Well, cat’s got my tongue. Or had. And took it for a long walk. Which was just as well for when I finished watching the last episode, I needed to sit still and mute for some time while my thoughts on the other hand were scampering all over the place! One thought that does stand out and that I walk away with at the end of this drama is how almost every female character in this drama was either pushed, prodded, bullied until the point she could take it no more and let it be known in her own way that she had reached her threshold.
I sat with my heart in my mouth as Paashi’s story reached its end. Literally. As Raaska later said to Paro ‘kaleja moo ko a gaya’. I felt the same – bas language was different. But jokes aside, even though I had my reservations over believing how easily Paashi came to such a decision, I can however easily believe how this may not seem an extreme end for her. Teenagers are impressionable – watching that movie, over-romanticizing the feelings she believed she had for Kaashi coupled with deluding herself into believing that she can not give up Kaashi and can not expect her parents to understand, she felt like she was doing the most noble and tragic thing for their love. So so twisted yes, but sadly so much more realistic than we may care to let ourselves believe for I had heard of the random similar incident or two as a teenager and so there you have it. However, I did think Paashi had more spunk and fire in her and so I did not see how a character like hers would easily come to such a decision.
Paro’s undoing was her daughter’s death. Bhaijaan’s rejection enraged her so much that she changed from a woman who could not dream of harming anyone to a ‘daayen’ – her own words. She took her anger out on Paashi thinking she could beat the notion of love out of her young mind so she did not go through what she herself did. At least that is what I am assuming she was thinking. When she realised she went too far in her verbal diarrhea session with Anwaar Sb, she tried to retrace her steps and pick up her life that suddenly seemed to be crumbling round her but it was too late. With Paashi gone, the last shreds of her composure and any other feelings of revenge and anger she may have had all vanished as she was reduced to a woman who can not face another day living with the thought that she drove her daughter to take her own life.
Jahan Ara too had been the epitome of self suffering, sacrifice and patience. Until she began to realise the truth behind the rumour that she had been ‘sold’ into marriage to MJ. And like she said, ‘woh baat chubb gayi hai’ and try as she might – she could not go ahead with the marriage. When Almas implored her to think of her and her family, I thought she might give in – true Jahan Ara style, but I felt admiration when she pushed Almas’ hands away from her and walked out. She chose a rather difficult path for herself thereon but seemingly the most practical and legal one. I am assuming hers and Yasir’s is a happy ending, although maybe not immediately so.
So, yes – all our suspicions about Anwar and Tajwar Bi seemed to be true and Tajwar Bi seemed to finally not be able to hold back her jealousy and descended on Nimo in a fit of rage. Mushtari’s response to Raaska later about Nimo not wanting to get married leaves very little else to imagination and I am a bit taken aback at this particular train of thought that the writer decided to play with in a drama that was doing so amazingly well otherwise. I watched this drama online with earphones so nobody in my family had to witness or listen to these interactions but for those of us who watched this with family I can imagine it must have been uncomfortable and I can only wonder why it was there in the first place. Oh well. Tajwar Bi loses her senses – and 25 lakhs at the same time.
Although Almas’ greed propelling her to agree to Jahan Ara being ‘sold’ is not justified, this too was another case of a woman who had suffered due to her husband’s whims and half baked business plans and when she felt she could take it no more, she was presented with a solution that was like killing two birds with one stone – financial security and Jahan Ara permanently out of Yasir’s life. Seems like Siraaj and Almas came out the winners with their happy ending. They managed to have their cake and eat it too, so to speak. Pocketed 25 lakhs and did not have to go through with Jahan Ara’s marriage or deal with Tajwar Bi when Jahan Ara left for Tajwar Bi (conveniently for Siraaj & Almas) along with her mother and brother has been escorted to a mental institution by her stepbrother.
Erum finally restored my belief in dramas depicting at least some level of reality. There was only so much she could take and sensing that things would not – could not change- she did what seemed to be the sensible thing to do and decided she had had enough and walked out of the marriage. I liked how she did not weep and cry or wail how ‘barbaad ho gayee hai’. A small part of me did hope Taabish may realise he had some feelings for her and only acted the way he did by being spurned on by his mother (probably what Erum had also hoped for which is why she stuck in that marriage for so long) but then another part of me is also relieved and pleasantly surprised to see how Erum’s track showed it is not okay, no matter what the reason, to put your wife through everything Erum went through.
Aaaaaand – that’s a wrap. A drama that drew me in with its witty dialogues, amazing acting, interesting storylines running simultaneously left me with a heavy-ish heart in the end. Yes, there were the happier endings – those of Erum’s and Jahan Ara’s – yet they were tinged with bittersweet and sad feelings too. I even felt bad for Paro who was left planning her own death. The dialogues in the last episode although not witty were no less impressive though, especially Paro’s conversation with Raaska and when Paashi spoke to her mother in her final days I felt my eyes well up.
I normally watch a drama without looking for any underlying messages but I can not help wonder at the message (s) if any the writer tried to put across. Anwaar Sb’s taunt to Paro about her not loving Paashi pushed her to find love elsewhere. Young minds being impressionable and well, young and immature need to be dealt with care and love. What one may believe to be right or wrong as a parent is alright to try to instill in their children’s minds but how do you go about getting your point across. An emotion as intense as revenge pushed Paro to destroy herself and everything that truly mattered to her. What I liked most about this play was how each character – well most of them were female so I will focus on that- although helpless in a way was not a wailing banshee whose sole purpose in life was to cry buckets. They suffered but all fought back in one way or the other. I have praised the drama enough in my overview so will not risk repeating myself but I will say that with a storyline(s) which was unique yet not so unique, this was definitely one of the actually good dramas I have watched.
I am sure we all have different (or not) thoughts about how the drama ended. There could have been a different way to end Paashi’s track is what I feel and I guess she was made to die so as to completely break Paro. And I would have preferred a more definite end to Yasir’s and Jahan Ara’s story but having seen the way it played out in this episode, I am content with this too. What did you all think – would love to hear your thoughts
Kunwal Javid
