Overconfidence in one’s abilities or in one’s self in general can land people in situations they could never have imagined and quite often if the person is open minded enough or is over confident for long enough it can also lead to self discovery and also enables you to look at people more objectively in the long run. Zaroon’s overconfidence is what made him take up Kashaf as a challenge and he has no idea what he is getting himself into. There is a reason why it is believed that overconfidence can have great motivating value, just look at the enthusiasm with which Zaroon is trying to woo Kashaf. Zaroon thinks that it will take Kashaf only one week to fall for his charm but any objective viewer can tell that Kashaf is going to be a tough nut to crack.
After Maria tells Zaroon that Kashaf has a very low opinion of him and she couldn’t care less about him or his friends Zaroon considers it his ‘duty’ to prove her wrong, even if that meant apologizing to Kashaf and bearing some more insults from her with a smile on his face. At this point I think that Zaroon is making a total fool out of himself and I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying it! His opinion about Kashaf is so wrong but how would he know that since Zaroon can never be wrong about any girl….that is why they say that overconfidence is bad thing because it indulges people in wishful thinking and Zaroon is the king of wishful thinking! It was rather strange the way Maria tells Zaroon what Kashaf thinks about him right on his face since she is very fond of him but I guess she holds her ‘friend’ dearer. Zaroon’s apology lifts a big burden off of Kashaf’s shoulder but she can’t help but wonder what exactly is the reason behind Zaroon’s sudden change of behaviour. I must say though that the burden being relieved factor would have been more relatable if we had seen a few more encounters between the two.
It was actually inspiring to see Kashaf’s sisters tutoring children in order to earn the much needed money. A family like Kashaf’s can find their way out of anything since they do not believe in relying on anyone else but exploit their own abilities to the maximum. And the great thing is that we never see these girls complaining, they consider it their duty to help their mother out and do not expect anything to be served to them on a silver platter. I am certain that there are many families out there who work hard day and night to make ends meet with their heads help up high, in fact there are many such women around me who walk miles to tutor children and toil hard to stand on their own. Kahsaf’s desire to change the way things are not just for her mother but her sisters as well is what motivates her to do her best in her studies and that is probably why she is rewarded too.
Today for the first time Sara started the conversation with Zaroon and we all got to find out more about her relationship with her fiancé and also about how she expects her relationship with him to be. I agree with Zaroon that both the partners should work in order to make a relationship last but Sara believes that she does not need to compromise. Zaroon’s opinion about women in general comes from what he has observed in his household and that may also be the reason why he likes women running after him, call it a reaction!
Although Murtaza would gladly leave Rafia alone but his second wife just won’t let him be. The most startling part was when Murtaza blames Rafia for his brother not giving him his due share from the money he got from selling the house, the man is completely blinded and no matter how hard Rafia and his daughters try to stay out of his way, he will always find some excuse to blame them for everything that goes wrong with his life. Rafia is an easy punching bag for him and he makes the most of it! He dare not blame his second wife for anything because she won’t allow it. Rafia maybe economically independent but she also wants the society’s “consent” and it is a fact that leaving Murtaza, no matter how useless he maybe, will only cause more problems for her. Besides, for women like Rafia it is not that easy to leave their husbands. I think the portrayal of Murtaza and Rafia is perfect. No doubt Murtaza is just ‘naam ki chaoun” but like Rafia says “darwaza band kurne ke lie thori si himat ki zarurat hoti hai”.
I have to say that I am glad that I have not read the novel since that saves me from continuously comparing the play with the novel. I think Zindagi Gulzar Hai till now has proven to be quite engaging; in fact I think it is one of the best plays on air right now minus the never ending and unnecessary scenes of Muratza’s second wife in particular. I am definitely looking forward to more of Zindagi Gulzar Hai and enjoying it thoroughly. Kashaf and Zaroon both are very interesting characters and the story is unfolding nicely.
Fatima Awan.
