The final voice-over asks the question that would become the show’s tagline: "Iss pyaar ko kya naam doon?" (What name shall I give this love?)
The episode begins in , where the Gupta family is preparing for the wedding of Khushi’s sister, Payal. The celebratory mood is dampened by a secret: the groom's family is demanding a dowry of ₹20 lakh , which the Guptas cannot afford. Khushi, determined to save her sister's marriage, secretly leaves the celebrations to confront the groom and plead for his help.
The episode opens in Lucknow, introducing Khushi Kumari Gupta (Sanaya Irani), a cheerful, talkative, and slightly clumsy young woman who works at a small boutique. She is known for speaking her mind and getting into funny scrapes.
Khushi’s elder sister, Payal , is about to get married to Shyam Manohar Jha . The family is excited, but there’s tension because Khushi’s father is struggling to arrange dowry money (a practice Khushi opposes).
Within his first three minutes on screen, the audience understands "ASR" (Arnav Singh Raizada):
The final sequence is where the episode earns its legendary status. Arnav, still fuming about his shoes, searches for Khushi. He finds her hiding behind a pillar, praying to Devi Maiyya (the Goddess) to fix everything.
In a moment of sheer arrogance, he interrupts her prayer. Khushi, in panic, accidentally pushes a massive engagement cake. Time seems to slow down as the multi-tiered cake topples... directly onto Arnav Singh Raizada.
That first episode on StarPlus drew moderate ratings initially, but word of mouth exploded. Within weeks, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon became the most-watched show in its time slot.
The shoes belong to Arnav.