Will Miral’s behavior change only if Hassan dies? Will Anaya transition into a docile wife?
Currently airing on HUMTV, Sabaat is fast becoming one of the most-watched Pakistani dramas featuring a stellar cast of Sarah Khan, Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, Usman Mukhtar and Seemi Raheel among others. While its story-line is centered around class-struggle, power-dynamics, love and depression, Sabaat’s latest episode introduced an interesting yet a controversial twist, and viewers can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.
Anaya’s Continuous Compromise
In episode 15, we see how Anaya not only puts up with Miral’s insulting and rude behavior but suffers yet another thappar from her! Despite the humiliation before the entire office staff, Anaya stands still and quiet as she recalls Hassan’s statement “kuch bhi hojae larai mat karna, yeh mein Miraal ki wajha se nahi keh raha, Mumma ki wajha se kehrha hun”. And so, without uttering a single word in retaliation, she rushes instead, to her father’s house in tears.
It seems that a strong-headed girl, who was always ready to fight for her rights and against the ills of society, is now making “adjustments” in her own married life. She seems to be making heavy compromises for her husband’s sake, as she continues to submissively face all insults directed at her by the now out of control sister in-law.
Still, we hope that Anaya’s original, bold character won’t transition into a chup chaap ghareloo biwi , who stays docile and silent for the sake of her family’s name and reputation – ( judging by audience expectations), this might be met with sheer disappointment from the viewers.
Nonetheless, Mawra’s tear-jerking and realistic performance was indeed up to the mark.
The Therapist-Patient Relationship?
Dr. Haris’ email to Miral was another unexpected twist in the story. Last week, after sensing the growing proximity between Miral and her therapist, Dr. Haris, the viewers were fumed with anger and disappointment. In a society where discussion on mental health and visiting a psychiatrist is tagged as pagalpun and taboo, a romantic track between a therapist and her patient was the last thing Pakistani viewers needed.
However, in the latest episode, the plot took an intriguing turn as Dr. Haris decided to disassociate himself from Miral’s counselling to avoid any “personal affiliations”. Now, we will have to wait and see how this plot unfolds.
Here’s what the viewers have to say:
Will They Kill Hassan for Miral’s Behavior to Change?
Rumor has it that Hassan’s character will die. Will Hassan need to die for Miral to change her egoist behavior? We really hope this is not the case! Can our drama writers not find more creative ways to move the story ahead than killing off the main character and using death as a tragedy to create an impact on the audience?
Some are finding Hassan as the only sensible character; his unconditional support and care for his wife – a rare in our misogynist society – is what people are liking, and do not want to see his untimely demise.
However, others are labelling him as a weak husband, as his lack of charge is pushing Anaya to compromise in the face of family problems.
Nonetheless, we can’t wait to see him take a stand for his wife as he plans to move-out from his toxic abode in the up-coming episodes.
Lastly, we have one final question: will Miral seek further therapy or give up on the idea altogether? And if she does give up, will Sabaat be following another ghareloo story-line? Viewers are hoping for a substantial story that directs the spotlight on the yet unaddressed mental health issues facing our society.
Let’s hope the story surprises us. Hold on folks, this one will be a bumpy ride and Sabaat has set itself up for great expectation…or disappointments…which one will it be?
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Hiba Shoaib is a student of social development and policy at Habib University. She is currently working as an Undergraduate Research Fellow at Center for Transdisciplinary Design and Innovation Lab. As an aspiring policy-practitioner, she aims to address socio-economic concerns. She uses her research and critical-writing skills to empower people and advocate for social justice.
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