Jo tu Khalu se maang raha hai, wohh cheez tujhe Rabb se miljayegi. Love has the power to change people. Khalil is struggling with his volatile temper because he cannot make sense of Khala’s blatant rejection. I liked how he turned to namaaz to find some form of inner peace after that not-so-pleasant visit to see his beloved. The supporting cast has been very effective in taking the story forward and helping the characters discover themselves- Molvi Sahab’s soft words of encouragement was an interesting insight into a compassionate religious figure who is not blind to the power of love. Time and again we see skewed representations of Molvis that only add to our ever-growing feelings of apprehension. Shano is shown to be Allah-waali; her faith in Allah supercedes everything else. I think it is her faith in destiny that keeps her strong. There’s no denying that they are in love, yet their definition of love is not the romanticized version that has a strong, sometimes even overpowering element of lust attached. Shano trusts Khalil and Khalil in turn respects her and would never think of doing anything that could potentially taint her reputation. Kaptaan’s suggestion that Khalil elope with Shano is not only unthinkable but he considers it her beyadbi.
While Rasheeda continues to mock her, Shano tries to bridge the gap between them. She tries to hint at being friends with her mother. Shano knows that her mother will not allow this union to take place but more than her own pain, she doesn’t want to see her mother suffer. Rasheeda hasn’t made peace with her past; a past that continues to remain a mystery since she has never openly spoken about it. She feels that she was wronged- by her brother-in-law Sadiq, by her sister Inayat and by her saabqa mangaitar Abdul Rehman. She considers herself as a victim of circumstances and has been unable to overcome that dark chapter in her life. She plays her husband like a puppet, keeps a strict environment at home with her children- often lashing out at them to release her frustrations. This woman clearly has issues. Perhaps what was most disturbing was seeing her traumatize her son- behen ke ashiq se paise laiga, dalaali karega uski!
Khalil’s parents rely on Dr. Maqsood to keep Khalil in check. I think Doctor is a reliable intermediary and seems to genuinely care for the people who have so openly welcomed him into their family. Interpersonal relationships are a strong suit of Khalil ur Rehman Sahab. I love how he establishes not just the main characters but even the supporting ones. The end result is wholesome, well-etched characters with varying shades of grey that could represent any one of us, making them far more believable. When Abdul Rehman reacted with a sudden outburst, Dr. Maqsood calmed him down- yeh mohabbat se kuch upar ki baat hai; upar koi connection milgaya hai unka… Court marriage karaado un dono ki. At first, Abdul Rehman was opposed to the idea since he considers Shano as his own daughter but knowing that Khalil is at a stage where he is willing to do anything for her, he considers this as a plausible solution.
In retrospect, today’s episode seemed like the calm before the storm. There were some deep, almost filmi dialogues- Jahan daleel khatam hoti hai wahan se uski mohabbat shuru hoti hai; Shano bohut zaroori hai uskey liye; jaisey zinda rehney ke liye saans lena zaroori hai… Shano’s singing only added to the filmi quotient. I quite like the balance of satire/ humour. Yet another gratifying episode in my opinion and one that makes me look forward to the next especially seeing the promo that hints at a new entry. Allah reham karey uss becharey pe!
P.S. Our fabulous Sadaf is away on holiday so I’ll be filling in until she returns.
Kanwal Murtaza
