I had hoped that after overhearing Kulsoom narrate her nightmares to Meher Nigar, Haroon would finally snap out of his obedience coma but things just spiralled out of control for Kulsoom. Haroon alerted Habibullah just in time and Habibullah knew only too well how Bibi would react to Kulsoom’s story. And in the end that’s exactly what it ended up being- just a story of a girl who was forced into submission and who no one was ready to believe.
After Habibullah faked harming himself, Bibi did what was expected- dethroned Kulsoom and sent her off to live like the rest of her handmaidens. The exception here was that Habibullah convinced Bibi to cut off all ties with Kulsoom and yet retain her in slavery. No matter how hard she tries, she never gets through to the people who seem to be completely in awe of Peer Habibullah. He is an illusionist and a highly successful one at that. What surprised me was Kulsoom’s resilience- she didn’t shed a tear or complain about her new situation but accepted it with grace- she was relieved in a way to know that at least by being surrounded by the rest of the help and sharing their chambers, she would manage to save her self from being violated by Habibullah.
Bibi still has a soft corner for Kulsoom but at the same time, she is too deeply in love with Habibullah to think that he would be capable of such deception. I would like to see Bibi take a stand for Kulsoom after the reality of her Peer finally hits her. I hate to see how he’s exploiting everyone with such ease and would really like to see him become a victim of karma. Wali is another character who irks me to no end- he is pure evil and is solely driven by his own personal gain. Wali’s schemes to neutralize the threat of both Haroon and Bilal will eventually drive away Kulsoom which is certainly not something Habibullah will agree too- his desire to have Kulsoom may just be the reason why Haroon and Bilal get a new lease on their lives.
Tahira may finally be coming to her senses although her dependency on her Peer may prove to be a greater challenge than she expected. Meher Nigar tried to awaken her soul to the reality of her daughter but Rabiya’s presence doesn’t help! It’s interesting to note that all of these people are so afraid of the wrath of the Peers as if he controls their destiny! The only thing he truly controls is their minds and their weak hearts and that seems to be enough for him to reign supreme. Habibullah has become even more powerful now that Bibi is an emotional mess. I am not liking this side of Bibi at all- she’s no longer he woman she started out as.
I liked Kulsoom’s reality check with Haroon- not that it’s going to make a difference but it’s still inspiring to see her try to make him rethink his priorities. I must say that even though it’s been 24 weeks, my interests haven’t dwindled. I would like to see more of Bilal thought- that will remain my only complaint.
What are your thought?
Kanwal Murtaza