#yhm

I find this to be an incredibly interesting parallel. These two scenes take place in the accident track: at the very beginning, and towards the end of the first half of the track. And it's honestly incredible how he can't stand to see Ishita stressed out and upset anymore.

(This from a man who didn't give a single fuck about her emotions, not even showing her basic human decency, when they first married).

So he defaults to being annoying, goading her with a mention of a cricket match in the first scene, and badgering her into going to his friend's party in the second one. All to try and brighten her mood.

And both of these scenes also lead to a moment of genuine emotional vulnerability on Raman's part. He opens himself up somewhat, just to make Ishita feel better / validated.

At the hospital, he speaks about Adi and his obsession with his son.

"Harqatein tum dekh chuki ho."

The look on his face, the way the camera holds on his regretful expression, all of it shows how this was an apology. It's so much more sincere than the Tamil speech, which I know many people saw as an apology, but I didn't. That speech was acknowledging that he saw good qualities in her now. It did not display any remorse over his own actions.

This hospital scene is remorse. It's repentance. It's an explanation of his behaviour, but not an excuse for it. I think that's why when she thanks him, it throws him off. Here he's making reparations, and she's bringing up her indebtedness and gratitude to him.

In the second scene, he says that he doesn't like to see her upset. He likes it better when she's full of fire and spark:

"Lecture dete huye achchi lagti ho."

He pushes forward with his mission of 'cheer up Ishita.' When she tries to cut him off, snarks that he's about to say that she shouldn't look like a behenji at the party, he soldiers on. Redirects it back to the point he was making about her going to a spa for some R&R. He wants her to take care of herself. He wants her to indulge herself. At his expense at that.

In both scenes, it's actually Ishita who causes them to retreat to status quo. Not Raman. That's what struck me as I was rewatching these scenes.

Ishita is the one who brings up the fact that he paid Amma's hospital bills. I'm certain Raman thought it was a non issue. Not because he's wealthier, but because that's his Amma. Of course he would pay those bills.

But Ishita bringing it up, causes him to retreat. He makes a dig about it being a loan, expecting her to pay it back with a distinctly Raavan style list of demands to make up the interest.

In the second scene, Ishita is the one who outright mocks him. She'd tried the first time with the behenji segue that he powered through. But when he tells her she ought to go to the spa, she looks at him like he's grown a second head and then acts exaggeratedly flabbergasted. That's when he reverts to Raavan mode. He tells her that a spa is the only place that can fix her face, and literally retreats from the room.

I thinks it's interesting that the crux of the sudden end of his emotional openness and vulnerability, is because of Ishita. He's responding to her lack of expectations for him, or the expectation that he would mock or deride her.

They are not on the same page here. He has different views of himself, his place in her life and their relationship, than she does. While he's progressed, she seems to still be hostile towards any genuine growth or bonding between them. However much she went on about them being friends, she doesn't allow him to actually act like one.

And I think this dissonance is something that contributed to him not being open with Ishita about Adi. How could he be that emotionally vulnerable with someone, about the one issue that matters the most to him, when she doesn't seem to see the human, a friend/partner, in him? It must have extended to him believing that she would see the worst in Adi as well, wouldn't value any potential relationship with his son.

At least on a subconscious level.

And keep in mind that his motivations for covering up for his son were entirely selfish. And we know, he has admitted, how far he's willing to go for his son. He would have done anything to cover up for the boy to gain his love.

Anything except telling Ishita.

But I think that the reason why he didn't tell Ishita out of hand, was because of her not being as under his thrall, however cynical that might sound.

It wasn't about a lack of trust in her as a person. It was a lack of trust about the strength of their relationship. There was clearly a divide between them from her side, and I think that drove a lot of his stupid, stupid decisions in the second half of the accident track. I also think it's why he asked for Shagun's permission in canon, about telling Ishita. His own morality must have been plaguing him. But it was only a blanket refusal of the idea by Adi's mother, that could give Raman an excuse for his silence. That could delude his conscience enough for him to hide behind majboori for his crimes.

After all, when he realised the best thing for his son, was to get him punished, he had zero qualms approaching Ishita. Because then, he knew she would agree and fall in line with his plans. The unsteadiness of their relationship would no longer be a factor here.

I might be overthinking this. Still, it's an interesting thought.