Zaroon I pity your thinking and you deserved every word of the insult that came your way today. Zaroon is a very chota admi for sure and he proved it today. That was one conversation which Kashaf should not have overheard, I really felt for her since she joined the university to study so that she could help her mother out of her misery but because of his own petty reasons a spoiled rich boy decided to take Kashaf up as a challenge and that just made things even more difficult for her. Kashaf totally won me over today, she was absolutely right about Zaroon and I am even happier now that she did not give into Zaroon’s charm. Zaroon has met his match for sure, the one week deadline must be ending soon enough and Zaroon is nowhere near achieving his ‘objective’. Kashaf has an answer to all of Zaroon’s questions and more. Zaroon was so right in comparing Kashaf to a jigsaw puzzle; he couldn’t have drawn a more apt analogy. Anyone who enjoys assembling jigsaw puzzles would know that a puzzle seems even more appealing when it is very complicated and once you put all the pieces together the satisfaction you feel is unmatchable. Kashaf is the most complicated girl (jigsaw puzzle) Zaroon has ever come across and he will do anything to put all the pieces together!

Zaroon completely lost my vote today and For once I have to say that I agree with what Asmara had to say about Zaroon, he is a hypocrite, he is not sure if he wants to get engaged to Asmara but at the same time he won’t tell her to go on with her life and get married if she wants to. Until the last episode I thought that Zaroon just needed to grow up but boy was I wrong or what! Zaroon needs to learn a few lessons about girls in particular in life and Kashaf is the one who will teach him all those lessons the way he should be taught! When Asmara asks Zaroon about inviting Kashaf to Sara’s wedding, he tries to change the topic by saying “Maria ko tu buk buk krne ki adat hai” before he tells her that he did invite Kashaf, another reason why Zaroon lost my vote today. He does not even have the guts to say yes I did invite her so what!

Fawad Khan was at his best when he was fuming after the confrontation and Sanam Saeed owned the confrontation scene; Kahshaf’s instant reaction when she overheard the conversation and the way she pushed Zaroon was absolute delight to watch, action packed and exciting. I must give due credit to the director Sultana Siddiqui for doing a wonderful job of directing that scene in particular and the whole episode in general. And of course the scene could not have been so perfect and the story so interesting if it wasn’t written so well, so a very special thanks to Umera Ahmed for penning down another exciting play for us.

Osama constantly kept on reminding Zaroon that he was wrong and I could not help but wonder how he managed to be friends with Asmara and Zaroon for this long. He seems like a decent boy and not a spoiled rich brat with lots of money and no feeling like his friends. Osama you need to find yourself some good friends! Osama’s friendship with Asmara and Zaroon is somewhat the same as Maria’s friendship with Kashaf; two people who are entirely different from each other.

Kashaf’s feelings after the incident were completely relatable. She is a girl who holds her self-respect dearer than anything else and even after trying so hard to earn herself a respectable position in the university, there is absolutely nothing she can do to change the thinking of men like Zaroon. What she does not understand is that what Zaroon said about her said more about him than about her. Kashaf is the sort of person who reacts first and thinks later and that is exactly what happened this time around too. She decided to leave the University but it only took her a couple of days to realize that her decision was wrong. Kashaf is all set to go back to the university with the same confidence and assurance, you go girl!

There were no Nigar/Murtaza scenes today so I am sure there are many happy viewers out there who did not miss these two one bit. There was however mention of Nigar and Murtaza and I am sure we can all live with that! Rafia finds out about Murtaza spending the money on the house and is rightly heart broken. Kashaf will do her mother proud one day and I am wating for that day impatiently.

Mansha Pasha deserves praise for doing full justice to her role as Sidra and like always Sidra proved to be a great listener. The scenes with the two sisters in them were perfect and are a very important part of very episode.

The precap suggests that things move forward quickly in the next episode and I am impatiently looking forward to the next installment. Today’s episode was engaging and exciting and I have a feeling that Zindagi Gulzar Hai will keep us looking forward to more.

Fatima Awan.

This episode was picture perfect right from the first scene to the last one, In fact it was so mesmerizing that I am still spell-bound and am hoping that I will do a fine job with writing this review! This is one episode which I am going to watch over and over again. Although all the scenes in today’s episode were enthralling but dare I say that the most captivating part of this episode had to be Zaroon’s live performance. The overall atmosphere was perfect, the crowd looked very ‘genuine’ too and the response was equally honest, it did not look like anything that was staged or directed but seemed more like a scene from a real concert.

Today’s episode was simply flawless; the acting, direction and the dialogues all deserve special praise. Now we know for sure that when Zaroon is out to get something (someone!) he won’t care about what people think about him, that particular rule only applies to all the women in his life. When Zaroon openly supported Kashaf in the class and then literally begged her to accept his gift, I found it difficult to believe that this was the same person who lectured her sister for coming home late saying that she should be more careful because she had to consider what the servants in the house may feel about her coming late! Zaroon could not care less what the entire college thought about him going out of his way to be friends with Kashaf, I have to say he is very focused indeed! No matter how often Asmara tells Zaroon to stop being so “nice’ to Kashaf, there is absolutely no stopping him. After all he has a “deadline” to meet! So what if people around him think ke Zaroon Kashaf mei buhat dilchaspi leta hai. Fawad Khan is spot on as Zaroon and was brilliant as usual.

For a change today it was delightful to see Asmara too since she got exactly what she deserved both from Zaroon and Kashaf. Kashaf telling Asmara off was music to my ears and it was good to see Kahsaf showing that kind of confidence even though she does not think very highly of herself when she compares herself to Asmara. Kashaf clearly says to her sister that Asmara was perfect in every way, “Usey tameez ki zarurat nahi hai, tameez ke beghair bhi vo buhat khush hei”. Kashaf’s opinion about the rich people in the world is almost laughable and sometimes too cute. I have never enjoyed Kahsaf/Sidra scenes more, the way Kashaf shares everything with her sister was so relatable. I am sure there are so many sisters out there who share every tiny detail of their university/college life with each other like this on daily basis. Sanam Saeed is doing a great job of playing a rather difficult character; I absolutely love her as Kashaf.

Zaroon’s dialogue about ‘aqalmundi wali muskurahat’ was also one that made me smile. He thinks he is so clever and is doing a brilliant job of fooling everyone around him, not to mention that in the process for now he is making a complete fool of himself. Kashaf is giving him something to think about and both of them are giving each other sleepless nights. Today Kashaf/Zaroon were at their best and it was well worth the wait.

I am glad that Rafia did not make a very big deal out of Kashaf coming home late with one of her male class fellows. How satisfying was the scene when Kashaf refuses to sit in the front seat with Zaroon and after that the call from Asmara just added to Zaroon’s wounds. I am waiting to see how Zaroon deals with the situation he has got himself involved in now.

The scenes with Murtaza and his family went to show the stark difference between the way he treats Rafia and his daughters and the manner in which he treats his second wife and Hammad.

Today’s episode was extremely engaging and “rewarding”! All the actors did a commendable job and the direction was impressive. I am anxiously waiting to see how the story unfolds now.

Fatima Awan.

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.

Despite of the fact that there were hardly any Zaroon/Kashaf interactions in today’s episode, I enjoyed this latest installment primarily because the acting was top notch and some of the scenes were really cute. My favorite scene from today’s episode had to be the one in which Zaroon asks Sara to stitch his shirt’s button. The conversation made me chuckle and we also found out that Zaroon does not only want a wife who dresses up “appropriately”, is not partying all the time , listens to him but also one who knows how to stitch a broken button! Zaroon tells Sara, “mei aisi biwi le ke nahi aaun ga jise button lagana na ata ho”. Sometimes I really do feel for poor Zaroon, where would he be without the maids in the house. Realistically speaking how many men actually do know how to stitch a button? Non that I know! Why did every conversation today lead to Zaroon’s family convincing him that he was ‘destined” to marry Asmara? Although Zaroon made it clear that he needs time to think things over. There is a very good reason why Sara and Ghazala find absolutely nothing wrong with Asmara. Ghazala even thinks Asmara would be ideal for Zaroon. The statement just went to show how little Ghazala knows about her own son. Ghazala was never there for her children even when they were little and as Zaroon pointed out she was too busy making a career, no wonder Zaroon does not want a wife like Ghazala and Sara. Zaroon may have all the worldly riches one could wish for but there is most surely a big vacuum in his life, he longs for his mother to spend time with him. Sara is quite content with her life and does not expect the same from her mother. Zaroon is always the one who starts the conversation with Sara or shares things with her; we have not seen Sara sharing anything with her brother yet. Most often when the two are talking, Sara is the one who ends the conversation.

Zaroon is very protective about the women in his life, whether it is his mother, sister or Asmra (girlfriend?). Zaroon’s character is very relatable since most men in our society think like that and the truth is that ours is a male dominated society where men can get away with many things which women can’t even imagine venturing into. Women are constantly judged and hardly anyone questions a male for his actions.

Rafia was flawless as usual, I simply love the character and Samina Peerzada has been brilliant right from the start. Rafia does not for a second consider Sajjad’s proposal even though she knows that she will have to pay a very heavy price for refusing the proposal. I was moved to bits when she said, “mei is ghar ke badlay apni beti ki zindagi tabah nahi kur skti”. Rafia has her priorities set very straight and she will not falter no matter what. I did feel that Kashaf may have went overboard when she confronted her father and asked him to  leave them alone but then I was also glad that it may rid Kashaf and her family of Murtaza forever. She was right, he is no real help and Rafia and her daughters are better off without him. The mother/daughter scene that followed was very heart touching.

Kashaf’s complaints towards Allah were overdone in today’s episode and it would have been better if the dialogues were more subtle. I think we all know by now that Kashaf feels that Allah has been unfair to her, saying such things constantly especially when the dialogues are right in your face is not very pleasing.

Zaroon and Kashaf apparently have had regular confrontations in the class but we got to see none of them but only heard about them from Osama, Maria, Kashaf and Zaroon. I wonder why the confrontations were not shown at all since it seems like the story is already going to move forward in the next episode. We heard the gist of it all and I believe the viewers are expected to be content with that. There were so many of us who were looking forward to the confrontation scenes but the precap suggested that the story will move to the next level in the upcoming episode so apparently the heated class discussions between the two were not part of the play at all.

There were many mistakes in Sanam Saeed’s dialogue delivery today where she missed some words from different dialogues and it was a little too obvious that she is not very comfortable with Urdu. Overall, Sanam Saeed did a good job but I think that those few scenes should have been shot again. She looked absolutely beautiful in the close up in which she is resting her head on the table and thinking about how blessed Zaroon and Asmara are.

We only got to hear about Sajjad paying Rafia a visit and the way Rafia told him off, I did feel like the scene was missing from the episode. Although it was not a very important detail but too much of what happened today was more of what we heard from others than watching it ourselves. I am glad though that Asmara’s outfit was not as outrageous as it was meant to be and that particular “detail’ was left to our imagination.

Today’s episode ended at a very exciting note and I am waiting to find out what is it that Sir Ibrar told Zaroon that made him take Kashaf up as a challenge! Kashaf is sure to give Zaroon a very tough time and even though we may have not seen much of Kashaf/Zaroon till now but the next episode promises a lot of both of them together. Overall, even with a few flaws here and there today’s episode was engaging and I am expecting the next episode to be quite happening.

Fatima Awan.

Finally, today we all witnessed the second heated confrontation between Zaroon and Kashaf and I enjoyed every second of it. I really did think though that Kashaf was getting personal and taking something that Zaroon said in general terms, personally too. Zaroon’s statement in the class was not about a certain class but about the nation in general but Kashaf obviously felt he had no right to “label” all Pakistanis since there were people like her in Pakistan too who had worked very hard to get where they were today. Nevertheless, I did feel that it was actually Kashaf who over-reacted and not Zaroon. And I am so glad that the two of them actually have a very good reason now to be infuriated with each other’s behavior and I am also hoping that we will be seeing much more of Kashaf and Zaroon confrontations/interactions in the future episodes as well. Zaroon did say later on that Kashaf always has a problem with whatever he says in the class so lets just ‘assume’ that the two of them have had such heated discussions in the past too.

Ample screen time was given to the Zaroon and Asmara conversations and I must say that I want to see less of Zaroon and Asmara and more of Zaroon and Kashaf. The Zaroon/Asmara scenes are getting highly repetitive already because every time the two talk to each other whether it is on the phone or in the university all we see is a very annoyed Asmara asking Zaroon how much she hates it when he talks to other girls. Well apparently Asmara is not the only one who gets jealous when Zaroon talks to other girls but Zaroon also admitted today that he does not like it when Asmara talks to other boys and Asmara was also surprised to hear that ‘all of a sudden” Zaroon was afraid of commitment. Does that mean that Zaroon made a commitment to her in the past? Well the conversation that the two had in the car suggests that he did not but then he did not exactly tell her that they were just friends but only this that he wants to concentrate on his studies for now. Honestly speaking some of the dialogues were quite misleading and it seemed like a classic Madiha/Rohail scenario! Can I please make a special request to the producers to not cast these two together ever again because I am sure many of us have had more than our fair share of Mehreen Raheel falling for Fawad Khan.

Kashaf dislikes Asmara for being proud and full of herself but at the same time she envies her because she has everything that a girl can wish for and more; good looks and a man who loves her so much (or so she thinks!). Although Kashaf is dead against marriage but the fact is that like any other girl her age she also longs to have someone in her life who would make her feel special too. She thinks that apart from having good looks and money, having someone who loves you is what makes life perfect. When Maria asks Kashaf how she feels about Zaroon, she gives a very honest answer but even Kashaf has a hard time denying the fact that Zaroon is the most good looking boy in the class.

Kashaf’s conversation with her mother today where she asks her mother why she did not leave all her daughters with the father seemed somewhat childish coming from someone like Kashaf, it was very cute and showed how much she cared for her mother but did not seem in line with Kashaf’s character.

Today’s episode was more about Zaroon and Asmara than anyone else, also much of it focused on problems in Kashaf’s household. I would really like to see more of the University life focusing on Zaroon and Kashaf of course. Although till now I have been supporting Kashaf all along but today I felt like Zaroon was justified in feeling that Kashaf was attacking him personally for no reason. He maybe a flirt and have a “loose character’ but I have not seen him bragging about his wealth till now but he is someone who has also worked hard to get where he is today.

Overall, this latest episode lacked the intensity that was there in the past few episodes, maybe because a lot of what happened did not add anything new to the story and gave no new insights into the characters. If I had a choice I would honestly forward the Zaroon/Asmara scenes in particular, they are killing all the fun for me. I am really looking forward to watching the next episode and finding out how the story unfolds and hoping Asmara won’t be around till the end!

Fatima Awan.

When we were introduced to Zaroon’s character in the first episode, the impression that everyone’s comments about Zaroon gave was that he is a very irresponsible person but until now Zaroon comes across as a very responsible individual. He is very conscious about his grades in college, worries about the relationship his parents have and also looks out for his sister in his own way. I fail to understand why everyone tags Zaroon as reckless, in my opinion he is anything but that. It was strange to see Zaroon wonder just why Osama was taking so much interest in a girl like Kashaf who has “average looks, average personality and an average background”, given the fact that it is Kashaf more than anyone else who is the driving force behind Zaroon putting in so much effort into his studies. Zaroon cannot help but add a line or two about this average girl in his diary every night. While Asmara is putting Zaroon to sleep (literally; the scene where they are talking on the phone and he wants to hang up because he is too sleepy all of a sudden) Kashaf’s grades are making him stay up till late so that he can be ahead of the game. I can say with all certainty that although very unconsciously but at this time Kashaf is influencing Zaroon’s life in many more ways than Asmara or any of his other friends. Does Zaroon have double standards or was he merely a stating a fact when he told Sara that it was okay for a man to come home late but not for a girl? I think deep down Zaroon is indeed a very typical man but also one who is extremely sensitive and caring. Asmara made repeated references in this and the previous episodes also of Zaroon’s excessive mingling with girls and just when I started wondering whether there was any truth in what she said, we saw that she indeed was right. I find it rather odd that Zaroon is always complaining about the opposite gender and at the same time he is quite at ease with them too. I guess this man does not know himself as well as he would think he does.

We saw Rafia thinking of all the things her husband and his brother said to her. What I gathered from that particular scene was that while she felt very hurt by what they said but at the same time it seemed like she was also evaluating her own behavior and thinking whether she was actually right in not letting her husband have a say in some of the most important decisions in their daughters’ lives. People like Rafia who are so fair, sensitive and caring always put themselves on the pedestal before they judge anyone else. Rafia’s disapproval of the sifarish her husband sent went to show that she will never compromise on her principles no matter what. All of Samina Peerzada’s scenes were beyond exceptional; she has amazing talent and manages to portray every character assigned to her with ease. Acting comes naturally to her and she is one of those actors in our industry who truly make you feel swollen with pride. The confrontation between Rafia and Murtaza was extremely emotional and the aftermath was even more so. The way Rafia’s daughters come to console her every time their father leaves their mother broken and hurt is so heart touching. These daughters really are a blessing for Rafia and Murtaza is very unfortunate that he fails to give her daughters the love and credit they deserve. Kashaf takes a stand for her mother and I am sure we could all tell that Rafia did not for a second think that what her daughter did was wrong in any way.

Does Kashaf lack basic manners or is she too matter of fact? The way she does not even respond nicely to her “friend’s” questions and also the manner in which she responds to Osama’s apology suggests that whatever Kashaf does is purely unintentional,. Her actions are not meant to hurt anyone, she just does not know better. When Maria tells Kashaf she is “ajeeb”, she does not even think that Maria was talking about her personality and not her appearance. Now that is what I call confidence! Kashaf may question her looks but she never questions her attitude towards people, she feels she has no reason to go out of her way and be nice to people. Maybe because she thinks that everyone else around her is more fortunate than her so it would not make a difference to them whether or not Kashaf is nice to them. The way Kashaf questions her looks later and asks her sister what was wrong with her was another scene that was very well done. I absolutely love the relationship between the three sisters and their mother. Even when Kashaf is confronting her father although her words are harsh but her expressions suggest that she had to muster up all the courage she had in order to confront her father.

Try as they may the fact is that Zaroon and his friends find it impossible to ignore Kashaf. She maybe a very average girl compared to them but she does not give them attention like everyone else does and I think that is getting to everyone more than anything else. Fawad Khan’s expressions in the scene where Osama is apologizing to Kashaf and later on too, made me chuckle; no doubt acting is just as much about expressions as it is about dialogue delivery. I will definitely watch that scene over and over again. I must also add that Sheheryaar Munawar was quite good in today’s episode and he gave me nothing to complain about. I am glad I can look forward to seeing more of him too now.

One more thing we learnt in today’s episode was that Ghazala does not know her son at all. She thinks that Zaroon will happily agree to the engagement. On the other hand the heart to heart conversations that the son and father have often have made Zaroon’s father realize that his son would never marry someone like Asmara.

This was another superb episode of Zindagi Gulzar Hai, everything was perfect like always. The direction is beyond exceptional and a big shout out to all the actors and the entire team for coming up to the expectations of the audience. Umera Ahmed’s script coupled with Sultana Siddiqui’s direction really has made this serial something very special. Like always, I cannot wait for the next episode.

Fatima Awan.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai has it all; outstanding dialogues, flawless direction and brilliant acting. I must start this review by appreciating the director Sultana Siddiqui in particular for a job very well done. The way the day to day lives of the two lead characters have been shown running parallel to each other is just immaculate. Add to that Umera Ahmed’s script and a group of very gifted actors at heir best and you get a masterpiece ready to enthrall you on Friday nights.

Today’s episode opened with Zaroon and his friends sharing with each other how they felt about the new girl who topped the list and told “Zaroon the great” off! While Asmara and Zaroon are amazed at the kind of crowd that makes it to such top universities, Osama likes Kashaf instantly! On the other hand Kashaf’s first impression of the university is that studying with rich people was not such a good idea after all because she can never “compete” with them. At night when kashaf writes her diary she complains to God but she wakes up in the morning with a completely different frame of mind. Kashaf realizes that it would prove to be futile trying to compete with her college mates on the basis of clothes and status so she decides “kuprun pe time nahi lagana, parhai pe lagana hai”. This is what I absolutely love about Kashaf’s character, she may complain about a lot of things in life but at the same time she knows how to make life livable for herself, even against all odds. Zaroon and Kashaf both think about each other while writing their diaries and Zaroon thinks that Kashaf is proud and has no class. I did not quite understand why Kashaf felt that Zaroon insulted her in the class because the poor guy only said hi and did not get a chance to say anything else.

Okay so just when I started feeling that Asmara was acting unreasonable by getting jealous of all the other girls, we saw Asmara and Zaroon’s parents thinking of tying the knot. I have to say that this particular track of the story gives me a very “been there done that” feeling. Both the families and the girl eagerly want this proposal to go ahead but I have a feeling that the concerned boy is not going to jump on the idea (I could be very wrong of course). Why do I think so? Well because Asmara is exactly like Sara and Ghazala and why would Zaroon want to marry someone like that? Zaroon’s conversation with his father and everything else that we have heard from him till now suggests that Zaroon has very conservative ideas when it comes to how a man and a woman should run a household. It is very obvious that the women run the show in Zaroon’s house and the men are somewhat scared of even sharing how they feel about things. The men of the house are actually not allowed to intervene in anything, Ghazala just gets up and goes to Malaysia. Although Zaroon’s father has accepted the way things are, Zaroon would never allow his future wife to do all this to him. I have to say the relationship between all these family members has been very nicely portrayed. Had Ghazala been a housewife, it would have been difficult to understand why she exercises all this control and freedom.

Another big blow to Zaroon’s ego today had to be the C he got in the assignment, now how did that happen? I thought he was a very good student. I thought the scene where Zaroon is more interested in Kashaf’s assignment than his own was a very good addition; so many students do that in real life too. We see Kashaf aiming higher and Zaroon has some serious completion coming his way.

I like how the music from Hadiqa Kiyani’s version of the OST plays in the background in all the scenes with Kashaf in them and Ali Zafar’s version plays in the background in all of the scenes with Zaroon in them. Both the versions are well suited for these two characters that are entirely different from each other.

Today’s episode was engaging and entertaining but I have to say that I would have liked to see more of Zaroon and Kashaf “interactions” in some way. Shehryaar Munawar looks good in this role and I am looking forward to seeing more of him. Fawad Khan was absolutely brilliant in today’s episode and he totally owns the character. I am eagerly waiting to see how the story unfolds.

Fatima Awan.

This episode started off on a very positive note and I really did not see all the fireworks coming. Zaroon and Kashaf’s conversation about good parenting, sharing and not talking about problems was very mature and Zaroon deserved the credit for it completely. He wanted to listen to Kashaf’s problems and do something for her but Kashaf is still too used to solving her problems herself and won’t allow Zaroon to do so for her. The whole “sharing” conversation actually seemed ironic later on in more ways than one! Kashaf was so sure that Zaroon won’t hide anything from her ever …why would she expect that by the way if she believed in leading a “secret life” herself! Does Kashaf have double standards too? Okay that was a joke, lets not even go there!

Of course we all knew that there was going to be a confrontation between the two but I had no idea it was going to be so intense and fiery. Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan both were brilliant in that particular scene and the timing was perfect. Kashaf said everything to Zaroon that she should have said and Zaroon also came out with everything that had been weighing on his mind till now. The confrontation could have been even better if the same issue of “why did I ever get married to you in the first place” did not pop up and Kashaf did not accuse Zaroon of having an affair directly. Kashaf did prove today that she really is too emotional and too insecure for her own good. Zaroon’s reaction to the Osama proposal now seems much less unreasonable considering what Kashaf did today. The accusation just went to prove that deep inside Kashaf still feels the same way about Zaroon as she did years back and had never really learned to trust him fully. Yes Zaroon is a hypocrite, he has double standards but surely a wife should know her husband better. My thoughts are based on what we have seen till now, in the next episode it seems like Zaroon is actually going to be talking to Asmara about his marital problems (Fawad Khan Stop doing that! First Madiha, now Asmara!). That of course is something very very wrong, So, I may have something completely different to say after watching the next episode. I am all for Kashaf walking out on Zaroon but only to teach him a lesson and to make him realize how wrong he was with his double standards, not because she thought he was cheating on her.

Everything that happened in the past few episodes went to show that Kashaf was still in the process of trusting Zaroon without any reservations, so this new revelation came as a rude shock. Kashaf may have walked away from Zaroon but her reaction to the “divorce nightmare” went to show that she was not ready to leave Zaroon. It is obviously not that easy to walk out of a relationship and Kashaf realizes that now.

The most satisfying aspect of today’s episode had to be the way Rafia refused help from Murtaza. Not only this, but Rafia also feels for Murtaza because he managed to ruin his life with his own two hands. She feels she has managed to make the most out of her life whereas Murtaza completely lost everything. I loved the way Rafia explained to Kashaf how she had won and Murtaza was left with nothing. This whole time Rafia was being “polite” to Murtaza only because she felt sorry for him and not because she wanted recognition from him. Today, after so many days I felt the same way about Rafia’s character as I used to in the beginning episodes; absolutely loved the positivity of her thoughts and the way she looks at things.

This episode proved to be very engaging and intense – I guess we all deserved it too! This was a great episode in terms of acting and the direction was excellent too. The only problem I have with the show is ke Kashaf ko shukar ki philosophy abhi tuk samajh nahi aye – wasn’t this shikway se shukar tuk ka safar? It seems like Zaroon and Kashaf’s problems will not be resolved in the next episode…how many more to go?

Fatima Awan

Let me start by confessing that the excitement with which I look forward to the next episode of Zindagi Gulzar Hai every week was completely missing during this week. Honestly speaking I was not exactly looking forward to being disappointed more. The last two episodes of Zindagi Gulzar Hai did not work for me, although there were bits that I enjoyed but they were not the kind of episodes that would make you look forward to more.

Zaroon and Kashaf finally talked about some of the most important things in their lives today. Kashaf makes Zaroon understand that even if two people are married, they still need some breathing space and trusting each other was such an important part of any relationship. Zaroon and Kashaf both were much more mature about everything today which was a relief and the communication between the two was much better than it had been in the previous few episodes. Kashaf may have married Zaroon but she has not completely made him a part of “her” world. The reason for this obviously is that she does not want to be “rait ki dewar” because she is too scared of being led down. I was expecting Zaroon to start another fight over the loan issue but that did not happen – another thing to be thankful for. Kashaf also did not react immediately when she found out that Zaroon had been reading her mail and later on when they talked about the issue, they resolved it like grown ups.

Zaroon shares how he felt about not having a mother by his side when he was young with Kashaf in detail and Kashaf briefly tells him about how difficult it was for her to trust men because of the kind of life she has lived. Kashaf may not write it in her diary or say it out loud but it was very apparent from her behavior that she still isn’t sure if Zaroon will value daughters just as much as a son. Honestly speaking, the last scene did not exactly leave me with anticipation to find out what would happen next because I am quite sure that Zaroon will have absolutely no problem with having two daughters. He will probably have something nice to say about having two daughters.

Ghazala had a complete change of heart today and she pleaded guilty! Kashaf has proved to be a role model for her which goes to show that she isn’t such a bad person after all…at least not even half as bad as Murtaza – the real culprit who seems to have gotten away with everything. Rafia’s reaction when she sees the roses in the living room was actually very cute. She asks Kashaf who bought the flowers and when she tells her that Zaroon brought them, she inquires “kis liye”!! I really felt for her at that point, obviously when you are married to someone like Murtaza such things do strike as odd!

So, Murtaza apologized in the previous episode, handed Hammad over to Rafia and we thought everything was sorted between them but it came as a surprise that Murtaza is not going to help Rafia out with her problems. So, it is still a one way road; Rafia is going to go out of her way and help Murtaza out with his problems but she should not expect Murtaza to do the same for her. It was good however to see Kashaf and Sidrah helping their mother out without even informing her – all parents should have children like that.

How many married men and women out there could relate to the line, “Yeh jo tum poochnay se pehle poochti hun na us se mujhe bara dur lagta hai”?  Apparently, Zaroon will only have coffee dates with Asmara only if he does not have prior commitments with Kashaf and the two are not on good terms with each other.  The preview for the next episode suggests that Zaroon’s ties with Asmara will cause a major rift between Zaroon and Kashaf. I hope that the entire issue is handled nicely and Zaroon finally realizes that in most cases the same rules apply to husband and wife both. I have to say that this episode covered a lot of things but it did seem like too little, too late. The preview for the next episode, however seems very enticing indeed, let’s hope that it delivers. Today’s episode can best be described as the calm before the storm. Please share your views about this recent episode.

Fatima Awan

The clash of egos continued for most part of this latest episode and most of the things that Zaroon said in today’s episode sounded very contradictory. He told his father that the reason he was mad with Kashaf was that she did not ell him about the proposal, after his father talked to him he also accepted that he was the one at fault but later on he told Kashaf that the reason he was so angry was because she had told sir Ibrar everything that had happened. He also said later on that it was her mistake and she should have made the first move and set another rule to guide them through the way!! Zaroon was being completely childish today but it was nothing that was not relatable. I am sure there have been times in everyone’s marriage when one of the partners may act unreasonable and the other one may not be willing to give in too. Sara finally gets married and despite of all their differences, Zaroon and Kashaf manage to put smiles on their faces when they are around people but also exchange meaningful glances whenever they can.

Some of the scenes today were quite nice and I actually found them funny and relatable as well. One of them had to be when Zaroon decides to swallow his pride and tells Kashaf “achi lug rahi ho” but when she doesn’t give him a positive response he decides to cancel the lunch and thinks to himself “itni bhi achi nahi lug rahi, hud hoti hai batameezi ki”. Kashaf and Zaroon made up soon enough when Kashaf tells Zaroon that she was expecting and honestly speaking I was left wondering what was the purpose behind showing the misunderstanding between Zaroon and Kashaf when it was not going to change anything between them or change them in any way.

Kashaf’s pregnancy should have come as a good news to her but try as she may, Kashaf cannot get over what she has gone through all her life, all her life she has been made to feel like a lesser human by her own father  because she was a woman and unconsciously she also thinks now that she needs to have a son in order to be accepted by her In laws and maybe the society, although she knows only too well that Zaroon and his family members are very different from Murtaza but she will need more support from Zaroon. She needs to be assured that Zaroon will be there for their children and in the next episode, Zaroon will do just that.

I agree that Nigaar in no way is the perfect mother; she really is one of those women who spend more time being concerned about what is going on in the neighborhood than what goes on in her own house but Murtaza or Hammad in my opinion were not really in the position to judge her parenting skills. Yes mothers have a big role to play in their children’s upbringing but fathers have a very important role to play as well. Hammad is mature enough to know his own acha bura and he isn’t a little child who needed guidance every step of the way. Muratza showered him with gifts all the time despite of his failing grades and now he holds Nigaar responsible wholly; I would most surely call it scapegoating. “agur meri maan bhi parhi likhi hoti tu mei bhi laik faiq hota” sounded like a very wrong thing to say. Nigar all of a sudden has decided to turn to Rafia for every possible thing. Rafia, no doubt has been an ideal mother in every respect but I wonder if it is such a good idea that now she will be raising Murtaza’s children as well. Finally Murtaza apologized to Rafia and she also said everything to him which she had not said all her life. Rafia’s long struggle has won her the acceptance and recognition that she had never even dreamed of.

I have a question, what did Asmara want to talk to Zaroon about? That particular scene came out of nowhere. And why is it okay for Zaroon to meet her ex fiancé without informing his wife? Doesn’t he owe some “loyalty” to his wife as well? He did question her loyalty to him when he found out about Osama. Anyway I guess we shouldn’t be asking such questions now because it looks like all is good between Zaroon and Kashaf now and it will stay that way.

Today’s episode had a great deal to offer but somehow Rafia’s “triumph”, Zaroon and Kashaf’s patch up, Kashaf winning over her in laws and Sara’s happy ending failed to leave the impact that I was hoping they will have. Share your thoughts about this latest episode.

Fatima Awan

All the sweet rules set to avoid misunderstandings flew straight out of the window along with the romance that happened in the last few episodes. So Zaroon has forgotten his rules completely. He has stopped talking to his wife and is walking away from her, instead of facing the issue bothering him. Poor Kashaf has moved bag and baggage to her new home, and has been welcomed with cold shoulder. She has been accused of not telling Zaroon about Usama’s proposal to her. Never mind, that when she sensed he was preoccupied after meeting Asmara that he never bothered to tell her the truth. Zaroon clearly has double standards even now. The way Osama mentioned the proposal was actually quite annoying-doesn’t he have an ounce of self respect even?

All his double standards have come right back to stare at us in the face. And it does seem that Kashaf is not going to humour him at all. It also seems he is seeking a bit of attention by throwing his tantrums.  Kashaf is very clear on her stance and expectations in the marriage, and is consistently sticking to them. Zaroon told her what was troubling him, she answered his questions, but he still chose to hold on to his getting upset. Kashaf is taking that as him suspecting her, and this is not helping the situation.

But then this is what lack of communication does in any relationship. No words are exchanged and each partner draws one’s own conclusion, and matters get much worse than what it should.

Nigaar’s visit to Rafia’s house didn’t seem genuine to me. It seems she had an ulterior motive of getting her daughters a good proposal. Nigaar is a hopeless case and today she proved it, people like her will do anything to get things done from other people and by the way what was with the ugly eyes shadow lol.

Sara decided to tie the knot in this episode with someone she has known for a very long time and who is very conservative. Sara kept on insisting she could easily adjust with such a man while her mother begged to differ. Sara has learned to compromise and does not think twice before judging her mother. To be told by ones child that one’s marriage is not a good one, is very hurtful, I’m sure, and Ghazala expressed the pain she experienced as an outcome of those conversations. From the beginning, her character has been vague, indicating more often than not that she has not been a good mother, and today, this part of the story was validated clearly.

As with all stories, we all pick up what is relevant to us, or what catches our attention, based on our thoughts and experiences. And therefore it is not fair to judge this episode for all the numerous scenes that were put together.

Every character other than Murtaza was present today. There were a lot of discrepancies in the direction and storyline. I leave it to you to pick what is relevant or not.

The next episode had a trailer or a conversation between Zaroon and Kashaf. It almost looked like banter to me. Apparently there are 3 more episodes to go. Lets hope that everything is wrapped up nicely in the upcoming episodes. Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed were great in this episode but the storyline and direction failed to impress. Why was Kashaf going to visit Sidra when Sidra already left for the US in the last episode? Do you think that the Zaroon made a mountain out of a mole hill and that he still has double standards? Please share your thoughts would love to hear from you.

I am covering for Fatima this week; she will be back next week.

Sara

This latest episode started with highlighting the different ways in which Rafia and Ghazala think. While on one hand Rafia is constantly advising her daughter that she should try her best to do everything she can in order to live upto the expectations of her husband and to go the extra mile to get closer to her in laws, on the other hand Ghazala is bent on proving to Zaroon that Kashaf is a typical girl from a middle class family to whom money matters more than anything else. When she asks Zaroon about his visit to Kashaf’s house, her intention clearly was to highlight the class difference between the two. Rafia was right when she told Kashaf that she had not spend enough time with her mother in law therefore she did not know Kashaf well enough to judge her on the basis of who she is but judges her on the basis of her background…this goes to show that Ghazala is prejudiced and like Kashaf said she will have to work very hard to change the way she thinks about her.  The fact that Kashaf tried to get closer to her in laws despite of all her fears only because her mother made her realize that it was the right thing to do, went to prove that no matter how we perceive Kashaf’s character, she is actually your normal average typical girl who wants to do whatever she can in order to make her marriage work. The way she reacted when Zaroon did not tell her just how much he missed her when she called to tell him she had reached and her reaction to Zaroon being busy with his friend’s later on went to show that like any other new bride, she longs for her husband’s undivided attention and wants to hear him tell her just how much he loves her.

I really like Zaroon’s approach when it comes to tackling different issues; he listens to his mother patiently and does not tell her that he did not agree with her even though he clearly disagrees with her and even after the argument he has with Kashaf after she does not answer his calls all night, he still takes the first step and sets the rules as he goes. Kashaf may not tell him just how much she misses him but he is quite happy with the clues she leaves him with and derives the right conclusions from them. Zaroon Junaid has certainly grown into a very sensible person and Kashaf has clearly changed too. Kashaf does not even give a hint to Ghazala that she heard what she said about Kashaf and that certainly says a lot about how much Kashaf has changed.

The scene that followed after Kashaf heard Ghazala’s conversation with Zaroon was simply heart breaking. The way Kashaf tells her mother “ami mujhe chor samajhte hai vo” and breaks down was heart wrenching. If Kashaf was still the person that she used to be, she would have given up on Ghazala altogether and would have given Zaroon a very tough time too but she knows that she has to work hard to make this relationship work and she is willing to spend the rest of her life trying to convince Ghazala that she is not a greedy person. I really like the way Rafia explains things to Kashaf, when she tells her “hur class ka admi dusri class ke bare mei ghult fehmi rakhta hai”; this is something Kashaf could relate to because she had a lot of misconceptions about people belonging to the upper class too. Kashaf’s reaction to the news that she has been transferred to the news was too cute for words; she couldn’t stop smiling.

It was good to see that Asmara has moved on and that chapter is closed, whatever she thinks of Zaroon now does not matter much now does it;) This particular scene seemed quite unnecessary though since Asmara had nothing new to say really. The precap for the next episode seems alarming, just like the last one did but it was good to see that there was no big misunderstanding between Kashaf and Zaroon today.

Here are few of my favorite moments from today’s episode:

– Kashaf sitting and wondering whether she should call Zaroon or not and then deciding to call him.

– Zaroon establishing rules for a healthier relationship.

– Kashaf’s attitude towards the people at the workplace changes after the phone call from Zaroon.

My favorite dialogues from today’s episode:

“Vo log tu hamare khanda ka hisa nahi banay beta, tum unke khandaan ka hisa bani ho, is liye tumhare paas un ke liye wakt hona chahyeh”. Totally agree with Rafia’s advice, a girl always has to change herself and work hard to adjust in the new home. Obviously it is the duty of the boy’s family also to their best to make the new bride comfortable and not judge her but if that does not happen than the girl has no choice but to change the way her in laws feel.

 “Pata nahi aj yeh ghur itna khali kyun lug raha hai”.

“kher ab tumhe itna bhi sukoon nahi hai, agur hota tu tum pagal na ho jati mere phone na kurne pur”

“so kur dilkhao mujhe”

The funniest dialogues from today’s episode had to be “you insulted my intelligence”…really Asmara, you have got to be kidding me ;)

Share your favorite scenes and dialogues with us…looking forward to your comments.

Fatima Awan

“Apni har cheez ke liye dhakay nahi khanay pare gay bulke khawar hone ke liye koi aur mojood ho ga. Mujhe is sub pur yakeen nahi aata, yeh agar khushkismati hai tu meri kyun hai…Is admi ki ajeeb si adat hone lagi hai mujhe, agur yeh meri zindagi se chala gaya tu bara masla ho jai ga”

Finally Kashaf even with all her insecurities and fears has unknowingly started trusting Zaroon. She believes that he will be there for her whenever she needs him….Kashaf sees a companion in him. Zaroon’s love has finally won Kashaf over.  Although she questions all of it being real but also acknowledges that she will be lost without this man. In today’s episode Kashaf and Zaroon seemed more like two people who were meant to be together even though Zaroon kept on bragging about how perfect he was and Kashaf called him khushpasand and khushparast. Zaroon is no longer the confused person he was in the previous episode, his over confidence is back and Kashaf also seems to be enjoying “discovering” the person Zaroon is now because she got many pleasant surprises till now.  Kashaf has always thought that all men are like her father; insensitive and selfish pople who do not care about a woman’s feelings and cannot look after their wives, that is the impression Kashaf has grown up with and we have all seen how Kashaf openly expressed in the previous episodes how she felt about men in general. Zaroon is nothing like the man Murtaza was, he loves Kashaf and shows it and although she earns he still realizes his responsibilities as her husband. The scene in which he gives Kashaf money before leaving her mother’s house was priceless. Sanam Saeed was brilliant in that particular scene and Fawad Khan’s expressions when he says “nahi mane gi yeh larki” were yet again simply brilliant! These few lines explained so well how Kashaf felt and the reason why she will never let Zaroon know just what he meant to her.

“Tumhari gehri bolti nazrein, tumhari hur wakt ki tawaju, tumhara jaan chiraknay wala hur andaz, hur baar jub tum mere maa baap ke liye ahteraman kharay hotay hu tu mein tumhare agay jhuknay lagti hun….aik chotay se ghur ke is pankhay wale kamray mein tumhari yeh gehri neend, mineral water bottle ko dhundtnay ke bajaye nalkay ka paani pe lina…..pur mei yeh sub tumhei kabhi nahi batun gi , tumhare hur wade pur hanso gi, tumhari hur baat ka mazaq urao gi…mein tumhare samne rait ki dewar nahi bun sukti mujhe toot jane se khof ata hai”.

Zaroon is also “discovering” the person that Kashaf is, the scene in which Kashaf sews his button was another one of the many wonderful scenes from today’s episode. Zaroon has a wife who has a strong personality, works and can sew his button…impressive indeed. I really liked Kashaf’s reply to Zaroon when he said she managed to impress him for the first time. Zaroon, like a man madly in love wants Kashaf to tell him that she loves him. Kashaf finds it difficult to express how she feels about Zaroon because she is still not sure if everything that is happening in her life is a beautiful dream or a nightmare. It is very right for a girl like Kashaf to feel this way, she has always worked hard to get everything in life and now all of a sudden everything in her life is perfect. Also, this is the first time in her life that she feels this way about someone so the way she feels is something brand new for her. Communicating her feelings is going to be a difficult task for Kashaf and I am wondering how she will feel once Zaroon goes away.

Kashaf’s worst fear came true when Rafia and Sidra convinced Zaroon to stay for the night. As it turned out both of them made the most of the moonlit night and that particular scene had to be one of the best scenes of the entire episode. The way Zaroon insisted that there must be something that Kashaf must like about him and the manner in which Kashaf was adamant on not saying a single good thing about him made for a very cute conversation.

Today’s episode focused on cementing Kashaf and Zaroon’s relationship together and it was done perfectly. There were so many dialogues in today’s episode that were simply heart-tugging. The preview for the next episode seemed alarming, we all thought that Asmara was gone for good but she will be back in the next episode. How will Kashaf feel about that? Zaroon and Kashaf have a conversation about how they should handle any misunderstandings in the future and I couldn’t help but think that you can’t possibly think straight once there is a misunderstanding so avoiding it may not be that easy. Overall, this episode was picture perfect, it was wonderfully directed and the acting was superb as usual. Please share your favorite scenes and dialogues from this latest installment; I would love to hear from all of you.

Fatima Awan.

“Aik din mei ami ko buhat se jootay le kur dun gi…buhat qeemeti jootay!”

As Kashaf enters the university to see if her name is on the merit list or not, the only thing that weighs on her mind is that whether her mother got her slipper repaired or not and if not how did she manage to make it to the college. The love that the mother and daughter share is simply awe-inspiring. I loved every second of their interaction on-screen. So, we finally know the history behind the “churail awal” dialogue! The merit list scene was superbly done. Zaroon’s over-confidence and Kashaf’s lack of confidence was shown perfectly through Zaroon’s dialogues and Kashaf’s thoughts. While, Zaroon expects nothing less than this that his name should be on top of the list, Kashaf considers him a “nashukra” (the dialogue really made me laugh). Zaroon remarks “churail awal pe aye hai” and Kashaf is not the one to let go of such a remark easily even if it was uttered as a joke. It was great to see a smile on Kashaf’s face, Sanam Saeed’s expressions were simply flawless and she portrayed Kashaf’s pride and surprise in a very apt manner.

Kashaf celebrates in the best way possible with her family but it was plain to see that her mother could only be fully content if her husband could be a part of the “festivities”. Unfortunately, Kashaf’s father’s reaction to the news (even if it was “provoked” by his second wife) was perfect example of the double standards that exist in our society. No one takes a step forward to help Kashaf and her mother but everyone in the family is quick to hold them accountable. Kashaf’s father is someone who is completely oblivious of his responsibilities towards his family but still does not think twice before acting as the head of the family. He does not have an ounce of respect for his wife or daughters but still believes that these women are responsible for maintaining the family honor. Another typical mindset that exists in our society is that most of the people believe that girls should not be highly educated because their education is of no use to them or the family since at the end of the day they have to run the house. It is a great achievement for someone who comes from such a family to make it as far as Kashaf did and hopefully she will prove to be an inspiration for many girls like her who are watching this drama. We need more strong willed, practical girls as role models in our dramas. Of course Kashaf’s constant grumbling is not at all inspiring but it gives a realistic touch to the character. But I must also add that Kashaf would not have made it this far without the support from her mother and sisters. She is also very determined and would do anything to help her mother with the finances. She dreams of relieving her mother of her financial duties and a life in which she does not have to depend on any male whether it be a brother, father or son but she wants to stand on her own two feet…way to go Kashaf.  I must appreciate Samina Peerzada for opting for characters that are so inspiring. Even after everything that Rafia has gone through in life, she is still so positive and calm. Even though she respects her husband and loves him too but at the same time she does not think twice before telling him that his daughters cannot depend on him and would want to be like their mother.

I must say that I really liked Zaroon’s confidence in today’s episode, the way he brags about how he applied in only one university and is so sure that so many girls are dying to have him in their life. Kashaf’s thoughts about rich people as she enters the university and the way she worries about what she is going to wear and how her make up must have vanished by the time she got to the university, added another realistic touch to her character. These small details make such a big difference in the overall feel of the play and make the characters seem more like people from real life.

Zaroon is dead against women who like to dominate men because he feels that some women (like her mother and sister) do it on purpose, in order to feel good about themselves. Or maybe it is just because he is a very typical male who believes that women should play second fiddle to men. According to Zaroon, “Chauvinist hona aurat ka ghulam honay se buhat behtr hai”. Kashaf, on the other hand does not have a high opinion of men at all, although her mother keeps on telling her that not all men are the same But Kashaf insists she wants neither phool nor kaantay but “behtr nahi kachay raastay pe chlatay jayen”…another beautiful dialogue, I must say. So, basically their views about the opposite gender come from what they have seen around them.

Last but not the least the last scene was also one of the many brilliant scenes in today’s episode. In my opinion Kashaf’s reaction to Zaroon saying “hi” to her could not have been more in line with her character. Here is a girl whose mother gave her a long lecture about how she was the first girl in the family who was going to study with men and also she does not have a very high opinion of men in general, so even if she had not heard the churail conversation her reaction still would have been somewhat the same! I have to say that I felt for poor Zaroon, he most certainly did not deserve that!

This was a perfect second episode and I enjoyed every second of it. Kudos to the entire team of Zindagi Gulzar hai, from the writer to the director, producer, actors, camera man and everyone else who put in their honest effort to bring us such wholesome entertainment. I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.

Fatima Awan.

Wow!! This latest installment left me spell bound and I am at a loss for words. Let me start by confessing that I have been extremely stingy till now when it came to appreciating Fawad Khan’s power packed performance as Zaroon which left me awe stricken week after week. Fawad Khan truly is very gifted and he has completely nailed his character in this serial. He is a powerhouse of talent; surely someone who is the king of expressions and does not falter even for a minute. Scenes that would appear strictly okay on paper are turned into moments we fall in love with solely because of Fawad’s brilliant performances. Armed with the perfect combination of looks and talent, this gentleman will surely go a very long way. A special thank you to him for putting his best in all of his performances.

Love is in the air and whether Kashaf says it out loud or not the fact is that she is indeed head over heels in love with Zaroon. Kashaf’s insecurities and fears do not allow her to admit freely even to herself that she is in love with the man she despised once. Today’s episode had a lot of aww-going moments and some scenes really made me wonder what was in store for Zaroon and Kashaf next. There is absolutely no denying the fact that Zaroon Junaid will do everything in his power to change Kashaf from the unromantic person she is at least on the surface to someone who shows her feelings more openly. There were several times in today’s episode when Zaroon told Kashaf what he expected from her. He wanted her to call him when he was on his way home to ask if he was okay and told her just that later on when they talked but Kashaf was still apprehensive when she went to open the door for him later and finally decided not to do it. Zaroon rightly thought that no one had been waiting for him “Mujhe koi asaar nazar nahi aa rahe” but he did not hold his feelings back and messaged Kashaf right away and both of them had the sweetest conversation. Zaroon Junaid is not afraid of telling Kashaf over and over again that he loves her and I am waiting for the time when Kashaf will finally learn to trust him because according to Kashaf “Shohar bun ker murd ziada naqabal-e-itebaar hote hei”…one can’t blame her for thinking this way given her circumstances. Zaroon, like a man madly in love waits for Kashaf to say those three words to him. Kashaf has gone from being “churail Murtaza” in Zaroon’s life to his “wife” and Zaroon has gone from being “leechar” to Kashaf’s “husband” and what a beautiful journey it has been!!

What Kashaf said to her mother about her being a working woman and how she will not be able to look after or care for Zaroon the way a housewife can was very alarming indeed. Will this attitude/thinking of Kashaf create problems between the two in the future? I could not help but wonder. The rose that Zaroon gives Kashaf reminds her of all the flowers he must have given the girls in the past, so Kashaf is still far from forgetting the past but despite of it all Zaroon has managed to make a very special place in her heart.

In the last episode Zaroon was complaining that they don’t talk enough but today we saw Kashaf and Zaroon talking about everything, from their past to present and even Asmara. The most interesting conversation had to be about Zaroon being a chauvinist and the reason why the engagement with Asmara ended. The way Kashaf explained to Zaroon what she expected from a marriage and the manner in which Zaroon told her that he didn’t want to take a backseat in any way, made for a very interesting conversation and what was more interesting was that Kashaf ended it by saying “ is topic ke bare mein hum dubara baat kare gay”. I would be looking forward to that particular conversation for sure!

Sanam Saeed matched Fawad Khan every step of the way today. Her expressions when Zaroon asks her if she loved her were spot on in particular. This had to be one of my favorite episodes of Zindagi Gulzar Hai till now; every scene was wonderfully executed and the credit for that surely goes to Sultana Siddiqui. Umera Ahmed’s dialogues were superb like always and I am sure we will be quoting a lot of them all week long. The next episode seems to be about Zaroon spending a night at Kashaf’s house…wish guaranteed?? But is it really what he had expected? We will find out only next week but the precap suggests most certainly not. It seems like Zaroon is in for a reality check in the next episode. Really looking forward to it.

Some of my favorite dialogues/scenes from today’s episode ,

“Fikar kurni chahyeh use meri, accident ho sakta hai mera. Koi pata thori hota hai aaj kul”

 “Agar khawahish kur rahi ho tu mei kur sukta hun tumhare saath flirt

Tum ne aik dafa koshish tu kur li hai, Kia kamyab huvey? “

 “Khidmat aur khayal ka totka tu hamesha kaam ata hai, har zamane mein”

 “Mujhe nahi pata tha ke tum is qadar sust admi ho sakte ho”

 Kashaf’s biggest misconceptions,

“Apni zindagi mei anay wali hur achi cheez se dur lagta hai, mujhe lagta hai who aise hi khatam ho jai gi”

 “Zaroon ko mere khyaal ki zarurat nahi hai, waise bhi us ka khayal rukhne wale buhat se log hei”

 Do share your favorite dialogues and scenes from this latest installment.

Fatima Awan.

Kashaf and Zaroon know only too well that they are very different from one another and the conversation about the “chand” just amplified the differences between the two. Zaroon has faith that his marriage will work out despite of all these differences because Kashaf is a very nice girl and also because he loves her so much. Kashaf is still fearful and reluctant and probably for the first time is going to leave it to her luck to decide how things turn out for her. Rafia rightly advises Kashaf to be wise, flexible and compromising. I expected Kashaf to question her mother when it came to compromising because it is very true that girls are expected to compromise more than the men in our social set up. It is a woman’s responsibility to make a marriage work and most often when it doesn’t work out, the woman is held responsible. A balanced marriage however is one in which both the partners play their part. Kashaf is willing to go the extra mile in order to make the kind of home which she could never have before because her father refused to accept them. Rafia explained beautifully to Kashaf how her situation was very different from hers and Kashaf could not compare the two.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unromantic start to the romantic night scene. It was very well executed, the expressions on both sides were brilliant and the background score was perfect. Fawad Khan played the confused dulha perfectly and it was very interesting to hear what they were both thinking. I must add here that Zaroon sounded much more sensitive and caring than Kashaf. I seriously think that it is about time that Kashaf put the past behind her and give the poor guy benefit of the doubt if nothing else! Kashaf still judges Zaroon the way she always used to and if she had no respect for Zaroon or did not trust him why did she marry him? Zaroon has apologized enough; Kashaf should genuinely forgive him and move on!

I found it rather odd that Ghazala was the one who broke the news of Zaroon’s engagement to Osama, no wonder he was so shocked. Osama is good friends with Zaroon and Kashaf both so one of them should have told him by now about the engagement. One can imagine why Kashaf would not have told him but Zaroon should most certainly have informed him at least especially because he was getting engaged to Kashaf Murtaza! I definitely felt for Osama today since he had feelings for Kashaf right from day one and now she is married to his best? Friend! Asmara’s message to Zaroon was very apt indeed, I expected Asmara to say just that and thanked God once again that she was out of the picture for good.

Although Ghazala tried to talk Zaroon out of the marriage right till the last minute but it was great to see that she did not turn into the evil Mother in Law who would show her disapproval openly.

The scene at Kashaf’s house was another one of my favorite scenes from this episode. Everything about it made me smile from Hammad’s foolish questions to Zaroon’s reaction to Murtaza’s Namaz invitation was absolutely wonderful. Fawad Khan’s expressions in the scene when they are in the Masjid were priceless. The glances exchanged between Kashaf and Zaroon later on were very meaningful indeed and I am waiting anxiously for Kashaf to soften up. She should stop seeing Zaroon as the boy she knew in the university and accept him for the person he is now. I am definitely on team Zaroon now!

Fatima Awan.

Aisa Kia khaas tha un chand baton mei?

Chaye ka cup!

Finally! The chaye ka cup did the trick!! Although I did feel that just when Zaroon started talking, Kashaf was a little surprised that he did not give her all the explanations she was expecting from him. When he said to her that he did not want to lose someone who was so special to him only because of the silly mistakes he had made in the past, she was even more alarmed and partially convinced, then all it took was Zaroon saving his damsel in distress from hot tea and that was that! If I hadn’t’ known already that Kashaf would eventually agree to marry Zaroon, I would actually have been surprised that she went from not wanting to be around the man for even a few minutes to getting convinced that he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. I am just glad that she agreed and we can finally move on. Also, it is great to know that she is going to marry Zaroon because she thinks that he can protect her and she does have feelings for him too. When Sidra says to her that she always felt like Kashaf liked Zaroon, she did not disagree. So, this marriage is based on love after all and Kashaf did not enter this relationship out of pressure from family or friends.

Okay!! So I thought that Ghazala vowed not to interfere in her children’s lives again but there she was today telling Zaroon how he could not compromise or adjust and the marriage was bound to be a failure. Not only Ghazala but Sara was also very interested in knowing how Zaroon would make an Allah Mian ki gaye out of an educated and professional woman. Zaroon on the other hand has more faith in himself and has insisted over and over again that he does not want to make an Allah Mian ki gaye out of his wife…well we will know soon enough. Sara definitely knows her brother better and should know that he has changed or maybe he hasn’t, can’t wait to find out! I felt for Zaroon when he was writing his diary and thinking that everyone was more interested in finding out when he was going to be divorced more than when he was getting married! Seriously, the poor guy deserves a break. I am waiting to find out if Ghazala will approve of Kashaf once she is married to Zaroon.

I have completely fallen in love with Sidra’s character mainly because Mansha Pasha has done such a fabulous job of playing the supportive and loving sister. Sidra always believed that Zaroon and Kashaf were meant to be together, long before they could even imagine anything like that. She also tried to make Kashaf realize that she should get over the impression she had of Zaroon and start all over again. The conversations between the two sisters were the best part of today’s episode.

Murtaza is back for good in Rafia’s life and it was good to see Rafia happy for a change. There were no worries at all this time around, like they were there when Sidra got married.  Zaroon and Kashaf get married in the next episode and hopefully the shikway ka safar is over and it is over to shukar now ;) I am dying to see Kashaf laugh; can’t wait to see her acknowledging and being thankful for all the good things in her life…time to stop and smell the roses Kashaf Murtaza!

Fatima Awan.

Yes I totally agree with the notion ke Zaroon Junaid ke sitaray gurdish mei hai!! Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed were super today and the dialogues were just mind blowing, they depicted perfectly Kashaf and Zaroon’s state of mind. I enjoyed watching Kashaf fuming with anger and the way Zaroon could not muster up the courage to answer her call. So many dialogues made me laugh, the wit, hidden humor and not to mention the irony in them was beyond brilliant. Honestly speaking there is so much I want to talk about that I am not sure where to start from!

What a relief it was to see that Zaroon Junaid has his mind all made up and all the confusion is gone. He understands that changing how Kashaf feels about him will be a daunting task but at the same time he fails to understand why Kashaf dislikes him so much! Zaroon also wonders why he lets Kashaf walk all over him but even a fool can see that he is madly in love with the girl he could not even stand in the University and the biggest problem is getting through to her because she just won’t listen. The way Zaroon begged Sir Ibrar to convince Kashaf and the manner in which Sir Ibrar reacted was too cute for words. Zaroon Junaid wants Kashaf in his life; he does not care what his mother thinks about Kashaf’s family background and even the way Kashaf feels about him makes no difference to him…he is madly in love with this girl and will do anything to have her in his life. I have to say that after a long time I liked Zaroon today because he really did look like a changed man who does not look at things the way he used to. He even admits that he has been wrong in the past and is willing to do anything to make up for it.

Kashaf vows ke vo Zaroon ka dimagh thikanay laga kur hi rahe gi and proved that she really was quite capable of doing so. The only problem is that Zaroon is not playing any games now so there is nothing to fix there! I don’t blame Kashaf at all for feeling the way she does, she obviously still remembers what Zaroon said about her in the library and the fact that Zaroon and Asmara’s engagement did not work out does not help too! How brilliant was Sidrah today, simply loved the role she played today and the way Zaroon reacted to Sidra’s cool and calm manner was spot on too!! It was almost like he was thinking “wow there are “normal” girls in Kashaf’s house too, not all of them bite!!” Mansha Pasha is an absolute delight to watch every time. Kashaf won’t marry Zaroon even if he was the last man on earth…I think I have heard that line before many many years back!

The mazboot waja that Kashaf gave for refusing to marry Zaroon was the exact opposite of the reason Zaroon gave for wanting to marry her…how ironic!! What will Zaroon have to do to prove to Kashaf that he is not so characterless afterall? After Sir Ibrar’s conversation with Kashaf, it didn’t come as a surprise when he was apprehensive to talk to her again. I did feel though that Kashaf was being a little too rude with Sir Ibrar given that he was her teacher, is her mentor and also someone she respects a lot…but then that is Kashaf for you. Kashaf is not willing to believe that Zaroon could actually be in love with her and finds it odd that both the proposals came one after another…she thinks it is plotting and planning just like the college days.

How wonderful, enjoyable and well executed was the scene where Zaroon calls everyone in his family one by one only because he is a total nervous wreck. Totally enjoyed that scene and the expression of relief on his face when Sidra picked up the phone and was willing to talk to him nicely too!!!

Coming to Murtaza, well he is surely trying his best to play the dad probably for the first time and guess what Nigar is helping! I was astonished to see that he actually thinks he gets to decide who gets married when.

When Kashaf asks herself while writing her diary that who her ideal really was or what he would be like…I thought finally, finally she was questioning herself about the whole marriage issue, thinking about what her ideal would be like.

Today’s episode was simply brilliant; everyone played their part beautifully. Please share your favorite scenes and dialogues from today’s episode.

Tum apne ap ko samajhte kia ho??

Aik buhat acha insan!!

Sara din mei tumhe phone krti rahi aur tum mei itni jurat nahi thi ke tum mera phone uthao aur kurne chale tum mere saath shadi :D

Fatima Awan.

It was no surprise that the part we all had been waiting for came at the very end of this latest episode but overall it made for quite an enjoyable affair. Ayesha Omer was brilliant today and Fawad Khan’s expressions were simply flawless, brilliant and very impressive in the last scene in particular. Zaroon is completely smitten and it was written all over his face today. I was really looking forward to everything that Sir Ibrar had to say to Zaroon and the best part had to be the one about values…what a valid question! Sir Ibrar was right in asking Zaroon if he had the values that Kashaf would want in her future husband and Zaroon did not have a good answer to his question but the expressions said it all. Sir Ibrar could probably tell that Zaroon was very sure about what he was doing and that was convincing enough for him. Like always the conversation between the two was an absolute delight to watch, all the verbal exchanges and glances….everything was perfect. So Zaroon considers Kashaf K2 and not Mount Everest, oh well, he will know soon enough!

Kashaf decided to walk out on Osama by saying “mujhe dair ho rahi hai” and later on told him that she wanted to be just friends with him. Kashaf is so sure that nothing that comes easily to her can bring her happiness. She has always worked hard to earn her share of happiness and she won’t let her “fate” decide this matter for her. Osama’s proposal is perfect in every way, he is a nice man who loves Kashaf and his family does not have any issues with the proposal too but Kashaf is not used to good fortune that comes gift wrapped, therefore she thinks that something will go wrong somewhere only because she did not have to fight a long hard battle to get it. For now marriage is definitely not on the cards for Kashaf because she believes unlike her mother that she is not ready to get married.

Ayesha Omer really impressed me with her performance today. Sara realizes that her decision to take divorce was wrong and blames her mother entirely for not guiding her in the right direction. I have to side with Sara on this one because no matter how many issues a married couple is having, parents should try their best to resolve the issues and not aggravate them further. This really should have been Sara’s decision and Ghazala by going out of her way to support her all the time, definitely pumped her up and influenced her decision. Sara and Farhan may not have been the ideal couple but they had been together long enough, therefore Sara finds it difficult to go on without Farhan, now that he has moved on with his life. The way Zaroon comforts his sister and at the same time share things with her about his own life was very nice to watch. We didn’t see Sara crying all the time but the two shared the sibling moments which we all love.

Many of us already guessed that the rishta that Rafia and kashaf were talking about was actually going to be for Shehnila so no surprises there too. The Kashaf/Zaroon conversation brought a smile to my face like always; Zaroon calling in to see if Kashaf was still using the same number and Kashaf telling him she just might change her number now! The “I think we were just immature” dialogue and Kashaf’s response made me chuckle too. Zaroon will be Zaroon and Kashaf will be Kashaf! Zaroon likes Kashaf’s strength of character, something that he has not seen in many girls around him who would easily fall for his charm.

I am so glad that Sidrah is back in the picture, the show would have been incomplete without the conversations between the two sisters. Kashaf may not listen to what Sidrah has to say but at least she is someone who tries to knock some sense into Kashaf every chance she gets.

Overall I enjoyed this latest installment . I had great expectations from this episode and I was expecting it to be more about Zaroon and Kashaf but I enjoyed it nevertheless. The Zaroon/Sara scenes were very well done and I definitely enjoyed watching them. The Zaroon/Asmara engagement is officially over, which is good news because it means we will not be seeing Asmara again.  The next episode seems action packed, I am really looking forward to how Zaroon finally manages to climb K2 because the weather conditions and altitude problems may prove to be a greater obstacle than he ever imagined;)

Fatima Awan.

Today’s episode reminded me of the few Kashaf/Zaroon interaction scenes from college since there was absolutely no change in Zaroon’s behavior towards Kashaf and Kashaf’s behavior towards Zaroon remained the same too. Kashaf’s attitude towards Zaroon was quite justified but watching Zaroon resort to the same old tactics was actually quite disappointing and somewhat annoying! Has he forgotten that he is engaged? He expects Asmara to change her ways because she is engaged to him now but he obviously feels that the same rule does not apply to him. I could not help but wonder what Zaroon meant when he said that Kashaf had changed. She was always confident and distant just like she is now. Was Zaroon talking about her appearance? It was actually nice to see Kashaf snub Zaroon when he talked to her right in the beginning of the episode since that was more in line with Kashaf’s character than Kashaf’s behavior in the brief scene at the end of the last episode.

Kashaf has to be the only girl in Zaroon’s life who did not fall for his charm immediately (remember the one week deadline) and that could possibly be the reason why Zaroon finds it impossible to let go of her. After Zaroon and Kashaf’s meeting I really missed Sidrah and was delighted to see Kashaf having a conversation with Sidrah later on. I am glad that Sidrah is still in the picture because Kashaf’s conversations with her give us more of an insight into what is going on in Kashaf’s head than anything else.

This episode proved further that Murtaza is void of all feelings and is easily allured by whatever works for his benefit. His attitude towards his second wife and son has greatly changed and so has his behavior towards Rafia. I was hoping that Murtaza would have realized that he was wrong but I think that he is only being nice to Rafia because of Kashaf’s new status.

Osama and Kashaf have grown into good friends since they have been in touch with each other all these years. I was as surprised as Zaroon when Osama told him that he was in touch with Kashaf because no one mentioned it before this, not even Kashaf while talking to her sisters or writing her diary. It was somewhat surprising that Osama decided to propose Kashaf even after his conversation with Zaroon. But I must give the guy credit, he has guts! I am waiting to find out how Kashaf will respond since there was talk of a proposal in the next episode’s promo. I remember Kashaf was very happy for Sidrah when she got married and thought that her husband was a nice man, since Kashaf has known Osama for so long she should know that he has the “character” she has been looking for in a man. I see absolutely no reason for her to reject this proposal but I wonder what is going to happen if she decides to consider it.

I am sure that other people have also noticed that the background music can be extremely strange (somewhat cartoonish) sometimes especially in scenes with Zaroon in them. Fawad Khan was absolutely brilliant in today’s episode, his body language and dialogue delivery could not have been better. This latest episode gave me something to look forward to and I can’t wait to find out how the story unfolds now.

Fatima Awan.

They say that all good things come to those who wait so I sat through most part of this latest episode waiting for the time when Zaroon and Kashaf will finally meet again and the last few minutes were just not rewarding enough. I must confess that I feel somewhat cheated because I had very high expectations from this episode.  There have been many episodes of Zindagi Gulzar Hai in the past too when there were hardly any Zaroon/Kashaf interactions but I enjoyed them nevertheless because they had a great deal to offer. The first half of today’s episode was extremely repetitive with the same issues resurfacing over and over again. Am I the only one who wants to skip the scenes with Asmra in them? I am sorry I do not want to sound biased but honestly speaking there is nothing new about Mehreen Raheal’s character or her acting. The arguments that Asmara and Zaroon had were nothing new either. The Zaroon/Asmara track could have been easily wrapped up by now. The fact that Sara and Farhan are having the same issues does not help at all. I think both these relationships and the different issues Zaroon/Asmara and Farhan/Sara are having have been dragged on for way too long.

Zaroon’s conversation with Osama was a breath of fresh air because Zaroon opened up with Osama more than he has with anyone else till now. Just when I started wondering where Osama had gone and whether he was going to be back or not and what became of HIS infatuation with Kashaf, I was pleasantly surprised to see him telling Zaroon exactly what we all have been debating about for so long now. He told Zaroon right in the face that he talked to other girls openly too and that he was being a hypocrite. I do not think that Zaroon was comparing Asmara to Kashaf all this time even subconsciously but Kashaf is definitely closer to his ideals than any other girl he has met till now. His major issue with Asmara is that she does not give what he says and how he feels enough consideration and that she goes out with her male friends who Zaroon does not like. Honestly speaking any other girl who wants to make her relationship work would gladly compromise on these issues without feeling like a “slave” or “kaneez” but these women have a mind of their own.

The highlight of the episode had to be that Murtaza finally realized that he has not done anything for his daughters and they owe him nothing. I expected him to still go ahead and ask Kashaf for favors but the fact that he did not do that went to show that he knows better now. I found Kashaf’s dialogue regarding the “bemar zehnayat” and the reason why most people opt for CSS and do not become doctors, engineers etc self contradictory. I wish we could all have a clearer idea as to why Kashaf opted for government service after doing MBA if this is how she feels about people who would rather get into government service than go into any other profession. She said herself that any other private job could have been more lucrative monetarily. Rafia defended government service more than Kashaf so was it Rafia who wanted Kashaf to do CSS all along? I thought clearing CSS exams and getting into that kind of a job was Kashaf’s dream.

Junaid finally decided to say out loud how he felt about Ghazala ignoring her kids all these years but the way he did it was quite unimpressive and I must say that it is too late for all of that now. Ghazala’s attitude later on when Junaid tells her that Farhan is going ahead with the divorce went to show that nothing that Junaid says to her matters in any way. It is almost annoying the way all these three women completely fail to understand what their men mean when they ask them to compromise or to teach their kids to compromise.

Rafia’s dialogues about how people’s attitudes change towards others and the reason why most people work so hard to change their circumstances was something that truly made me think. I love how some of these dialogues have so much depth. I liked it when Kashaf asked her mother if Murtaza had apologized for his wrongdoings. Since the change in Murtaza’s attitude has come right after Kashaf’s success so I am wondering if the remorse is genuine, after all that he has done it can’t be too easy for Kashaf to forgive and forget.

Kashaf and Zaroon’s meeting which was the reason I looked forward to this episode all week was so brief that there isn’t much that I can say about it. The precap suggested that Kashaf’s attitude towards Zaroon is not going to be any different even after all this time maybe because she does not forgive and forget easily. I am really looking forward to finding out what Osama has to say to Kashaf.

Fatima Awan.

“Aisi Biwi aur betiyan naseeb walon ko hi milti hei, so so betu pe bhari hoti hei aisi betiyan”

Rafia’s hard work finally paid off and it was good to see that people who know the family gave her the entire credit. Even the Taya abu who was the one who asked Murtaza to get married to Nigar because Rafia could not give him a son acknowledges that one should not distinguish between children on the basis of gender. The sarcasm and truth in Rafia’s dialogue “maan baap ka kaam yeh hi hota hai ke apni aulad ki zindigian bana dein aur maa baap ko apne bacho ki zindigian banana chahyeh. Lurki ya lurke honay ki waja se kismet ke bare mei peeshangoyan nahi kurni chahyeh, na hi maa baap ko, na hi khandan ko aur na hi mashray ko” was spot on. I am glad she did not let Taya off the hook easily until he admitted that he was wrong!  Murtaza like expected has taken an about turn and the sudden change of heart was so extreme that I was taken by surprise. I knew that Murtaza would go running to Rafia’s house after hearing the news but the way he was worried about Shehnila and the insult he put up with without even feeling bad about it for a second truly went to prove that this man has no character. Kashaf was so right when she told her mother that she should stop telling her all that her father was willing to do for her now because it would just take away the little respect that Kashaf may have for him. Waseem Abass is perfect as Murtaza, his expressions, dialogue delivery and body language, everything is flawless. Samina Peerzada is equally brilliant and no matter how many times you hear her deliver a dialogue you fail to find faults in her acting.

Sir Ibrar is much closer to Kashaf’s heart than her father ever will be because he has been a father figure and a mentor to her and most importantly because he was there for her when she needed him the most. Kashf believes in him and that has to be a huge deal! When Kashaf was writing her diary she complains that there has always been dearth of “mohabaat aur shafqat” in her life, she obviously fails to see that she is surrounded by people who love her. She acknowledges sir Ibrar’s love and concern for her but cannot appreciate the love her mother and sisters have always given her. I think it is only human to take people who have always been there for you for granted especially when you have been through so much.

Zaroon disappointed me yet again today when he talked about Sara’s stuborness even before Farhan could muster up the courage to share what happened between him and Sara with him.  I thought he was more mature than that, He may think that Sara is wrong but she is after all his sister and telling her fiancé so bluntly that he knew Sara was wrong was very inappropriate. If Zaroon has a problem with Asmara’s outings, he should talk to her about it rather than not talking to her. It is almost as if Zaroon has given up on Asmara but where is this relationship going then?

I was having a discussion with a very close friend the other day and she rightly pointed out that the change in Ghazala’s behavior all of a sudden is strange. She is still not willing to compromise as far as Sara’s situation is concerned but all of a sudden she is always in the house and so worried about Zaroon. Before she was too busy and did not have time for anyone in the house and we saw Zaroon having dinners alone too. Another thing that is strange is that the family which hardly ever communicates and has no closeness always sits together for dinner or tea. In the beginning we were made to feel like everyone in Zaroon’s family leads their own life but now things have changed for no apparent reason. I find the change in Ghazala’s character just as funny as Zaroon and his father did. Talking about Zaroon’s father, it is strange the way he has hardly been a part of what is going on in Sara’s life. Sara’s mother may give her wrong advice but at least she is there to listen and intervene.

All the actors did a commendable job today and overall I really enjoyed this episode, although like always few scenes could have been shorter. Some of the dialogues today were extraordinary; I wish I could mention them all here. Things are moving on fast now and Kashaf and Zaroon will finally meet in the next episode, eagerly looking forward to that!

Fatima Awan.

Zaroon and Kashaf’s lives have gone on totally different tracks after University and the difference between the challenges that the two face in life were even more obvious today. Zaroon easily managed to clear his CSS exams and rightly thinks that ‘zindagi mei kitni aasani se kitna significant change aa jata hai’. He cannot in any way relate to the struggles that Kashaf, a girl who studied in the same college with him, has to go through in order to get even minor things done. Kashaf put her career on hold in order to help her mother to get her sister married. I have to say that although I was not really looking forward to this particular episode because I guessed that there would be more of Kashaf’s family and Zaroon/Asmara in this episode than anything else but the scenes in the first half especially were very heart wrenching. They were beautifully directed and I could feel the love that Kashaf, her sisters and their mother feel for each other. I did feel though that Rafia should not have insisted that Murtaza should attend the wedding in particular, I quite agree with the notion that if the proposal could have been finalized without the presence of Murtaza, the wedding could have taken place without him too. We also found out in today’s episode that Rafia even gave her jewelry to Murtaza’s second wife when he got married to her. I understood Rafia’s concerns in the first half of the show and she was right in hoping that Murtaza may just have a change of heart but later on I felt that Rafia was letting Murtaza walk all over her. And now after everything that has happened, I see absolutely no reason why Rafia should expect anything from Murtaza.

Did anyone notice the sounds in the background when Zaroon was writing his diary? The biggest change in Zaroon’s life will be that he will be moving away from his family and starting an independent life, something that he is very excited about. Luckily, there were just a couple of Zaroon/Asmara scenes in this episode and the confrontation that the two had seemed like nothing new. The issues Zaroon is having with Asmara are the same which he has had with Sara for a very long time. I have to agree with Sadaf that it is difficult to keep track of time in this play and many times I am left wondering, how much time has elapsed between different happening. I am guessing that three or four months have passed till now from the time that Zaroon and Kashaf left the university.

I have to say that although I did not have any high hopes from this episode but for me at least it delivered for most part. I think it was important to show Murtaza’s attitude and also the way Rafia and her daughters struggled to get Sidrah married. It seems like things are going to move on for good in the next episodes and the tables will turn. How satisfying would it be if Rafia asks all these people who want to be best friends with her all of a sudden to leave them alone. A father like Murtaza deserves just that. I have to say that today’s episode belonged to Mansha Pasha, Sanam Saeed and Samina Peerzada and must give all of them and the director credit for breathing life in these scenes.

The Nigar/Haleema scene I think was quite unnecessary, everything else worked fine for me. I am guessing that we are going to see more of Zaroon and Kashaf’s lives separately for the next couple of episodes or so until they meet again. Overall, this episode was quite satisfying although the general opinion may be quite different! Bring it on guys!

Fatima Awan.

In this latest episode, We saw a very reluctant Zaroon being ‘pressurized” into getting engaged to Asmara and Asmara on the other hand flaunted her engagement ring as if she had just won herself a ‘trophy husband’.  I am actually surprised that it is only now that Zaroon is realizing that Asmara may not be the kind of girl he wants to get married to. I think the sole purpose of this engagement is that Zaroon understands better what kind of a wife he wants, not that he does not already have very clear idea as to what kind of a girl he wants to marry. He has stated over and over again that he does not want a wife like Sara or his mother so how could he not see that Asmara is exactly like his sister and mother? I really enjoyed the conversation in which Asmara suggests that Zaroon should get married to Kashaf! Kashaf is very opinionated as well and also has proved to Zaroon that she is just as capable of shouting at him as any other ‘feminist’ but even then Zaroon has failed to find any flaws in Kashaf. Why is that? Maybe because Kashaf takes a stand for the right reasons only and her opinions hold a solid ground.

Hammad got the welcome he deserved from all the three sisters and I absolutely enjoyed Shahnila’s idea! Murtaza may have showered his son with everything that money can buy but he can never compete with his daughters where intelligence is concerned. The Murtaza/Hammad result scene was little too long for my liking but I must say that it was very real.

Kashaf manages to get back at Zaroon the way she knows best and the look on Kashaf’s face was priceless. For now Kashaf and Zaroon are going to go their separate ways because college life is over. Zaroon and Kashaf both know only too well what they want to do with their lives and I am glad that Zaroon paid no heed to Asmara’s advice.

The scene where Sidra says to Kashaf , “paise tu tumhari nazar mei bhi buhat ahem hai” was spot on, Kashaf’s reply was one that we don’t get to hear in our dramas everyday and one that made me like her character more. It did not take Kashaf long to answer Sidrah’s question because there is no confusion in her mind about what she wants from life.

Overall this episode had a little bit of everyone and was not as intense and exciting as the previous two. I am not looking forward to the fact that the next couple of episodes maybe more about Zaroon and Asmara than Zaroon and Kashaf because the Zaroon/Asmara track  usually gives me the feeling that I am watching the same scenes over and over again. I wish Zaroon wouldn’t have gone ahead with this “experimental” engagement, he really should know what he wants better than that! Sara’s constant cribbing about Farhan not being the “sweet and obedient’ husband she expected him to be was another part that seemed repetitive since Zaroon has lectured Sara about similar issues many times before too and sometimes I feel like these siblings have nothing better to talk about. I did not quite enjoy the hype surrounding the engagement in the University and many of the other scenes could have been shorter too. In short, after the fireworks last week this episode seemed a little too mellow.

Fatima Awan.

Finally the much awaited play went on air and I have to say that I found myself counting minutes today. This first episode introduced the viewers to almost all the characters that we will be seeing in the play. First of all let’s talk about what I liked about this first episode. I simply loved the characterization of Kashaf (Sanam Saeed) and Zaroon ( Fawad Khan) both. I found it very interesting the way they are poles apart and also the manner in which it was shown. Kashaf ke liye “zindagi aik buhat bara masla hai”, everything about Kashaf’s life bothers her and she does not believe in hoping for any better for the future. According to Kashaf “moajzay sirf defence aur Clifton mei hotay hai”, I found this particular dialogue so very amusing! Kashaf wakes up in the morning dreading the fact that she will have to change two different rides before she finally gets to the University. Although she never expected to get into the university in which only the rich and famous get admission but when she did we did not see her thanking God or being happy about it even for one second, simply because Kashaf believes that she does not deserve to be happy. There are reasons for Kashaf feeling this way; a father (Waseem Abass) who does not care about his family because he has another family to look after and that is the family he is more interested in and a mother(Samina Peerzada) who Kashaf loves dearly, therefore she cannot see her working so hard to make ends meet. Kashaf has also worked very hard herself too to get where she is today. How can a girl who is so negative come this far? I could not help but wonder that! Maybe because Kashaf is not just negative but also very practical and that must have been the driving force behind her success.  Kashaf does not believe in making “khiyalai palao” when in reality there is daal for dinner but when there actually is meat for lunch Kashaf does not eat it because it reminds her of her mother’s toota huva chashma and bag and all the struggle she has done all through her life. I absolutely loved Kashaf’s character because honestly speaking I know a few people like that who will never be happy with life no matter what. Besides, Sanam Saeed did a commendable job of convincing me at least that she was the perfect choice for playing Kashaf. She definitely scored an A+ on my list today.

On the contrary Zaroon believes “zindagi kiya khoobsurat cheez hai”. He is someone who cannot even remotely relate to the kind of life that Kashaf lives. Zaroon is your typical spoiled brat who never had to work hard for anything in life but thinks very highly of himself. In fact he is probably the only one who has such a high opinion of himself, everyone around him from his family to his friends think that he is irresponsible. Zaroon has seen so much comfort in his life, he would like a challenge in his life, something that will make his life less easy….ignorance is bliss I guess! Another very interesting thing about both these characters is that Kashaf despises men and thinks marriage is “ghulami”. She obviously thinks so because her father never looked after them and was never there for her mother, therefore she has a very negative opinion about men in general too. Zaroon, on the other hand thinks that women are the only aspect of life that is not enjoyable, although he is quite a flirt!

Zaroon’s mother Ghazala (Hina Bayat) is a very liberated woman who never feels the need to ask or tell her husband before going somewhere and her daughter Sara (Ayesha Omer) is the same too. Zaroon’s father Junaid (Javed Sheikh) and Ghazala are completely different from each other but it was plain to see that it is Junaid who has compromised all his life to make the marriage work because Ghazala has the final say.

Do I want to talk aboutAsmara? She was the only character which put me off. Why? Well, because Mehreen Raheel really needs to stop playing the same kind of characters and that too when she is playing Fawad’s best friend yet again who does not want him falling in love with someone else. I have no idea where the Asmara/Zaroon track will go from here but I must say that I did not enjoy the Asmara/Zaroon scenes…I just watched the two in Ashk and the characters are still very fresh in my mind. Why couldn’t Mehreen Raheel for once play Fawad’s sister and Ayesha Omer could play the “friend”! We only got to see a glimpse of Shehryaar Munawar so can’t say much about his character or acting. Samina Peerzada was spot on as usual, good to see her playing the mother.

I must say that personally Kashaf’s character and dialogues appealed to me more than Zaroon’s character, at least after watching this first episode (Fawad Khan fans please don’t kill me!). I am more than willing to fall in love with Zaroon’s character! Overall, really really enjoyed some of the dialogues in particular, the acting and direction both were spot on and I have to say it was well worth the wait.

I am sure everyone watched this first episode whether you were or weren’t looking forward to it so please share how you felt about this first installment.

Fatima Awan.

The best thing about his finale was that I felt for Kashaf, although I thought that I will never feel for her again. The wonderful aspect of the episode was ke Kashf ki zindagi bhi ab gulzar hai – how it happened? Solely because of Zaroon’s positive influence in her life and of course because love can do the impossible; something that I strongly believe in. Deep down all Kashaf wanted was a man in her life who will convince her of his love and make her believe that there is a God up there who has some wonderful things in store for ungrateful people like Kashaf too. I wish though that this change was shown to us in bits and pieces in the past few episodes and not “narrated” to the viewers in the last few minutes of the final episode. There were definitely a lot of loose ends and overall this last episode wasn’t exactly satisfying.

I am sure many people out there, like me, were expecting this episode to be as much about addressing Zaroon’s double standards as it was going to be about Kashaf being grateful and realizing how wrong she had been all these years. Zaroon’s double standards were completely left unaddressed. No one laid down the rules this time around so I am quite unsure whether it is okay for Zaroon to meet Asmara or not!! And if he can meet his ex fiancé then can Kashaf keep things from him too?

I agree that most of the minor issues between couples do not turn into bigger misunderstandings if there is good communication between the two. The later part of the episode clearly suggested that Zaroon and Kashaf have bridged the communication gap that existed between the two. Kashaf takes a step forward, swallows her pride and calls Zaroon, primarily because she does not want her daughters to grow up without a father and she does not want to lead the kind of life her mother lead. This may have been the main reason for Kashaf calling Zaroon but it was quite evident that despite of their immature statements and acts (changing the names on the phones) these two cannot live without each other, they make each other complete and this is most certainly the most apt reason for any two people to be together. Zaroon does say in the end that he had the perfect life; a home, wife and wonderful kids, which made me wonder that he always loved Kashaf and had faith in her but there were still misunderstandings between the two often enough  – does that mean that all along it was Kashaf alone who needed to change her ways? Yes, I agree Kashaf needed to change, we all agree on that but to say that Zaroon was perfect all along would be so wrong too. But then it is also true that marriage is not the union of a perfect man with a perfect woman but in our society it is the union of an imperfect man and a perfect woman:)

I think there was absolutely no need to show the meeting between Zaroon and Asmara. It just went to show that Zaroon did not feel any remorse at all and the entire conversation made no sense to me. Maybe, I missed out on something; it’ll be nice if someone who found this scene relevant in any way to explain to me please that why it was there at all. Mehreen Raheel needs to stop playing the “friend” who is always there to lend a shoulder to cry on whenever Fawad Khan is having issues with his leading ladies; first Dastaan, then Ashk and now Zindagi Gulzar Hai. I hope it ends here! Another scene, which I thought was prolonged for no reason was the HR presentation one, the presentation went on for too long, at least that is how I felt.

Today’s episode had some beautiful dialogues and to me the main message of this finale was as Rafia pointed out “Mohabat mei koi hisab nahi hota, koi ana nahi hoti”. Zaroon comes flying to Kashaf when she calls him, he forgets everything because despite of all their minor problems between them he knows that he wants Kashaf in his life. That was the favorite scene of tonight’s episode for me when Zaroon surprises Kashaf and Kashaf thinks it is a dream – surely dreams do come true. Kashaf finally tells Zaroon how much she loves him because she knows now how important it is to express one’s feelings, another lesson very well learned.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai was perfect in terms of good acting right from day one; all the actors did a commendable job and the person who chose these actors for the respective roles deserves a lot of appreciation. The concept behind Zindagi Gulzar Hai was great but somehow it was lost mainly due to flawed direction and bad editing. If Zindagi Gulzar Hai was an 18 – 20 episodes serial which focused on no more than a couple of tracks and issues, it would have been perfect. Like all Umera Ahmed plays it had some memorable dialogues to its credit. But the best thing about this whole show was the discussions we all had here. Last but not the least, a big thank you from the bottom of my heart, to all those who followed the reviews every week and took time out to comment. The Zindagi Gulzar Hai experience wouldn’t have been the same without all of you, I am honestly going to miss our discussions more than anything else.

Fatima Awan