With the impactful mini serial Aakhri Station coming to an end yesterday, we were hopeful to see some sort of silver lining for the women who had gone through the worst– and thankfully we were not let down.
The last episode continued the stories of Shumaila, the acid attack victim, and Tehmina, the depression survivor. We saw the inhumane moment when Shumaila’s cruel husband doused her face with acid, followed by the support and love her in-laws provided her with. It was good to see that they were not shown to be in support of the perpetrator, as many tend to; in fact, it was the younger brother who went and reported him to the police, while the mother promised that she would support Shumaila and help her divorce the man.
Moving on to Tehmina’s story of depression, one might have thought that it would be a tragic turn of events that led to her ending up on that train bogie, but thankfully it was not. We see the young mother come to terms with her condition, and with the support of her loving husband she takes up therapy sessions and comes through with the help of that and medication.
As the episode comes to a close, one can’t help but appreciate the aesthetic art direction as the women exit the train carrying their share of baggage. A ray of sunshine and hope in their lives is signified by the colourful bangles they had bought onboard the train, perhaps symbolizing how sharing their woeful tales with one another might have strengthened them, and how they now part ways with a smile. The title track combined with Shabana Azmi’s poetic recitations makes for an emotional impact, to the extent of raising goosebumps.
The episode forwards to a year in the future, where Tehmina has now narrated her fight with depression in a book. She meets Yasmin, who tells her how well the other women are doing, some have found work while others have found companionship, each living the content life they deserved.
The ‘happy ending’ is a homage to the resilience of women worldwide who face such ordeals and continue to fight back each day. A much-needed tale of appreciation, a look at the hardships and a salute to the strength of our women, Aakhri Station has been a great watch and an even better lesson.
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