Toh yeh mohabbat na thi… Mohabbat ka naulakha haar mere naseeb mein na tha… Mein faqat ek belonging houn… Mein Kaun? Kuch bhi nahin… Sheriyaar’s words cut like a knife. One by one, Sheriyaar murdered Emaan’s fantasies. I wouldn’t accuse him of cheating Emaan but I can’t blame Emaan for feeling cheated. She married him under the pretext that he loved her. Every woman wants to feel cherished, loved and needed. Sheriyaar takes his commitments seriously- he has no qualms accepting responsibility but he doesn’t want anyone crowding his personal space. He has a life of his own that he doesn’t like sharing with anyone else. He got married because he knew it’s a social requirement but beyond that, he has no interest in taking the plunge into the next level- he’s certainly not one who would romance his wife, or plan a future. Marriage is a package deal- it’s pretty much all or nothing. One enters into a marriage knowing full well that there is a need to compromise- to go the extra mile in order to enjoy a harmonious existence. Sheriyaar seems to be missing the point. His views on marriage are a shocking revelation to Emaan who is struggling to understand him. Emaan is playing her part as the dutiful wife- she allows him his space yet she expects he will come around. She looks forward to spending time with him, plans special occasions and while Sheriyaar does his best to give her time, there’s always a sense of void in their relationship.
Hajra and Zareena have succeeded in convincing their respective husbands that they must bring Sheriyaar and Emaan. While their intentions seem sincere, they are plotting and scheming ways to tear the newly weds apart. Sheriyaar knows his family only too well which is why he continues resisting their attempts at reconciliation. Emaan doesn’t know what she’s up against which is why she feels that if she were to score some brownie points with her in-laws, she might succeed in bridging the gap between herself and her husband. I genuinely felt sorry for Emaan- it’s not very reassuring to know that your husband married you because he wanted a wife who wouldn’t interfere in his life!
Emaan finds herself naturally drawn to the little boy next door. Rohail seems to be in desperate need of help- he is clueless about how to look after his son and Emaan is his saviour. But there’s something to be said of this equation- Emaan will find herself in an awkward situation trying to explain herself. Sheriyaar’s parents will use every trick in the book to destroy his marriage as a way to soothe their bruised egos and Emaan’s attachment to her neighbour’s son will be an easy target.
Emaan found herself in quite a spot with Hajra and Zareena forcing her to come with them. One things certain, Sheriyaar won’t be happy about this. No matter what Emaan’s mother says, Sheriyaar is content keeping his family at arm’s length because he knows they will interfere and try and create tension between them. There are times when I think Sheriyaar isn’t exactly as cold as he seems- he’s simply different. He is not expressive and has a different outlook toward life. He respects his wife and is sincere towards her but he’s not what Emaan imagined him to be. I think herein lies the problem- we end up being miserable with our lives the moment they steer away from how we imagined our lives would be. As practical as she may be, Emaan is a dreamer and her married life is turning out to be contrastingly different that what she envisioned.
Next weeks episode will be interesting with Sheriyaar having to meet with his family under forced circumstances. How will this impact their marriage? How much longer will Emaan be a silent spectator? How far will Sheriyaar go to prove his point? Will Sajjal ever move on? Questions, questions. Until next week.
Kanwal Murtaza
