Smriti Iraani played Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

1. Tulsi ka aangan: At least 1,800 of those 1,834 episodes have had a shot of the tulsi plant that adorns the Shantiniketan front yard. Much like Tulsi the bahu, tulsi the plant has been an integral part of the Virani parivaar, worshipped and watered every single morning. Cursed when things go wrong (“Tuney meri parivaar ki raksha nahin ki. Main aaj se teri pooja nahin karoongi”) to being a sounding board for many a Virani family member (Hey Tulsi maiyya, main bahut pareshaan hoon), the tulsi in the Shantiniketan aangan has weathered many a storm and emerged unscathed. Just like Tulsi the bahu.

2. Shantiniketan staircase: It’s been at the centre of it all — and quite literally. Think of the number of Viranis who have taken a tumble down these famous steps and developed amnesia or snapped out of it? Every Kyunki villain will vouch for the fact that no knife wound nor gunshot has been as effective as a gentle shove down these steps. But before we get all morbid, think of the wonderful Virani moments that the staircase has played host to. Tulsi and Mihir walking down, hand-in-hand on their anniversary day or Karan and Nandini’s playful banter on these steps. And yes, won’t you miss Babuji’s portrait strategically placed just below the staircase, from episode 50 to episode 1834?

Karan and Nandini:We have lost count ofthe number oftimes they separated and reconciled in Kyunki

3. The living room foyer: Like the staircase, the foyer of the Shantiniketan living room has many stories to tell. The birthday parties, the romantic liaisons, the jhagdas, the confrontations. No other spot in the Virani house has displayed so many rangolis. But it will best be remembered as the place where the Virani family mourned the dead. Year after year, episode after episode.

4. Virani kitchen and dining table: The Virani kitchen has seen a lot cooking — and it often hasn’t been food. The hotbed of bitching and gossip. The place where the bahu nonchalantly shredded palak and hatched devious plans against the saas. The place where the saas bossed over the bahu. The place where the show’s biggest twists and turns took place. Complementing the Virani kitchen has been the Virani dining table. Every showdown, every earth-shattering revelation has been at the family dining table. And like the tulsi plant, the Virani dining table has seen tough times. Just think of the number of angry Viranis who have banged their fists on it...

5. The perfectly colour-coordinated bedrooms: You would be pardoned for thinking that you had walked into a home decor showroom. Every bedroom in the Virani household was about being perfectly colour-coordinated. From the pillows to the bolsters to the curtains to the walls. And that also included the colour of the sari of the bahu who occupied the bedroom.

The Virani parivaar:Over eight years,there have been countless additions and subtractions to the family

6. The mandir: Five generations of the Virani parivaar were loyal to a single temple. And why not? The place where several love stories blossomed and where scores of Viranis got married on the sly, the family temple was kept pretty busy over these eight years. Whether it was bicchhre hue pati-patni or bachpan mein khoya hua bhai, the mandir was the favourite meeting place in Kyunki. But things weren’t always hunky-dory here with many Deewar-inspired verbal lashings at God (“Maine aaj tak tujhse kuch nahin maanga”) also being played out here.

7. The thepla tiffin boxes: Did you ever hear of a Gujarati dish called thepla before the Viranis almost made it a national snack? No momentous event in Shantiniketan has ever been without the thepla being an important part of the proceedings. Many an angry Virani has been appeased by the thepla. Many a Kyunki love story owes its roots to it. And no visit from the Virani’s hometown of Junagadh has been complete without relatives descending with tiffin loads of thepla.

8. The saris and the jewellery: Post Kyunki, will we ever get a chance to see so many Christmas trees in one frame? Sure Bappi Lahiri will always be around, but the garish and gaudy saas and bahus of the Virani family are not easily replaceable. Not a hair out of place, not a sari pleat in disorder. Can Usha Uthup ever rival the innovative bindis of the Virani bahus?

9. The wheelchair, walking stick and first-aid box: These have often come to the aid of the accident-prone Viranis. While Harsh’s wheelchair has been used by many Viranis, Ba’s walking stick has always come to the rescue of an injured Virani. As for the first-aid kit it has almost assumed the status of a character in Kyunki.

10. The garlanded photo frames: Even if you have watched just a couple of Kyunki episodes, you will know what we are talking about. Placed just above the famous Shantiniketan staircase, the dozens of photo frames of the dear departed Viranis have been an indelible part of Kyunki. But with every addition to the collection, there have been a couple of subtractions — when a Virani has come back from the dead!