Geet's Grand Escape: Exploring 'Jab We Met'!

During our vacation in Goa last month, my sister-in-law (devrani) said, "As I grow older, I realize that Anshuman (the projected antagonist from the Hindi movie 'Jab We Met') was not actually as wrong as he is portrayed. Geet (the heroine of the movie) was too restless and acted without thinking." 

I didn't comment at that time, as I only remembered glimpses of the movie (it was released in 2007 and not on my favorites list) and had forgotten the context.

After a wonderful week in Goa, upon returning, I rewatched the movie. Now, I have a few points to share as Geet's decision to run away from her home is a pivotal moment in the story (of course, I shared them with hher first):

• Geet perceived that she had to run from her home because her family wouldn't allow the marriage. She did not talk to her family about her love life, how did she know? Whether Anshuman knew of this remains a question unanswered in the movie. Even though going against her loving and caring family reflects her determination and commitment to her love, the communication gap that she ignores is the major hurdle in the progress of any relationship. 
• If she had talked to Anshuman about it, she must have known his and his family's take on the matter. As we can see in the song 'Aaogey jab tum o saajna' (a lovely song), when Geet visits Anshuman's home unannounced, he takes her aside and scolds her, and none of his family members intervene. Either his family was unaware or did not approve of this love alliance (not clear in the movie). 
• Though unbelievable given her talkative nature (She even tells this to a man she met a few hours ago, Aditya (the hero of the movie) ), if she had not talked to him about their marriage and the take of his family, either she was too naive or over-confident or may had fear of confrontation. 
• In fact, I think Anshuman was also at fault because when Geet behaved immaturely, Anshuman also didn't act like a mature man too. He didn't handle the situation maturely; in fact, he didn't handle it at all. This lack of emotional intelligence and empathy on Anshuman's part contributed to the misunderstandings that later occurred. 
• She continuously talked about getting married, and he neither accepted nor denied it. He might not have even told her he wasn't ready for marriage, which is completely wrong if you are in a serious relationship. This ambiguity regarding the seriousness of their relationship can be attributed to a lack of clear communication between Geet and Anshuman.
• Geet had come all the way running from her home to get married to him and explained that she couldn't go back without marrying him. Upon getting rejected, she was shocked and emotionally strained. In that case, he should have taken steps to ensure she was safe and sound. His failure to do so reflects a lack of responsibility and  understanding on his part.

To grow a healthy relationship, the couple needs to have fair and honest communication. Whatever her reasons were for running away from home, be it societal pressure, fear of familial rejection, emotional insecurity, or a strong sense of love and commitment, she indeed displayed haste in her decision-making.

On the other hand, Ayushman, whatever his reasons may have been, whether it was due to family pressure, indecisiveness, or a lack of commitment, understanding and compassion, did not react maturely enough. Deciding whether to get married or not is a personal choice, but helping the person he claimed to love out of emotional distress was a responsibility that he failed to fulfill.