Forced marriages – Will Pehli Si Mohabbat Take On The Challenge With As Much ‘Force’ As Eloping From Home?
While Pehli Si Mohabbat delivered a fitting response to the idea of eloping with your lover on a dark (and stormy?) night. Okay, it wasn’t stormy, but we have to agree that the idea of running away from home was rightfully abandoned by the yet again teary-eyed Rakshi.
On another note, we also appreciate Zainab’s story where, through a freak accident, she comes to comprehend that her ‘pehli mohabbat’ is no longer worthy of her mental and emotional (self-inflicted) torture. Her journey serves as a message for young girls (and men) who abandon all hopes of giving their newly married life a chance because they are still brooding (life long) over the pehli mohabbat that might or might not even be the culmination of their picture perfect dreams.
Zainab has a new lease on life, but here too, thankfully, because her husband Murad appreciates her (eventually). However, let’s not be greedy and stay thankful to Zainab (played exceptionally well by Uzma Hassan)for providing hope to many young people who live in past relationships and tarnish their chances for any future happiness.
But, it’s Rakshi’s turn now and we don’t want to see history being repeated.
We wonder if the drama can now turn its attention full on to the tradition of forced marriages?
Why can Rakshi not be shown to refuse marriage to an older man & one whom she doesn’t like. Why can she not exercise her right to refuse the Nikah. Or are forced marriages also part of maintaining a family’s izzat? Wil Rakshi give in like Zainab because her father will threaten to kill himself over his pursuit of ‘khandaani izzat’? The story hasn’t played out yet and we hope the matter will be dealt with finally.
As characters go, we understand that Rakshi’s is not one to stand up to patriarchy (and well played by Maya Ali, no doubts on that count), but, audience expectations are rooting for a happy ending to Aslam & Rakshi’s love story. The problem is, that since this drama has given out so many cracking messages, esp. through Nargis’ wise-hearted soul – we hope against hope that Rakshi’s message will also be one of hope for all the young girls who are forced into marriage, and who are ‘duped’ into saving the family’s izzat through sacrificing their future happiness.
Moreover, although Nargis’ choices were more straight – leading a life of izzat with a man who chose to accept her with her ‘flawed’ background, Rakshi is at a different crossroads – the man she will be married to is in no way sincere towards her – and the viewers are waking up to this disparity. Hence, we cannot find it in our hearts to justify Rakshi’s sacrifice ,despite applauding Nargis’ denial for Farooque.
We already see Zainab being married off without her wishes, and now its Rakshi’s turn to guard the khandaan’s izzat? We know we will get justice, after all, the narrative is penned by none other than Faiza Iftikhar. However, we want it to be one where the woman comes out strong, and not be at the mercy of her father or any other man’s (Sikander or Aslam’s) decisions – yes, we want to have our cake and eat it too. Because we want Rakshi to inspire our young girls. Just like we applauded her decision to not run away, just like we fell in love with her charming joras and chooriyan, we want to feel proud of her courage – but can she do it?
Here’s the thing,
Pehli Si Mohabbat is getting it right on all counts, but we’d like to see Rakshi stand up for her rights without baghaawat – will the narrative make it easy for her? Because that’s not how it happens in real life. Young girls are forced to marry men to save their family’s izzat, will Pehli Si Mohabbat challenge the tradition?
Will Pehli Si Mohabbat challenged forced marriages? Guess we have to keep watching to find out!
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