While Dania and Babar are out on a date- their very first outing, things are heating up at Qazi Saheb’s (Dania’s father) office. A new officer is reviewing all the paperwork and it has made everyone rather alert. Qazi Saheb confides in Naeem that he’s a little perturbed but Naeem reassures him that he’s got nothing to worry about. The officer summons Qazi Saheb and accuses him of teaming up with his son-in-law and approving illegal projects in exchange for financial gain. He threatens him with a detailed inquiry and Qazi Saheb suffers a heart attack. Naeem rushes him to the hospital and Dania’s mother asks him to get Dania from Sobia’s house. Upon reaching there, he finds out Dania never came there. He spots Naeem on the bike with a woman but doesn’t see who she is. Unfortunately, his colleague notices Dania with Babar. Finally Naeem finds Dania at her place and she asks him to take her to see her father.

At the hospital, Dania tells Naeem not to let her parents know that she wasn’t at Sobia’s house. Naeem, who is completely smitten by Dania agrees to her without question and tells her he will spend the rest of his life agreeing to everything she says. Dania’s disgust at Naeem is apparent and her apology seems insincere too. She’s grateful to him for saving her father’s life but she can’t stand his presence. Babar was being his usual chichora self and it made me wonder- what exactly does she see in a guy like him who’s not only cheating on his fiancée, but he’s clearly just enjoying himself with Dania and has no real intentions of taking a stand for her.

Maria confronted Nabeel about Sumbal’s accusations- Nabeel insisted that someone is trying to frame him and destroy his life. Maria comforted him and told him that she still trusted him. I really like Samiya Mumtaz in this role- it’s such a refreshing change to see her play the character of a strong woman with a scheming mind. As they say- all’s fair in love and war. Nabeel is still trying to get in touch with Sumbul and find out what really happened. He’s frustrated with the way she left and especially since she escalated the complaint to Maria. He has tried very hard to maintain his image as a devoted husband and he wouldn’t want anyone to hamper it- least of all another woman!

I wonder if Sobia will press Dania for where she went after knowing she used her as an alibi. I actually feel really sorry for both Naeem and Sobia- they are so completely in awe of their respective significant others and are blind to their flaws. With Qazi Saheb’s deteriorating health, Dania may be in a situation where her parents pressurize her into a quick Nikah for their satisfaction. Knowing Dania, she won’t refuse her parents outright, she will probably try and prolong it hoping by then Babar will fess up and ask for her hand in marriage- although my instincts tell me Babar is not to be trusted!

What are your thoughts about this episode? What do you foresee happening in the next episode(s)?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

I’m beginning to think that Dania is schizophrenic. How else can she justify her behaviour and her repeated affirmations that she cares about her parents izzat? Mere apney gharwaley mujhpe aetebaar nahin karte– umm, not very long ago, she was having an affair with her best friend’s mangaitar– Babar! I understand that somewhere along the lines, we may lose track of the storyline since it tends to drag on endlessly but I doubt we can forget what started this whole mess.

After talking down to her and destroying her self-respect, Nabeel finally succumbs to izhaar-e-mohabbat and the two of them reconcile. But just as the lovebirds are planning their future, Naeem informs Dania that Nabeel was the one who was responsible for her father’s condition. But thankfully, there was no misunderstanding as Dania immediately sorted it out with Nabeel and admitted that even if he was at fault, she’s just too involved with him to care- hmm, so much for putting family first.

The private investigator is back in the scene- he approached Naeem with a proposition. Naeem is only too eager to help since he has a score to settle with Dania Ji. Nabeel senses that he is being followed and also discovers the CD recorded with a conversation that took place between him and Sumbul. He gets worked up and asks for his office to be tapped so he can monitor everyone’s phone calls, movement, etc.

Dania does what she does best- being pushy to the point of making men run far, far away. She did it with Babar and now she’s putting Nabeel in the same spot. Why can’t they show women as positive role models? Yes, she made a blunder by trusting Babar, but she should have redeemed herself by focusing on building a life for herself instead of rushing into the arms of the next man she found.

Dania’s parents are completely helpless when it comes to reasoning with their daughter. They try to make her realize that even if Nabeel ends up marrying her, he will not be too keen on publicizing the marriage which will make things very difficult for Dania. But Dania is desperate to get married and she is seemingly upset when Nabeel voices his concern. However, he reassures her parents that he will accept their demands- whatever they may be! Dania always dreamed of riches and it seems like her dreams are about to come true- unless Maria returns and wreaks havoc.

18 episodes have gone by and at this rate, I see another 10 episodes before the story comes to an abrupt end. I don’t know why actors like Noman Ejaz and Saba Qamar agreed to taking up this drama- they can do so much better! I know that the budget was minimal but seriously, couldn’t Saba Qamar at least change outfits once every episode if not more frequently? I’m sick of seeing her in the same clothes since the past 3 episodes now- it makes me think the scenes never end! Are you still watching? Thoughts?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

For reasons unbeknownst to me, ARY has decided to change the timings of this serial- it will now air on Fridays at 7pm. As if I didn’t have enough to watch on Friday already! One of the main reasons I tuned in was the fact that it aired on Sundays when hardly anything else was on. Episode 16 and I was conditioned to being in a stupor until surprise, surprise, Naeem Bau is back- and this time- with a vengeance. Insaan jab apni nazron se girta hai toh uski jalan uska dukh kya hota hai… Seeing Dania getting into Nabeel’s car, our sleuth Naeem is able to deduce that Dania ne bara lamba haath maara hai… Healing is never easy especially when the relationship ended before it could actually take off. Naeem worshiped Dania- she was way out of his league and that felt like an achievement. Being dumped by her broke his heart but also opened his eyes to the reality that he would never have his happily ever after with her. Which is why seeing her with Nabeel triggered the psycho button and he’s no longer the silent stalker but a very vocal one.

Nabeel is giving her mixed signals- he takes one step forward and two steps backwards and this confuses Dania. The two of them continue growing closer but Nabeel panics when he senses Dania wanting more and puts her in her place. His quick retracting is out of fear of losing everything he worked so hard to gain. Nabeel’s life is as bland as can be- he’s clearly miserable and what is the point of having all that money if you can’t enjoy it with someone? His wife, though she tries her best to keep him company has her limitations but this is the path he chose for himself. He’s well aware that he’s aging and doesn’t like being referred to as old. Dania is clearly on a rebound- she just wants to get away from her horrible situation of living next door to Babar and Sobia and move on with her life. Dania thinks she can have any man she wants but the truth is, she’s plain stupid. She’s conceited and shallow and doesn’t realize she can get herself into some real trouble. She’s an easy target for any man wishing to exploit her since she’s so desperate and it shows. And Nabeel can’t get her out of his head- pretty clear where this is headed.

I can’t help but wonder, how many people are actually tuning into this drama that it deserves to air on a Friday??? Except me and my faithful four, that is… Have your say- were you expecting Naeem to show his true colors?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

Some people never learn and Dania happens to be one such person. She continues throwing herself a pity party as if she was the victim and Sobia was the one who brought this upon her. The episodes are getting really slow and it’s frustrating to sit through them and not really have the story move forward. I’ve noticed that there are many dramas that would do well if they were wrapped up in under 20 episodes but I’m beginning to think that no one’s interested in what the audience wants!

After last week’s encounter with Babar, I had hoped Dania would have the courage to move on but it seems she’s into a spiraling downward decline. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in love but I get the feeling this isn’t even about Babar anymore- she’s just unable to accept the reality that Sobia is married to him. Her contempt for Sobia is overshadowing everything else. And during this time of self exploration, she develops a close connection with Nabeel. Nabeel is your classic exploiter- he senses an opportunity and ceases it. Initially tough on Dania, he has taken a 360 degree turn and has not only starting appreciating her, he has also managed to get her to trust him. By playing her saviour when she suffers a nervous breakdown, he manages to get close to her. So much so, that despite the obvious discomfort she felt when he brought her home, she ended up pouring her heart out to him over the phone. Does this woman not realize that she’s an easy target for any man willing to take advantage? Dania was clearly impressed by his lavish home but made a run for it when she sensed danger. I would hate to see Nabeel take advantage of her while she’s trying to sort her life but sadly, she is responsible for her misery.

Dania’s mom tries to get her daughter to confide in her but the disconnect is pretty obvious. I have to wonder, didn’t her mother realize what a spoilt brat she is early on? Sometimes her concern seems genuine, at other times, it’s almost as if she herself has given up on her only child. I never had an extraordinary expectations from this drama- I started watching it since I liked the cast, namely Noman Ejaz but 15 episodes have elapsed and I do wish they’d get on with it and have a point too. What did you think ladies- you know who you are!!!

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

Babar continued ignoring Dania thinking she would get the message but the tigress she is, she went to his home to confront him. His father walked in on them and asked Dania very politely to leave the scene. It was a very neighbourly act instead of accusing her and defaming him, he blamed his own son knowing how incompetent he is. After threatening to kick him out, with the help of his mother’s intervention, Babar was allowed to stay on the condition that he will be married off within a week. Pasand na pasand unki hoti hai jo khud kuch kamaatey hein– in a nutshell, this happens to be a reality of life. Someone who is entirely dependent on others for their day to day needs, cannot choose how they want to live their lives; on the contrary, they are bound by those who provide for them.

I liked how Sobia, despite knowing that her best friend had betrayed her, didn’t want anyone finding out what transpired and invited Dania to her wedding. It was very big of her and Dania should be grateful for a friend like Sobia. Though a part of her felt remorse, Dania was mostly battling with the realization- Woh Sobia jo mujhse har cheez mein peechay theh aaj woh mujhse baazi legayi! Dania’s agony was a repercussion of her own selfish actions and instead of accepting her mistake, she continues questioning how Babar can settle for someone like Sobia. Babar had the nerve to come over to drop off his wedding invitation and on top of that- he actually gave Dania the “I’ll always be there if you need me” line. I was almost sure Dania would break a pot on his head but she just walked away holding her head high- Mujh mein ghalti karney ka hausla toh hai aur uska saamna karna ka bhi.

Dania’s lack of competency at work frustrates Nabeel who points it out to her on more than one occasion. Her personal grievances are affecting her work-life but Nabeel seems to be warming up to her. Maria is traveling which will give Nabeel some much needed space- will this be the golden opportunity to seduce Dania? Will Dania ever get over Babar or will she try and win him back from Sobia. Dania’s competitive streak could end up causing her more harm than she could have ever imagined.

The story is engaging but I think all this could have been summarized in a mere 8 episodes instead of 14. At this rate, I can foresee the drama stretching to over 25 episodes which inevitably makes it boring. Let’s see how they wrap it up. My fellow four watchers, what do you have to say about today’s episode?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

The drama has finally started to move forward- better late than never I suppose! Dania broke off her engagement with Naeem- she used her father’s illness as an excuse but her parents have started realizing that he probably wasn’t what they had thought. Naeem in turn goes and blurts out to Sobia about Baber and Dania’s affair. Babar hates being cornered and has finally started showing his true colors- he was never man enough to marry Dania but he liked spending time with her- she was just the sort of distraction he needed in his life. Men like Baber are too afraid of taking a stand for themselves since they are entirely dependent on their family for support. Dania was confident that Baber loved her but she was in for a rude awakening.

Sobia, though devastated, took it in her stride with dignity- she is trapped and knows that Baber doesn’t have the guts to call off the engagement and even though he mistreats her, he’s the only man she has ever loved. It’s hard sometimes when families arrange marriages ahead of time- young girls grow up fantasizing about their cousins as their perfect soul mates and when reality takes over, they are left helplessly lost and confused. Baber knows his father would sooner disown him than call off his engagement with Sobia and he sees no way out which is what drew him towards staring an affair with Dania. But seeing Dania dumping Naeem made him cautious since he knew Dania would try and force him into a commitment.

With Qazi Saheb’s paralysis, Dania has to start seeking employment opportunities to support her family. She drops off her resume at Nabeel’s work and runs into him. No sparks fly since she’s not exactly up for small talk and Nabeel doesn’t seem too impressed by her either. Maria, however, is wary of hiring a typical social climber and would rather take a chance on a newbie like Dania than have another seasoned secretary try and seduce Nabeel. Maria thinks that by keeping women at bay, she is safeguarding her marriage but little does she know, Nabeel isn’t devoted to her- he is devoted to her money! Maria continues pressing Nabeel to agree to adoption but he flatly refuses saying he doesn’t want any children except his own.

Now that Dania will be hired as Nabeel’s PA, will she turn to him on a rebound or will she play hard to get? Dania always wanted a comfortable life and Nabeel could be her ticket to riches. Will she let Baber off the hook for deceiving her? This is where it starts to get interesting. Looking forward to next week.

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

Qazi Saheb comes home upset after being asked to go on an indefinite leave and suffers from paralysis. Babar’s mother asks him to go and check up on them since there is no man in their house. While Babar is consoling Dania, Naeem walks in and gets frustrated seeing their coziness. Dania reacts by tossing away her engagement ring. Dania genuinely cares for her parents but it’s only too obvious that she’s using this as an excuse to free herself from Naeem. Babar selfishly tries to convince Dania to cool down- he doesn’t want to be in a situation where he will feel compelled to marry Dania.

Sobia feels confused about Babar being with Dania but he covers up saying he was there on behalf of her. Babar continues treating Sobia like dirt and Sobia can’t do anything to change his attitude. People like Sobia allow their partners to abuse them because they are too weak to walk away or put their foot down. Naeem is the male equivalent of Sobia and he too is too weak to let go or voice his true feelings but it hurts him deeply when Dania scorns him and humiliates him publicly.

Although Dania’s mother was upset with Dania for her rudeness, a conversation with a well-wisher who lets on that Naeem is responsible for Qazi Sahab’s condition makes her rethink Dania’s attitude. Dania’s parents had prematurely arranged her engagement since they wanted to secure her future. Many parents rush through such decisions out of a sense of urgency fearing their incapacity to provide their daughters with a decent dowry.

Nabeel is completely against adopting a child but Maria feels that a child will brighten up her life. She has made him a 50% business partner since she trusts him blindly- not like she has a choice! Maria and Nabeel’s story seems somewhat stagnant as there is nothing new going on with them. Since Nabeel is looking for a PA and Dania needs to support her family now that her father is paralyzed, looks like we will finally get to see the two of them in the same frame.

The drama is still interesting but I really wish they would pick up the pace as we haven’t seen the story moving forward as much as it should. Did you watch today’s episode? What did you think about it?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

Naeem’s insecurities are taking their toll and he finally mustered the courage to confront Dania. She knows he’s smitten by her and uses it to her full advantage. She casually accepted that she was in fact with Babar but that was only since they wanted to surprise Sobia. After Shah Ji’s persistence, he called Sobia and asked her to meet him. But Dania found out and gave him a piece of her mind.

Sobia and Naeem are very much alike- they are both naive and blindly honour their relations. Despite Dania’s rudeness, Sobia continues loving her like a sister and wants only the best for her. She seems genuinely concerned for Dania even more now that Dania has expressed her interests in another man. If nothing else, Dania should at least feel rotten about how she’s abusing Sobia’s trust. Babar once again proved his intentions are anything but noble- even under such insinuating circumstances, he continues trying to string Dania along without any word of a commitment. For her sake, I hope Dania sees him for the scumbag he is and dumps him before he dumps her. Babar seems laid back but in reality, he is extremely calculated and plans things according to his advantage. He knows the repercussions of breaking off his engagement to Sobia and that’s not a chance he’s willing to take.

Dania tries to get her father to confide in her- she’s desperate to find a reason to call off her engagement with Naeem. But her father trusts Naeem and loves him like a son and wouldn’t dream of it. At the office, Shah Ji has managed to pull some strings with the help of Nabeel and called off the inquiry but for it to take effect, Qazi Sahab would need to leave too. Qazi Sahab is seemingly upset since his life’s savings depend upon his pension and retirement fund. His financial situation is a real worry for him and also the reason why he chose Naeem as Dania’s partner.

Maria tells Nabeel that she wants to adopt a child but Nabeel isn’t even remotely interested. Nabeel’s marriage to Maria was for his own personal gain. He didn’t realize he would be in it for the long haul but with each passing day, it’s becoming harder for him to keep up with the pretenses. Maria is content that Nabeel remains with her- and that’s reason enough for her to remain happy.

Next week’s preview shows Dania dumping Naeem and I think this will pave the way for Dania to finally see through Babar and his lack of support. Things aren’t moving fast enough for me- I really want it to get to the point where Nabeel and Dania meet each other. Did you watch today’s episode?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

A few of our readers insisted on expanding our drama review section. So I’ll be reviewing the drama Bay Emaan Mohabbat going forward. Written by Amir Raza and directed by Kashif Nisar and Sohail Irfan, the drama airs every Sunday on ARY Digital. We’re six weeks into the drama already and till now we’ve established three main tracks. The first revolves around Dania (Saba Qamar) who’s engaged to a man she loathes- Naeem (Adnan Shah Tipu). Dania belongs to a middle class background but dreams of living a luxurious life. Naeem is a simpleton who’s biggest achievement was getting engaged to Dania. He’s a lowly clerk in a government office and Dania hates everything about him. She constantly expresses her dissatisfaction to her mother (Laila Zuberi) but her mother tries to make her understand that she too had to settle for a man like her father since she belonged to a middle class family and one of the main struggles was finding a suitable spouse.

Despite her engagement, Dania is having an affair with her next-door neighbour Babar (Agha Ali). Babar is a frustrated, good-for-nothing guy who was coerced into getting engaged to his older cousin, Sobia (Uzma Hassan). Sobia happens to be Dania’s best friend and confides every little intimate detail to her. Dania uses the information to her advantage to continue her affair with Babar. Babar scoffs at Sobia every chance he gets, in an attempt to make her hate him so she would call of the engagement since he doesn’t have the guts to do so.

The final track is that of Maria (Samiya Mumtaz)- a blind lady who has inherited her father’s enormous wealth. She is married to an opportunist, Nabeel (Nauman Ejaz) who runs her business for her. They have been married a long time but are childless. Nabeel is cheating on Maria with his co-worker who is a social climber. Maria suspects her husband is unfaithful and has hired a private detective to snoop around.

In the recent episode, Naeem has secured a part-time evening job at Nabeel’s organization so this is probably how their lives will intertwine in the coming episodes. Bay Emaan Mohabbat is a simple story about desires and the outcomes of those desires. So far, it’s progressing at a steady pace and although there are no real WOW factors, it’s engaging nonetheless. To put it simply- Love, Life, Lahore!

Have you been watching Bay Emaan Mohabbat? What character do you like/ dislike? Do you think you’ll continue watching it till the end?

Your in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza