This week’s episode began with Abid, Fauzia’s ex-husband, who is watching the TV show featuring Kanwal Baloch in awe. He thinks the girl on screen looks uncannily like Fauzia but she is dressed too different and can even speak in English, which confuses him even further. It can’t be her, he thinks to himself. But he’s glued to his screen and even snubs his current wife when she tries to chat while he’s watching. This sequence makes one wonder whether a man like Abid would be drawn to Fauzia if he knew it was her on TV or would his ‘honour’ and male ego come in the way?
One thing for sure is that her family would certainly not support her current lifestyle. Fauzia’s younger sister Munni calls to question her on the program because she’s seen the girl who looks like Fauzia too. One can sense Fauzia’s discomfort and inner turmoil as Munni belittles the girl for wearing tacky clothes and behaving inappropriately. It makes Fauzia uncomfortable and she quickly hangs up. It’s evident that no one will support, let alone be impressed with her foray into the public eye.
To make things worse, a news channel calls to interview her. She struggles with her accents, that oscillate between real and fake, making her an easy target for more mockery. The interview turns out to be yet another instance where she is being framed for ratings.
“I’ve been singing since I was a child and the purpose of participating in this contest was that people could see my inner talent,†she says of her game show appearance.
“That is evident,†the reporter says, mockingly and she picks up on his tone. The questions get more personal and she snaps when they ask her about her clothes and makeup. She throws them out but her innocence is evident when she sits down to watch her own interview. She does not anticipate that they’ll humiliate her by releasing full footage of the interview, including the part where she throws them out. Fauzia is scarred but she isn’t broken and still expects some goodness in human beings. Unfortunately, she is learning the hard way.
“Oh, kitni khabees dunya hai ye,†Fauzia sighs to herself. “Sab gunday hain. Kahan phass gayi hoon main?â€
Fauzia’s personal dilemma is the most severe. She has dreams and ambitions but they’re coming at a moral price. Nothing is spelt out for viewers but an upcoming trip to Dubai is obviously a shady assignment, where she will be expected to spend an evening or the night with a man. Or men. And it’ll pay enough to wash away her troubles for a year.
“You’ll never have any financial problems if you get even one trip to Dubai like this a year,†her friend tries to convince her. “What respect are you worried about? Respect comes with money.â€
As an actor Saba Qamar strikes the perfect balance between an ambitious hot head and a simple village girl who just wants to sing and dance her worries away; she manages to win the audience’s sympathy. She has principles, evident in the way she returns the money Sheheryar lent her when she was in need. And she lends him a sympathetic ear when he tells her about his personal troubles. We see a bond building between the two of them and needless to say it will pose bigger problems for her.
It is evident from the next episode’s teaser that her father’s accident and her family’s desperate need for money will tip her inner balance towards doing anything for the money. That seems to be the breaking point in her life and the drama serial is at an extremely interesting turn as we wait to see what will happen.
