Is it humanly possible for a husband to have normal relations with his new bride after she’s been brutally raped, in front of his very eyes, on their wedding night? Can this newly married couple be expected to move forward and live a normal life, pretending the violence never happened? To heal, they have to broach this taboo subject, but where should they begin? Can they start this painful process, without either blaming each other or themselves? And, once a tenuous truce is reached, how can their already fragile bond bear the weight of an unwanted pregnancy? What kinds of pressure does this unexpected news put on not only their strained marriage, but also their relationship with their extended family, one that remains blissfully unaware of the trauma, and is thrilled with the news?
These are the kinds of tough questions that Faisal and Ujala face in Mora Piya. Like many others on air these days, this too is ostensibly a shohar-biwi story. But, unlike others does not involve a saas-bahu angle, frothy romance, physical abuse, or the resorts to jadoo tona. A mature love story, Mora Piya is a bold attempt to open up a conversation seldom had in the privacy of our own homes, forget about in the public media. We’d rather not deal with such controversial issues; pretending they don’t exist is much easier.
In this episode, after Ujala’s pregnancy is confirmed, the couple is faced with the dilemma of dealing with this unwanted baby. Faisal, tormented by this constant reminder of his failure to protect his wife, is vehemently opposed to the baby. Ujala, on the other hand, initially in agreement with Faisal, finds it increasingly difficult to consciously make the choice of taking a life. While for most couples these stresses are hard enough to deal with privately, for Faisal, unfortunately, there is no separation between his private and professional life. Ujala’s rapist is one of the crime lords Faisal had done a story on, and Faisal is justifiably consumed with the desire for revenge. The episode ends with Faisal spotting the perpetrator coming out of a restaurant. Will Faisal succeed in finding his whereabouts and eventually get Ujala justice? Will Ujala decide to keep the baby? Will they decide to tell their parents the sordid truth behind Ujala’s pregnancy? All are questions that I look forward to getting answered in the coming weeks.
Director Anjum Shehzad deserves applause for telling this beautiful story so sensitively. Aamina Shaikh and Adeel Hussain are exceptional, and do full justice to their roles, as does the rest of the supporting cast. A recent online review criticized this serial as slow and with no meat in the story. To those critics, I can only say that there are numerous other serials with plenty of drama and action, let this one be for those who appreciate a mature love story that unravels leisurely as it explores the intricacies of marital life.
Written by S Z ~
