If I were to honestly evaluate Mannu and Salahuddin’s relationship, I’d not shy away from stating the obvious- Mannu is definitely going all out to make things work. Which makes me question Salahuddin’s lack of interest/ commitment even more. It’s not that I find it hard to relate to Salahuddin; I just pity Mannu for falling for him. Heaven help her understand- he’s not strong enough to be her man. It doesn’t help that Mannu’s father is too busy manipulating Salahuddin to swing things in his favour. As sincere as he tries to appear, if he truly had a heart of gold, he wouldn’t put Salahuddin in an awkward position time and again. I found it very shrewd on his part to suggest that Salahuddin would be a suitable match and in the same breath mention how he’d ensure Mannu would be set for life. He knows only too well that Salahuddin has backed off from even considering the remote possibility of a future with Mannu because he’s too unsure of himself and suffering from an inferiority complex. Also, he’s playing a double game with reconsidering Mikaael for Mannu and putting the ball in Salahuddin’s court- how would Salahuddin decide if someone is worthy of Mannu? And why play with his emotions?

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I can’t stand to see Salahuddin hurting but I have the feeling of impending doom. If the dinner table conversation between Mikaael and his mother is anything to go by, I’d say Mikaael has a few skeletons in his closet- there seems to be too much of a push from his mother for him to marry Mannu. Does he have a dark, twisted past? And even if he doesn’t, Mannu is clearly on a mission to self destruct. By now, she knows beyond a doubt that Salahuddin wouldn’t man up and she would not have her fairy tale ending. Yet, she convinces Mikaael to accompany her to her tutor’s home and tries to invoke a reaction out of Salahuddin. As much as I felt for Mannu, I actually felt far worse for Salahuddin. Here’s a man who knows he can never be with the woman he loves and he will have to live with the knowledge that he simply couldn’t do a thing about it.

Hamza Ali Abbassi is perfectly sublime as Salahuddin and he never goes over the top. I felt sorry seeing him trying to diffuse the situation with Mikaael present. The poor guy just needs a break. Mannu has a lot of growing up to do and I wish they would get rid of her annoying Chachi. That lady needs to shut up! Is there no power strong enough to contain her? I don’t get how she manages to exercise control over her married daughter who seems so helpless under her dictator of a mother. And why has Noman not made an appearance yet? Is he even relevant?

Maya Ali has truly put her heart and soul in Mannu. If only she had a fraction of the chemistry with Hamza Ali Abbassi that she shared with OKB or even Gohar Rasheed for that matter… Mannu reminded me of Shanu (Sadqay Tumharey) through most of today’s episode and I kept imaging how Mahira Khan would be in this role. On paper, they would surely make a dynamic duo but sometimes two great actors fail to click as a couple.

Aiman Khan delivered another flawless performance- Salahuddin and Bia are fantastic and those few minutes of screen time pack a powerful punch. The episodes are moving forward at a steady pace and keep me coming back for more. I can’t help but applaud the director’s vision for portraying such beauty while keeping it real. Hoping things remain interesting.

Kanwal Murtaza