Why does it take death to make us realise what is truly valuable in life?

Today’s episode of Dayar e Dil was very emotional and very moving. Overall Dayar e Dil has been a good , above average serial to watch but I have always felt that the fast past of the story line , left little time for reflection or depth in the characters . I can understand the writer and Director’s dilemma; having to shoot a large number of episodes to make it commercially viable but maintain the viewer’s interest without the usual spinning of wheels that often plague a long story. So far they have succeeded and today they managed to slow things down a little and concentrate on the characters too.

Last week left us with a bit of a cliffhanger as to what would happen between Laila and Suhaib, but if we understand anything about these two characters it would be obvious that nothing would. They are good people, not the cartoons we find on daytime soaps but actual, decent people whom we often see in real life but underestimate because they are not demanding or alpha personalities. These are the people who keep society and civilization going, maintaining the bonds of love and kinship no matter what. Suhaib tells Laila that he is happy with Arjumand and invites her family to visit even considering her son for his daughter Zarminey. At first I thought Suhaib was trying a little too hard to map out the future for his family: Wali for Faraa and Zarminey for Ibaad (Laila’s son) and his almost desperate pleas for peace between his father and brother, then it began to dawn on me that he sounded like a man running out of time.

This episode had some beautiful scenes between father and son, husband and wife and brothers divided but united in spirit. The Male bond is not often portrayed in our more women centric dramas and it makes for a refreshing change. Ali Rehman is a fabulous actor and he has given a standout performance with Suhaib. Till the last minute, the screen chemistry between Hareem Farooq and Ali Rehman was gripping and in the circumstances heartbreaking. It was good to see that Arjumand and Suhaib lived a happy fulfilled life with each other, that their sacrifice was not wasted. Though it isn’t stated, it seems as if Suhaib knew he didn’t have long. Like any good man he wants to know if he has fulfilled his roles in this life before he goes to the next. I am almost crying as I write because it was that special. Again Abid Ali is simply magnificent, I have no other words for this great actor. His scenes with Ali Rehman were the highlights of the entire show.

I wish I could get my hands on whoever ruined Mikaal’s hair but putting that serious issue to one side, Behroz is finally waking up from his self-absorbed daydream. The thread of desperation in Suhaib’s last words to him seem to break through his wall of anger and pride, but he still doesn’t confide in Roohi preferring to stew in silence. That in itself speaks volumes about his relationship with Roohi, which seems to be all about constantly shoring up her insecurities. We didn’t see much of Sanam Saeed as Roohi but her few lines inferred a lot. She never offered to go to her in laws herself, instead it was ….”Take my brother Tajamul” .. all these years have not softened her .For a young girl this is understandable but for a grown woman not so much. I am waiting for Roohi’s character to come into its own allowing Sanam Saeed to display her undoubted acting skills.

So far Farhat Ishtiaq  has  plotted this drama out perfectly and we can see the momentum for future events building. One of my pet peeves is forced storylines: viewers like me end up pulling their hair out asking “why did they do that when there was an easy way out?” In Dayar e Dil everyone’s’ personality and motivations are natural and understandable. After so many years of ignoring his conscience, guilt is going to be an overwhelming emotion for Behroz. I want to be angry at Behroz but at this point he seems just too human, how many of us harbor regrets about the past? From the looks of the promos for next Week Laila is going to give Behroz some much needed straight talking. I think I might just  enjoy that scene more than I should ….

Meanwhile Wali looked like an angel, silently guiding his uncle and family members through a crisis. Last week Osman Khalid Butt seemed a bit stiff but I think this week he was just right. He is just very tall and I think the director needs to understand how to frame his scenes sometimes. The small dose of Maya Ali as Faraa was bearable too because there was no attempt at “playing” a child. So Faraa is not particularly interested in her mamu ka beta but her mother is. Like most self-absorbed people Roohi values her relatives and her connections beyond everyone else’s. I guess, Now is the time to dust off that old joke from Humsafar as …Logo key cousin …. Picture of high achieving, humble, handsome Farhat Ishtiaq ka Hero and then Hamarey cousin …some paindoo with a middle part:

Logon kay Cousin :

Hamarey Cousin :

This was one of the best episodes so far, so take a bow director Haseeb Hassan, writer Farhat Ishtiaq and team DeD for job well done. I am so grateful that someone listened to our complaints about the confusing Dur e Shahwar music and worked out how to use the perfectly adequate, liltingly lovely original score for the background music. It makes a world of difference!