Beginning in Surat in the year 2003, the first episode of “Kyunki Saas Maa Bahu Beti Hoti Hai,” which aired on September 18, 2023, is set there. On a coal bed in a train, a baby in white cloth is sobbing. In a jeep, goons are pursuing the train and expressing anxiety that if they lose the female, trouble will result.
Shakuntala arrives at a home where girls are playing dandiya and dancing in the meantime. She runs into a waiter by accident, but Bhakti stops her before she falls and inquires as to her reason for arriving so late. They show up late, says Shakuntala, in order to be treated with more respect. Bhakti contrasts this with the punctuality and responsibility of the Raj Kaur family. She mentions Ambika, the Raj Kaur family’s eldest daughter-in-law, as the inspiration behind the family’s compassion during the disaster. Shakuntala asks Ambika about her marital status after seeing there is no sindoor in her maang. Bhakti adds that Ambika has been in charge of the family and home since her husband, Dheeran Bhai, passed away a number of years ago. She identifies Dheeran’s decorated picture frame. Shakuntala then inquires about additional family members, to which Bhakti responds by introducing Ambika’s youngest brother-in-law Jinesh and his wife Hetal as well as her senior brother-in-law Praveen and his wife Jinal. Ambika notices Hetal holding a file in her hands.
Hetal persists on talking to Ambika when she is making a prayer to God. It’s time to divide the family’s assets, Hetal tells Ambika as she hands her the partition papers. Baa expresses dismay at this and her opposition to the notion of severing the family. Ambika shouldn’t serve them, according to Hetal. The argument gets heated, and Baa emphasises the distinction between a daughter and a daughter-in-law by saying that Ambika was selected by her and cannot turn into a daughter. Hetal responds that bahu cannot totally replace beti, just as saas (the mother-in-law) cannot fully take the place of a mother. She makes the comparison that Baa would treat her differently than Jayati, illustrative of the divergent dynamics between bahu and beti.
Ambika finally signs the partition papers after becoming discouraged by the predicament, resulting in Hetal’s victory. Ambika clarifies that they are only partitioning the property to allow Hetal’s family to visit every Sunday rather than breaking all relations. She emphasises the relevance of family support and says she appreciates her family more than material possessions. Jinesh answers her question about how he feels about reporting to her, which she appreciates. Others in the family choose to forego receiving their portion in order to maintain family unity.
Ambika offers an unusual explanation, pointing out that a newborn might have been sent to an orphanage by fate. Instead of adopting the child as a daughter, she advises adopting her as a future daughter-in-law. She intends to educate the child, inculcate morals in her, and eventually wed her to her son. Through this unusual arrangement, Ambika hopes to gradually alter society’s perception of saas and bahu. She calls the infant Kesar Suraj Raj Gaur and promises to change how society views the duties of saas, maa, bahu, and beti. Shakuntala, a bystander, commends Ambika for her resolve to defy accepted social standards.
Ambika performs the shank while holding Kesar as a representation of the start of a new chapter in their lives.
