As Radhe sits idly in the car, another vehicle approaches, and we find out it’s none other than Tamanna. She fixes the car for Radhe rather quickly as he stands there, staring at her in awe.

It’s a cheesy Bollywood moment to be honest. It’s almost like Radhe falls in love with Tamanna right there and then, just because he likes how skilled and grounded she is despite her fame. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, but let’s see how the plot pans out. It’s still too early to say.

Tamanna being the free spirit she is, asks Radhe if she can drive the car since she helped fix it. Radhe agrees. He also points out that he won’t sing with her just because she helped him fix the car.

Tamanna decides to tease Radhe, drives the car too fast, leading to a panicky Radhe calling her reckless. He warns Tamanna that the car could break down again any minute, but she doesn’t listen. That’s when Radhe and Tamanna come across a police barricade, and Tamanna decides to speed past it recklessly. Of course the car stops right after she passes the barricade and the police officers catch hold of the two sneaky perpetrators. (Again, seems very predictable, doesn’t it?)

Radhe and Tamanna have to spend a night in a holding cell. In the morning, Radhe is worried because he needs to get back home in time for the Ganda Bandhan ceremony. Kabir comes over to help Radhe get out of the police station, and Radhe literally runs home. 

But it’s no use. He is late, Panditji is angry. The Ganda Bandhan ceremony has been cancelled. 

Devendra Kaka tells Radhe that the only way to win Panditji’s trust now is to undergo a rigorous Shudhikaran (purification) process. However, it’s extremely frustrating to get through that.

Radhe is ready to go through anything. That’s how much his music means to him. Tamanna has prepared a remix using the voice note she recorded the night Radhe sang at her concert. She has offered him an opportunity to work with her, but Radhe still wants to go through the Shudhikaran. There’s no place for pop music in his life.

He convinces Panditji to let him do the Shudhikaran. Panditji calls him arrogant and short sighted for thinking he can survive the process, but eventually agrees. 

Radhe has to live alone outside the ancient temple in Jodhpur. He must wear simple clothes to avoid attention, wake up at 5 in the morning, practice his music, and only eat the food that people give him. He is not allowed to talk to anyone throughout the day. His voice will only be used for singing. 

The singing training is going to be the most difficult part. Radhe has to practice in front of seven candles everyday. He cannot stop singing until all the candles are fully burned out. The candles will be lit one after the other, and not simultaneously. Practicing in front of candles is in fact an ancient technique called “Mombati ka Riyaaz.”

Radhe forgets about his life outside the temple. He practices hard every morning and spends his day in misery. He fully abides by Panditji’s rules, even when no one is watching him. He chooses to stay honest to his art. 

Tamanna visits Radhe and tells him that the label is willing to pay 4 lakh rupees for one song, in case he is interested. She even offers him an advance amount but Radhe stays silent, like he promised.

Later Radhe is roaming outside the temple in search of food where he finds his father talking intensely to someone. Turns out, his father has taken out several mortgages against the Haveli, and now the goons are blackmailing him to get their money back. Radhe observes this and makes a decision. He will sing with Tamanna to help his family, but his identity will remain a secret. He also decides that he will finish his Shudhikaran, get through the Ganda Bandhan ceremony, and only then work with Tamanna. That way, he can return to classical music when the sailing is smooth.

Radhe returns to the Haveli. Upon his arrival, a proper ceremony is scheduled. Radhe will perform the candle ritual in front of Panditji and the family. If he succeeds, the Ganda Bandhan ceremony can take place. Only two people have been able to get through this training successfully. Will Radhe be the third? 

It’s a 24 hour ceremony. Radhe is allowed to rest for 3 hours in between. Everyone offers him advice. Devendra tells Radhe that he mustn’t rest after the first candle, he needs to get through at least two. He also tells him that he should only rest for half an hour at a time, so that he can rest for a full hour before the last—and the most crucial—candle.

This is my favourite sequence in the series so far. I love how the entire family comes together to support Radhe. They all have a background in music, and even though they don’t sing anymore because of financial constraints and ideological differences with their father, they are still in touch with their roots. Their advice is truly helpful. 

The day comes by soon enough. Radhe starts performing in front of everyone and we see him get through each candle. It gets really difficult after a certain point and I could truly feel Radhe’s pain. 

Mohini, Radhe’s mother tells him that he shouldn’t rest after the sixth candle. The advice Devendra gave him before is no longer valid. Radhe’s voice is cracking and to prevent collapsing in front of everyone, he must go on without pause. 

Radhe follows Mohini’s advice and collapses right after the final candle burns out. Not a second before that. The Ganda Bandhan ceremony takes place, and Radhe’s training is officially considered completed. And it wouldn’t have been possible without Mohini’s observation. I would like to see more of her background in music. It has only been revealed the Panditji’s sons used to sing. Nothing has been revealed about Mohini’s past, but I think she is secretly just as talented as the others. 

This episode will be difficult to top. It was truly a musical delight. Besides, the insight into the ancient Indian culture was heartwarming. This episode was a 4/5.