“Ya Allah, may us all find a husband like Harib, Ameen.â€
 Six episodes into drama serial Sanam and we’re really, really bored. Ayla has been consistently acting like a psychotic bitch and there’s no one to handle her, whether that means throttling her into seeing sense or pushing her to visit the psychiatrist, who she desperately needs to consult. It’s a wonder that no one will even tell her parents, despite knowing that she has a psychological disorder that requires clinical treatment.
Shehroze is consistently defending his position. Aan is consistently carrying a tray of food over to Harib’s house, despite knowing that she compromises her reputation at the hands of Ayla’s suspicions. The last couple of scenes just knocked us out of our senses; Aan is now serving food to Harib and Shahroze and is giving him life lessons. Nothing is changing and Sanam is just dragging its feet, very painfully.
The one positive thing to emerge from this melodrama is the character of Harib (yes, we are being sarcastic). Forget the Chai Waala; this guy is the real deal. May Allah give every woman in Pakistan a husband like him because he is a feminist’s dream come true and obviously, every misogynist’s worst nightmare
Harib the doormat
Harib the doormat perpetually has a ‘welcome’ sign pasted on his forehead, whether it’s for his offensive wife, his friends or his neighbours who he barely knows. He’s so forgiving and generous that he makes the Dalai Lama look evil. Endearments for his wife drip off his mouth (“Ayla jaan†will be the death of us) and when it comes to being a man he has zero balls. Zilch.
Harib the husband
Harib the husband is every wife’s dream dummy. He’s fairly good looking, sharif and he earns pretty well. He has his own house in a posh locality and his parents are dead. He dotes on his abusive wife, will make breakfast for her, serve her, braid her hair, clip her cuticles, press her feet and he’ll turn the other cheek when she plants a tight slap on one. Even when Harib is angry he resembles a yelping pug rather than a man in fury. He’s so benign. Allah aisa shohar har kissi ko dey. Ameen.
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Harib the saint
And Harib the saint is so extremely forgiving. He’s willing to forgive his wife and has no qualms in declaring his love for her as long as she’ll come back to him. Harib must have alien blood because we seriously don’t know many, if any, Pakistani men who have zero ego. Zero, as in zilch. Despite her attitude all he wants is for her to come back to him because she is his true love.
OLadies, never let go of any such man you ever come across in real life. Chances are, you won’t!
