Tum Yaad Aye – The Junoonis! – Episode 17

So the pace of this episode was decent, ending at the point we had begun to predict a while ago. It seems inevitable that Zainy and Ahmer will end up together – now how long that union stays and how it ends is another matter.

Following Sherry’s confrontation with Zainy last week, both of them seem to be sulking with a shrewd, ‘all sensors on’ Nigar Apa being their avid audience. Sherry is apparently going away to Germany for a month. His conversation with Zainy in the garden made me laugh and shake my head. Really Sherry? Botany 101? Is that your romantic bye bye to the love of your life? Maybe Zainy is rubbing off on me a bit but Sherry does seem a bit bland. Sure, he is solid and dependable and that is important but with the impression we are given of Zainy’s ‘genes’ I think what Zainy wants is excitement and not dependability, hence the reason Ahmer is so much more attractive to her than Sherry.

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Ahmer has woken from his coma with a guilty conscience. We learn he and Bina ‘broke up’ prior to the accident and while Ahmer was in the hospital the producers visited and informed Mina that Ahmer will be replaced in the drama/movie he was acting in earlier. With his world falling apart around him and his mother thinking ‘kissi ki aah lag gayi’ and that kissi although unspoken seems to be pointing at Zainy, loud and clear. They have all wronged Zainy they now realize. Phuppo’s statement left me aghast though. I thought it was genuine love for Zainy she felt but I suppose she was not aloof or immune to Zainy’s Abba’s riches and says to her sister in law that had Ahmer married Zainy he would have had ‘rupaya, paisa and his own production house!’. Shame on you Phuppo!

If Mehtaab so strongly felt that shaadi was the solution to Zainy’s problem then she really should not have opted for Sherry for the very reasons she cites to Zainy about how delicate and fragile this whole net of relationships is and because she knows very well how deeply in love Zainy still is with Ahmer. There was a time when Zainy adored Sherry and now we see her grimacing when he rings her and cutting him short. Yes I fault Zainy for being ungrateful and bratty when she talks back to her parents and her attention seeking dramatic antics. But I do believe she is being bullied into this marriage and she very clearly says to her mother that she can not forget Ahmer and yes now she is engaged she could accept it and move on but we know Zainy is not that strong. I figured it would only be a matter of time when she gives in when Ahmer reaches out to her and that did turn out to be the case.

Using his mother to ring Zainy under the pretense that Phuppo is unwell, Zainy shows up and sees Ahmer. Where Sherry is quiet and dependable, Ahmer is all dramatic and passionate and his ‘meri aankhon mein dekho’ and ‘tum meri ho’ is supposedly what Zainy yearns to hear and although she flounces off then, Ahmer does tell his mother that she will come back. Another insight into Zainy’s father’s personality – he was junooni, as is Zainy, as is Ahmer. Ahmer’s words, not mine! I did say earlier that Ahmer is a male version of Zainy and it was amusing to hear him utter the same words. Further insight into her father’s personality comes in the conversation Nigar has with her father when she says that Zainy’s biological father also suffered from depression and she feels it is a disease that has been passed onto Zainy and could be further passed onto her- and Sherry’s – children.

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Novera. Walking talking information channel. I wondered at the purpose of Novera’s role in this drama I am fast learning what her purpose is! She ‘informs’ Nigar about Zainy’s depression and her therapy sessions and conveniently ‘informs’ Ahmer about Zainy’s whereabouts when she goes to Lahore. The smiles exchanged between Ahmer and Zainy at the end of the episode make it quite clear that she has forgiven him and will go back to him now.

I found Ahmer’s sudden realization of how he has wronged Zainy and how he is in love with her a bit hard to believe. What he said about how he thought she would not go anywhere and he thought ‘mera haq hai uss par’ made me think it fed his ego to have her pine after him. Whether it is Bina ditching him or believing that his accident and downfall is a result of having hurt Zainy’s innocent heart, or whatever, he does seem to be hell bent on having Zainy back in his life. And has left no stone unturned to make sure Zainy knows it.

Now that Zainy seems to be clear on what she wants and since Ahmer and his family want the same I guess she will be married off to him with Mehtaab and Abba giving in and Sherry putting a ‘pathar on his heart’ and stepping back. The thing with this play is that everyone is giving a good performance but nobody truly stands out. Agha Ali fits comfortably and convincingly into his dependable guy role whereas Munib Butt is actually pretty alright as the hot headed, junooni guy bent on winning back his junooni soul mate. I did cringe when Sherry laughed and said ‘sharma gayee’ when Zainy was short with him. I thought this guy knew her inside out – Sherry is turning out to be Mr. Not So Perfect.

Next week’s episode’s promo shows that Zainy has not wasted any time in letting her parents know what she wants now that Ahmer has her back, so to speak. Bring on the tantrums! How many of you watched this latest episode? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Kunwal Javid