Three words- Nicely wrapped up! Khushiyan aisi hi milti hain; bilkul achanak… What better way to sum up this finale than such sweet yet simple words! Another journey came to an end and this time around, I was more than pleased with the ending. Farhat Ishtiaq did not disappoint and gave us a memorable ending- and a happy one at that! Whoever thinks endings have to be vague , incomplete or tragic (still ranting over Pyarey Afzal) should take a cue from Farhat Ishtiaq and appreciate her prowess of taking a simple story and transforming it into one that resonated with the audience. There were some bumps along the ride but at the end of the day, all that really matters is how we get there.
Mein apni tauheen toh bardaasht kar sakta houn lekin Aiman ki mohabbat jo mere dil mein hai uski tauheen nahin… Adnan Siddiqui was the surprize package for me. I’ve seen so much of him in recent times I was honestly going to give this one a miss solely because of his presence. But somehow, Adnan Siddiqui owned the role of Haider Masood and has probably given one of his best performances. Could there be a more suave actor to play this role? I think not! Haider’s inner turmoil over breaking Aiman’s heart was brilliantly portrayed- there were no over-the-top izhaar-e-mohabbat but we got an insight into his mind- his fear of being mismatched with someone 16 years younger than him and the possibility that she may eventually realize he was the biggest mistake of her life.
Mein tumhari maa nahin houn lekin aurat houn… For me, Almas was the weakest link. Her character didn’t have the layers I expected. She came across as a woman who was easily manipulated by her sister into ensuring Aiman and Haider don’t take their friendship any further and all of a sudden, she was overflowing with concern for Aiman in this last episode. Hmm, something just didn’t feel right.
Tumhara shehar woh hai jahan tumhara baap hai, tumhara ghar hai… apni beti ke aansoun ke agey jaise haar sa gaya houn… And finally, daddykins became the father Aiman always hoped he’d be. A genuinely caring, possessive and compassionate one. Taufeeq Kamaal- the man who was the emotional equivalent of a stuffed animal saved the best for last. His helplessness over being unable to give his daughter the happiness she was seeking was shown perfectly- itni shiddat se woh Haider se mohabbat karti hai. Woh Haider ki zindagi mein kisi aur ko shaamil hotey nahin dekh sakey gi… He tried to dissuade her from leaving for Nawaabshah but didn’t have the heart to see her waste away.
Ek buzdil mard mujhse mohabbar karta hai jo apni mohabbat ka izhaar ek gunaah ki tarhan bandd kamrey mein kar raha hai… Men need a push from time to time and Aiman’s well-timed buzdili ka taana was just what Haider needed to come out in the open and propose amidst the bareyy of the household. This was not what I expected from a man like Haider Masood. But I guess this was the new and improved Haider Masood- the one who was given a new lease on life after meeting Aiman. Aiman felt she was a project for Haider Masood but in reality, they both subconsciously moulded each other; Haider’s maturity kept Aiman grounded but at the same time, Aiman’s innocence taught Haider to loosen up. Those last few minutes of Aiman and Haider expressing their happiness gave the drama a sense of completion- something that’s been lacking nowadays.
I’m glad I took up reviewing this drama because at the end, I’m feeling happy- Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth…. I felt like my time was well spent. Momina Duraid and Farhat Ishtiaq are a force to reckon with. Shehzad Kashmiri deserves a shout out for extracting some very fine performances- although I still stand by me views that Sanam Jung has a long way to go. Hareem Farooq was exceptional; Shamim Hilali was brilliant as usual; Farhan Agha looked mighty fine but Adnan Siddiqui was simply a cut above the rest. Thank you for reading, for sharing your views and making the discussions interesting and engaging (I kept coming back for more :) ) . A part of me actually feels sad since I won’t be back next week but hopefully, we should have something new to look forward to .
Kanwal Murtaza
