Har kaam mauqay pe ho toh acha lagta hai… Was this the mauqa Rasheeda was waiting for all along? She was sure Shano would run away- she knew exactly how this would play out. It’s almost as if she masterminded the entire thing. Chal ab tu bhi ja, tera kaam khatam hogaya hai… What good could possibly come of this? Who’s side was Rasheeda on? What does she have to gain? I would find it impossible to believe she had a change of heart and wants her daughter to end up with the man she loves. Especially seeing how Rasheeda still clings on the memories of times gone by. Samiya Mumtaz has been phenomenal as the ruthless and manipulative Rasheeda! Going by her flashback, Rasheeda was very much in love with Abdul Rehman- or at least, her version of love, anyways! In contrast to Rasheeda, Shano’s love has the sort of pakeezgi Rasheeda never experienced. Shano’s faith in Khalil, her inner peace, all stem from her belief in God. She never loses sight of her ibaadat– even when she was being forced to consent to a Nikah against her wishes, she performed wudhu before going to get ready. Is Rasheeda gambling on Shano seeing Khalil for the selfish man that he is and eventually coming back? Is this why she was happy with the news of her daughter escaping in the middle of the night, moments before her nikah?

Tonight’s episode had KuR’s signature filminess and the preview for next week, promises another equally exciting episode. The band, baaja, baraat made their way hoping for a warm welcome and a jhat pat nikah but instead, they were humiliated with the news of the runaway bride. I was sure that despite her cool exterior, Shano would happily put her neela tota to use and sacrifice herself in the name of love. However, with the help of her trusted accomplice Humaira, Shano managed to sneak out and made her way next door where Khalil was waiting for her. Their nikah is scheduled to take place at their Naani’s place in Bhanu Pindi. But as we saw last week, someone isn’t too keen on this nikah taking place and sends over an informer to Thekedaar Amin.

Molvi Sanaullah refused to partake in the nikah– nasiq hai wohh nikah jismey larki ki marzi na shamil ho… He tried one last time to convince Amin that Khalil would be a suitable match for Shano and would keep her happy- bari sachi lagan hai uski… Amin agreed to Mushtaq’s proposal based on Rasheeda’s confidence that Shano will not refuse- he questioned her ploy but agreed to it if all else fails. I can’t help but feel sorry for Amin- while he is trying his best to marry his daughter off to keep his wife happy, she takes time out to reminiscence of her time with Abdul Rehman. Puraaney taaluq ko torna nahin chahiye... So Shano and Khalil are all set for their big day while Mushtaaq and his father’s policemen are going to do everything in their power to stop it. Let’s see how this ends! The entire episode had a morbid feel to it- the darkness only added to the feeling of impending doom… It’s time to start wrapping this up although I’m dreading the almost predictable ending…

Kanwal Murtaza