Hayeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Ashraf ai ki kitta tu nay?! We all kept thinking something huge had to happen to jolt Ashraf out of his madness and well, here it is! One reader had commented on an earlier review that Hammad might die and Ifrah would think Ashraf was responsible so I would not be very honest if I said I did not expect something bad to happen to Hammad but I was really shocked that it did happen and the way it happened!
For all of Ashraf’s ‘Hammad would steal everything that belonged to Ashraf or Ashraf had a right to’ we learn from their last conversation that Hammad would go to his older brother after everyone had gone to bed to offer him whatever they had fought over. I did snort though when Ashraf says yeah well you have come empty handed this time and I thought what the hell? Was he supposed to bring a heavily pregnant Ifrah and dump her on Ashraf as a peace offering?! Anyways, Hammad truly believed his brother was not evil and wished he would give himself a chance and show how good a human he could be. I also got the feeling that he craved for Ashraf to make peace not just for the sake of the atmosphere of the house but because he really loved Ashraf, despite all the hatred Ashraf seemed to show to Hammad.
When he tells Ashraf he will go away and take his wife with him and never show face again I thought maybe something would happen to Hammad when he leaves for training. No way did I expect him to fall off the roof!! Literally!! True, Ashraf did not push him with the intent to push him down and kill him but as far as facts go, Ashraf DID push him and that push DID send Hammad down to his death so jitna bhi we say Ashraf did not mean to – he still was responsible. It does not help matters that Ifrah saw him when she looked up and their father witnessed the push.
I was quite interested in Ashraf’s reaction. When Saira had ‘committed suicide’ and lay in the hospital fighting for her life he was still Ashraf – angry and feeling no remorse or worry that his sister may die. That was when I thought that he really does hate his family and is beyond feeling any love for them. But his shock, the tears, the expressions show he is shaken by Hammad’s death and probably more so because he is being held responsible for it.
I have to admit, I shed a few tears in that episode. I never thought I would say this but Maha Warsi really made me feel for her character. A young widow, expectant mother and when she says to Ashraf ‘meray bachay ko yateem kar diya’ I thought, haye, the kid who is not even born yet – and already without a father! The whole scene of her hugging that teddy however was pointless and I do not know why it was such a long scene. True, teddy was important because it was part of their last conversation but it did not make much of an impact – the scene between teddy and Ifrah, not poor teddy itself! Saboor Ali’s wailing was cringeworthy and when she yelled ‘Allah Allah’ I literally winced. That hoarse shouting did not work for me at all – I just wish Sufiyan ki kahin transfer ho jaye and he takes Saira kahin boht duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur!
Noman Ijaz was flawless as the older brother grieving for his baby brother – but not being to do so openly. I liked how the father does not turn against Ashraf yet. It is only natural that having lost one son he was not going to say to all that Ashraf was responsible and should be hanged. Likewise when the sisters are mourning Hammad and Rabab says we have lost one brother and she did not want to lose the other, I could understand how the feelings of the family are divided. On the one hand, they knew Ashraf hated Hammad, heck Ashraf did not waste a single chance to express his hatred so it was so easy to believe that the fatal push was intentional. However, on the other hand, Ashraf is family, and I could also understand how they did not want him to hang especially as it is not as if Ashraf is doing a celebratory war dance over Hammad’s death and seems to be totally devastated himself.
Revenge is sweet, maybe bitter sweet, but here revenge took matters into its own hands and dealt a blow so intense I do not see how Ashraf will ever be able to redeem himself in front of his family or ever escape the burden of what his actions resulted in. He may repent, grieve, beg Ifrah’s forgiveness but I do not see how he will ever be able to shake off the image or the guilt of being his brother’s murderer, even if all of them ever forgave him.
However, Ifrah has channelled her grief towards her own revenge. She is seeing red now and will not rest till she has justice – and Ashraf hangs. Ashraf is locked up in prison, facing his own demons. I wonder if from now on the drama will focus on Ifrah’s revenge (aakhir woh nikli auraton ki Ashraf – first he was bent on revenge, now her) which will finally lead to Ashraf being sentenced to death. Or will he be released from prison soon and then turn over a new leaf?
How many of you watched these episodes and shed a few tears like I did? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Kunwal Javid
