In the recent episode of Pehli Si Muhabbat we see Rakshi (Maya Ali) and Aslam (Sheheryar Munawar) being shipped off two separate cities. Their family is really making efforts to keep them apart, but will it work?
Rakshi’s last visit to the rooftop, where it all started and the symbolic breaking of her bangles was heartbreaking. We see Aslam rushing to communicate, but will he be too late?
Rakshi’s parents went as far as to try and marry her off to Sikandar, played by Saleem Miraj. Meanwhile, truth is that Sikander only agreed to the union for his parents. He is still in love with Zainab, Aslam’s sister.
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Meanwhile, Nausheen Shah as ‘Ishrat‘ is winning hearts. We see her go against her husband Akram, played by Hassan Shehryar Yaseen, in order to help Aslam. We see her play a supportive bhabhi to Zainab, played by Uzma Hassan. The two even go to see Sikandar, and Zainab asks him to break off the arranged marriage with Rakshi. Will Sikander be the savior we need?
Zainab’s love for Aslam and her strength to prevent her brother from suffering the same fate as her is admirable. Yet, she’s still unwilling to save herself. In Zainab’s abusive marriage, all Sikander wants is to be her savior.
Aside from his sisters, we also see Hina Afridi’s ‘Bushra‘ helping Aslam and Rakshi. She seemed to have a bit of a crush on Aslam at first, yet once she realized he loved her friend she backed off. Now she’s gunning for love to win.
In first we see a decent conversation between, Paras Masroor’s ‘Murad‘ and his wife Zainab. This sub-plot has been growing well. While we do see a soft side to Murad, that does not in anyway mean his violence towards his wife is acceptable, understandable or even Zainab’s fault. Murad claims to love Zainab, but he never tries to understand or respect her. Zainab also knows the hurt of love but she didn’t let herself become bitter like Murad and Sikandar. She isn’t using that as an excuse to be bitter.
Their story is a reflection of what Rakshi’s fate could be. Both Rakhshi and Zainab are part of the writer’s ways of telling a tale of many dutiful women with husbands and children.
It’s also a lesson for women that leave a compatible partner to be a dutiful daughter. In the end, neither her brother Akram nor Zainab’s mother are intervening to help her escape domestic abuse. The consequences of decisions she didn’t make are imposed on her as ‘her personal life,’ that she must now deal with.
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It’s a lesson that we shouldn’t settle for an ill-suited partner because a parent or guardian feels like it. On the subject of expectations from children, Nargis has been a savage queen as usual. Rabia Butt was phenomenal as usual.
From calling out Faizullah (Shabbir Jan) for his flawed sense of honor and love, to asserting how his actions are far from respectable.
Watch the full episode of Pehli Si Mohabbat here;
