Shyam - The truly good guy! (Balika Vadhu)

Shyam (Vikran Masey) of Balika Vadhu is a person that any of us would like to have in our lives as a brother, son, son-in-law, friend, acquaintance. His nature is such that it draws people to him like magnets. Shyam is warm, caring, giving, large-hearted and open minded (a rare combination). He is respectful of his elders and tradition but he recognises himself as a young man living in the twenty first century and acts his age. He is straight as an arrow and is not afraid to call a spade. His strength of belief in himself and his values helps him to overcome all odds.

Shyam enters Sugna’s (Vibha Anand) life at an important juncture. She is on the verge of giving up hope and he comes into her life like a ray of sunshine. Initially Sugna dislikes his easy open smile, his incessant chatter and the care in his eyes. This dislike is intensified when Shyam proposes to marry her. Instead of being grateful to him for rescuing her from a ‘cursed’ existence (that of a young widow), she accuses him of trying to take her away from the memory of her first husband Pratap. Shyam goes earns the ire of a lot of people including his parents when he declares his intentions. But he stands firm in his conviction and soon, he is married to his love Sugna.

Sugna’s already weak belief in Shyam receives a jolt when she learns that he had hidden the news of her pregnancy (from her first husband) from his parents. Shyam however refuses to throw in the towel. Slowly he sets about trying to win Sugna’ trust. He marries her against his parents’ wishes and even stays back with Sugna’s parents. He wins over one and all by his warmth and honesty. Slowly Sugna starts thawing. When Shyam saves Sugna and her unborn child from sure death despite being gravely injured himself, Sugna realises his worth. She accepts him as her husband and starts to respect and care for him.

Shyam and Sugna move back in to her in laws house where Shyam helps her to find her rightful place. He stands by her side like a rock, deflecting off all danger. Shyam even goes against his own uncle when he finds out that the latter had been planning to harm Sugna. He waits patiently for Sugna to truly fall in love with him, accepting the fact that she still places her dead first husband above him with great magnanimity. Now that Sugna’s child has been born, he has given the baby boy his name and identity and accepted the little bundle as his in front of the entire world. Indeed if men like Shyam were found in every household, life would become so much better for women.