Last night’s Aik Aur Pakeezah episode moved the story forward at a pace that kept the narrative alive – it offered time for reflection, the quieter moments adding weight to the monumental task before Pakeezah – to fight her case against all odds, the louder moments adding a fluidity to the storyline to remind us that although some time had passed since the video about Faraz and Pakeezah had gone viral, yet, the people affected by it were still coming to terms with it, and no one, absolutely no one will let it die a quiet death. And that’s just the point of the whole story, isn’t it?
The story offered up lots to ponder over but most importantly, one waited for Faraz to show a glimmer of hope, courage or even a slight inclination that he will stand by Pakeezah. Here’s what really happened though…
1. When Faraz turned around to tell Pakeezah (in an accusatory tone), that everything happened because of her, one wanted to turn around and utter the classic Shakespearean dialogue – Et tu Brute? You too Faraz? I thought you would be in this together with her. But then, another part of me thought, perhaps he too is dealing with a trauma that overwhelms, plus he’s a man. Not wanting to judge him, yet judging him still, I would have stopped if he hadn’t said, “Yaseen acted because you said no to him, he was jealous.”
2. But just as my head was reeling with that thought, and I wondered how Pakeezah would respond, she gave it right back to him as she asks Faraz: “So what will you do now? I’m not being a good wife to you either. Will you make my video, throw acid on my face?” Ouch, that stung, but if you were a Pakeezah (God forbid), you wouldn’t have to think of a response, it would just roll out, the way it did with Pakeezah – short, sharp and landing where it hurt. But did Faraz even grasp what she wanted to communicate to him? “The problem is not me Faraz, it’s men like Yaseen who can’t take a no from a girl…”
3. When Zubair asked Saman where Pakeezah was living, did y’all wonder why? Did the creators just want to educate us on how significant it is to keep the whereabouts of a cyber crime victim secret or… like many of us, did you wonder if Barister Zubair has an agenda – I mean, the guy seems too good to be true. What’s up Zubair, why do audiences think you’re so sus? Are you planning to defend Yaseen from the other side? Just a random thought, you tell me if it sticks!
4. When Aliya tells Pakeezah that she cannot protect her any longer from her brothers – what was her intention? Was she telling Pakeezah she’s helpless, she can’t control them anymore, or does Aliya too share the same mindset as her family, was this a silent threat – withdraw the case or face the consequences?
5. Did you think Aliya would support Pakeezah on the court case? Yeah, so did I . But then reality bites are hard to swallow. Aliya might have been okay to weep for her daughter, mourn her suffering, but her bravado (and love) has reached a threshold – after all, it is the honour of the entire family (and her sons) on one side and Pakeezah on the other – it’s about real life, not reel life. And in this case, Aliya reflects what many women do in her place – no point romanticizing Aliya folks, she’s a product of our society – the one that pardons her sons if they kill their sister – honour killing, remember – it’s not a 4 letter word but it counts.
6. On another note, do we expect Aliya to support Pakeezah because she’s a mother? History has chronicled how women have not stood up for their daughters when it comes to khandaan ki ghairat and izzat so why should Aliya be any different? But wait a minute, you know what would be a great message – if Pakeezah’s brother stood up for her.
7. And on that note, if y’all watched the teaser, I’d say Asghar is going to be the one. And if the teaser is anything to go by, not only will that flip the game but also, it’s the one message that needs to be shouted out from the rooftops – because the perpetrators of this heinous act (Red alert: Honour killing is now on the rise in Pakistan) are often male family members – the husband, brother or father. And the ones that pardon them are the parents, mother included.
One positive male character, a brother who stands by his sister is what we need for a heavy does of positivity, courage and yes, ghairat (used in the right sense), on our TV screens.
8. “Akeli aurat survive nahi kar sakti” – says Asim, the voice of a brutally oppressed society. While we may find his negativity tiresome, is there a dose of truth in his words? Can Pakeezah do this alone without Faraz? It’s easy to get caught up in emotion and root for Pakeezah, but what if she ends up losing her life in the bargain? What if the social backlash on her is too strong for her to fend off on her own? What if women could do all this and more without the help of a man by their side? Yeah, I’d like to prove Asim wrong. Pakeezah and Sanam can go it alone, all they need is loads of luck, more luck and perhaps, a man to stand by them? Yes, that might be as real as it gets – Asghar are you the one?
9. Did you think Aslam had succeeded in taking his life? How far will the drama take us into the dark side? Or is there a role for him to play still, a journey he will tread to send out a message to all fathers of cyber crime victims – again, a fairytale ending but umeed pe duniya qayem hai so why not hope – it’s all we’ve got.
10. Mummy’s tough love is heartfelt to watch. She reminisces, then teases, then tries to give hope to Pakeezah – is there a story there in Ibrahim that we’re about to find out? There’s lots hidden between her memories, just that she chooses what to let out now – a second cousin of Barister Zubair we assume – these two? It takes one to know one I guess and these two are possibly more alike than meets the eye!
And that’s all folks, tell us if you have more thoughts on Aik Aur Pakeezah and drop us a comment below.
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