“Mere Humsafar” stars Farhan Saeed, Hania Amir, Wasim Abbas, Saba Hameed, Samina Ahmed, Zoya Nasir, Omer Shahzad and others. The story has been written by Saira Raza and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed. While the past few episodes have been slow, episode 32 brings “Mere Humsafar” back towards an interesting point.
As episode 32 begins, we see Hala (Hania Amir) and Maryam’s (Hira Umer) bond growing. After Daadi’s (Samina Ahmed) passing, Maryam has arrived like a replacement angel for Hala – someone who, like Daadi, loves Hala and supports her. Nafees (Aly Khan), of course, does what he believes is best for Hala and while leaving, announces that he has transferred his share of the house to Hala. While this obviously has an impact on Raees (Waseem Abbas) and Shah Jahan (Saba Hameed), Hala’s reaction is most surprising – and takes up much of the episode. Hala declares that she does not want his share as he cannot buy her happiness. She finally breaks down and points out how she suffered while he simply threw money her way, not even caring to find out if she was benefiting from that money at all. It’s an emotional moment with Hala not only complaining to her father for neglecting her, but also outing Raees, Jalees and their wives for how they squandered her money, never using it on the person it was actually meant for – Hala herself. And while Hania Amir’s acting is strong in this moment and the scene makes the viewer feel emotional, one has to wonder why it’s necessary for dialogues to run around in circles? Why can’t Hala directly spell out what was done to her? It’s not poetry. It’s not a rhyme. This is life and Hala’s father should know, clearly, that she never saw a dime of the money he sent. Nafees should know that his daughter lived off a diet of jam and toast for most of her life. Sure, Hala pointed out that she did not attend a good school, but there has been so much abuse in her life – and Nafees should know all of it.
Coming to this, why should only Shah Jahan be blamed? Sure, Shah Jahan is a cruel woman and horribly abusive in every way, but what about Sofia (Tara Mehmood)? She verbally and emotionally abused the young girl. What about Raees and Jalees? Despite being their brother’s daughter, did they ever ensure she had a good life or even keep their own wives in check? Sameen initially supported Hala, but were Sameen or Rumi any better? The answer is no. With the exception of Daadi and Hamzah (Farhan Saeed), no one has ever cared for Hala – including Nafees. But Nafees himself should recognize what his daughter has been through and instead of simply rejecting the house (which she should not do!), Hala should highlight exactly how much of her money these people used on themselves and their children and how she was mistreated in return. These are the dialogues we need to hear, not a beat-around-the-bush emotional monologue.
Hala ultimately collapses from stress and winds up in the hospital, her child’s life in danger. Hamzah appears to have seen the error of his ways and is supporting Hala, but does he truly understand what Hala is going through? Regardless, it’s great to see how he has stopped listening to his mother and is back to being the attentive husband we’ve always seen him as. Farhan Saeed and Hania Amir’s chemistry is what makes this show so appealing and it’s a joy to see their characters interacting nicely once again, though Hamza has a lot to make up for.
It’s Hira Umer’s character who has arrived like a breath of fresh air, filling the void left by Daadi. This is a decent, kind-hearted character and seems like a misfit amongst the rest of the toxic family – but a much needed misfit! Overall, “Mere Humsafar” is finally headed back on track….but where is that track? Hopefully that track will lead Hala and Hamza far away from Shah Jahan and this horrible family.