Shaak, betrayals, badlaa. The seeds of suspicion have been sown and looks like we will be reaping in the misunderstandings for a long while. It was a strong episode in terms of performances and the contrast between the way in which the couples communicate.
Mahum lets the cat out of the bag, or should I say unicorn since most of the yarn she is spinning is spiced with her rainbow coloured imagination. Seriously, with friends like this, who needs enemies? Oh how I longed to rap Mahum and Atif on the knuckles and tell them to keep their crystal visions in check.Dropping wide hints interspersed with incredulousness at Seherish’s naivety, she twists the tale to fit the contours of her own twisted mind and has the already depressed and down Seherish mired in feelings of betrayal and distrust.
While Sania resolves to separate professional and personal life, things unravel on the home front. (Though I keep wondering where her full time help is hiding?) Ali and his mother are now playing their stereotypes to full effect: The trouble inciting saas goading her authoritarian son to rein in his wife. Sigh. Okay, so he is an authoritarian male, and his ego can’t handle his wife working and son answering back but he is a hair’s breadth short of turning into caricature. Clearly cast as the bad guy, how much more interesting would he be if he had an inner life? Maybe he’s the world’s best chocolate milkshake maker or storyteller or even a kind word for his wife would help give him more dimension.
As for the other little man in the equation, I loved how Rumi tried to stand up for his mother. Khuda ke liye, someone please give this boy a hug! Just one big bear hug without any lengthy dialogue-baazi. Just that one gesture can say so much – though admittedly this time the dialogues rang true.
Though I do have to say, the sharpest and pithiest dialogues were between Sania and Ali – pehle use pyar karna seekhain…taking care of your mother is your responsibility…you never thought to ask me – not because of my degree but because of I am your wife. Some fine writing that. I really like the fact that Sania has a healthy dose of self-respect. Both Gibran and Sanam were especially good at these scenes and even though they played it in a crescendo compared to ‘Sham and Sehrish’s halting conversations in a minor key, it worked to emphasize the contrast.
Even though Sania and Ali are yelling and screaming they are voicing their expectations much of it in the open. ‘Sham and Seherish, on the other hand, are tentative and stumbling as they try to work through the hurt. Couple that with Seherish’s suspicions and ‘Sham’s reticence and despite trying to move forward, they seem to be drifting further apart. Both Aisha and Adeel really complement each other and the little things about their interactions- reaching out and being rebuffed is so true to life.
Waiting for the next installment.
MM (aka A musing Muslim)
