire involved in that action? Or was it purely motivated by rage, and a immediate need to make Khushi shut up, without any element of "I want to see her naked by force if I have to"? Idk if I am making sense, I'm not saying pure rage is better. But like for example when Arnav tears down the flowers around the bed on their first marriage night, when he breaks things in his room, when he starts destroying his plants, those are some moments of like, he's in an uncontrollable rage and he needs a physical outlet. That's a pattern, is this action a part of THAT pattern? Or is it a different kind of act? I know Arnav is capable of immense emotional cruelty. But still that's all on one side and being capable of sexual violence when in a rage is another level. And although dori-tearing is the start of the entire tale, I still cannot quite believe that Arnav is capable of sexual harassment ( despite him literally doing it twice, maybe even three times on screen). I can't reconcile it with the guy who we witnessed at Arshi's under the stars first time. It's one of two things - he's the kind of guy who uses sexual violence to punish women/becomes sexually violent when in a rage OR he never does that but Khushi specifically (his future wife!) brings it out in him and IDK which is more disturbing. Like in my head for a long time I was like, he didn't mean it like sexual harassment, it was just a moment of rage that was defused by Khushi's action of hiding herself with her hair. But IDK...do you think if his rage at that moment had not been defused by any interruption he would have continued to do something worse to Khushi? I'm sorry for such a long and rambling question that too on such a topic. I swear I'm not an Arnav hater, I sound like one, I just, find Arnav's psychology fascinating and I think his actual worst action/pattern of behaviour in the entire show is treated almost like an abstract concept than a real thing he did, as opposed to less disturbing much more understandable actions like blackmailing Khushi, calling her biggest mistake, etc. Anyway thanks for listening to my ramble and would love to hear your thoughts. Bye :)

This is so interesting.

Thank you for introducting Doylist & Watsonian ideologies <3

Gosh I wish this was a phone call!

Okay, so before I answer any of this please do note that my answer is within my understanding of media literacy and psychology - which is obviously always limited - so the answer will veer towards what is right to me and is always, always open to more interpretation.

And listen, the guy who snaps the dori does not become the guy who shows stars. This journey is fictional. So don't worry about sounding an Arnav hater - please, in reality all women are. But he's fictional - that's where nothing of this exists so I'm really glad your sense of sense prevails!

*deep breathe* let's get crackin'

This is a very complex scene. It's uncomfortable. It's sexual harassment. It's abuse. It's traumatic.

So my view on Arnav's viewpoint is what makes me continue to watch the show without skipping this scene. And I mention that because for a show like Madhubala, no matter how well the first 200 episodes are written - I can never actually watch the scene where Rishab intentionally nearly kills Madhu's father. I have to, kind of, write that scene away.

So intentionality, for me, matters.

And that is what paints this scene for me in a slightly different light for fictional purpose.

is Arnav a sexual harasser with a history of such behaviour?

No, I don't think so. Like you, I do believe this was motivated by anger.

But is Arnav capable of sexual harassment? Absolutely.

Has he? No.

And the reason why I say this is because I believe Shyam is completely capable of sexual harassment because of the continuous insinuation of him to the Guptas that "I was a guy, living the house with two girls, and I chose to not be indecent to them."

He operates from preventing himself from sexually harassing Khushi as (a) need to establish he's a nice person, (b) this is the reward of being truly in love, (c) Khushi is an innocent person who needs gentleness.

And the minute those conditions stop existing for Shyam - the more he harasses. As you can see repeatedly in the show for as long as Shyam had to keep up his need to be a nice person - he apologizes for all the lines he has crossed with Khushi (but he's slipping).

And the minute he no longer needs to maintain that, he gets more lecherous and enjoys Khushi's struggle to get free.

She chose a more violent man, so Shyam gets to be truly who he is.

Obviously, sexual harassers don't just have one type of behavior, but the reason I compare Arnav to Shyam is that for this universe it becomes easier for me to put forth my points.

Arnav is operating from a misogynistic viewpoint. This random girl has no character to begin with. So no snapping of a dori nor having her images floated around as a woman trying to trap a man will hurt her. He finds her attempts at decency a mockery.

He is even amused for half a second that Khushi has a complaint with him for doing so.

The image of this entirely changes around the guesthouse incident - and either way Arnav is very very wrong for thinking character matters if only a person is a good person.

And it's to establish that Arnav has very little moral grounding.

was it purely motivated by rage, and a immediate need to make Khushi shut up, without any element of "I want to see her naked by force if I have to"?

No, I don't think he was interested in undressing Khushi. She accused him of being indecent.

While in his head, it is he is the better person between them.

So, yes, it was rage. From a Watsonian point of view, Arnav exactly knew what kind of a woman this was. A pretty, corporate spy set to sabotage his event.

Also, the fact she pulls up his sister's name and the pained history blinds him in rage - and his anger is something that Anjali warns him about.

It is his weakness.

He uses it to mask his vulnerability. Anger replaces almost any and every sad/hurt/vulnerable emotion Arnav has. Even his confession or care, does not come out with a "hey, I love you, I care for you."

No, it's always accompanied by anger as its shield because I guess that's his perceived sense of safety.

He'd rather be feared than have people see his fears.

I think he's able to feel safe with his emotions and opens up to Khushi is the night he says sorry to her and apologizes for everything he's ever done. After that moment, telling Khushi he loves her or sharing anything emotional/vulnerable, is no longer accompanied by rage.

I think Dadi actually helped him heal in many ways. He gains a new perspective and actually tries being better. His anger permanently reduces because of having dealt with things.

So going back to the dori scene it goes exactly like this:

Khushi - what would you do if someone would insult your sister the way you did mine?

For Arnav, it's not Khushi calling out how horribly he's treating her. It's almost close to I can say the exact things about your sister - and I wouldn't be too wrong.

We can assume that not very pleasant things were told about Anjali when she was abandoned at the altar. That too because her parents committed suicide out of her father's adultery.

It's something the show never, ever, touches on but I definitely think there were comments on Anjali's character.

do you think if his rage at that moment had not been defused by any interruption he would have continued to do something worse to Khushi?

No. Cause I don't think he was intending to sexually assault her.

For Khushi though - yes this is a space where she can sexually assaulted.

So for Arnav, if Khushi's a spy, she has done her homework.

He stops her from leaving her after her piece - and lethally wounding him and triggering trauma.

He humiliates her.

And just physically pushes her away cause she disgusts him and he has no intention of being close to her.

His gaze here - is focused on her. Not her exposed back. And that only shifts when she pushes her hair to cover her back. And he stays rooted to his spot.

He wanted to have his last word - and he did.

Ugh I hate saying this line but 'the hair' will not stop an abuser from wanting to do what he wants to.

Arnav was done speaking/done acting at that point. The character, here, would not go beyond it because he's done with his piece.

Also what's important to note is IPK was written from a problematic POV so I might be stepping into places where I'm putting explanations where it might not even exist, originally.

There's many things about Arnav - even in the next few episodes that show he isn't an assaulter.

However, if there's an episode where fully intended to - and perhaps would've and did - is when Khushi calls him characterless.

See what I don't love about this show is that many a times Arnav's aggression is written as a reaction to Khushi's transgressions and it's always more than what Khushi did in the first place.

And Khushi, here, was WAY out of line. To call a person characterless, question his dead parents' upbringing just because he doesn't want to marry? C'mon *whack* what's wrong with you Khushi?

But Arnav's reaction... there's this glazed look in his eyes that's frightening.

And he, intentionally, presses himself up to her. And it's when he has this Shyam-esque thinking of exactly knowing what being characterless is, but he's not behaving like one but he can. Unlike Shyam, Arnav is not holding himself back to have a nice man image. But Arnav is threatening Khushi that she does not know the gravity of what she's saying because he knows he's not a characterless man (unlike his father) and if she needs a physical understanding of it - here it is.

So yeah, this scene is where it went even darker for me than the dori sequence because what if Khushi continued to challenge? What if Arnav isn't satisfied by the guilt and realization of what Khushi said? (Cause he lets her go when he sees her crying, a little ashamed)

But what if, that wasn't enough?

when Arnav tears down the flowers around the bed on their first marriage night, when he breaks things in his room, when he starts destroying his plants, those are some moments of like, he's in an uncontrollable rage and he needs a physical outlet. That's a pattern, is this action a part of THAT pattern? Or is it a different kind of act?

That scene, I actually interpret differently. Because it was very significant of broken/shattered dreams.

Arnav was very sure loving Khushi means marrying Khushi. This was going to be a reality - the marriage, having a wife, in love, being happy... this was something he didn't believe in but he was starting to believe in it because he was in love.

And that moment it felt like the wedding bed, the rituals were mocking him. He should've trusted his cynicism but he didn't and now his world was in tatters.

So he wanted that pain out. His life wasn't perfect. Forget perfect, it was barely livable.

It's the pain that we saw him collapse after the terrace scene. Mourning the loss of love. The loss of a dream. This tearing the flowers apart is a part of that. It's literally him ripping his own heart into pieces.

Because he's been holding it all in for the sake of his family. And he just cannot hold any longer.

But I think you sum up writing Arnav very well with this statement -his actual worst action/pattern of behaviour in the entire show is treated almost like an abstract concept than a real thing he did.

That is very very true. Arnav is difficult to explain in reality cause certain patterns and behavior does not explain the happily ever after - but hey that's what fiction is for!

So to be completely in Arnav's head and talk about his actions - he suffers from anger management issues and when threatened he chooses lashing out. Sometimes some of the actions and words are beyond his control - sometimes they're not.

The anger is a pattern, the sexual violence is not.

And mostly the anger is when his family/upbringing is talked about:

Mool Rajani mentions Arnav's mother, like not even her specifically but a very Delhi "tu, teri mummy" and gets whacked. I keep on laughing a little that Arnav slapped Mool a second time just because he could - it's not even instinctive unlike the first (lol Akash isn't even surprised, he's just like... I didn't wanna waste a penny on this idiot).

Khushi mentions his sister and given the situation and what he thinks of her, he snaps the dori - interesting to note is when Khushi again brings up family in the guesthouse, Arnav doesn't get angry. Rather he's ashamed because Khushi is bringing up a similar argument like she did in the dori scene, but this time he has better context of her and he does dehumanize her.

Nani talks about Arnav being like his father - Arnav decides to walk out of the house. Arnav's arguments with Nani is often tempered out of age, and that he truly never feels threatened by her.

Anjali pressurizes Arnav to bring Khushi back - he snaps at her that the house isn't hers. And obviously, regrets instantly.

Of course Arnav has been angry many a more times - but in those situations he's intending to hurt as opposed to sudden lash outs. And then intentional anger is someone who affects him, means a lot, threatens him or who he hates.

Khushi, for the longest time, is someone who is literally all of the above for Arnav.

And I think we can hold our peace on the fact that Arnav gets better - not as a result of Khushi - but just as a person he gets better. Otherwise his reaction to knowing his wife doesn't trust him and gets him secretly DNA tested is very very mild, compared to how his anger was written.

Or the HUGE amount of different when Khushi wants to walk out (post kidnapping, during Aarav) - tells us that Arnav has gotten better, psychologically, over time.

So he needed help, and I think he gets it with having most of his abandonment, family issues being sorted out.

We see him reach a point of comfort with himself, his family and relationships. Yes, Khushi was a victim of his healing - but perhaps the bigger gratitude Arnav shows for Khushi is that he wouldn't have wanted to be healed if there wasn't a love this great.

He never thanks her for bearing his anger, he's grateful he met her and knows what love is. It's a subtle difference but it's important cause Arnav's story, for me, is NEVER a 'stick around with your angry husband and he'll come to love you one day' - no, it's just about a love that happens in the most impossible circumstances with the most impossible of people.

Arnav, character wise, remains a LOT like who he is even with Khushi.

He's still non vegetarian, still an atheist, still arrogant - but just more calm because he's less in pain. Like a lion without a constant tear of a nail on his skin - and he's the only person who could've unpinned the nail from himself.

You know it's what Anjali says in the first episode - let go of your past. Holding back to the past made Arnav successful, but also caustic.

Now that his success is permanent, it's time to let go of the past because finally there's something better to look forward to.

And that's love.

Best,

Jalebi

Gosh, this was a LONG LONG LONG answer - I hope you liked it! Tagging all my favs cause this was one really took a lot of time to draft and I hope to hear your thoughts. Phew, haven't thought about this guy in a LONG time.

Fictionally, love him.

Tagging (lemme know if you want to be added)

@chutkiandchotte@dreaming-star@professor-cant-fuck@thedupattaknowswhatsup@bigfatreader@muttonthings@da-ka-ba@fresh-child-bouquet@hand-picked-star

@fancydreamphilosopher@scorpio-smiles@thenainitaldisaster@titaliya@sankititaliya@sampigehoovu@jalebicheesecake@dnkkpi @nammy07

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

I know for a fact Rocky was one of Jalebi's fav characters. The way you've made me love someone I didn't even notice the 1st time o watched the show

For years, I've been salty about rocky ruining what could have been an airport reunion for arshi, but you've now offered me a totally new perspective of him actually being the cupid. As someone who's obsessed with ipkknd and analyses every frame with a magnifying lens, I am ashamed of being shortsighted and misunderstanding rocky 😔

It's ok child, we all take time to understand the reality and the blessings that people play in others lives...

This was the truth. Rocky is-

Cupid <3

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

So glad I opened twitter again

This was such good heartbreak. You're so good with words. The way you expressed everything so aptly. IM IN LOVE!

Airport separation was one of my fav angst moments. I have a whole playlist dedicated to it (there's a playlist for all the major sequences but that's because I'm a little unhealthily obsessed). The way these after 2AM thoughts and mind fictions keep me up crying my eyes out.

P.S. LOVED UR SCREENSHOTS AND KEEP THE WORD COUNT GOING

So @jalebi-weds-bluetooth is back with her thoughtful & interesting IPKKND analysis and immediately sparking thoughts and conversations and in this case, long ass speculation posts. This is inspired by this post where she analyzes how Arnav's belief in Khushi's innocence shifted not all at once but in phases, with the dramatic First Shyam Expose marking the completion of the process. It inspired me to re-watch some scenes from Buaji's house terrace scene till Shyam's reveal at Shantivan and I wanted to make a post to try and untangle Arnav's thoughts in this confusing (and painful) period!

There's two parts of the Misunderstanding -

1) the what happened and

2) the what was Khushi thinking/feeling about it.

The former is actually easily proved via investigation and deductive reasoning. Its an outrageous story tbh but thats another conversation. I think when Arnav heard her sequence of events - that Shyam cheated her, lied to her family, that she ended it when she found out the truth, that she hates him - he knew there's a good chance its true because it's too big of a lie to risk telling him. The essential fact of Shyam's fraud is easily provable or disprovable so why would she lie about that.

But.......so what?

Khushi isn't exactly blameless even in the true sequence of events. She chose to hide the truth, a mistake Arnav cannot understand or sympathize with at all. When he asks her if Shyam is the villain and she the victim, then why did she lie, she takes a looong moment to answer because she isn't quite being honest even with herself about her motives for that lie.

The long silence (I think she's honestly thinking about the answer, for the first time) followed by her (not entirely truthful) answer that it was all for his Di...further sets off Arnav's suspicions about her motives through it all.

His essential (and pretty accurate) belief that Khushi isn't averse to lying, frequently lies to herself even, and can delude herself into doing wrong things for the "right" reasons stands against her in this moment. And moreover...it had become kind of irrelevant to Arnav what happened in terms of Shyam's sins. None of it would convince him of what had become much MUCH more critical - and what Khushi cannot manage to convince him of - did Khushi really love Shyam or Arnav? Who was in her heart back then and who was in her heart now? Could he forgive her for betraying him in the past? (Sidebar for the last part: I think there's a huge part of him that fantasized that after he told her the reason for marrying her she would confess, repent and express her desire to be with him and not Shyam and then they could be together somehow although in the unlikely event this happened, they would have been super toxic bc he'd never truly trust her fully even if he wanted her around desperately).

-----------------------------

So now we come to part 2) of the Misunderstanding - the "Fault in My Intentions" aka what was Khushi thinking/feeling part - and thats really not...provable with facts in any way.

That has to be taken on faith because the fact of Khushi hiding Shyam's truth for so long is too damning in his eyes. She says she hates Shyam, she STRONGLY hints she loves Arnav. He's desperate to believe her but he cannot precisely because he is that desperate and his Di's life is at risk here. He is doubling down on the following his head not heart path because he's so terrified of being cheated again, that he'll believe her unlikely story simply because of his strong feelings and the consequences of making an emotional decision that would destroy his and his Di's life. And unfortunately, from his point of view, there is no evidence to prove her love or innocence. Even if she WAS engaged to and then dumped a lying scheming Shyam...it doesn't automatically disprove Shyam's claim (backed by the unshakable memory of the terrace moment) that Khushi loves/loved him.

In this version of events, Khushi DID have feelings for her fiance Shyam, POSSIBLY even knew he was married when they were engaged, broke up with him due to either her belief in marriage + not wanting to be a mistress OR her family finding out and making her break up with him; but crucially, continued to harbour feelings for Shyam, led Arnav on while secretly longing for a married man, and planned/hoped to marry him after he was divorced, as late as Payash's wedding, now was regretting her choices and instead of taking accountability...was trying to cover them up.

All of that is consistent and possible with this new reveal of Shyam being her ex-fiance. All of that is consistent and possible with his knowledge of Khushi's character (check end of post for what I mean by this). The only thing that changes is that Shyam is an even bigger scoundrel than he previously thought but he truly does not care about that. Because it doesn't discount the possibility of Khushi being in love with Shyam all along and even now, lying to cover up. Her culpability could be either manipulative scheming home-wrecker as he initially believed or entrapped young girl fighting her feelings for an immoral married man (and refusing to admit to them due to shame). He isn't clear on that. Either way, Arnav's heart is still broken. Do you see? Its not about the 1) what happened. Its about the 2) what was she thinking/feeling? does Khushi love me like I love her? can i trust her not to hurt me or my family?

-----------------------------

So how can she prove what she was feeling? How can she prove she didn't love Shyam all along? Arnav has no real answers for this and neither does Khushi (expecting Shyam to defend her to Arnav was...dumb as fuck). She is desperate to prove, he is desperate to be convinced with proof, and increasingly angered by her bad attempts at it. It's a losing battle because the matter does not admit of proof.

So in this phase, the seeds of which are laid through the contract marriage, Arnav's Heart of course is 100% tortured by his love and longing for Khushi, by his pain witnessing her pain etc. But his Head is Confused AF, haunted by memories of contradicting moments of truth & lies regarding Khushi. He doesn't really believe she is a gold digger - he only says it to hurt her - if he really believed that, he wouldn't, for example, sign any damn thing she gave him to sign. Worst case scenario - she still loves Shyam, she's still playing games and acting for reasons beyond his comprehension. Best case scenario - she repents now her follies of youth etc; she has some attraction to him (he remembers Holi for the first time EVER at Buaji's house), and that combined with her strong sense of duty towards her married life & husband, and her natural tendency to want to be the Good Girl in her own head (he's pointed that out before about her) - results in her desperation to prove herself innocent in his eyes and explain away Shyam. It is not enough. Per his ASR ego and specific childhood trauma, even in the best case scenario, what she did is unforgivable and the dutiful loyalty and weak explanations she is offering are too pathetic to accept, especially considering his own intensity of feelings. It's his mother's death anniversary , further reinforcing the potency of the terrace memory in his head. This is in contention with the part of him which longs to forgive and move on, accepting whatever she has to offer to him now, lies and all, and live as real husband and wife. His heart is locked in conflict and he needs distance from it all to cope.

But then he turns around at the airport.

-----------------------------

His turning at the airport to come back to Khushi was the shift to his next attitude. He's much more firmly in this phase - "I'm still unclear about what happened in the past, but I don't care. What matters is that Khushi said she finds Shyam disgusting now. What matters is she said farq padta hai cuz its you."

Then being kidnapped and alone with his thoughts and feelings with no scope of running away, forces further honest self reflection, and he accepts that whatever he feels for Khushi is beyond logic and he will never be happy away from her. He admits he actually does not care what happened in the past. The only thing that matters is what they feel for each other now. Basically the pay off for Holi, for his Heer Ranjha speech which he remembers just before turning around. He's ready to love her and (if he miraculously survives being kidnapped) be with her despite still kiiiiiind of believing she WAS his didi ki saut at one point. His love is so powerful the rest doesn't matter to him. Which is twistedly romantic I guess.

Even after this I Love You, Arnav's heartbreak from the terrace moment has still not quite healed. He still believes that at that moment, he was madly deeply in love with Khushi, ready to fight all his demons to be with her, while she on the other hand was having merely tepid feelings for him, and conflicted feelings between two men, one of them being his sister's husband. That he loves her more than she loves him. This heartbreak is soothed a whole lot when Khushi clearly proves that whatever happened in the past, in present time, she DOES love him madly and truly - by risking her own life to save him multiple times. I don't know that anything less would have ever convinced him that the madness is truly mutual.

Arnav is now fully on board Team Never Talk About the Past, Focus on the Future. It doesn't matter she lied and played games, it doesn't matter he hurt and tortured her. What matters is their love. By the way, their stay in Buaji's house was the prelude to this conclusion - he was already contemplating fully accepting Khushi as his wife and treating her with the respect and care that position deserved, though nowhere being close to accept her as his love back then.

However all through Buaji's house, kidnap, even post rescue, he is still thinking of Shyam more as Khushi's ex, not her harasser. He still thinks she DID have feelings for Shyam at one point and maybe acted inappropriately due to that, albeit now she's over it and firmly in love with Arnav.

But then Shyam's utterly believable storytelling (it WAS, Shyam is an excellent liar) about Khushi being this immoral hussy etc - ironically opens his eyes. He realizes that his entire belief about Khushi's past feelings is based on Shyam's powerful storytelling. Till that very moment, he never unbelieved the story Shyam fed him about Khushi passionately loving Shyam at one point in her past. He only changed what he felt about it - from anger to avoidance to acceptance. It had become a core trauma re-inforced belief for the last 6 months, implacable thru all the questioning and doubts. He realizes finally that Shyam is NOT Khushi ka scandalous ex-love, her embarrassing mistake she's trying to hide and forget, her moment of weakness she needs forgiveness for, but rather her harasser and stalker.

They had a missed opportunity here to use flashbacks and show Arnav evaluating past events in light of fresh knowledge. He has an excellent memory especially regarding all things Khushi - as he admitted himself. Arnav should have recalled how Khushi was unhappy every minute of her engagement. How she showed her feelings for Arnav, to Arnav, long long before it was socially or morally acceptable to do so. And every other instance of proof that while he was right in judging her character he was wrong is judging her heart.

Because Khushi Kumari Gupta IS the kind of girl who would stupidly, delusionally, throw away every moral, social and self preservation consideration for the sake of a grand romantic love.

But the only man she has ever done all that for and will ever do that for - is Arnav Singh Raizada.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

How do you think Arnav felt when Khushi kissed him on the cheek when she was kissing all his family members platonically? He looked more stunned than pleasantly surprised to me but how would you read it? What was he thinking?

Hi Anon,

I think Arnav was stunned too! It was a sudden event and that too in public!

And once he realizes what happened - he obviously catches up to her and corners her, demanding an explanation.

And resumes teasing her when it’s evident that she’s trying to fumble her way into having an upper hand in the situation.

Either way, getting kissed by Khushi does increase the butterflies in his stomach.

Best,

- jalebi

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Hello, jwb 👋🏻 I had a question about Akash and Arnav's dynamic. Akash i think really loves Arnav and idolizes him. He accepts everything about Arnav without question, and is very open about his feelings.

Arnav also loves him obviously and it was evident in how quickly he took responsibility for fixing Akash and Payal's marriage. After Khushi's birthday, there's a scene where he asks Akash how his relationship with Payal is being affected by everything. So obviously he cares for him.

I was just curious what akash's reaction would be if he ever found out his bhai had apparently threatened breaking up his marriage to blackmail Khushi. Even though he most likely wouldn't have done that, it could still be heartbreaking for Akash. When manorma opposed their marriage, Akash was quite confident that Arnav would always support him.

How would that reveal affect their relationship? Or would Akash understand that it was an empty threat, that bhai wouldn't ~actually~ do something to hurt him like that?

Hello Hello Anon,

Thank you for asking about this equation because it was genuinely underrated with a lot of potential.

Akash was the perfect foil to Arnav. And Arnav deeply cared about Akash - you know Akash wasn't hired just because he's the brother, it's because Arnav truly sees the best in Akash.

And it comes from a place of brotherly love.

So let's breakdown and answer this line by line.

He accepts everything about Arnav without question,

I don't think that's the case. Akash is a very rational man and I think apart from his own mom - he's doesn't quite love anyone without a reason.

And of course, Payal (but she is a lovely woman).

The blind trust that Arnav has, of Akash's, is very much earned.

Akash does not love/respect/obey his brother out of kinship. He has seen how his cousin has gone through the worst and stood out the strongest.

Arnav just hasn't survived a trauma, he has ensured that no one in the rest of his family, for unto 3 generations, do not face the economical helplessness that Arnav did.

The world was not kind to Arnav, so Akash can make peace with his brother not being the sweetest best. He cares for his family and for Akash he's just a good enough man - and that's more than everything for him.

Akash does know, and believe, that Arnav might take cruel decisions to prevent worse things incoming.

How would that reveal affect their relationship? Or would Akash understand that it was an empty threat, that bhai wouldn't ~actually~ do something to hurt him like that?

I think it depends on when Akash learns the truth and how. If it's within the early days of the marriage, Akash would want to know reason.

And it's very interesting to note what he tells Payal. Because that's the rationale he puts to this marriage.

Every story has another side (Akash, imo, knows that not everything can be said always, at all times)

He knows Arnav. With regards to Khushi, yes, Arnav has been unpredictable - which initially amused Akash. But for a decision this big? Akash trusts Arnav's instinct here. Because he's almost always right.

Arnav does not do anything without reason.

So two things would matter here for Akash. One, being reduced to a bargaining chip. Two, knowing Arnav crossed all lines of civility by forcing a marriage.

I think he'd call out Arnav's bullshit. He just wasn't stopping Khushi and Shyam from being together. He wants Khushi. Loves her. What he did was act born out of betrayal of love and the crime he presumed Khushi committed.

Above all, Arnav could have told him the truth. Because if Payal was the sister of the woman who ruined Anjali's life - Akash would have no interest in marrying her. Period.

So I do think for sometime things would be tough between the two brothers because Akash would've hated being put in the dark, not being trusted, and then being used as a bargaining chip.

Hope this answers your question!

Best,

JWB

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Happy 14 years!

Tagging: @hand-picked-star @phuljari @msbhagirathi @thenainitaldisaster @thedupattaknowswhatsup @jalebi-weds-bluetooth @barshifan @andli @shiyaravi @chutkiandchotte @laad-governess @minpdnim @bigfatreader @arshiradio @simplycurlz @scorpio-smiles @bengudill @exosexosekai @0218fm @chaiandtakkar @colorfulangelpeach

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Hello phati sari! Hope you are well. I was rewatching ipkknd and in the bachelor party episode, when khushi is dancing, why does Arnav act uninterested (idk if thats the right word), i referring the way he is moving away while she is dancing around him. Assuming that, earlier it was him who asked Khushi to dance (we don’t actually get to hear what he asks her to do). What do you think? Take care byee

Hello!

Yes, Arnav wants it to stop because of the song she chose.

However he might have phrased it, Arnav’s directive to Khushi was essentially ‘seduce me’ – which she did in the only way she knows how: Bollywood-style. She chose a song that's about giving a man oral pleasure and danced in a way that (according to the trash cinema she loves) appeals to men. Her choosing the song as a way to seduce Arnav is funny but bizarre in the extreme because they haven’t even kissed yet and there is she dancing to … that. She clearly doesn’t know what the lyrics mean, she just thinks this is what men like and want to see.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

presenting you all the.... social media au!

summary : khushi is a model and influencer; arnav just seems to stumble upon her profile one day— not so much by accident. (or what if khushi fell in love at first sight?)

warnings : just some hindi/hinglish, cussing in both languages

a/n : i am...trying something new (by using the word prompts) #IPK 13th Anniversary Fiesta @arshifiesta

titaliya_k

tagged: @/charlottetilbury @/hudabeauty @/saritaraman

liked by charlottetilbury, payaliyaa, guptagarima, aakash_r, shyamjha, hari_prakash, arnavsinghraizada, saritaraman and 176,987 others

titaliya_k the bangs are back babyy 🤩🔥

styled by the one and only @/saritaraman

view comments

charlottetilbury GORGEOUS✨

user1 khushi noooooo

user2 the bangs look fugly

⤷ user3 tf is wrong w u

user3 the lashes are LASHINGGG😍😍😍

payaliyaa bahut sunder❤️

guptagarima papa ko bohot acchi lagi👌

shyamjha aap kitni khoobsurat hai khushiji 🥰

amanmathur @/arnavsinghraizada

iMessage

Aman: Sir, please check your social media

Aman: The influencer pro-fashion was looking for

seen

Arnav: And?

Aman: On it, Sir!

iMessage

Payal: Khushi

seen

Payal: Khushi! Someone called Aman was asking for you

Khushi: Aman who?

Payal: He says he works for AR Designs

Payal: He wants to set up a meeting

Khushi: What do you think? As my manager and not my sister ofc

Payal: AR is... big. But we already discussed with Pro so i don't think we should proceed. Thought I'd run it by you first though.

Khushi: Damn did you check out the owner

Khushi: He's so hot omg🤤

Payal: Khushi!!

Khushi: Haan jiji?

Payal: Back to earth! Shall I tell no to Aman?

Khushi: Won't you ask how much they're offering?

Payal: That would be unethical. You're supposed to sign the contract and send it over to Pro by tom. no?

Khushi: Just Ask na jiji, you know Papa is looking for a groom for you. I think it's important that we help lessen his burden financially

Khushi: Especially after he had to sell the shop and all..

Payal: You don't have to put your values aside for me, pagli! But if you insist, I will set up a meeting.

iMessage

Khushi: I'm sorry

Payal: Kyun?

Khushi: Because now you'll have to say no to Pro from my behalf na 🥺

Payal: Kya? Kyun? It was just a meeting!

Khushi: They're really good at business, so they convinced me

Payal: Wtf Khushi

Khushi: No, really, jiji. Plus the 1.2 Cr package ofc, sone pe suhagaa ✨

Payal: OMG

Khushi: P.S. He's really hot in person too, I bumped into him on my way out

Payal: How tf did you manage to triple the amount Pro was offering you?????

Khushi: Good looks and charm! Aur kya jiji 💁‍♀️

Payal: Mai nai maanti

Khushi: Okay, I may have flirted with him a bit 🤏

Payal: WHAT

Payal: THE FUCK KHUSHI

Payal: You flirted with Arnav Singh Raizada? 😭

Khushi: Which part of "I bumped into him on my way out" nai samajh aaya?

Khushi: I didn't, you really think so low of me? 😭

Payal: Arey! No! Of course, you got it on your merit! I am very happy for you!🥰

Khushi: 🥺🥺🥺

Khushi: Babe guess what

Preetika: Kya hua behen?

Khushi: I met someone

Preetika: OML HELP

Khushi: I think he may be the one 😌

Preetika: Saali kisse milke aayi tu

Preetika: Kamini

Khushi: Haan bas yahi sunna baaki reh gaya tha 😔

Khushi: So much for best friends

Preetika: Abey tujhe pyaar hota hai aur roti mai hu 😭

Khushi: 😒😒😒

Preetika: Kaun mila

Khushi: 🤭🤭🤭

Khushi: Wait, I'll send you his recent post on insta

arnavsinghraizada

tagged: @/ardesignhouse @/amanmathur @/harvardmba

liked by forbesmagazine, harvardmba, serenaying, alan_vexly, amanmathur, hari_prakash, aakash_r, titaliya_k and 246,807 others

arnavsinghraizada Was called to host a seminar at Harvard Business School last month with @/ardesignhouse team and @/amanmathur by my side! Wish you'd been here too @/aakash_r brother! Phenomenal experience, really impressed by the new cohort!

Best of Luck to you all!

view comments

aakash_r Bhai! If you were there then it had to be phenomenal!

alan_vexly had an amazing session with you mr. raizada! hope to get more chances to learn from you some day..

ardesignhouse woohoo!🥳

amanmathur It was an honour!

hari_prakash bhaiyya 🍵

user1 he's so gorg

user2 wtf his handsssss

user3 pray for palestine!

user4 click on my profile!

user5 i wanna go to harvard to find a man like him actually😭

⤷user1 omg ikr, i am moon struck!

⤷user2 reallll

preetika123 oh em gee such collywobbles

TBC

<next>

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

When do you think Arnav starts falling in love/lust with Khushi? As in, is there a particular scene or moment this happen? When is that for Khushi?

Hello :)

I think Arnav felt lust for Khushi from the moment he saw her. When he caught her as she fell from the ramp, his eyes very obviously dropped to her mouth. In fact, his words on Holi - “Her hair, her eyes, her smile” - reflect the three things he stared at after she fell into his arms. He was mesmerised from the moment he opened his eyes and saw her standing there.

I think Khushi was also immediately intrigued by him. She made no attempt to get out of his arms and curled her hand into his collar. At the mazhar she’s afraid of him - he did physically abuse her - but her attraction is in evidence again by the time she’s working in his office.

I don’t think there’s a defining moment for love, in real life or in fiction. I think that’s what makes their story so wonderful. They become essential to each other without realising it. By the time they acknowledge it, even to themselves, they’ve already fallen irrevocably. 

How, exactly, are we to define where love begins?

When they acknowledge it to each other? That’s what Arnav says “Khushi, I love you” and when she says “hum bhi I love you damn it.”

When they acknowledge it to themselves? That’s when Devi Maiyya sends Khushi three signs before Diwali, and when Arnav hears his own dhak-dhak before Payal and Akash’s wedding day.

When they start thinking of one another? That’s when he pays her father’s hospital bill, and when she revives him after he faints in the kitchen. Khushi on his parent’s Shraad. Him coming downstairs for Diwali because she asked.

When they start sacrificing for one another? That’s when Khushi sells her gold bangle or when Arnav allows her to resign without bringing up the contract. When Arnav apologises to her. When Khushi apologises to him and he smiles.

When they start displaying haq over each other? That’s when Arnav takes her by the hand and slams money into it, when Khushi, having seen Lavanya wipe a streak of dirt off his cheek, untangles her dupatta from his cuff.

In fact, you could go all the way back to their first meeting like this, and realise that they were on this path from the moment Khushi spun around in Sheesh Mahal, eyes closed, deeds clutched in her hands, and asked Devi Maiyya to show her the way.

I don’t know when they fell in love. I just know that they did.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Salman Khan’s No 1 Fan! - KKGSR 💗

It’s so interesting to note that the people we admire, our celebrity crushes can reflect so much about our own inner desires. Likewise, I was wondering what does Khushi’s admiration of Salman Khan say about her choice in men. I’ve been asking myself what does Salman Khan represent? What’s his media image? What tropes does he fall into? What kinds of roles does he pick??

Salman Khan started of his career as a romantic hero, he progressed into the ideal son and he’s also been the edgy bad boy / bindaas action man in his later roles. I feel all of these qualities are also found in Arnav. Arnav is a very multi faceted character, he’s the edgy bad man with a rude reputation (like Salman) but with a heart of gold.

Khushi is subconsciously attracted to the mysterious, controversial bad boy type. Notice how she’s not a massive fan of SRK or Aamir Khan, who are less controversial , are the safe bet and more popular with the masses. It reminds me of her resistance to Shyam (not to compare SRK and AK to the deplorable character that is Shyam), Shyam in the beginning was the nice guy who was the practical option to marry, well liked by her family, however Khushi had already developed the ick towards him . This further reinforces that Khushi has never felt attraction towards the safe choice. She likes the drama, excitement and adventure that comes with loving a bad boy.

I’ve also not been shy in comparing Arnav to the beast from beauty and the beast, I would also place Salman Khan into this category. Salman is also a man who embodies the traits of the beastly prince.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

The Case of the Unfortunate Endorsement

The elections had turned Khushiji’s enthusiasm up a notch, well, several notches. It all started when she enlisted as the campaign manager for Hariprakash Ji. Now, this wasn’t exactly a high-stakes political drama. Hariprakash Ji was running for a school board position. 

As the ONLY contender.

But Hariprakash Ji had big dreams. Once elected, he intended to leave behind his glorious tenure as the receptionist-cum-part-time-maintenance-person at Khushiji’s hotel and step into his destined role as the Municipal School Board Manager.

For this, he needed a campaign.

For a campaign, he needed a manager.

For a manager, he had Khushiji.

And that was how Arnav Swami’s peace perished.

Because Khushi had not come to play.

She stormed into his dhaba one evening, election pamphlets in hand, and slammed them onto the counter with the force of a woman on a mission.

“Swami Ji,” she said, leaning forward, eyes ablaze with purpose. “I need you.”

Arnav leaned back instinctively. He did not like the way that sounded. “For what?”

“To endorse Hariprakash Ji’s campaign, of course.”

Arnav leaned back, arms crossed. “I don’t give speeches, Khushiji.”

“You own a dhaba,” she argued. “You talk to people all the time.”

“Yes. About food. Not… school board reform.”

Khushi gasped. Loudly. Dramatically. A true cinematic betrayal.

“Swami Ji!” she cried. “You mean to say… you don’t support education? You don’t believe in the future of our children?”

Arnav’s eye twitched. “That is not what I said.”

Khushi clasped her hands, looking up at him with a hopeful, almost dangerous glimmer in her eyes.

And…oh no.

Oh no.

“Please, Swami Ji?” she said sweetly, tilting her head, voice a little softer, eyes wrinkling at the corners.

Arnav exhaled sharply. 

It was not because of the please. And definitely not because he had noticed the way the light caught the hazel of her eyes.

No, Absolutely, NOT. 

(He is a fool of the highest order, SIGH!)

And that was how he found himself standing in front of a grand audience of exactly eight people that evening, with a rickety microphone in hand.

A goat was also present.

Khushiji inducted him.. 

“And now, a man of the people! A man whose dhaba has seen more intellectual debates than Parliament! A man who once convinced a skeptical customer that dalda was, in fact, not just ghee’s slimmer cousin! SWAMI JI!”

Arnav cleared his throat. The goat blinked expectantly.

Hariprakash Ji nodded in encouragement from the side.

Khushi was beaming.

And so, man had to do what man had to do.

“Esteemed members of our community…” he began, keeping his gaze locked somewhere above their heads, “I am here today to endorse a man of integrity, a man of great ambition, and most importantly, a man who has been fixing a leaky pipe at Khushiji’s hotel for seven months and still believes it can be fixed.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then Khushi clapped. Enthusiastically. As if he had just delivered the Tryst of Destiny speech.

The others, perhaps out of obligation, joined in. 

Even the goat let out an approving meh.

Arnav took that as a victory. A sad, ridiculous victory.

Trapped by circumstance (and Khushiji), he continued…

 “Hariprakash Ji is a visionary. He sees a future where schools run efficiently, where education is prioritized, and where…”

He hesitated, glancing at Khushi, who was nodding eagerly, mouthing say something inspiring!

“...where no child is left behind,” he finished, vaguely recalling the line from some campaign slogan he had seen once.

This time, the applause was a little louder.

 One of the eight people whistled. 

The goat tried to eat a pamphlet.

And just like that, the speech was done.

Later, as the small crowd dispersed (the goat, still committed to civic engagement, kept chewing a pamphlet), Arnav turned to Khushi, who was grinning at him like he’d just rescued democracy itself.

“You did so well, Swami Ji,” she praised.

He gave her a look. “I spoke for two minutes to eight people.”

“Exactly! And it was riveting!” she declared. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “Maybe next time, try smiling?”

Arnav inhaled patience and exhaled regret. 

“There will be no next time.”

“Oh, Swami Ji.” She patted his arm lightly, eyes twinkling. “Once a man gives his first speech, the world is never the same again.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Khushiji, that sounds suspiciously like a threat.”

She gasped. “A promise, Swami Ji. A promise.”

And then, with all the confidence of a woman who had just single-handedly changed the course of local politics, she walked off, humming the campaign jingle she had written herself, off-key, but absolutely fearless.

“Hariprakash Ji! He’s fixing the pipes! 

He’s running the school! 

He will change our lives!”

Arnav winced.

“Khushiji, you just rhymed pipes with lives.”

“It’s called poetic license, Swami Ji. The greats do it.”

Arnav rubbed his temples. “Khushiji, I think I need a drink.”

“Of course! We must celebrate! Chai for all! On the campaign budget!”

“…We had a campaign budget?”

She waved him off. “Technicality.”

Arnav watched her go, shaking his head to himself.

“Yeh ladki mujhko pagal kar degi”.

He had been cornered. Tricked. Manipulated by a pair of hazel eyes.

And yet, he knew.

He was probably going to give more speeches.

Against his will.

Under extreme duress.

Only if Khushiji asked.

Also on blog here and wattpad here

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

People be like how did khushi fall for him, why do u even like him and I'm like have u seen the dude? Bro looks may not be everything but itna hot tou nhi hona chahiye na. 😫😫

"How can you like these very toxic and horrible characters that have done despicable and unforgivable things?" oh it's quite simple actually, this is fiction and I think with my dick.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Deja Vu Moments

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

“aap kitne achhe hai” based on my intimate knowledge of knowing they have heart to hearts in his closet 😌

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

Khushi and Sacrifice

All different kinds of love were showcased in ipkknd, and often, Khushi's way of loving is interpreted as sacrificial, the kind of devotion that makes her a textbook TV heroine. Because in TV and real life, women are (almost) always expected to go to hell and back for the people they love. Women endure, they suffer in silence—for family, for duty, for the greater cause that is love.

But with Khushi, was her endurance, forgiveness, and selflessness a deliberate choice? Or was it the only way she knew how to love?

Sacrifice is a sign of strength, but in Khushi's case it was tinted with weakness.

She did not sacrifice because she was strong, or because her love was noble and virtuous, it rather comes from a place of obligation.

sacrifice as obligation: I must do this for you.

vs.

sacrifice as deliberation: I choose to do this for you, knowing it will hurt me.

At times, Khushi would stand up for herself when she was being abused by Arnav (resignation scene, guesthouse incident...). But at other times, and especially after something starts to ignite in her heart towards him, her boundaries start to blur. She became more passive in face of the hurt, be it emotional or physical. There’s a tragic beauty in how she absorbs the weight of Arnav’s cruelty—not just out of fear of his threats, but because she believes that’s what loving him might look like. She endured, letting him do whatever he wanted with her, not because she chose to be submissive to him, but because she felt obliged to do so if that's what it took to be with him. Love for her looked different—loving him required complete succumbency. Their love was not an equation, very from from it. The highest form of love, is to forgive; and Khushi was a master at that. She always forgave people she loved, from her own family to Arnav, before they even asked for it—often compeletly without. Take for instance, the early stages of their first marriage, she looked for answers behind his brutality—why was he tormenting her? what had she done wrong? But I would say she dropped those questions rather quickly. She allowed herself to live with those questions, it came easier than forcing an answer out of him. She had faith in him all along, even with this level of torment he'd put her under, she still trusted that he must have a reason behind all of this. She would rather trust him blindly (even if that trust meant her misery) than pressure him into an answer. Now, I don't know wether the writers of the show chose to ditch the questioning of his actions to highlight her inclination to finding comfort—familiarity in being a victim— his victim; or did they just want to drag the show a bit longer? Maybe both.

Khushi gave without expecting anything in return. Because loving Arnav meant easing his strain— even though he was the one causing hers. She constantly put herself in bad lighting as long as it meant she was protecting him, standing with him, submitting to the version of love she had accepted. This is seen in how she hid the truth behind the marriage from the Raizadas as well as the Guptas, even when the truth came out—when Shyam’s lies were laid bare—she still chose silence over vindication. She knew that Arnav blackmailing her into marrying him, will not be accepted by others. Only she can forgive him for it, silently. And she recieved all the disappointment and anger that came with it (from their families) with an open chest. Never once did she spit his name in blame, because she already chose a side: his.

We don't give Khushi enough credit for what she endured for his love, always putting him first. Khushi NEVER thought about leaving Arnav; only when he asked her to. When he said "Why did you come in my life?Why did I meet you? It is all your fault Khushi." she finally thought, maybe he would be better off without me. She thought about abandoning this relationship, not for herself but for him— not because she had reached her limit, but because she thought he had. Even though, she was the one at most disadvantage throughout all of this. This ties into the idea of obligation vs deliberation.

Her sacrifice was to optimize his well-being, hers was never an option. She didn’t measure what she was giving up, because it didn’t feel like a conscious decision. It came natural, as a reflex, as an imperative attached to loving him.

Her sacrifice was never about asserting love through choice—it was about surviving love through submission.

[thedupattaknowswhatsup]

He is half my soul As the poets say.

              – The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller