Within the Pakistani drama industry, there are generally two types of shows – one which pulls in viewers due to the gripping storyline and the second being the ones which capture viewers by the weighty, powerful dialogues. “Mushk” manages to fit itself into both categories, offering a story that leaves viewers wanting more each week and leaving them transfixed with the word play. Starring Imran Ashraf, Urwa Hocane, Momal Sheikh and Osama Tahir in lead roles, this drama has been written by Imran Ashraf and directed by Aehsun Talish. Last week, viewers saw Mehek, Adam and Guddi return back home, burdened by the weight of Shayaan’s “betrayal.” However, despite this sadness that has befallen Mehek, the spark between Adam and Guddi has been lit and the two find themselves drawing closer to each other.
In episode 21, Guddi (Urwa Hocane) and Adam’s (Imran Ashraf) connection has begun to bloom into something meaningful as the two share many sweet moments. Guddi is more forthcoming in her feelings, while Adam expresses his appreciation and, in his words, respect for Guddi through his kind reciprocating nature. Fortunately (in the long run) for Adam, his mother witnessed his closeness to Guddi the night before and confronts him, questioning his intentions towards Mehek. Adam is unable to lie to his family and so he comes clean, telling his mother everything about Mehek and Shayaan, the baby and even Guddi. While his mother disapproves of his lies, she seems supportive towards his potential interest in Guddi, as does his sister. It’s fortunate that his family is aware of the situation, because he will need this support in upcoming episodes. The relationship between Guddi and Adam is crackling and it’s the sincerity of their relationship that makes it root-worthy. Neither is pretending to be something they’re not and their scenes together make this viewer smile from ear to ear.
But will Guddi’s past schemes come back to haunt her? Of course they will! Guddi has done her share of damage and the biggest mistake she has made, at this point, was feeding a poisonous snake in the form of Mehek’s Chacha, Zulekha’s husband. This character’s name is still not spoken often enough to pick up on it, but he is the devil in disguise. One would’ve expected some humility to have come from his time bedridden and helpless, however there’s no trace of anything but evil. He immediately barges into Guddi’s room and expresses his interest in her and though she tries to make her disinterest clear, he is not going to back off. This is the moment where Guddi should have screamed. What would he have done? Told everyone that she helped him? Considering this family is his family, the only one who would be upset over this would be Zulekha (Zara Tareen) and, obviously, her brother considering the amount of torture he went through today. But Guddi does not say anything, so this secret will certainly come back to bite her.
Mehek is a character that would be considered a heroine. She is a main female lead with a prominent story arc and follows the usual “naik,” innocent checklist often seen in dramas. But as the show continues to move forward, Mehek’s flawed personality becomes more and more prominent. She is a deeply selfish character, one who cannot look past her own nose – her marriage, her child, her ruin, her misery. She does not see what she’s doing to others, most importantly Adam. She has used him every step of the way and now she will continue to do so. Mehek has decided that she will divorce Shayaan immediately – can we just take a moment to point out how disloyal Mehek is herself? She did not confront Shayaan, she did not find any way to speak to him and has just decided he is a “bewafa.” Now with the decision to get divorced, she does not waste a moment before making yet another decision. In the next episode, she will be seen asking Adam to give her son his name. Mehek is now a villain, a woman who does not know when to stop thinking about herself and a woman who does not recognize that honesty is what will set her free. She is constantly thinking of the next way to protect herself and will latch on to anyone who will provide her that safety. Unfortunately, Adam is so loyal to Mehek and so self-sacrificing that he will sacrifice both himself and Guddi to make Mehek happy. Is this fair? No. But this is what will happen. At this point, does Mehek even deserve a happy ending? She was steps away from her husband and didn’t even bother to salvage that relationship – and now she’s ready to ruin Adam and Guddi’s relationship. One may say “But she’s not aware of Adam and Guddi’s relationship.” This would be more proof of how selfish Mehek is, being completely unaware of what’s happening around her right in front of her eyes, as she’s so busy thinking about herself! If Shayaan comes back, does Mehek even deserve him at this point?
Imran Ashraf is the star of this episode, along with Urwa Hocane. Little Sami Khan wins hearts again this week with a 2 minute scene where he quietly talks to the baby, trying to advise this infant on how to live his life without missing his absent father. Munna is a beautiful character and he really brings the viewer to tears with his innocence and should have had a better life. “Mushk” has just taken a turn towards a very frustrating storyline, but one can only hope Imran Ashraf and Aehsun Talish keep the show on-track and avoid going down any cliched paths.