First of all sorry for the late review.

This was a major turning point in the story with Faraa finally coming to some understanding of both her grandfather and her father. The first twenty minutes of this episode were as near to perfect as I could wish for. After the confrontation in the kitchen that ended last week’s episode, Faraa helps Agha Jaan with breakfast only to be treated to list of not so subtle: Wali Suhaib Khan’s great hits. Wali turned down a place at Stanford Law School to stay with his family and manage their business; he takes care of Agha Jaan and has made sure that Suhaib’s absence is never felt by any of the family at least in a material sense. It still hasn’t clicked with Faraa that the money her mother’s family were so busy ‘oorafying’ would have easily dried up in if it hadn’t been for Wali’s firm hand on the family business. Or maybe it has, because her second confrontation with Wali in the garden before he leaves for work seems like a desperate, last ditch attempt to defend and justify her family’s actions.

The scene between Wali and Faraa was so perfectly shot: the beautiful garden setting, the lilting background score and a Faraa confused, yet determined to shore up the fast crumbling image she has always had of Wali.Then Wali listening to her blustering accusations in patient silence. This scene was better than all the all be it funny “nehley pey dehley” arguments these two had been having. It was as if the original Wali Suhaib Khan of the novel had finally arrived. Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali are always the stars of the show and I think this is going to be one of those iconic scenes that crazy drama fans like me like to watch over and over again. There was a world of emotion and depth in what wasn’t said. While Maya Ali managed those dialogues perfectly OKB silence was even more powerful .I have a feeling that Wali was coming over to say sorry, perhaps  even to call a truce but Faraa has still not reached the level of maturity to understand. She is fighting the truth every inch of the way.

There were some more fabulous scenes this episode with Faraa in front of her father’s Suhaib’s picture and then her final breakdown with Agha Jan. The picture scene was beautifully done; I think I must have cried at least a bucket, emotional fool that I am. Despite her sharp tongue and ready answers, Faraa is essentially a very lonely, troubled girl, who misses her father more than she likes to acknowledge. This serial, like most of Farhat Ishtiaq stories gives us a refreshing take on the relationship between fathers and daughters and how it shapes a girls understanding of Men in general. Women with positive male role models are more confident and tend to choose similar, positive traits in their spouses. While Faraa cries in front of her father’s portrait the significance of Wali and Suhaib connection to him is hammered home in the smaller portraits beneath it while her father’s voice echoes in her head that this place is part of her like no other. I could raise some feminist objections about the mother’s side being equally important but that is not the point of the sequence, the point is to mend the broken places in Faraa’s heart enough to bridge the gap between her and her father’s family. Wandering alone around her father’s childhood home this is the time for Faraa to see her father’s family without the veil of prejudice her mother had drawn over them and pullout from the shadow of negligence her father had cast .

I have to commend Maya Ali for some great acting; she really is a director’s actress and can be simply marvelous with the right one. I thought the Agha Jaan sequence was stretched a bit too long as was the sequence with Wali wandering around Agha Jan’s bedroom pulling up bedcovers. At this point I kind of felt bad for Arjumand , being Punjabi myself I won’t mince my words … Wali Suhaib Khan Barra zan Mureed nikla … I mean he cannot start a sentence without saying Faraa’s name ,( aap ya tum just won’t do) and  he has to keep her company…..constantly . Sure Wali , you are so over her .Osman Khalid Butt knows how to show us five different emotions in just one expression or the angle of his walk . It is the subtlety of his  acting skills  which are saving Wali from becoming the clichéd “angry young man “ despite the attempts to commercialize what was already a perfect story.

Talking of commercialization , why mar a near perfect episode with the totally unnecessary horse ride to hell and the confrontation of where Wali says he would hit Faraa IF she really was his wife ?  If the makers were going to use that horse riding sequence then use it with some intent , Wali could have warned Faraa that it is dangerous to sit alone in the middle of the country side without a man in a deeply conservative and might I add militant ridden area ? Instead he just drags her onto the horse , which OK, if you want to go that gratuitous : zabardasti = romance route then at least do it right by giving us the right camera angles … again just like trip to the haunted house a complete waste . Much as I admire Farhat Ishtiaq and Haseeb Hassan I think they should have thought twice before including these sequences. They are not ordinary run of the mill drama makers from whom no one has any expectations. These two are masters in their respective field and as such wield some creative clout , the images and scenes they produce live in our imaginations when others die a thankfully quick  death  ( like most of Dusri Bivi which is now only a distant , hazy but still unpleasant memory). In the words of the immortal Uncle Ben “with great power comes great responsibility” ;) Apart from that criticism, this week I finally got a taste of that old Humsafar nasha … even if it wasn’t for the whole episode . So thank you Farhat Ishtiaq and Haseeb Hassan for making DeD greater than sum of some of its parts.

Apart from that this was an excellent episode, easy to watch and well-acted. Abid Ali is a powerhouse of acting that I keep forgetting to praise because really , its like holding a candle to the sun , he is simply that good .

Oh dear, nearly forgot Moiz (if only I could !) . So the big reveal happened and Moiz turned out to be an even bigger player than anyone could have ever suspected. He has started a business venture on the promise of Faraa’s inheritance. Ok This was so unnecessary, really beychara Moiz is just no competition for Wali but I guess there is no fun in Drama land without a Villain to boo at .Personally I am not surprised at all , no not because the promo department is being its magical self but simply because ..Look at his parents .. Yes the guys was very subtle about it always defending Faraa and listening to her and her silly mother  but it was obvious when I saw him spend the night and start touching Faraa the minute her father was dead . Yes. He was an emotional support but he never really stopped his parents from doing anything, and seemed irrationally angry and demanding. Well like most people perhaps he isn’t all bad, because he did help Faraa when she was alone.

So Roohi has been told not to contact her daughter or spill the beans about Moiz asking for the inheritance clause and …..She agrees. I had to do a double take. What? Now I think Roohi deserves bucket of ice water on her head, perhaps that will wake her up. Her little turf war with Khans has made her blind to her actual priorities. She may claim to love Faraa but right now she loves herself more. Wasn’t this woman in an MBA program with Behroz …the mind boggles but she won’t be the first educated person to be a fool.

I cannot wait for Moiz to reach the Haveli … fools rush in where angels fear to tread..

written by Sadaf

If you like our reviews please subscribe  via email , or like us on Twitter or follow us on Facebook .