I wasn’t even finished gushing over Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi When Bee Gul threw a whopping episode at me last night! What even happened or didn’t happen in Raqeeb Se in those 50 odd minutes?
From Ameerah uttering the ‘unutterable’ – “wohi hoga jo sarak pe haath choom raha tha” to Maqsood Sahib posing the unsaid question in the air to Sakina: “Agar Hajra aur Insha meri zindagi mein na rahen toh phir, kya faisla karogi?” to Insha arguing with Hajra about ‘normal’ relationships – oh man, the episode was beyond gold!
So here’s the thing, I had sort of lost hope in Maqsood Sahib after last week’s episode when he’d been thrown off guard by Rafiq Ali’s FIR and his brother’s plan to ‘fix’ all if he (Maqsood) marries Sakina to extract revenge. But then, in total unexpected fashion, Maqsood Sahib grabs hold of Hajra’s hand and seats her in the front (notice, not the back) seat alongside him – Whoa what just happened there?
But wait a minute, I’m racing ahead without giving you background on the build-up to the romance.
First it was the very cute, young love beckoning to our younger selves as Abdur Rehman and Insha exchange cute nothings outside the house. The chemistry between these 2 is so endearing that we can’t help but smile at his attempts to make up with her, and her practical brushing off (yet, quiet smiling acceptance) of his advances. Is it just me or did you notice that Raqeeb Se has placed an extra effort to get the accents right? Hamza Sohail as Abdur Rehman, hailing from his chota sa qasba pulls off a heavy village drawl and of course, Maqsood Sahib has none of it, though his brother Masood & wife is in the thick of pind accent! Marvellous to see our actors so immersed in character that we cannot mistake them for anyone else, except who they are … onscreen, that is!
Faryal Mehmood where have you been my whole life!
And then we have Insha arguing with her mother over the natural, normalness of expressing love in all its silliness. To play alongside Sania Saeed intercepting dialogue with a swiftness that seems totally unscripted – Bee Gul – full marks for penning it as it is, kya rawaangi se likha hai. Ek ek alfaaz aise likha jaise Insha ne dil se kaha ho…bila jhijhak – I was smiling unnoticed throughout – such was the exactness of her argument with Hajra!
Where Bee Gul shows Maqsood taking charge of the women in his life, Insha is not far behind with the man in her’s. If applications weren’t enough, I was loving the secret cash slip-in-the-wallet business – it was a smile moment, at the least! Love the way her characters evade judgement by just being themselves!
And then we have Ameerah!
Oh Ameerah! You uttered the unutterable, and that too, at the dining table … you pick your moments don’t you, and they are stellar! I could imagine many mouths gaping wide open as they watched from their living rooms, thanking God we weren’t Insha! But then, just as we thought a deader than dead silence would prevail, Insha rises to the occasion and responds in full Insha style – JUST as we had anticipated – maza aagaya, lekin … maza toh aage bhi aayega, and I’ll tell you why, hold on …for my love affair was still a bit shaky at the moment. Not quite there yet folks!
It’s fun to watch the diabolical utterances of Ameerah offset by the honest directness of Insha. Both carry a heavy dose of sarcasm in their young souls, but how they choose to let it out is the village girl vs city girl theatrics that have us every time!
If anyone could wish a good pitai on Ameerah, they got it when Sakina let loose – that was a scene to relish if you had half a heart for young love – you’d know. But this is Ameerah we’re reckoning with who let slip a googly when she revealed Rafiq’s love letters to Hajra – and wait for it, Hajra repeated the ‘Breaking News’ to none other than Maqsood Sahib.
Hadiqa Kiani you make us feel that no one can play Sakina like you, in fact no one can play any other character in the story like the present cast – such is the power of casting!
Now here’s the thing
Did Hajra want a last chance at getting a Sakina-less home? Was this her quiet (yet, smart)attempt at saving her marriage? You do realize Hajra is a smart cookie, don’t you? She is a good soul no doubt, but the multi layered woman is a woman first, and women are sometimes torn between doing good and self preservation, get it? Sania Saeed we can’t say enough about how well you’ve understood Hajra – like one woman understanding another – perfection in every glance.
And now – for the drum roll …
THIS it what sealed the deal for me. It had to be Maqsood Sahib who came into his own. First, with his father-daughter conversation with Insha – just as we would have wanted a father to have. Then, his point blank directness with Sakina – would you stay here if Hajra & Insha were not here? And finally – the cherry on top … his near resignation with Hajra as she contemplated the saalan and washing machine to decisive action – what was it again? Hold on dear readers, coming to it in a bit! Let Maqsood Sahib manage the 3 women in his life – oh and a 4th if we count Ameerah of course!
So Raqeeb Se gives me 2 reasons why I finally sealed the love deal. (You realize the groundwork was done as I mentioned above, lekin picture abhi baaqi thi logon!)
One, the OST placement. A round of applause to director Kashif Nisar who employs the OST when it is needed and not as a filler to elongate a sequence in painful retakes. The OST of Raqeeb Se played at just the right moment, as Sakina gets ready, Hajra puzzles over the washing machine and Maqsood Sahib sets his car in working order – what now, we question?
Two, Raqeeb Se delivers final moments like no other drama on air currently. One time it was Rafiq Abba walking in, this time it was Maqsood reaching out (we thought, to shut the gate, but no,) to grab hold of Hajra’s kalai and walk her to the car in total bewilderment. Seating her in front and driving off – Drop scene!
And that my dear readers, is why I have fallen head over heels in love with Raqeeb Se – OFC my husband, who was a casual watcher sitting beside me throughout the episode had, but one thing to say – Did Hajra turn off the saalan ka choola? I dunno guys, you wanna answer that one for me, coz he’s still puzzling over the burnt saalan – just like Hajra?
