Another perfect episode! Everyone is trying their best to patch things up between Asfand and Maya but all their plans are backfiring. First it was Saad’s letter and Beydil’s pathetic shayari and now the oldest trick in the book: Jealousy.
Maya and her jealousy was a treat to watch. She was shocked to see Nazia at her house and talking about Asfand as if she knew him very well. She tried her best not to show her jealousy but her expressions told another story. Nazia was sent there by Mutmain Sahab (she is the same tenant he is flirting with all the time). Poor Asfand doesn’t even know her. The scene where Maya asks about Nazia from Asfand and Asfand’s clueless expressions was hilarious and the blame game after that from Nawab to Zoya to Mutmain Sahab was too good. Mutmain Sahab had set this whole thing up to make Maya jealous and possessive about Asfand. She did get very possessive and kept asking about Nazia indirectly from Asfand. I really hope this strategy does not backfire and create more misunderstanding between Asfand and Maya.

After watching this episode, I have a feeling Asfand was at fault more than Maya. We saw Maya reminding him of his mistakes. He never gave any time to his family, he was so busy with his own life mainly his restaurant. He was never there for Maya when she needed him the most. Asfand also realizes that he was at fault and tells her to forget everything and start over. They have finally started to open up about their feelings and this is one step forward for clearing the misunderstandings. Things will sort out if they just talk about it instead of giving each other the silent treatment. They both have spent the hardest time of their lives alone. Will it be easy for them to forget 16 years of hard feelings and heartache and accept each other again?

Now coming to the best part of the episode! Nusrat and Mutmain Sahab were the highlight of the episode. Nusrat has finally started her university and the way Mutmain Sahab treats her made me laugh. The best scene of the episode for me was when he was sending his ‘wife‘ to university and instructing her like a small kid. Their chemistry is just amazing! Hats off to both of them!

Zoya’s efforts have paid off and she is finally launching the revamped restaurant. The scene where Maria comes to ask about Beydil’s salary was extremely cute. I pity both Maria and Ruqaiya. The guys they both like are too thick in the head to realize how much these two girl like them. One is the biggest flirt on planet and spends day and night sending shayari to every girl possible and the other is too busy with his ‘burger’ girlfriend. Zoya advised Ruqaiya to tell Saad about her feelings but then she imagined his laughing face and took her advice back. Since we are seeing so many adorable couples, I now want to see Zoya and Rayaan scenes. I really like their chemistry. I hope we get to see more of them.

The preview for the next episode looked promising. Asfand asks Maya to accept that she still loves him the same way since the past 25years. Will she accept this? And the best part is that Maya thinks she is not invited to the restaurant’s opening. Will Asfand finally invite her? Will she go to the opening? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Tune into Coke Kahani next week to find out.

Mariam Shafiq

Do I have to say again what an amazing show this is? It is 15 to 20 minutes of pure pleasure. Each character has its own charm and there is not a single scene that makes you bored. All the actors in this show have performed brilliantly and given their 100 percent, the new comers as well as the old ones. I never thought Muhammad Ahmed or Shamim Hilali would be able to do such good comedy. I have usually seen Shamim Hilali in negative or serious characters. Sonia Rehman and Faisal Rehman both are looking great together and so are Yasir Hussain and Maheen Rizvi as Beydil and Maria, and not to forget the ever green Jugno uncle played by Adnan Jaffer. Everyone’s comic timing is outstanding!

Now coming to the episode, Zoya is still trying to patch things up between her parents. She wants them to spend quality time with each other and sort things out. Asfand is trying his best to win over Maya. Poor guy is trying to make food to impress her! And the best part of the episode was the ‘shayari’ that Saad took from Beydil’s phone. I just could not stop laughing at this scene. It goes like:
“Kis Baat pe Khafa Ho, Mujhko Kiun Nahi Batati
Khuwaabo Main Aati Ho, Kamray Main Kiun Nahi Aati”

This scene is a must watch! The look on Asfand’s face when he read the card was priceless.

Saad is so blind. How can he not see that Ruqaiya likes him! Their car scene was a cute, lighthearted scene. Ruqaiya’s mum is again pestering her to meet a guy. Saad asks her if she wants to marry someone else, and she imagined confessing to him that she wants to marry him. This scene was extremely funny!

Rayaan has finally succeeded to get a sponsor. And who is the sponsor? Coca Cola of course! They are the actual sponsors of this show too. They have no doubt invested a lot in this show. Muhammad Ahmed’s script and Mehreen Jabbar’s direction has turned it into a master piece. I always thought Mehreen Jabbar was more of a serious director. She always did the same genre of plays like Vasl and Malaal. It is good to see that she is also very versatile. I never thought she could portray comedy so well on screen, and not to forget the dialogues. They are absolutely fantastic!

Another scene worth mentioning is the one where Saad, Ruqaiya, Zoya and Rayaan are interviewing people to employ in Al fonso. The magicians, the dancers, and that weird guy with the guitar, they all were hilarious! Another must watch scene.
It is still not clear why Maya left Asfand. They are trying to create an air of mystery around Asfand and Maya’s relationship. We got more insight as to why Maya left Asfand. She thinks that Asfand is an indifferent and a useless person who has not done a single thing properly in his life. We also got to see Asfand angry at Maya for the first time, he clearly tells her that you may think I am useless and indifferent but in reality I am just a very patient person. This is true! Asfand is seen as a very calm and patient person who rarely loses his composure. Maya was also seen trying to make Zoya admit of her intentions of patching things up between her parents. Zoya somehow managed to convince her mother that she has no such intentions. Phew! That was a close call.

Maya’s anger has also dissolved overtime. She is finally speaking to Asfand politely. She keeps on pestering him to tell the reason behind the selling of his restaurant. But everything he manages to change the topic. Why is he not telling her the reason? I guess it is because he does not want her to know that he took a loan for Zoya’s education. My guess is that he does not want Maya to feel bad or guilty about his situation.

How can I forget to mention Nusrat and Mutmain Sahab! I love the way Nusrat gets jealous when Mutmain Sahab goes to Nazia’s place (their tenant). These two are extremely cute! I am curious to know who this Nazia is now. Is she a friend of Asfand? There was pure jealousy on Maya’s face when she came searching for Asfand at their house. Let’s see what is in store for us next week! Till then, have a wonderful week!

Mariam Shafiq

This show is always a treat to watch. I always have a smile on my face when I am watching it. Amidst all the serious dramas on TV nowadays, a lighthearted show like Coke kahani is always welcomed. This show is a combined effort of a brilliant director and hardworking actors. The script and dialogues both are well written.

Now coming to the episode, Maya overheard Rayaan and Zoya’s conversation. Now she knows what Zoya wants and that she has an ulterior motive to stay in Pakistan. Now Rayaan, Zoya, Saad and Ruqaiya are on a mission! They want to patch up things between Zoya’s parents. The precap seems interesting. Saad wrote a hilarious love letter to Maya on behalf of Asfand and Asfand got a good bashing as a reply from Maya. Poor Asfand did not have a clue about what was happening!
We also got an insight to the reason why Asfand and Maya separated. Maya did not want to stay in Pakistan because of its worsening condition and Asfand did not want to leave Pakistan. He did not want to leave his forefather’s house and restaurant. Both are right in their own places. Maya wants security which she does not find here while Asfand gives importance to his values. Maya and Asfand have come to a kind of truce now. They are no longer fighting and making decisions on behalf of Zoya. Asfand and Maya have decided that they would let Zoya reach to a decision by herself without pressuring her in anyway. I think this is a really good decision.

Zoya is getting more desperate by the day to arrange money to revamp the restaurant. She is thinking of taking a loan despite her promise to Asfand that she would not take one. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Let’s see if she is able to find a sponsor or would she would end up taking a loan.

The highlight of the show was Mr and Mrs Mutmain, they are also attempting to patch up things between Asfand and Maya. Their scenes make you laugh like anything. I loved the scene when they both took Maya to a mall and she got scared when she heard a sound that seemed like a bomb blast. everyone who comes from outside behave the same way since everything is so exaggerated in the news. Now coming to the three employees of Al fonso, Maria is interested in Bedil the ‘ultimate’ flirt. Wow! I did not expect this. Bedil, however is unaware of her feelings while Jugnoo knows about it. I love the way Bedil teases Jugnoo. Jugnoo was trying to learn German secretly, but Bedil exposed his secret. These three are the cutest. I simply love their cute fights.

Ruqaiya, her mom and not to forget their ‘gujrati’. I could not stop laughing at this scene. Ruqaiya’s mom wants her to get married because she thinks she will ‘run away’ with some guy. Zoya was somehow able to convince her to give Ruqaiya some more time. I loved the scene when she imagines the kind of guy her mother would select for her. Poor Ruqaiya!

Every single scene of this episode was superb. There was nothing unnecessary or boring. Each character in this play has its own charm and makes you laugh. I am still not able to choose one as my favorite. I find each of them interesting and funny.
Will Zoya be able to get money to revamp the restaurant? Will her efforts be successful in patching up her parents? To find out tune into Coke Kahani next week on Saturday!

Mariam Shafiq

Amazing episode! I am getting addicted to this show now. The director, writer and actors, all have done a brilliant job and you can clearly see this in the end product. The way the show is presented is different. The credit goes to Mehreen Jabbar, of course, for giving us a refreshing play.

Maya is back! She has come all the way from Florida to take Zoya back with her. Zoya hesitates but Maya is determined. She wants to leave immediately but destiny has its own plans. She slips and ends up getting a pretty bad sprain on her foot. The funny part was when Asfand offered to pick her up! She is twice your size, Asfand! How will you ever manage to pick her up? That scene was hilarious! She is not allowed to travel for 2 weeks now! Maya had plans to stay at Nusrat’s house (Rayaan’s parents) but is forced to stay at Asfand’s house because of her foot. Can things get any better for Zoya?

One could see the happiness on Asfand’s face when Maya came back. We got to see a new side of him. The serious Asfand is now laughing and joking, one can easily tell how happy he is to see Maya. He still loves Maya, and Maya also loves him back. She tries to pretend to be aloof and angry, but the way she looks at him speaks a different story altogether. The scene I found funny was when Asfand was drinking tea and he saw Maya looking at him through the window. He was so surprised that he spilled all his tea on himself. God! Asfand is so cute! Maya couldn’t help but smile and remember the same incident happening in the past.

Zoya also confesses to Asfand that her views about him were totally wrong. She always thought that he was a careless and selfish person and it was because of him that Maya left and went away to Florida, but after getting to know him, she knows now that he is not entirely at fault. She also thought that he lived a very carefree and luxurious life, but now she knows better. She also told Maya that she thinks Asfand is a very caring person and the reason why he does not share his problems is because he does not want to worry anyone. Zoya is starting to get to know Asfand better now. I love the new found bond between these two!

“Maya mujhe dekhte hee phisal gaee”, nice sense of humor Asfand! I couldn’t help but laugh at his dialogue when he said it to Mutmaeen Sahab. I also liked Nusrat’s dialogue, “Neeyat mein sachai aur awaaz mein dard ho to har cheez mumkin hai”. Nusrat believed that Maya would stay back if Asfand asks her. But will Asfand ever ask her to come back in his life? What happened between them in the past?
Zoya asked for 15 days from Asfand to try to patch things up between him and Maya. Asfand agreed, but will it be easy to remove the distance between these two? Will they ever be together again? Zoya shares her worries with Rayaan that this her last chance to get her parents to patch up, she is scared that her attempts would fail. Maya overhears this; will she fulfill Zoya’s wishes and make an attempt to make things better between her and Asfand?

The precap seems captivating. Rayaan, Saad and Zoya are trying to come up with ways to patch things up between Zoya’s parents. Will Zoya be successful? Tune into Coke Kahani next week to find out!

Mariam Shafiq

Another hit episode! The credit goes to the wonderful cast and crew, as well as the superb director who never fails to surprise us. Rayaan was the star of the episode. He finally took an initiative to change people around him. He started off with Current and his friend, Guddu. He was able to convince them to give 9th grade board exams. They were reluctant at first, as it was a big decision for them to start their studies again as they were the main bread winners of their family, but Rayaan’s optimism took a toll on them and they agreed. Rayaan decided to teach them himself and worked day and night to help them as they had to start everything from scratch. But with Rayaan’s parents support and help he was able to teach them. Rayaan’s parents seemed like the most proud parents ever. They were very happy with Rayaan’s decision to help Current and Guddu. Rayaan is finally becoming more responsible and looking at life from a new perspective and his parents are proud of his effort! The lesson for us is that we should all be like Rayaan and take an initiative to help and improve people instead of criticizing them. Great work Rayaan!

Beydil’s hard work has finally paid off and he is able to satisfy the ‘never satisfying’ Chef of Alfonso. Jugnoo had been very strict with Beydil but it helped him to learn and improve. Maria was seen supporting Beydil throughout his training. We saw a sweet bonding moment between Jugnoo and Beydil. The enemies had finally become friends! The sweetest scene of the episode for me! Jugnoo had officially handed over his Chef cap to Beydil and is off to Germany. I am definitely going to miss him! Each and every character of this play is very special.

Asfand is also seen encouraging Zoya when she has doubts in her mind of her ability to run the restaurant successfully. But Asfand tells her to be optimistic and not give up so easily. Zoya also has pressure from Maya’s side as she wants Zoya to go back to Florida with her. Asfand and Maya’s relationship had gotten better but suddenly it has returned to its former state. Asfand is being aloof and is refusing to share his problems with Maya. Maya is angry and upset with him as he wouldn’t share his problems and has stopped talking to him. Will their strained relationship ever get better? Will Maya stay back or will she take Zoya back to Florida with her? Zoya really wants to see her family back together. I really hope her wish ever comes true soon!

I was surprised to know that Ruqaiya knew since the beginning why Saad had taken her out for a date. She had always liked Saad but according to her, now it is too late as she wants to go abroad for her Masters. She again took Zoya’s help to convince her mother and surprisingly, she agreed without fussing much. I really did not expect that. I was relying on her to stop Ruqaiya from going and I think even Saad had the same hope. Ruqaiya’s mothers’ comments about Saad were hilarious! It seems like she does not have a very good reputation of Saad in her eyes. Poor Saad seemed extremely upset at the news that Ruqaiya was going abroad for her Masters and her mother has also given her approval. I am sure Saad will do something to stop Ruqaiya from going. He would not give up so easily. Saad can be really unpredictable at times.

The preview for the next episode seems interesting. A lot of things are coming up so don’t forget to watch Coke Kahani next week!

Mariam Shafiq

Coke Kahani always manages to leave me speechless. It has humor as well as a concept that we can observe around us and which makes it more interesting. Rayaan and the new character Current’s bonding was a very enjoyable scene. Poor Rayaan thought that the guy on the motorcycle is coming towards him to steal his cell phone, but he realized that there is still humanity left in people and everybody in Pakistan are not as he imagined; ill mannered and selfish. There are still some people who help others just for the sake of doing a good deed and do not have an ulterior motive. He met such a person in the form of Current, the mechanic who helped him when he was stranded alone on a very dangerous road when his car broke down. For the first time, Rayaan had the desire to change people in his country instead of criticizing them. Current and his ‘fluent’ English was definitely a pleasure to watch! I am looking forward to more scenes of Current and Rayaan.
The thick headed Saad has finally realized that he likes Ruqaiya. Phew! At the speed he was going, I thought this day would never come. Zoya gives Saad some tips on ‘How to confess to a girl’ and her first tip to Saad was ‘not to behave like your own self’. Her tips were hilarious! Saad and Zoya share a cute bonding which makes you smile when they are on screen. However, Saad’s attempt to take Ruqaiya on a date was a huge flop as Ruqaiya had no idea what had come over Saad all of a sudden. The soft music, the presentable attire, the clean car and mannered behavior was very new to her and it left her boggled. And just when the poor guy was about to confess his feelings, she threw the bomb at him and told him that she was going back abroad for her Masters. Saad’s expressions on this news were mind blowing! I could not help but feel bad for him. The preview for the next episode seems hilarious. Saad goes to Ruqaiya’s mother and tell her to get him married to her daughter otherwise he will run away with her! The poor woman could not believe her ears.
We finally saw what I was waiting for so long. Mutmain Sahab and Nusrat are curious on Rayaan’s whereabouts and thinks that there is something cooking between Rayaan and Zoya. Even Maya has noticed that Rayaan and Zoya spend all of their time together and thinks something is fishy. The only one not to notice is Asfand, such an idea has not crossed his mind and he seemed surprised at the possibility. I am glad they are finally paying attention to Zoya and Rayaan. They will definitely look great together!
Asfand really needs to grow up. He wants to face all the worries alone and refuses to share his problems with anyone. This is what irritates Maya the most, and we saw a huge fight between them when she asked him to share his troubles. Maya got really upset and suddenly made the decision to go back to Florida and asked Zoya to come with her. Zoya was shocked at her sudden change of plans and started to get worried as she does not want her family to get separated again.
Asfand has got the notice from the bank and his restaurant will be sealed in a few days as he has not paid back the loan. He has resorted to the last means of saving his restaurant, that is to sell the paintings that he had inherited from his forefathers and which were very precious to him. Maya is also surprised at his decision to sell the paintings. Will he ever tell Maya about his troubles? Will Maya let go of her sudden decision to go back to Florida? I hope we get all the answers in the next episode! So keep watching Coke Kahani!

Mariam Shafiq

The highlight of the episode was Mutmain Sahab. I must say, Muhammad Ahmed sir has done a great job. He has not only written a very good story but acted brilliantly as well. Nusrat is extremely happy to join university but Mutmain Sahab is feeling left ignored and left out. His jealousy when he saw Nusrat’s new classmate, Junaid was a treat to watch. The most hilarious scene was when his imagination ran wild and he imagined both of them together in a garden. He kept an eye on Nusrat and Junaid while they were studying and did the most annoying things to interrupt them. Poor Junaid finally got fed up and went away. It was without any doubt, the best scene of the episode!
Can Saad be dumber? He went to clear things to Murtaza and ended up telling all his feelings about Ruqaiya to Murtaza. Murtaza was smart enough to understand that he clearly likes Ruqaiya and told him to tell about his feelings to Ruqaiya. Saad was shocked when Rayaan told him that he is a dolt not to realize that he loves Ruqaiya. The problem with Saad is that he is scared of being rejected by Ruqaiya. Will he finally confess his feelings now that he has realized them?
Jugnoo has agreed to teach Beydil and help him become a chef but he has kept certain conditions. It was like watching two enemies on the same field when Jugnoo started teaching Beydil. I hope Beydil is smart enough to learn from him carefully and make his future brighter. Maria convinced Jugnoo to teach him as she wants to marry Beydil when he is financially stable. But the problem is will the pea brained Beydil ever realize how much Maria likes him? Currently, his brain is only filled with shayari and his flirting techniques.
I am really surprised that Maya agreed to stay for another 2 months in Pakistan. I think there is a hidden motive behind it. Maya and Asfand are finally developing a bond and Maya has seen a ray of hope of being together with Asfand again as he is a changed man now. I hope Zoya’s dream is fulfilled and this family gets back together soon.
The father son bonding was an adorable scene. Mutmain Sahab was angry and hurt that Rayaan did not remember his birthday and gave him an emotional speech but Rayaan surprised him by getting a gift for him. He told his father to join the gym and become as physically fit as Junaid so that he would no longer be jealous of him. Mutmain Sahab was embarrassed to know that his son knows about his endeavors to annoy Nusrat’s classmate. These three are the perfect family!
I was surprised and happy to see Mahira Khan as a guest appearance in this episode. She played the girl who rejected Saad and ended up giving him a slap when he asked her out. It was an extremely funny scene; Poor Saad was rejected by a lot of girls. The preview for the next epsiode seems interesting. Saad is finally developing the guts to propose Ruqaiya before she goes back abroad for her masters. Asfand has more problems coming up his way as his restaurant would be sealed any day because he is unable to pay back his loan. Will they be able to save the restaurant? Tune into Coke Kahani next week to find out.

Mariam Shafiq

It is not like the usual sitcoms that we see on Pakistani television. They are based on vulgar and repeated jokes. In their unsuccessful attempt to show comedy, they compromise the story. Coke Kahani is a package of comedy and drama.

The story of Coke Kahani revolves around a broken family. Zoya’s (Syra Yousuf) parents do not live together. Her father Asfand (Faisal Rahman) lives in Pakistan and operates a restaurant called ‘Alfonso’ while she and her mother Maya live in Florida. On her visit to Pakistan to meet her father, she gets to know that he is selling his restaurant which he had inherited from his forefathers. The reason was that he had taken a big loan to support Zoya’s education and now he was unable to pay it back. Zoya feels indebted to him and plans to stay back and revamp the restaurant with the help of her friends; Raiyaan, Saad and Ruqaiya.

These three are some interesting characters that we get to see in this play. Raiyaan is seen as a lazy and an irresponsible person who never misses a chance to escape work. His attempts are hilarious and you can’t help but pity him at times. Saad and Ruqaiya, however, are the exact opposite, they are more sensible and mature.

Other interesting characters are of Jugno, Maria and Bedil. They are the employees of Alfonso. Bedil is the biggest flirt ever and his failed attempt to do ‘shayari’ and his weird imagination makes one rolling with laughter. Jugno, on the other hand, never fails to show his ‘feminine’ side with his unusual streak for cleanliness. His scenes are also a treat to watch. Maria is shown as a sweet, bubbly character who has hidden from her family about where she works for some reason. Interesting… I am curious to know why?

How can anyone forget Mr and Mrs Mutmaeen (Raiyaan’s parents)? In this episode we got to see a lot of light hearted moments between them. Mrs Mutmaeen wants to join university to study ‘Urdu Adab’, Mr Mutmaeen’s reaction to this news was a pleasure to watch. Poor Mr Mutmaeen couldn’t believe what he was hearing and he started imagining her in university. I think I died laughing on this scene. It’s a must watch!

Zoya’s strained relationship with her father is finally getting better. It is said that ‘silence creates misunderstandings’ and I think this was the reason for Zoya and Asfand not being close, both avoided talking to each other. Zoya took an initiative to fill the gap and she is finally succeeding. Asfand has finally opened up to the idea of his restaurant getting revamped, he appreciates Zoya’s efforts. He has finally seen a ray of hope. However, Maya’s interference may cause problems. She is not in the favor of Zoya staying with Asfand. She came all the way from Florida just to take Zoya back. Will she be able to convince Zoya to go back with her?

Mr Mutmaeen had never missed a chance to scold or degrade his son (not in a serious way though, the scene are usually very hilarious) but in today’s episode we got to see a new side of him. He may be stern with Raiyaan because of his irresponsibility, but he has complete faith in his son that he will always respect his parents. We also got to see a new side of Raiyaan, he is shown as a hotheaded young guy who likes to blame everything on his country. I loved the way Zoya made him realize that a person usually gets angry to cover up his shortcomings. Maybe Zoya would be able to change Raiyaan… Let’s see.

Ruqaiya and Saad have chances of ending up as a couple. Interesting… I always thought there was a chance of both of them being together. Ruqaiya is interested in Saad but Saad is busy dating her ‘burger’ girlfriend. Poor Ruqaiya! Saad thinks she considers herself too good for him.

Mehreen Jabbar’s direction is flawless as usual, the story by Mohammad Ahmed is very well written and the screenplay is simply fantastic. This is what we call a quality play. Coke Kahani is a breath of fresh air for me.

So guys, what will happen now that Maya is back? Will Zoya will able to save Alfonso? Will we finally get to know why Asfand and Maya got separated?
A lot of things are coming up. So stay tuned to Coke Kahani!

Mariam Shafiq