So it seems that all this time Emaan was putting up a strong front to avoid the humiliation she would potentially face if Shereyaar were to abandon her. Emaan and Shereyaar are more alike than they realize- Both are quick to act on an impulse. Shereyaar had made up his mind to marry her in a matter of days and Emaan made up her mind to leave him. Both of them view the world through a single lens without looking at the bigger picture. Shereyaar’s lifestyle is dictated primarily by his social life because that has been his way of escaping life’s harsh realities. Emaan has encroached on Rohail’s home and is using Shahnaam to cope with her misery. But that’s where their similarities end. Shereyaar never wanted to have children since he was estranged from his parents. He dismissed Emaan’s maternal needs but eventually, he started to realize that he was ready to go the extra mile. Just as he was preparing himself to accept the natural progression, he was hit with the shocking news of Emaan’s infertility. He was ready to undergo whatever treatment was required but when Emaan refuted the idea, he stepped back and accepted it as their fate. Emaan, however, took this blow to be the end of her happiness and marriage and decided she should walk away with her pride and dignity intact rather than be shown the door.

Emaan and Shereyaar’s marriage never really took off- there were moments of a shared relationship on the premise of commitment and loyalty but there was no love. Emaan craved that which Shereyaar was incapable of providing- an admission of love. When he made his feelings known, it was a case of too little, too late- Kaash mein apki Mohabbat hoti, koi adat nahin hoti…. Emaan considers herself to be very practical, a realist, if you will. But the fact is, every pessimist argues that they are a realist. And that happens to be the driving force behind Emaan’s struggle for separation. She feels that sooner or later, Shereyaar will realize that his life is incomplete without children and since he doesn’t love Emaan, he will leave her. If love could bind people together, the world would be a happy place! Love flies out the window shortly into a relationship but other factors help keep people together- a sense of commitment, dependency, the need to be with someone- take your pick! Emaan made her argument with her parents but in the end, she had to throw in the towel when her father managed to emotionally overpower her. Seeing how her parents and Shereyaar were united, she went ahead to try and fix the situation- her only solution was to convince Sajjal to marry Shereyaar since she was confident that Sajjal would accept Shereyaar knowing full well that he wouldn’t leave Emaan… This is Emaan’s way of dealing with her situation- a situation that’s mostly a result of her own insecurities and inability of coping with her fate. She thought that she would compensate for her misery through Shahnaam- on paper it makes sense that a childless mother needed to be with a motherless child. But she underestimated the repercussions of her fixation not only on her marriage but also on Shahnaam.

I have to admit, I have no understanding of Sajjal- in my eyes, she’s a marionette and anyone can easily pull her strings. She almost started to show a hint of a personality but that was short-lived. How is this girl okay with sitting through two engagements with the same man in his absence and without his consent? What makes the elders think that forcing Sajjal upon Shereyaar will ensure a happy ending? Humayoun has got to be the least convincing of the lot- what kind of man would actually discuss a khaandaani jora like it was a family heirloom? I actually feel offended seeing how the family is reduced to stereotypes of Dehli waalas… now I know how Pathans/ Punjabis etc might feel when they are depicted as mere caricatures.

I have a hard time understanding Emaan- she’s the ultimate sacrificial lamb who’s arranging a suitable match for her husband while keeping him in the dark. Coming a close second is Sajjal who’s willing to play the surrogate and is fascinated with Emaan. All she needed was for Emaan to tell her to agree to the wedding and she hurried to put on the laal joraa… Does anyone care what Shereyaar wants? Also, I have no clue why Rohail is so helpless? Seeing his home, I’d imagine he can afford a qualified nanny. Oh I just found out he’s possibly considering reconciliation… Itna drama kyun kiya agar saath hona hi tha???

Kanwal Murtaza