RK's concept of 4-phera marriage with his Biwi

RK's concept of 4-phera marriage with his Biwi

RK-MB marriage and vows that he took in that 4-phera marriage. 

First one ..the actual one Pandit tells him ...I will be forever support you. And he twists it and says in his mind, I promise to isolate you from all the people who will be supporting you.

Second one ...The actual one being ...I will never break your trust. And he twists it and says in his mind, I assure you that I will make everyday of your life a hell.

Third one - actual being ...I promise to be with you in good and bad times. And he twists to mean, cannot know about good times, I promise to fill up your life with unhappiness.

Fourth one - actual being - I promise to treat your parents with respect like mine. And he looks at Bittuji and has the fourth phera cancelled (the actual reason being he doesn't respect his living parents or may be parents is a closed chapter for him).

So in reality, everyone may have assumed he took the first three vows at real. Only him and audience know what he was promising in the first three.

Now at real , he has been following 7 vows  .  the first three real ones and twisted ones and the fourth one, since he cancelled it, he takes liberty to humiliate them albeit calls them Sasurji and Saasumaa, in much expressive manner than of addressing his living family.

Isn't this man really complex, interesting and entertaining. We can never know what he can do. But one thing is good about him. When he twists, he keeps loyal to only himself being supportive to her and to be trustworthy to her and not promising too many bad things to her in a curseful manner. He just vows that much which MB is capable of dealing with.

Must say interesting plot and character sketch there from the writers.

Conversation between Leela and myself 

Leela,

Now the next part of your post..

>>>>

I wonder what the actual reasoning was for RK's decision to marry Madhu with 100% legality but incomplete rituals, with the marriage promises made only by him and not by her.

100% legality is being pragmatic

Rituals are part of ceremonies - coming out of Dogmas and putting them into practice.

He wanted to inflict every possible misery and ridicule to Madhu. Because she is the one who cares about principles. Their war is over their steadfastness to their dogmatic views.

He used COLD LOGIC.

So if marriage is a societal sanction that allows RK to bind himself to be with Madhu on 24x7 tjme, then let it be the chosen mode to bring them together until they settle score with each other. And interesting the 4 -4 -4 equation was already irritating him.

Pls do note...RK had been logical man until he met the illogical Madhu judged from today's pragmatic standards.

And when actually marrying Madhu, he ensured that had to twist every ritual/vow of the marriage.

So he decides to marry her in that drunk-state. And logically he also followed the Beat the Iron when it is hot. He needed to act quick giving not much time for Madhu to slip.

The marriage vows - Vows not to have a constructive relationship, but a destructive relationship.

Here he keeps aside his logical side, and calls up the Truthful side of his. Whatever the priest asks him to repeat, he actually questions himself, if he really wants to that. And being truthful he expresses all the detrimental promises to the woman he is marrying. 

When time comes for the woman to pledge her vows, he doesn't allow her. Because if he allows that Madhu will chant the constructive vows unlike him and he doesn't want that to happen.

>>>Was it really to disrespect her, and leave her in doubts about her actual status as his wife? Why then did he always call her "biwi", leaving no one in any doubt just what her relationship to him was? Wife - nothing less.

Or was it keep her from settling into his life as a complaisant dutiful wife? To keep boundaries drawn to prevent her drawing closer, and making him vulnerable to yet another relationship when every relationship he has ever had has - deliberately or otherwise - betrayed him?

Or to never completely take all the fight out of his opponent?

Yes.

He calls her Biwi in front of everyone...to give her protection to her and respect for his relationship with Madhubala in front of society of which he knows a lot. Because he does play with Society. If earlier, he maligned Madhubala and her family, this time strategy is changed and now he cares for his Name and Status in society and that protection and respect is needed.