After 20 very long weeks of Emaan’s pity party, Sheheryaar’s ”my lyf, my rulzz” dictum :P, twisted Dastaan-e-Lila-Chanesar references, Shahnaam Shahnaam ki rutt, Sajal’s inability to come to grips with the fact that Sheheryaar does NOT love her, Chalaak Chachi’s excruciatingly irritating dialogues, Sanober’s deafening tantrums and some very serious Sheheryaar vs. Emaan debates, Mol has finallyy come to an end. Phewww.

I seriously appeal to all the writers out there: stop degrading women like that. Just stop. What exactly was the purpose of Sajal’s life? She cried, she died, but she did leave her child behind (muhabbat ka suboot, as Emaan puts it) so that the guy she loves can have his happy ending with the woman HE loves! That, my fellows, sums up the life of a girl who was pretty, educated and could go places. OK, Sajal had no self respect whatsoever, she put herself through this mess, knowing well that Sheheryaar would never give her the love and respect she is entitled to, but I don’t think she deserved the ending she got. The way they just killed her off left me feeling really bad about the ending. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s her parents, Zareena in particular, who simply kept stressing the point that ‘ek dafa bacha hojaye, dekh lena Sheheryaar kia karega Emaan kay saath…’ Ab dekh lia? If there’s anyone to blame, it’s Emaan who knew perfectly well that getting Sajal and Sheheryaar married would be destroying two lives, but such was her selfishness that she coerced Sheheryaar into dusri shadi just so that she could have her happy ending with Shahnaam.

About the oft-mentioned Dastaan-e-Lila-Chanesar, umm didn’t Lila end up empty handed and miserable? If we really are following the Dastaan here, Emaan and Sheheryaar’s happily ever after doesn’t make much of a sense – not that everything else makes sense but still! Considering how Emaan once mentioned that kisi aur ki biwi Sheheryaar ki maa nahe hosakti, I am not at all surprised that Rohail was under the impression that Emaan wants to marry him. And if it’s true that Emaan loved Sheheryaar too much to leave him, why do I remember that she once demanded a divorce?

Be it Emaan’s mother calling her badnaseeb, or Rohail telling his son, ‘’Beta tumharay naseeb mein maa nahe’’, or Emaan describing ‘’Aap ko pata hai Sheheryaaar, bachon kay itnay chotay chotay haath hotay hain aur un ki smile…’’, the dialogues were awful. “Muhabbat anmol hoti hai’’ didn’t leave much of an impact because it was said by three of the characters (Rohail, Sheheryaar AND Emaan, of course) in the last few minutes of the episode.

There are naqaabil-e-bardasht loag. Then there are some seriously naqaabil-e-bardasht loag. And then there’s Humayun Hassan and his family. Chalo, at least Emaan and Sheheryaar were interesting to watch in the initial episodes, but these people – they were a complete torture since day one! Humayun was more concerned about khandaani jora and zewar than the ladies of the house. About Muraad, let’s just say that he couldn’t act to save his life. And Zareena? Who was this woman? The dialogues she was given were so full of hate! I can’t even think of a single dialogue of hers that made sense or offered something positive. Please, take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back for putting up with this woman and her saazishain every week. On a scale of 0 to 10, the weirdness level of the family is 11!

There have been some unconvincing plot points to move the story forward (I am referring to Sajal reading Emaan’s fertility reports, Rohail’s sister reading Emaan’s diary etc) and in this episode, Sanober’s encounter with Zareena and Sajal seemed totally unrealistic.

It’s true that Mol was an engaging, intelligent play up to the 13th episode simply because till then, the story and the characters were simple and easy to relate. Emaan and Sheheryaar made an interesting couple, we found their conversations to be intelligent, and we looked forward to seeing how these two make it through despite the fact that they are polar opposites. The way Emaan’s parents were sidelined is one thing I didn’t quite understand. From the initial episodes, I could gather that Emaan is very close to her parents and that she shares almost everything with them. Even after her marriage to Sheheryaar, I remember how she used to discuss her problems with her mother and looked to her for advice, but ever since Shahnaam became an important part of her life, it was almost like she lost contact with her parents and all of a sudden, she wanted to be the one making all the decisions for herself without seeking her parents’ advice or approval. I agree, Sheheryaar didn’t like his parents’ interference but Emaan definitely was emotionally dependent on her parents. Considering her bonding with her parents, this is something I found incredibly unrealistic. Mol started off on a strong point, but it’s such a pity that I would always remember it as a drama where… everybody lost it!

In terms of performances, it should not go unacknowledged that Naveen Waqar and Faisal Qureshi were simply phenomenal as Emaan and Sheheryaar. They owned and understood their characters, they shared some great chemistry and were effortless. I can’t say much about Iqra Aziz because there wasn’t much she could do with the sort of character she was given, so I guess she was OK.

How many of you watched the last episode of Mol? Did you find Mol to be ‘a unique love story’? If you did, please share your views with me because I am afraid I didn’t. What are your thoughts on Sheheryaar and Emaan’s happily ever after?

Maryam Mehdi

P.S. In the end, I would like to thank all of my wonderful readers for reading the reviews and taking part in the discussions every week. You guys must’ve noticed that compared to the threads of the previous dramas I have reviewed, I was very late when it came to replying to your comments on Mol’s thread. I have been a little busy, but I am really sorry to have kept you all waiting. Thank you sooo much for bearing with me. Thank you so much for being so appreciative. This means the world to me! :D

Emaan, honey, it’s really sweet that you keep a diary, but since a diary is supposed to be a place where you can confide your innermost feelings and in your case, jot down 101 ways to get Shahnu, you are supposed to keep it where no one can see it! But heyy, if my memory doesn’t deceive me, this isn’t the first time that Emaan has put her personal stuff on display – remember how Sajal got hold of the fertility report and could easily interpret that Emaan is infertile? Emaan couldn’t care less about her privacy, that I can see. On a serious note, if one of the main characters keeps a diary, it’s definitely something that should be introduced and established in the beginning, I mean, Emaan’s diary magically appeared in the second last episode! I didn’t use this word for the earlier episodes but I’d have to say it this time: the latest episode was downright repulsive. Mol had stopped making sense a while ago, but this episode was so bad that as the credits rolled by, I just had to give myself a pat on the back for making it through!

Jab shauhar sara din kaam kar kay ghar aata hai, tou uss ko apni biwi kay saath beth kar, apni dil ki baat kehnay ka dil chahta hai. Ab yeh decide karna hai kay kis biwi say. What sort of culture do they wish to promote here? One thing about Mol that has always bothered me is how on the one hand, there are these seemingly deep and intelligent folktale references and overblown falsafa, but on the other, we get to hear shallow, demeaning and carelessly penned dialogues like the one mentioned above. I was totally reminded of all the dusri biwi and dusri shadi plays I have put up with, but at least those plays didn’t promise anything different so we all knew what we’d signed up for, but the thing about Mol is that it promised quality entertainment, it promised a ‘unique love story of two people with contrasting personalities’, but sorry to say, love stories don’t involve dusri biwian and dusri shadian. They just don’t.

Normally I am all praises for Sheheryaar, but whoa, what was that all about? His heartfelt confession in the last episode and his strong dislike for Sajal and the way he was adamant that he wouldn’t give this relationship a chance – itna drama kyun when he just HAD to turn to Biwi No.2 when Biwi No.1 wasn’t around! Sheheryaar is NOT being Sheheryaar. The fact that the only sane character of the show is not staying true to his character has left me with this I-just-can’t-take-it-anymore feeling.

Is it wrong that I was totally pleased with Sanober giving Emaan a piece of her mind in the first scene of the episode? OK, Sanober is brusque and painfully loud, but the fact that she doesn’t shy away from calling a spade a spade makes her bearable. The only part of this episode that I found a little realistic was Rohail and his family leaving their house. Mubarak ho! What was Emaan thinking? She can’t turn a blind eye to the glaring reality that Sanober and Rohail are Shahnaam’s birth parents, and Emaan, in spite of her undying love for Shahnaam is not his mother so can we just accept that and move on and end this play? Thank you.

Considering the note on which the episode ended and the promo of the next episode, things don’t look good for Emaan and truth be told, this doesn’t surprise( or upset) me in the least because girl, you got yourself into this. In Dastaan e Lila Chanesar, Lila, driven by her desire to get hold of the naulakha haar, put everything on stake and spent the rest of her life in anguish and misery. With Sheheryaar’s marriage to Sajal and Shahnaam gone, Emaan is empty handed. Let’s see how they wrap things up. Episode 20 is the last one and I couldn’t be happier!

Did you watch the latest episode? How do you want Mol to end? Voice your thoughts!

Maryam Mehdi

This episode was what you’d call ‘happening’ because it featured the long awaited confession of love along with the much dreaded dusri shadi. Before I go on about anything else, allow me to applaud the top notch performance of Faisal Qureshi. He speaks his dialogues with conviction, his powerful expressions alone can tell you how defeated, depressed and helpless his character feels, and yes, it’d be fair to say that we couldn’t have asked for a better Sheheryaar Hassan.

Belonging nahe ho tum meri, muhabbat ho, pehli aur akhri muhabbat. Since the beginning of this play, there has been a Sheheryaar vs. Emaan debate (and how mentally draining these debates have been!); some viewers felt that Sheheryaar doesn’t love Emaan and that she is simply one of the many commitments that Sheheryaar likes to take seriously, while others believed that Sheheryaar loves Emaan but fails to put it into words. If you remember, the very first time Emaan asked Sheheryaar if he loves her, he rejected the very idea of love, calling confessions of love, ‘jhootay labels, teenagers ki baatain’. But, the same Sheheryaar who refused to believe in love, now confesses his love, and for me, this illustrates the point that this has indeed been Sheheryaar’s journey of self discovery. He thought that he can spend his entire life without having to depend on anybody and that his life can do without love, but his marriage to Emaan has changed his views about life and love. It was promised that Mol would be about how two people discover themselves, and while I can say that Sheheryaar has indeed discovered himself, I wish I wish I could say that about Emaan!

Kia waqai aap ko mujhse muhabbat hogayi hai? I feel like banging my head on the wall! It’s pathetic how it never dawned on Emaan that her husband loves her and it’s even more pathetic how Emaan started off as an intelligent woman but by the end of the day, she simply wanted a verbal confession of love? Is this juvenile or what?

This episode revealed the real reason why Emaan wanted Sheheryaar to marry Sajal and as it turns out, Emaan yeh sab kuch Shahnu kay liye hi tou kar rahi hain! Emaan thinks that Sajal would drive Sheheryaar away from her and that way, she’d get her happy ending with Shahnu. Hey, does anyone else remember that Emaan was in love with Sheheryaar not too long ago? How is it so easy for Emaan to leave Sheheryaar for the sake of this kid? And now that Sheheryaar has said the words Emaan was dying to hear, isn’t the decision to leave Sheheryaar supposed to be difficult? Emaan’s conversation with Rohail left a bad taste in my mouth. It almost felt like she was asking him to marry her and when I say that, I am referring to: koi bhi aurat jo kisi aur ki biwi hai who Shahnaam ki maa nahe hosakti. I kinda felt that Emaan was trying to suggest that she’d like to be Mrs Rohail just to be with Shahnaam 24/7.

As if there weren’t enough maniacs in this drama, say hello to the latest addition, Sanober! She shouts, shouts, and shouts some more, and yeah, that’s pretty much it! Jahan itnon ko bardaasht karliya, wahan ek aur sahe. On a serious note, I kind of agree with Sanober’s views about Emaan.

Mujhe aap say shadi manzoor hai, kisi bhi soorat mein. As a female viewer, I found this dialogue to be extremely demeaning. Forgive me if I sound brutal, but I felt great watching Sheheryaar give Sajal the cold shoulder. Girl, you were dying to marry him, remember? I don’t understand what sort of treatment Sajal was expecting from a guy who rejected her outright, never had a proper, pleasant conversation with her and made clear that he just couldn’t care less about her!

Falsafa mat bolo! I’d like to thank Sheheryaar for pointing this out because I feel that almost every episode of Mol is always oozing with falsafa ; from Emaan (the undisputed queen of falsafa) to Rohail’s maid – all the characters here have more than their fair share of falsifana dialogues. It’s not that I mind falsifana conversations but I feel that an overdose of forced falsafa can easily be avoided because this just makes characters that are already very difficult to identify with even more difficult to relate to.

I’d love to read your take on dunya ki sab say ajeeb larki aur dunya ki sab say ajeeb shadi (thank you for saying this, Hajra Aunty!).

Maryam Mehdi

After watching, or I should say, struggling to keep my eyes open throughout the episode, I can’t even think of a tamheedi statement, so I’ll just get straight to the point: how on earth do I watch and discuss and analyze a character that simply needs mental help? I tune in every week, hoping to find something sensible and relate-able about Emaan and her faislay, but sorry, I just don’t get this girl. And I think what makes it worse is the fact that we are supposed to believe that its Emaan and her decisions that make sense whereas Sheheryaar’s decisions are impractical? All of a sudden, it’s Emaan the Dreamer who’s being ‘haqeeqatpasand’? When did dusri shadi become a pragmatic solution to marital problems? A few weeks back, when I was actually enjoying and looking forward to Mol, I remember mentioning how the best thing about Emaan and Sheheryaar is the fact that their problems are very real and 21st century-like. Emaan’s character was anything but typical, but to see her considering dusri shadi to be the only solution to her problems, I just feel disappointed. I wish they realize that when viewers sit down to watch a drama, they like to see something they can identify with. But, tell me, how can I possibly relate to a woman who gives a set of chooriyan to her prospective sautan to thank her? As a female viewer, I find it demeaning the way a girl is perfectly fine with getting married to an already married guy who even rejected her once. And more than that, I find it demeaning how a woman is coercing her husband into dusri shadi.

I felt for Sheheryaar all through the episode. What Sheheryaar valued and wanted all his life was his personal space and freedom, but the fact that someone as unyielding as Sheheryaar is going ahead with dusri shadi against his will just for the sake of Emaan goes to show that she is a lot more than a mere commitment to him. I was shocked to see Emaan calling her relationship with Sheheryaar, ‘maalik naukar ka rishta’ – that’s taking it too far. I think Sheheryaar has always seen her as his equal so this dialogue of hers actually made me cringe.

This episode brings another character into the mix; Rohail’s estranged wife, Sanober (Zainab Qayyum) has finally made an appearance. From what little we have seen, separation didn’t suit Sanober; she is miserable and broke. Sanober is not exactly what you’d call a concerned mother, so her return doesn’t have much to do with Shannaam. Sanober shows up after all these years because she is struggling financially and other than her rich husband, she has no one to look to.

What’s your take on the latest episode of Mol? Are you looking forward to the next episode? Share your views!

Maryam Mehdi

If I were to pick one play that’s been the toughest to review out of all the dramas I have reviewed to date, I think I’d pick Mol, and that’s because the characters are so complex that it is difficult to make sense of their actions. Normally, complex characters are fascinating as they continue to intrigue the viewers. But, in this case, Emaan’s character is complex in a way that’s far from interesting – it’s just complicated.

Imtiaz Sahab had to talk his daughter out of her decision and he did just that. About the confrontation between Emaan and her parents, I have to be honest here – I didn’t quite get the part where Emaan explained the rationale behind her demanding a divorce. It is after Imtiaz Sahab’s emotional blackmailing that Emaan ‘decided’ that since she can’t leave Sheheryaar, she should get him married to Sajal; the talaaq ka mutalba is a thing of past now and the real deal here is Sajal and Sheheryaar’s shaadi. The conversation between Emaan and Sajal was supposed to answer our questions and clarify why Emaan wants Sheheryaar and Sajal to get married, but it didn’t feel convincing – it just left me confused and utterly disappointed. Yeh tou khudgharzi hui na, kay mein sirf apni wajah say, Sheheryaar say juray har rishtay ko dukh deti rahun. The previous episodes have only emphasized the fact that Emaan is crazy about Shahnaam and that she’d do whatever it takes to be with him, but in this episode, we are expected to believe that everything Emaan was doing all this while was because she ‘loves’ Sheheryaar too much to see his loved ones suffer? Sheheryaar’s family needs a waaris and since she can’t provide them with one, she wants Sheheryaar to marry Sajal. I think by now by we are perfectly aware of the fact that Sheheryaar and his family never see eye to eye, but Emaan is certain that ‘jald ya dair say, Sheheryaar ka faisla wohi hoga jo un ki family ka hai.’ This doesn’t even make sense! I have seen quite a few plays where the infertile first wife asks her husband to go ahead with dusri shadi for the sake of a waaris, so if that’s how Mol was supposed to shape up, why did we have to put up with the ‘mujhe talaaq chahye’ fiasco? The way Emaan’s prospective sautan puts it,‘Sheheryaar bohat lucky hain kay un ko tum jesi biwi mili hai.’ Now we are supposed to praise Emaan for being an awfully selfless and self-sacrificing wife. Great. I’m impressed.

Jora badalne ki baat mat karna kyunke yeh humari khandaani riwayat hai! Does it look like this is coming from the suited and booted man of the house? Humayun Aunty, there’s no hope for you! I know it will sound weird but for some strange reason, I kinda pity Sheheryaar’s family – becharay khud hi jora dhoondte hain, khud hi tayaar hotay hain, khud hi anghooti pehnatay hain, khud hi mubarakbaad exchange kartay hain, aur phir khud hi apna sa mun lekar rehjatay hain. Poor souls. If Sajal does feel that she’s being treated like a ‘grocery item’, I’d have to ask her why does she allow her family to treat her this way over and over again? It sure seems like she was simply waiting for Emaan to give her the green light and once she was assured that Emaan wants her to marry Sheheryaar, she decided to give the nod. Can she take a decision on her own and stick to it without letting Emaan or Zareena or anyone else for that matter talk her out of it?

Muhabbat aur jang mein sab jaiz hota hai. Yeh jang nahe, muhabbat hai. Is it just me or Sheheryaar actually conveyed a lot by saying this? I would have liked Emaan to realize that she does hold a special place in Sheheryaar’s heart and that he does love her, but much to my dismay, what followed next was: kaash Sheheryaar aap mujh se muhabbat karte tou shayad mein itni kamzor na parti.

I’d like to hear more about how you guys make sense of the conversation between Emaan and her parents. What do you guys think about the latest episode of Mol? Feel free to voice your views.

Maryam Mehdi

The latest episode sets the premise for what’s next to come and at this point, we can see where this is heading. I didn’t want to lose my faith in Mol but this episode most certainly marks the beginning of Mol’s collapse for me.

Aap roz raat ko bahir jatay hain aur dair say aatay hain. Mein nay tou kabhi nahe poocha kay aap kay dost important hain ya mein? Yeh kaunsi space hai jo aap mujhay provide kar rahay hain? Now, all of a sudden, we are expected to believe that Sheheryaar has been a suffocating husband who never had any time for his wife and failed to give her the personal space she was entitled to? Emaan has already accused Sheheryaar of not caring about her but I wasn’t expecting her to say that he is not giving her space because after watching fourteen episodes, if there’s one thing I am really sure of, it’s the fact that Sheheryaar’s been giving her the space he wanted in return. Why do I remember that Sheheryaar gave Emaan the freedom to visit Shahnaam whenever she feels like but it was Emaan who bemoaned that her husband doesn’t want her around him? If Sheheryaar neglects Emaan and spends most of his time with his friends, why do I remember that he once cancelled his official meeting to be with Emaan? Why do I remember that Sheheryaar didn’t want Emaan to leave for Sukkur? And if Sheheryaar is really that bad a husband, why does he rise to the defense of his wife each time his family insults her in front of him? I think they are trying a little too hard to prove that Emaan doesn’t deserve to live with a guy as ‘heartless’ as Sheheryaar but I am afraid it’s not working. I find this whole Sheheryaar-mujh-se-pyar-nahe-kartay-iss-liye-mein-unhe-chor-rahi-hun thing very unconvincing and unnatural. I understand that what Emaan wants right now is a reassurance that her husband loves her. It’s not too much to ask but my question is that if Sheheryaar fails to express his feelings and confess his love the way she expects him to, is it that big a deal that she wants to end her relationship on this basis? Indeed, women are entitled to their choices and they deserve the freedom to walk out of a relationship, but Emaan’s sudden ‘determination’ to depart from Sheheryaar doesn’t make sense because her complaints about Sheheryaar are baseless; Sheheryaar never abused her or humiliated her, he didn’t cheat on Emaan, and what makes him a clear winner in my book is the fact that he is always there to console and defend his wife. Divorce is not a matter of light concern – is it true that Emaan wouldn’t have demanded a divorce if Sheheryaar had confessed his love? Our protagonists are not teenagers, for crying out loud! When Emaan asked Sheheryaar if he loves her, it almost felt like she was looking for an excuse to leave him. Like I said last week, Emaan is nowhere near the headstrong and confident woman we’d grown to love. She was levelheaded and mature, she worked on her marriage, she reasoned with Sheheryaar, she knew how to deal with her in laws, but what on earth is happening to her now? All the viewers feel for her because she is deprived of motherhood, but if we are supposed to feel for her because her husband is ‘devoid of emotion’, sorry, I just don’t buy it.

Sheheryaar, mujhay bohat afsoos hua kay jis larki kay liye aap nay mujhay chora uss ko aap apni muhabbat ka ehsaas nahe dila sakay. Aap nay uss ko apna saath tou dediya hai magar maan nahe diya hai. Aap bekhabar hain kay aap kay aas paas kia horaha hai. OK, now I am seriously confused! Are we sure it’s Sheheryaar we are talking about? And how can Sajal draw these conclusions about Sheheryaar? Sheheryaar is perfectly aware of what’s happening around him and this is exactly why he had a very clear conversation with Emaan last week. Bohat achi tarah say non issue ko issue bana leti ho tum! Wah! Thank you soo much for saying this, Sheheryaar – this goes for Sajal and Emaan both! I think this is the first time Sheheryaar and Sajal actually had a proper conversation in the drama! It’s good to see that Sajal doesn’t want to destroy Emaan’s home to build her own but her keen interest in Emaan and Sheheryaar’s relationship seems a little forced. It took a couple of conversations with Emaan for Sajal to figure out that Sheheryaar is being unfair to Emaan. Both these ladies are in love with Sheheryaar and yet, they are anti-Sheheryaar! Jokes aside, allow me to confess that Sajal’s character has pleasantly surprised me and it makes me happy to see that Sajal is not yet another vamp in the making. Considering Sajal and Sheheryaar’s opposition to dusri shadi, I wonder how they’ll end up getting married.

Rohail finally got to speak up this time and I agree with what he had to say about Emaan. Rohail is concerned about his son’s well being because Shahnaam is a disturbed child. Shahnaam’s mother left him when a child needs his mother the most and while Rohail was struggling to single-handedly raise his child, Emaan entered Shahnaam’s life. Shahnaam has become dependent on Emaan but Rohail believes that Emaan chooses to spend her time with Shahnaam only when she feels lonely and it worries him that once she’s gone, Shahnaam would have to cope with another emotional upheaval. When it comes to Shahnaam, Emaan gets very sensitive; she feels hurt after hearing Rohail’s reminders that she is merely a jazbaati sahara. As much as I understand that her love for Shahnaam is a major part of the story because Shahnaam is the naulakha haar of the tale, I found her concern for Shahnaam unnatural and exaggerated in this episode in particular.

Mubarak ho! Zareena is over the moon because she has finally gotten hold of the long lost jora just in time for Sajal and Sheheryaar’s wedding! Just about everything related to Zareena is so over the top – her dialogues, her excitement at discovering the dress and the actress playing the role. However, it was good to see Hajra wondering aloud that they are destroying Sheheryaar’s home and happiness, but it’s sad to see that no one else in the family is thinking that way.

How many of you are watching Mol? Are you disappointed? What do you think of the latest episode? Fire away!

Maryam Mehdi

The dialogues are well-written, the actors are doing complete justice to their roles, the execution is simple and spot on, but as much as I didn’t want to say this, Mol is no longer as interesting or realistic as it used to be and I think this has a lot to do with what I was expecting from Emaan. I had high hopes attached to her character but I am afraid she’s no longer the woman I thought she was. And strangely enough, I wasn’t expecting Sheheryaar to wow me but that’s exactly what he’s doing!

While watching Humayun and Zareena spew venom against Emaan, I was reminded of all the times Sheheryaar used to explain to Emaan how his family doesn’t mean well for them. I can totally understand why all this time he was trying to avoid them as best as he could. Sheheryaar feared that their constant interference would spoil his relationship with Emaan and that’s exactly what’s happening. Right after that unpleasant encounter with his parents and Chalak Chachi, for a fleeting moment, Sheheryaar was forced to think about what his family was saying about Emaan. I think this was natural because after hearing such accusations, he, like any normal person, needed some time to collect himself. After Sheheryaar’s soliloquy and the awkward scene at Rohail’s house, I was beginning to think that Sheheryaar too joins the league of the shukki, judgemental husbands that grace our screens every now and then, but the conversations that followed left me with a really good feeling. I am so pleased that Sheheryaar and Emaan decided to talk to each other about what’s bothering them and where is this going because that conversation was much much needed. And I have to say that Sheheryaar said all the things my ears have been starving for! Have we ever witnessed an onscreen husband saying that he doesn’t even want to discuss the possibility of going ahead with dusri shadi because it’s way below his belt? Have we come across an onscreen husband whose faith in his wife doesn’t waver in spite of all the accusations directed at her? How many times have we seen a character apologizing to his wife for speaking to her in a harsh tone? I am so pleased and relieved that he explained to Emaan why he had reacted that way and that apology was music to my ears! Needless to say, I have tons and tons of respect for Sheheryaar. Faisal Qureshi has been phenomenal and I don’t think I can imagine anyone else playing Sheheryaar with such ease and brilliance.

Yeh bhi ek phase hai. Haina Sheheryaar? Tumhari zindagi tou mukhtalif phases mein bati hui hai. Kia pata shayad mein bhi ek phase hoon. So that’s what Sheheryaar gets for reassuring Emaan that he would never leave her? I feel for Emaan because I truly understand that the news of her not being able to become a mother is devastating and it’s only natural to feel that life has lost all its purpose and meaning, BUT what I fail to understand is that how does she expect Sheheryaar to help her out of this situation? Being with Shahnaam makes her happy and Sheheryaar told her that she can visit that boy whenever she feels like, but we found her wondering, ‘’kaash aap keh detay kay mat jao.’’ If she wants Sheheryaar to make sure that he would stay by her side, that’s exactly what he’s been doing since the last two or three episodes! Why is she bent on proving that Sheheryaar is a cold and heartless guy?

Muhabbat ek aisa jaal hai jis mein hum larkiyan apnay aap ko bohat mehnat say qaid karti hain aur phir pachtati hain kay yeh kia hua. Sajal and Emaan’s conversation involved some hard hitting dialogues and I think for the first time EVER, (I could never have imagined myself saying this) Sajal made a lot more sense than Emaan! It made me happy that Sajal actually put herself in Emaan’s shoes and wondered aloud if Zareena and Humayun would have accepted the same circumstances for her. It’s a relief that Sajal is not as insensitive as her parents, but I am keeping my expectations low because I remember how her immediate reaction to Sheheryaar’s marriage was very promising but the later events proved otherwise. Sheheryaar kisi ka nahe hosakta, Sajal. Emaan actually thinks of Sheheryaar as the cruelest man alive and I don’t seem to get why. What’s the poor guy’s fault? He didn’t say ”I love you’’? Is that it? Emaan is a dreamer and her views about love are different from Sheheryaar, I know, but I was hoping for her to sense that she does hold a significant place in Sheheryaar’s life, but Sheheryaar being Sheheryaar, is reticent about his feelings. He likes some things to be left unsaid while Emaan wants feelings and emotions to be expressed – it’s not that big an issue as she thinks it is. I was actually shocked when she said, ”Shayad Sheheryaar waqai mujhe chornay ka soch rahay hain’’, because it was only in the previous scene that Sheheryaar had comforted her that he won’t leave her or marry Sajal! I don’t seem to get what she has against the guy she ‘loves’ so much. It’s strange that she loves Sheheryaar but has no issue with him getting married to Sajal. This was the last, let me repeat, the last thing I expected from Emaan. Had Sheheryaar given her any hints that he doesn’t want to live with her anymore, I would have understood why Emaan wants to walk out, but nothing of that sort happened. I feel that more than Sheheryaar’s family, it’s Emaan who’s responsible for the rift between the two.

Emaan nay bohat bahaduri say yeh sab kuch face kia hai. Emaan ki bahauri nay mujhay hara diya hai. I don’t really agree with Sajal because I don’t think Emaan has faced this blow with courage at all. She has been hopeless and she is constantly blaming Sheheryaar for not being able to understand her feelings. The Emaan we are watching these days is nowhere near the strong headed person she used to be.

Mein aur Zareena bohat seedhi saadi gharelu aurtain hain. OK, now we really need to revisit our definition of seedhi saadi! When did Chalak Chachi make a wise decision for the well being and happiness of her daughter? Did I miss something?

Just out of morbid curiosity, what became of that adoption plan? It sounded pretty good to me and from what we’ve been shown, Sheheryaar hadn’t exactly rejected it. It really felt like Emaan was very much into the adoption thing as well so I don’t know why no one’s bringing it up. Also, remember how Emaan was so very passionate about her school work and Sheheryaar had promised her that he would talk to his friend who also happens to be the Director of a school? That actually seems like ancient history now! Emaan is dealing with a blow but is Shahnaam the last kid on earth? I don’t like Emaan’s obsession with Shahnaam not because I am narrow minded or something but because I believe that running after a married guy’s child is not a pragmatic solution to her problems.

The best thing about Mol is Sheheryaar and the way he is dealing with this tough ‘phase’ of his life. I still have faith in the drama and I hope that the story moves along in a convincing manner. How many of you are watching Mol? Voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

Ohkay so, this episode of Mol was quite intense & interesting. I have always enjoyed watching Mol for the fact that you always get to understand what is running through a character’s mind, which also means that all the characters have been written with a lot of diligence & intelligence. I must say, the writer here has succeeded in keeping things engaging enough & also the viewers are forced to look forward to every upcoming episode of Mol. By this stage, I am eagerly waiting to find out what the ending of this drama would be, which shows that this drama has been so promising & I am sure everyone who has followed it till this episode would follow it right till the end.

This episode was dedicated to Zareena & her conniving nature. As much as I do understand that being a family means sticking together with each other, I think nowhere does it say that being a family also snatches away the limit of respect & decency one has to extend towards each & every family member. The way Humayun, Hajra, Zareena & Murad discussed Imaan & her medical condition was simply disgusting. They are actually making a mountain out of a molehill because Shehryaar & Imaan are still a young couple. Yes, their concern is realistic & understandable but their solutions & discussions were cringe worthy. The way Murad suggested that he deserves an explanation & conclusive decision from Shehryaar made him stand out like a sore thumb because excuse me uncle, you should be worried about getting your daughter married first without poking your nose into someone else’s business because by the end of the day, what Shehryaar does or goes through shouldn’t concern you at all. I found Zareena & Murad’s involvement in this whole matter quite strange because like I said, there always is some limit & some privacy even amongst the closely knit family members. I really think that Humayun & Hajra are still quite gullible in comparison to Zareena & Murad because they trust their relatives’ way more than they are entitled to & Murad & Zareena aren’t as sincere as Humayun & Hajra take them to be. I also think it was Humayun’s fault to discuss it out in the open about how Shehryaar returned his picture; he really needs some lessons on how to keep some things to himself because by doing that, he welcomes unnecessary & unwanted taunts his way.

The way Zareena blew everything out of proportion was appalling. She has seen Shehryaar’s worst & she also is well aware of the fact that Shehryaar is a very difficult person, so what gives her the guarantee of her daughter’s eternal happiness with a man like him? More than being a mother, Zareena is being her daughter’s enemy where she is not allowing Sajjal to get over Shehryaar easily. I guess, more than Sajjal, Zareena wants to see Sajjal getting married to Shehryaar because he hurt her ego once & she wants to brew a storm in his life until she gets what she wants. To be honest, after Sajjal & Imaan’s conversation, I really believed that Sajjal was wise enough to understand that Shehryaar never belonged to her & also, she did get to know that Imaan also was facing some issues where she felt unwanted in his life, but oh boy, the apple fell from the same tree, that is why Sajjal is still stuck on him & didn’t mind hearing her mother’s suggestion of becoming Shehryaar’s second wife. ‘Hum dono ke raaste aik hi hain’, (followed by that evil smirk) I think by now it would be better for us to give up the hope of seeing Sajjal getting a life because she isn’t working on it & she is incapable of finding one. I really expected Sajjal to be different but then I guess the way ‘dheet-pan’ runs in her family, she couldn’t be any different.

I must say, I really really like Shehryaar’s character. Yes, at first, he might’ve looked a bit different & stubborn but I really respect his character for the fact that he is a man of his word. Yes, all this while, he was doing things in rebellion but he isn’t that irrational to change a course of his life due to his strong urge of rebelling against his whole family & that is why, he makes it very believable that he loves wife but chooses not to say so. The way he is taking a stand for her, the way he is doing all those little things to make her feel better, the way he assures her with his words that not having a baby wouldn’t change anything between them really makes him a good husband & even a better person. I really think Imaan is missing the point here because if her husband believes in giving his wife some space, this shouldn’t be something that she should be shedding a tear upon. I really do feel for her character & for what she is going through, but I also do feel that all the doubts she has about Shehryaar & the strength of their relationship are self-created. Imaan still believes that just because Shehryaar doesn’t want a child, he is perfectly fine with Imaan, which I find quite irrational of her because he agreed to whatever she, & the doctor suggested & that was because he wanted to make Imaan happy.

All of a sudden it looks like Imaan is magnifying every little detail related to Shehryaar & his reactions just to misunderstand him. Imaan has also always done what she deemed fit, like even after knowing that Shehryaar doesn’t want her to mingle with his family, she went ahead with it, even after knowing that he didn’t want her to have a conversation with Sajjal, she gave her the edge, so now when Shehryaar allowed her to spent some time with Shahnaam at his place, why did Imaan feel like Shehryaar should’ve stopped her? What I have always loved about their couple is their deep & mature conversations, so why is it so hard for Imaan to convey her feelings to Shehryaar, because when it comes to dictating who should do what & who likes what, we only get to see Shehryaar talking. I feel the writer should have added a dialogue or two in some conversations where Imaan is seen conveying what she expects from Shehryaar & how she would like to be treated because yes, Shehryaar does not believe in binding his wife but I don’t think he doesn’t believe in listening to his wife as well.

Now coming to the show down between Shehryaar, Humayun & Zareena. I absolutely loved everything Shehryaar said to Humayun & how highly & respectfully he spoke about Imaan. If that is not love, then I don’t understand what love is. I so wish Imaan could hear what Shehryaar had to say because then she would’ve gotten a perfect validation of her relation & Shehryaar’s love that she is longing for. Shehryaar made his point clear about how much he hates his family’s interference in his life but sadly, I wish just like Humayun, Hajra could blame her son once & not hold Imaan responsible for who Shehryaar has become. Unfortunately, Humayun & Zareena succeeded in infiltrating Shehryaar’s mind against Imaan & they managed to plant a seed of doubt in his heart too because the way their voices echoed in his mind was alarming. I really wish they don’t turn Shehryaar into a typical husband who starts doubting his wife because till this point, his character has been very different & decent. I really wish to see Shehryaar backing his words of how much he trusts his wife because now he’s going to face the time when he’ll have to prove it.

Overall, it was a very interesting episode. All the actors have done such an amazing job that they make it seem like a real-life situation. Their reactions, their expressions are totally realistic but yes, the crown goes to Faysal Qureshi & Naveen Waqar. I absolutely love their acting & feel they have given perfect faces to Shehryaar & Imaan’s characters & oh, I must add, I love Naveen Waqar’s dialogue delivery, her voice is very soothing to the ears, I absolutely love the way she speaks. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I am covering for my dear friend Maryam, make sure to check out the comment section for her say & don’t forget to tune in next week for her review. :)