Sorry for the late review.
These past two weeks we have seen some major developments in the story. Episodes 9-10 explained Ashraf’s tranisition into ” Ashraf Bhai ” and episodes 11-12 dealt with the fact that Ashraf has reached the point of no return. The story is progressing fast, a lot is happening but the writer and director are doing a great job with the presentation. No character has been left behind, every development is logical and the audiences are still glued to their Tv screens.
From the very first episode we knew Ashraf was jealous of Hammad and no matter how hard he tried to hide his insecurities behind the facade of ” Ashraf Bhai “, he still felt inadequate. He was holding grudges against Hammad but we only got to know the reasons in the 9th episode. Hammad has been the ” star child “, he was brilliant and obedient, the two qualities which made it easy for everyone to love him. He was the center of everyone’s attention and there were constant comparisons with Ashraf, who unfortunately was not good at studies. He was made to feel like he wasn’t good enough, he was useless. The strictness, comparisons and humiliation ultimately turned him into a rebel and he became ” Ashraf Bhai “.
The childhood resentment grew with him and The worst part however was he blamed his family for everything that went wrong in his life and with that grew his resentment. He already felt unloved so to gain attention and somewhat get revenge, He started to use force. First he joined his father’s business to gain acceptance, importance and control, later to cover his insecurities and feeling of inadequacy he put a stop to his sisters’ education. The use of force however was making his siblings resent him in return but he was not wise enough to see that. And as always he kept blaming everyone for not loving him like they loved Hammad.
On the other hand, his parents were not wise enough to know how to handle his jealousy, in his attempt to make Ashraf feel better, Muneer Ahmed started to avoid showing his affection for Hammad, Hammad knew it but kept quiet to keep the peace in the house. That is why to make it upto Hammad, Muneer Ahmed finally accepted Ifra’s proposal for him, another wrong move by this not so smart parent. The way the writer has dealt with sibling rivalries and how they effect people in the long run is so realistic. Now, years later, these characters are still holding on to their childhood grudges, only difference is , now Ashraf’s control and grudges are effecting his siblings’ lives. Now as fate would have it both brothers fell in love with the same girl and Ashraf only had his money to show off and impress Ifra with. The branded clothes, shades and then showing it off was a desperate attempt at his part and it failed miserably. But again, the writer used this point to highlight how love had not only changed Ashraf’s wardrobe but also his attitude ( atleast for a while ) and when he found out about her marriage with Hammad, he not only set fire to his branded clothes but also his ” new found somewhat lenient attitude ” as well. After that, out came the most merciless version of Ashraf Bhai we have seen till now.
I do however agree with Ashraf on this point, that if Ifra wasn’t to be married to him, she shouldn’t be married to Hammad either. That was one point which could have been easily avoided and I am still amazed at how Ifra’s parents agreed to her marrying Hammad. They are educated, experienced, wise people, they know the likes of Ashraf and also Ashraf’s mother didn’t keep them in the dark, so the smart thing would have been to say no and move away but they agreed to Hammad and Ifra’s marriage , which is very strange. Now Ashraf feels betrayed, he feels everyone he trusted stabbed him in the back and now no one will be spared from his rage and revenge.
Ashraf’s going behind bars was a blessing in disguise for the whole family, they were able to breath , sing and enjoy themselves for a while. Although their happiness was short lived, it was still good to watch them laugh and have fun like regular people.
Saira’s problems are by no means over. She tries her best to avoid getting in trouble but somehow she ends up in trouble every now and then. She knows her family and yes she should have avoided coming home with Ibad but ” honi ko koun taal sakta hai ” , so as a result Ashraf ended up in jail and Ifra and Hammd got married. Now that he is out of jail, he will not rest till he makes Hammad pay and I am sure there will be collateral damage as well. I do feel for their mother, she is torn between her children and is completely helpless. Simi Raheel is doing a wonderful job and so is the rest of the cast. Let’s see what if Ifra and Hammad will find their ” happily ever after “.
