This had to be one of the best episodes yet ! I was alternating between a big, ‘aaaww” induced smile and trying not to fall over from laughing so much. Finally, Aunn and Zara’s dreams come true and they join the grownups. I just loved Osman and Maya Ali; they manage to make the whole thing so innocent and believable. I had been annoyed with Maya a few episodes back but she is just perfect this week despite the slightly overdone sneezing. A special thank you to the director Haissem Hussain, who has handled the subject of this episode so well :leaving enough romance for us grown ups but not showing too much and making it unsuitable for the whole family.It is often a fine line to walk but as is evident in all the best dramas it can be done without sacrificing style or decency .
On Manzar’s advice, Aunn finally manages to get Zara alone. But nothing in this life is for free: their moments of togetherness only came after he was extra rude to his family. So rude, that at last no one dared disturbed the newlyweds for a whole evening. This set into motion a chain of events which might seem unlikely to the rational minded but to anyone who has been driven crazy by a large extended family they are utterly plausible. Aunn’s angry behavior has them so upset they are afraid he is taking out his temper on Zara. These women have been alone for so long without relationships of their own, that they have no idea how the young couple must be feeling. Instead they fill in any gaps in their knowledge with guesswork and usually the negative kind. I felt the most for Husna, who seems to never have had a good relationship with her husband at all .When she inadvertently catches Aunn and Zara play fighting she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion. When Nighat Parveen adds more masala to her fears by telling her about catching Aunn at lunch with someone, whole new can of worms opens up. Despite a life time of evidence to the contrary they suddenly believe their ladla , chandi ka thaal Aunn is a wife beater !
I think the best speech was from Zara today. When Phupo Nighat tries to talk to Zara about the incident with some clichéd speech about ‘hum beychari aurtein etc. we poor women.” I just loved Zara’s reply that she was proud of being a woman and that women were capable of anything. There lies the crux of the matter why does one partner have to control the other? In the beginning of any relationship there is an adjustment period ,Aunn and Zara are simply not being given any space or indeed the credit that they might be able to manage their own relationship. It’s as if they are just not allowed to grow up and must stay children in their family’s eyes forever. I really like Zara’s character more and more. Here is a strong young lady who knows what is right and does not make excuses. Of course the second best speech was from Aunn when he shouted I love you at Zara on his mobile. Osman and Maya have the best chemistry, indeed the whole cast does .They all seem so natural together. I loved the feminazi triumvirate of Dadi, Husna and Nighat Parveen who are all set to make Aunn seedha again. The look of confusion and incredulity on Aunn’s face as one by one his slavishly adoring family turns against him was priceless. I could not stop laughing.
Meanwhile the romance between Jamshed and Nighat is no longer on the back burner but has been very cleverly pulled forward. Haissem Hussain and Faiza Iftikhar deserve full credit for blending the side tracks and making them just as interesting as the main. I loved how Jamshed is not fooling n
anyone, not even himself as to why he keeps meeting Nighat Parveen. The way he was rolling Nighat’s ring in his hand could not have made things more clear. Poor guy..what a life awaits him… It is by now obvious to Zara too, but what makes it all so delicious is how they all talk at cross purposes. Phupo is talking about Aunn and naturally Zara thinks the whole conversation is about her father. It is great to see all the characters treated as complex human beings with issues and feelings of their own. Faiza Iftikhar is a master storyteller, her script is fabulous and despite so many characters she has not lost sight of the main narrative.
While Aunn and Zara are struggling to make sense of their family’s behavior and Manzar’s fledgling romance with Shehna may just wither on the vine .Seeing Manzar again was a treat but it always seems to mean bad luck for Aunn ..sigh when will he learn? Hopefully we will be seing more of Manzar and Shehna as the plot thickens .
Written by Sadaf
