So this episode had us wondering throughout and then ended leaving us still guessing – what is Hassan’s secret? He is adamant to tell Mehru ‘everything’ even though Junaid discourages him to do so.
Ah, but let me not digress from a much more pressing issue first – Alia ko susraal mein rehna chahyay tha ya phir Ami kay ghar? And the sinister music (punctuated strangely by the sound of crickets chirping!!) in the background when Haider rings Alia and then when he goes to her mother’s house suggests Alia should have stayed put in her susraal. I feel this issue (if it really was an issue) could have gone either way and should have been fine. I honestly did not get what the big deal was but then I do realize that things like these do become bones of contention in our society. She could have chosen to stay and joined the patrol at the hospital because yes she was now part of the ‘Hassans’ but then everyone was at the hospital and what was she to do alone in a new home about which she knew nothing of (as she had not even spent one night fully there). If she was staying at her parent’s house then at least the Hassans did not need to worry about her. Plus she was in the same city. However, the way her mother controls the situation and would not let her directly answer her husband was out of line and also the fact that Alia did not go visit her father in law at the hospital after the first night was a bit odd.
Anyhow, moving on, when Hamza rings Zaina from the hospital and the way Zaina hesitates to answer Hamza’s phone shows us that she wants to keep a distance but at the same time is interested in Hamza and ends up answering the call. Alishba’s outburst was out of line but I suppose will contribute to Zaina giving Hamza the cold shoulder for a while.
Saima (I still do not know the name of her character) seems to be quite lost. It appears that she zones in and out of the world and also takes medication to help with her ‘condition’. I really found the scene between her and Imran Aslam very touching. I liked his conversation with Zaina earlier when he tells her he does not allow hatred and bitterness to engulf his being and says she should not either. He appears to be sensible and I feel he is perfect for his role. The flitting dementia that seems to affect Saima and her not knowing whether she ate or not resulting in her son saying he would feed her with his own hands so he would know she ate was a bit filmy and dramatic I know but still it brought a lump in my throat as they both looked so convincing as mother and son, with the OST playing beautifully in the background.
Hamza, with his constant need to express gratitude of dosti and confide in Minahil about his love, and then Saman’s constant brain washing has Minahil’s head floating in the clouds. Uff how annoying is Saman (Huma Nawab). Waisay ever since Huma Nawab has made a comeback in dramas I just do not like the roles she has been portraying and her acting in general. Khair, Saman really needs a hobby and no, I do not mean matchmaking for her Minahil!
Hassan tries to tell Mehru all but gets interrupted. The scene between Mehru and Hassan was very sweet and natural. He feels his end is near and wants to make sure she has no grievances against him. Waisay kia hai that he needs to tell Mehru? I could almost physically feel the burden on his chest! We get he wants to tell her something but what is it that it is being dragged out so much? I felt like saying bhai, Mehru ko baad mein batatay rehna magar pls ab pehlay mujhay bata do! Spit it out already!
Overall, the episode was alright. I suppose we are all being given further insight into the characters and their personalities. I do like Affan Waheed normally but his hey what’s up roles are getting a bit monotonous. Again, as I mentioned in one of my other reviews, the pairing of actors seems a bit awkward sometimes as in Bheegi Palkein (A Plus), Affan Waheed and Faryal Mehmood are siblings and here Faryal Mehmood is falling (fallen?) in love with him. Is there no way, my layman mind wonders, that actors/actresses can somehow not commit to projects that are aired at the same time.
Last week, the preview we saw for this episode was misleading as it showed the demise of Hassan but even though it seems his end is near, he was still alive when the episode ended. Samina Peerzada is a delight to watch and I love her in this avatar. The senior actors, especially Usman and Samina Peerzada seem to be stealing the show and although Khalid Malik, Sana Askari, Affan Waheed, Neelum Munir and Faryal Mehmood seem to be doing their bit, nothing about their acting or characters stand out yet. Maybe it is too early to judge. I am waiting to find out what Hassan is hiding and looking forward to the scenes between Samina Peerzada and Saima, both being wonderful actresses in my opinion. I loved all the theories brought up in the comments on my last review – but this episode has left me none the wiser! How did you find this episode and the drama so far? Please do share your thoughts!
Kunwal Javid
