“Khuda Aur Mohabbat” is one of those shows that started off with a bang, bringing in audiences not only locally, but also internationally. Unfortunately, after Farhad’s “death” (and unfair behavior), audience interest slowly deteriorated. Still, “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” can’t be called anything but a success, still bringing in incredibly high viewership. Starring Feroze Khan, Iqra Aziz, Junaid Khan, Tooba Siddiqui, Hina Bayat, Sunita Marshall and many others, the story has been written by Hashim Nadeem Khan and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain.
In episode 26, the relationship between Maa Ji (Hina Bayat) and Mahi’s (Iqra Aziz) relationship. Maa Ji has consistently been unkind to Mahi, but over time, Mahi’s love, care and dedication has won her over. It’s honestly beautiful to see how the nature of their relationship has changed. Maa Ji technically had a valid reason for her anger, furious and grief-struck at the death of her beloved son due to Mahi’s family’s enemies. However, over time, she has realized that Mahi wasn’t responsible for Taimur’s death and the two have become each other’s support system. Maa Ji, wanting to keep Mahi in her home, has her sights on keeping Mahi as her daughter-in-law by getting her married to Sikandar (Junaid Khan). And quite honestly, the audience seems to want this as well with Iqra Aziz and Junaid Khan’s sweet chemistry as Mahi and Sikandar. However, there’s one problem – Romana (Tooba Siddiqui).
Before even diving into this, can we just discuss how beautiful Tooba Siddiqui is? She’s a woman who doesn’t seem to age and only gets prettier with time. Romana is a character who is from a “disrespected” section of society, but her love for Sikandar is as pure as can be. She wishes, with all her heart, to become a part of his life, to enter his household with dignity and to leave her past behind her. It’s because of this that she jumps for joy at the invite to the “Haveli” and rushes there happily – before she realizes the intention behind it. Mahi, thinking only of her mother-in-law’s happiness, asks Romana to leave Sikandar for his betterment and Romana, too in love with Sikandar to allow herself to “ruin” his life, sadly agrees. Tooba Siddiqui’s performance here is wonderful, Romana’s heartbreak visible on her face, her entire world shattered with the thought of losing Sikandar. Will this be the last we see of Romana or will this action come back to haunt Mahi?
With Mahi’s iddat coming to an end, the household celebrates with Mahi’s family arriving to see her as well. Mahi and her mother-in-law visit the dargah and, right on time, Mahi spots Farhad (Feroze Khan). The two stare at each other for a few seconds before Mahi registers that Farhad is alive and falls unconscious. It’s terrible timing (on the part of the writer) that just as Mahi is about to begin her life over again after two large blows (Farhad’s “death” and then Taimur’s murder), Farhad arrives yet again to plague her mental health. Is the character of Mahi simply not allowed to live in peace for even a moment? It’s becoming upsetting at this point to see how Mahi is being tortured at every turn for simply not loving Farhad. Iqra Aziz’s performance is wonderful – so wonderful that it’s becoming difficult to watch Mahi in so much turmoil.
There really needs to be a good explanation for Farhad’s disappearance in order to redeem him. Feroze Khan’s performance may be great, but it’s very difficult to sympathize with a man like Farhad who not only put Mahi and her associates through grief but, more importantly, has put his family through intense grief. His mother has fallen ill, his father burdened, his brother stressed, his sister and Naheed (Momina Iqbal) mourning….and for someone who isn’t even dead? Why? Is there any excuse for this? Is love not being returned an excuse for this? This is a reason many have abandoned “Khuda Aur Mohabbat,” the reason of it simply sending a wrong message to men in love – a message that a woman must love you or her life will be cursed for causing you pain. This isn’t acceptable. But how will that be addressed in the story? Will it be addressed? That will be the determining factor in how palatable this show is as a story overall.
