“Pardes” is a show that has been receiving attention due to its realistic feel and family story, which many have been able to connect with. When a man leaves the home (and country) to earn, what does his family face back home? This is a story that discusses the impacts not only immediately, but also the impact on the next generation. After Ahsan’s passing, the story has now gone on to focus on his daughter, Aiman, and how her past is affecting her future. Starring Sarmad Khoosat, Shaista Lodhi, Durr E Fishan, Affan Waheed, Gohar Rasheed, Sharmeen Khan, Atiqa Odho and many others, “Pardes” has been written by Sarwat Nazir and directed by Marina Khan.
In episodes 25 & 26, Aiman (Durr E Fishan) has come back home after essentially being “kicked out” by her mother-in-law, Raheela (Atiqa Odho). However, after seeing the stress Ibad (Affan Waheed) is under, Rahila respectfully brings Aiman back home with dignity. That being said, Rahila has still not accepted Aiman as her daughter-in-law. While outwardly, Rahila may seem “negative,” it’s commendable that she has been written in such a way that the audience does not write her off as a villain. She is a human being who has faced a lot of opposition and disgrace due to her second marriage and she has spent her entire life waiting for her son to grow up and stand on his two feet in order to protect her. She sees his marriage as an intrusion on her plan and Ibad’s (and her own) security. Still, the way Rahila has remained silent and timid at home, catering to her (evil) stepchildren, has all been in vain. They do not respect her and, because of her timidness, they have begun to harass Aiman as well. Aiman, having endured enough at home, lashes out at Beyzad after he attempts to get over-friendly with her (again). This leads to a rift in the family with Beyzad and Sheema (Jinaan Hussain) demanding “their” inheritance and falsifying property documents to leave Ibad and Rahila out.
What’s fascinating about this entire scenario is how shameless Sheema is, not only tolerating Beyzad’s behavior, but also allowing him to misbehave with females in front of her. Aiman has found herself in a mess. While she married Ibad with the belief that he’s the better option, remaining in Pakistan, she has essentially landed in the same situation as Zubeida – scheming, manipulative in-laws and a husband who will now leave Pakistan to go abroad. While one couldn’t have imagined the show remaining interesting after Ahsan’s death and the focus moving away from Ahsan and Zubeida, Durr E Fishan and Affan Waheed are doing a great job as Aiman and Ibad, keeping us invested in these two characters.
It is visible now that Nomi, Asim (Gohar Rasheed) and Noshi’s (Sharmeen Ali) son, will leave the two disappointed after taking large amounts of money – technically Asim and Noshi’s entire inheritance. He is Asim’s son, after all, and with great examples like these two as parents, he has certainly never learned how to pay back both financially and with love. Despite beginning to inch towards the 30 episode mark, the story in “Pardes” continues to hold the attention and interest of the audience.
