Sara seemed so sweet and simple in the opening scenes of this episode that I actually understood how she had been so close to Asher all these years. It was nice to see these old friends trying hard to maintain their life long bond of friendship despite the complication life had just thrown at them. I don’t think I saw Naveen Waqar look more beautiful than she was in this scene, make up free and all pretentions stripped away .Naveen deserves full credit for making every scene work , whether she is accepting the foolishness of her suicide or suddenly seeing an opening in Asher’s frustration with his reticent new wife. It is Asher who gives her that opening: his very obvious dissatisfaction and complete lack of sensitivity to Sara’s feelings is amazing. It is as if he really does not know her and I think his reactions in further episodes only go to prove it. Not for one minute does he think she might be pretending or in any way insincere. He continues to confide his misgivings about his new relationship in meeting after meeting while Sara serves as a sly echo chamber: agreeing with him on all accounts and subtly adding fuel to the fire.  Sara doubts if poor Khirad can even pronounce the word Yale and is probably weighed down with a deep inferiority complex. Ordinarily such pretentiousness would have made me laugh but in this context it only aroused pity and that too for Sara. It was Sara who couldn’t cope with the setbacks life was throwing at her not Khirad.

After more than Thirty days Baseerat decides it is time for Asher and Khirad to begin their new lives. In all of this just like Sara, Farida seems completely sincere, if Atiqa’s acting had seemed strange in the first few episodes now she came across as a genuinely caring mother in law. Asher is reluctant but willing to accept the situation, Khirad on the other hand seems resigned to her fate and then something magical happens when they sit together in that room. I admit to holding my breath as Asher shuts the door and

Khirad sits in subdued silence on the bed. I have rarely seen two more beautiful individuals, Mahirah and Fawad looked breathtaking.Asher’s speech, the way he hands over the karey, both their expressions of hesitancy and the great use of background music just made this one of those iconic Humsafar scenes that we love to watch again and again. I think the sheer simplicity of the scene is what makes it so strong. No decorations, no glittery clothes and no rasams or chatty rishteydaar to crowd out the sincerity of the moment.

The next morning, Khirad is considering Asher’s promise of the night before but his cold dismissal of her as “backward” and unwanted comes back to her banishing any feeling of acceptance that might have begun to take root in this new relationship. Khirad’s behavior takes passive aggressive to new heights and this is where I switch sides. I remember getting so angry at her refusal to share Asher’s peanuts and then her animated conversation with Batool Khala while maintaining an ice princess attitude with Asher. This is where I think Khirad’s ego got the most of her, though it was a certainly a pleasant change to see the groom working at making the connection with his bride. Some of the editing did seem a little abrupt and I would love to know what they cut out.

This episode had quite a few iconic scenes, Khirad’s upside down magazine, Asher reading his life of Pi book: all are locked in my happy place memory box. Just from that simple scene we know these two are interested in each other but cannot overcome their initial misgivings….. yet ,something Sara completely failed to pick up on. The episode ends on an almost sinister note with Sara making it clear that she was not going to let Asher go easily despite her mother Zarina’s open disapproval. Contrast this attitude with Khirad’s easy acceptance of Sara’s apology and her generous insistence that of course she would be Sara’s friend. I felt for Zarina in this episode, unlike Asher, she knew her daughter’s obsessive nature very well and did all she could to protect her from further heartbreak. If only she had stood up to Farida in episode 11- 12 , perhaps her daughter might have done better.  I think as a mother it is easy to fall into the trap of blaming others for your child’s unhappiness.  Thanks to our local Internet Radio station Radio Azad for helping to promote this and many other arts projects Written by Sadaf