Until now Bari Apa just came across as a control freak who had no real justification for being the way she is but guess what today’s episode finally revealed to me what may be the reason for Bari Apa’s tough exterior. Zubeida did not only have to sacrifice the love of her life because she was expected to marry a rich man so she could help her family financially but she also looked after her little siblings while her mother was too busy taking care of her ailing father. She is certainly right in not being able to reciprocate Farman’s feelings for her because she never got over Ghazanfar. Zubeida’s mother did not marry her off with a rich man because she wanted her daughter to have a comfortable life but so she could spend part of that wealth on her own family too which she most certainly is. And in return Zubeida wants total compliance from every member of the house. The reason for that also is that Zubeida is the one who raised Shakeel and since none of this was part of her duty as the daughter of the house she expects a lot more in return than any other average Bari Apa would.
Today’s episode opened with Ghazanfar and Zubeida’s meeting and we got to find out that it is not only Zubeida who expects Ghazanfar to value her opinion but Ghazanfar also acknowledges that no one can take her place in his life (in his own subtle way of course). Three years later we see Farman being even more farmabardar than usual, could the reason be the little baby we saw in that very short scene? Or am I jumping into conclusions? Well we will all know soon enough. So it is Zubeida’s Bahadri and Waqar that made Farman fall in love with her…another revelation at least for me!
Bari Apa’s meeting with Eesa was extremely interesting and left Eesa wondering if Zubeida will accept him as her damaad…does not look like it. Sharmeen turns to Ghazanfar khaloo for help and I am really looking forward to where the story goes from here.
For me the highlight of today’s show had to be Riffat’s dilemma; the way she fought with her husband solely because she wanted to put her child in Montessori went to show how monetary issues affect relationships. Zubeida Apa’s control over Shakeel and the house, Riffat’s helplessness, Shakeel being stuck in the middle, Zubeida not being able to marry Ghazanfar and Zubeida’s disapproval of Eesa…..all of this is because some people have more money than they need and others don’t have enough. I truly felt sorry for Riffat and totally agree that a mother can put up with a lot but when it comes to her child she will take a stand. Firdous lends money to Riffat, whether out of concern or competition that is another story, but having the money alone is not enough since she requires Zubeida’s permission in order to go ahead with the admission. Bari Apa’s blood pressure shoots when she finds out about the money, why am I not surprised that she has high BP, she is the perfect ‘candidate’ for it! Bari Apa never liked Riffat that is very well established now but asking Shakeel to divorce her is like going overboard even from Zubeida’s standards. I was a little surprised when Bari Apa said to Riffat that she derived her inspiration from what Firdous said to her… hey wasn’t that three years back? Is Bari Apa still holding a grudge? I guess so because the two families are still not talking to each other and Bari Apa misses the weekend lunches on purpose. But if one looks at it from Zubeida’s perspective it I somewhat justified too.
Once again we hardly got a glimpse of Ayesha Khan but that one glimpse of her with the baby roused a lot of curiosity. The show ended on a very exciting note and I am definitely looking forward to watching how Shakeel will deal with the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed today’s episode, the acting and direction stayed top notch as usual and I expect nothing less than that from the Bari Apa’s team. I am glad we have something truly exciting to look forward to on Saturday nights.
Author: Fatima Awan.
