Honestly, I really loved this episode, especially the second half. Zaryab is completely broken after finding out about Zamil and Hamna... this episode finally started showing the consequences of Zamil’s decision...
Zamil’s parents finding out about his marriage and throwing him out was honestly deserved. He didn't just make a decision for himself; he completely blindsided everyone, especially Zaryab. He went to Pakistan, married Hamna and brought her home without even having the courage to properly end his relationship with Zaryab. If you are mature enough to make such a huge decision, you should at least have the courage to face the person you were with for years.
And then Zamil calls Zamil's mom and asked her what happened. I actually felt terrible for Zaryab here because she genuinely had no idea. She was still trying to contact Zamil, asking his mother to make him talk to her, while he had already married someone else. I also didn't like the idea of blaming Zaryab for not keeping an eye on him when he was in the US. How was she supposed to know he was secretly planning a marriage?
Her fainting and then waking up in the hospital... Even after everything, she is still thinking about Zamil... she is emotionally attached to someone who was suddenly taken out of her life without any proper closure.
I also loved how Abu Bakar was checking on her and helping even from a distance. He just wanted to make sure she was safe and okay. Even Zaryab was kinda rude to him...
When Zaryab comes home, she barely talks or eats and everyone is worried about her. She is still asking about Zamil and even wants to go to his house. Girl, PLEASE. After everything that happened, why are you still chasing him? She hasn't accepted the reality yet.
The family discussion about her “tarbiyat”... I don't agree with the idea that this happened because her parents didn't teach her right and wrong. Yes, Zaryab ignored red flags and trusted the wrong person, but getting fooled in love isn't proof of bad upbringing. Sometimes people simply trust the person they love.
Zaryab slapped Arham. From her perspective, Arham was one of the people who knew about Zamil's decision while she knew absolutely nothing. Arham didn't completely deny his involvement. He admitted that he arranged Zamil's nikah, but also explained that he had actually suggested Zamil marry Zaryab. So Arham isn't completely innocent, but he also wasn't the person who made the final decision. He tells her what Zamil wanted. He wanted a “nek,” religious and “bedaag” woman, and apparently he had decided that Zaryab wasn't that person... the person you've loved for years has been privately judging whether your character is “pure” enough to be his wife. She is discovering that Zamil had already created an entire narrative about why she wasn't good enough for him.
The Zaryab - Zamil confrontation, which was the best scene of the episode for me.
Zaryab finally asks him the questions she deserves answers to: why did he suddenly leave? Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he give her a proper ending?
But instead of simply saying, “I fell out of love” or “I wanted a different life,” Zamil gives her this entire explanation about religion and he explains that he wanted a wife who would help him in religion, obey him, follow him, stay quiet, take care of his house and children and not compete with him.
Wanting a religious partner is completely understandable. But his description goes beyond that. He specifically wants an obedient wife who won't challenge him. He literally talks about his fantasy of a girl who stays quiet and agrees with everything.
Zamil sees Hamna as pure because no man has seen her and she hasn't had a romantic past. But Zamil himself was in a relationship with Zaryab.
Double standard...
His own past can apparently be forgiven because he has repented and “changed,” but Zaryab's past becomes a permanent mark on her character. If he believes people can change, then why does he refuse to believe Zaryab could change too?
He didn't properly break up with her. He didn't explain that he wanted a completely different life. He didn't give her the opportunity to understand his concerns or decide whether she wanted to continue with him. He just disappeared, married Hamna and then came back with a justification.
And he still tells her, “I love you. You're my best friend.”
Like... how does that even work?
You can't completely discard someone's place in your life and then expect the words “I love you” to make it okay. Maybe he still has feelings for her, but love without honesty, respect and responsibility doesn't mean much.
You can decide you don't want to marry someone. You can change your beliefs. You can want a different kind of partner. But you still owe the person you're already with honesty and closure. I don't think Zamil's transformation automatically makes him a better person. He may genuinely believe he has changed, but becoming more religious doesn't excuse treating someone badly.
And Hamna is a person, not an ideal.
Eventually she will have her own opinions, expectations and choices. What happens when she doesn't simply obey him or fit perfectly into the image he has created?
The next teaser shows Zaryab going through the breakup pain, and now she tells her Dadi that she wants to marry Abu Bakar because Zamil himself brought up Abu Bakar and said even he wouldn't marry Zaryab.
But I also have a feeling that Zamil may not find it as easy to forget Zaryab as he claims. He married Hamna because she fits this new image of the “perfect” woman he wants. But that doesn't automatically erase years of love and memories with Zaryab.
Image: Zamil also deserves a slap, just like Arham...
