“Ishqiya” has taken off and is zooming towards its conclusion now. Hania Amir, Ramsha Khan, Feroze Khan and Gohar Rasheed are all giving solid performances and the latest episode only cements that claim. In the last episode, we saw that Alishba told Rumi about Hamza and Hamna’s past relationship. Episode 26 focuses on the fall-out of this revelation.
Episode 26 is a fairly simple one in terms of occurrences, but is emotionally charged. Rumi (Hania Amir) is now aware of Hamza (Feroze Khan) and Hamna’s (Ramsha Khan) relationship thanks to Alishba. Alishba is a really irritating character, because she gets absolutely nothing out of blabbing a secret like this. Why do working women have to be shown as being so vindictive and manipulative? Alishba liked Hamza. She didn’t get Hamza. Maybe initially she thought she could still get him by removing Rumi from the scene, but now? Rumi is pregnant. One would expect Alishba to have a change of heart. There is little about Alishba to like. Rumi does sit on the information for the rest of the night, but visits Hamna the next day and confronts her, verbally berating her for her dishonesty. Rumi expected better from her own sister and it’s true – if Hamza wanted revenge, he was a stranger to her. How could her own sister do this? Later, Rumi also confronts Hamza before leaving for her mother’s house, telling him that he does not have the right to touch her or speak to her anymore. Rumi is the kind of character we have been waiting for. She is honest, loving, loyal, a good daughter, but strong, confident, independent and the perfect package. And in a moment where everyone thinks Rumi will fall apart…..she doesn’t. She cries the way anyone would, but she also fights. She not only fights with her sister and her husband, but also, in the end, fights with her husband FOR her sister and the grief he has caused her. Hania Amir is the star of this episode once again, giving a stellar performance.
![Ishqiya Episode 26 | Feroze Khan | Hania Aamir | Ramsha Khan | ARY Digital [Subtitle Eng]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1vkuGxdg2Cc/hqdefault.jpg)
This is a difficult episode to watch. Hamna is not a character to root for and she has been a cowardly character from the beginning, creating her own problems by lying. Even in this episode, as she explains herself to her sister and tries to explain how Hamza blackmailed and threatened her, one still feels her excuses are weak and feeble and she definitely could have come clean before the entire ball began rolling. Still, despite the disdain towards Hamna, it’s difficult not to feel deeply sympathetic towards her this time around. Her past, the past she tried so hard to conceal and keep from coming out, has now been exposed – and not only to one person, but to everyone. Hamna and Hamza’s love story had already come out to her husband, but now Rumi, her own mother and Rumi’s in-laws are all now aware of the situation as well. There’s a sense of relief usually when a lie has finally been put out into the world and the individual can now stop playing into the lie, but in Hamna’s case, the weight of her past dishonesty will have colossal ramifications which have already begun. At the end of the day, as Azeem (Gohar Rasheed) rightfully tells her, her one lie has caused so much damage. Her husband does not trust her, Hamza and Rumi’s marriage has hit rock bottom, their families will all suffer from this and, most of all, there’s a baby involved. Despite all this and despite Azeem’s (deserved) taunts, it’s great to see how he supports her through the fallout and protects her from Hamza, though one does wish he would’ve just set Hamza straight about his and Hamna’s involvement, making it clear that neither told Rumi.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/07/14/ishqiya-episode-24-azeem-and-hamza-face-off/
The most impactful scene in this episode is the one where one can see the two sisters battling it out while their mother overhears the conversation. Kinza Malik’s performance here is perfect as a mother who is shocked by what she’s hearing, unable to process how one daughter has ruined the marriage of another. Her helplessness is something that makes the viewer want to reach out and give her a hug. It’s a brief, small moment, but it’s one that really stands out. Gohar Rasheed and Feroze Khan are supporting characters in this episode, but do a great job. Hamza’s pain is reflected perfectly on Feroze Khan’s face and he conveys the humiliation and anger perfectly – while still blaming Hamna and Azeem for his own actions. This episode focuses mostly on the sisters and both Hania Amir and Ramsha Khan get their moments to shine. The next episode will be action-packed as Hamza’s family gets to know about his actions. All-in-all, “Ishqiya” has become interesting once again.