This had to be one of the most emotional episodes in the serial with a whirlwind of events packed into it , yet the pacing  was so  even that despite the air of urgency created, it did not look forced. Again it was Khirad I felt the most for, not only is she losing her mother but  facing marriage to a man she hardly knows; who thinks of her as some “backward “uneducated troll he wouldn’t want as a friend let alone a life partner. The scene where Khirad goes to ask for Asher’s help is significant, what I would call a turning point. I wonder what would have happened if Asher had heard her out, if she hadn’t overheard his less than favorable opinion of her. I have to love Mahirah’s acting: we can tell she is hurt but her wounded pride is also lurking behind the tears. She cannot tell her sick mother how she has been openly abused by Sara or inadvertently by Asher but she tries to reason the problem out as best she can. At this point her mother’s warning not to allow her ego or pride rule her seems unfair but in later episodes I kept coming back to those words. Part of Khirad’s problems are internal, self-respect will not allow her to explain the situation to Asher even when he is begging to understand.

There could not be a greater contrast between Khirad and Sara’ personalities at this point. Khirad is willing to listen and obey her parent despite her very real misgivings, whereas Sara is not willing to listen to anyone: whether it is Asher or her mother. Shocked by Farida’s strangely easy acceptance of Asher and Khirad’s marriage and the setting of the Nikkah,Sara she attempts suicide. I remember this caused quite a hulchul amongst fans of the original novel: a friend posted her disgust at the “filmi touch “given to an already good story. I am still in two minds about it myself, firstly because I am not sure if it was an actual attempt. The way Sara is shown watching a kick ass Angelina Jolie movie, the ultimate in beautiful empowered Western women and then starts pressing a knife to the delicate skin of her wrist, and then we see a restless Asher woken by an unnamed anxiety in the middle of the night just in time to catch Sara’s last call. I would love to hear everyone’s opinion on this: was it a manipulation, a last ditch act of desperation to prevent the marriage or actual hopelessness? I hate to get preachy, (if anyone wants to contradict me, jump right in) but I think this all goes back to spiritual framework. Khirad had a strong spiritual background to fall back on when times got tough whereas Sara seemed to fall apart when life got difficult despite her secular, liberal, Western education with its focus on self-reliance and independence. I think this is what drove certain liberals crazy about this story, not Khirad’s oft maligned duppattah covered head or Asher’s alpha male attitude but how disempowered Sara was.

This was also the episode in which Baseerat acknowledged his ill treatment of Farida. Farida, Farida, the world’s least likely victim. When I first watched this I took great offence to her categorization as a liberal hypocrite and still do. The women who run NGO’s in Pakistan are constantly cast as frauds in dramas and I wonder why? I know a few and they do good, honest work helping the voiceless and desperate. I really felt for Farida when Baseerat threatened her and Atiqa Odho made her pain very clear at the breakfast table apology he offers after his sister’s death. At this point I thought Farida had accepted his excuse, but later I realized she hadn’t. Obviously, with hindsight a lot of things about Farida now make sense, like most true psychopaths she seemed perfectly normal and rational but I think there was always a lack of empathy about her that I felt but could not quite explain. Atiqa Odho was simply fabulous throughout this drama and even when she played the villain to the hilt you could see her character’s point of view. Nothing mattered to this woman apart from Asher and even that was in some respects a reflection of her own ego, because she didn’t hesitate to hurt him either to get her way. Before everyone comes down on me for calling her a psychopath, let me say only someone with serious mental problems would go to such lengths to rid herself of her daughter in law, destroying her son’s happiness as an afterthought.

As I said this was an emotional episode it included a death and a Nikkah.  Ok I cannot be the only one who thought Mahirah looked drop dead gorgeous in just that red Duppattah, as usual despite an imminent death and everyone’s disturbed expressions my mind went for the most frivolous thing possible. I remember thinking: Asher, you might not be that upset if you just looked up at your new wife for a minute. Perhaps you didn’t get such a raw deal after all. Soon afterwards Khirad’s mother dies and it was heart wrenching, I just couldn’t stop crying even this time around. Sarmad Khoosat may have changed the story a bit but I think he only made it better. Here is a director with a clear vision of the story he is telling, each aspect of the characters is interwoven and consequential to the main narrative. There are no  obscure guessing games or forced mysteries are here.

written  By Sadaf