Not an overt emotional rollercoaster like the previous one, this penultimate episode of Mataa-e Jaan left me in a very introspective mood as I mulled over the many shades and meanings of love, a deceptively simple emotion. Love, as shown here, is not only about scaling the emotional highs but also about experiencing the lowest of ebbs. It is about the joys and sorrows, the laughter and tears, and the expectations and the disappointments. It is about memories, the kind that keep you warm at night, the kind that elicit a smile, the kind that bring a tear to the eye, the kind that remain with you forever. Love is the emotion that Haniya experienced with Ibaad, the affection that Uzair and Hajra had for their son, the bond that Yamina enjoys with her sister, the friendship that Adeel had with Ibaad, and the concern that Adeel feels for Haniya. Kudos to Farhat Ishtiaq for beautifully essaying so many facets of a singular emotion, love.
A mellower episode as compared to the previous few, this one dealt with Haniya struggling through the darkest period of her life, barely able to go through the day. Her desperation was brilliantly essayed by Sarwat Gilani. The dead look in Haniya’s eyes as she contemplated overdosing on sleeping pills was very chilling, as were her touching protestations that it would not be possible for her to continue living without Aabi. Striking a discordant note, in the otherwise well done scenes in Carmel, was the remarkable appearance of Aabi’s blue shirt and Haniya’s white dupatta – errr ….where did those come from??
Sanam Saeed and Ahsan Khan were both very good as Yamina and Adeel as they worried about Haniya’s unexplained absence. Ahsan Khan has been very effective in his miniscule rule. I only wish he changed his clothes more often though.
We didn’t see much of Hajra today, but we did see Uzair trying to come to terms with Aabi’s death. His dry eyes told a thousand tales of unshed tears, as he looked at Aabi’s last text message. Guilty as he might feel, he still refused to acknowledge Haniya’s presence in Aabi’s life simply referring to her as woh larki.
While the overall story did not move much beyond what we had already seen last week, I appreciated the attention to detail, and the oblique nod to the passage of time with the casual references to the changes taking place. We came to know of Uzair’s failing health, Hajra’s depression, Adeel’s deepening relationship with Haniya, and of course the changes taking place in Haniya, as she determinedly gets over her loss and starts working, visibly transforming into a more mature and confident person.
All in all a more reflective episode, but still an effective one as it sets the stage for the finale next week. I am waiting to see how Haniya, Uzair, and Hajra reconcile their past with the present. Are they all ready to move forward from here on? How does Adeel figure into this equation? Is he the one to bring the family together? Looking forward to the answers.
The countdown has begun …
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
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