So, episode 3 is here. Wasn’t the last one named episode 2 part 1? Where is Part 2?

The story of episode 3 starts where the previous one (episode 2 part 1) has ended, so we aren’t missing on anything.

My sister talked about this episode before I did, and I tried to relate to her feelings when I read the episode. Needless to say, I failed to relate to her review. And that’s the beauty of fiction. Everyone interprets the written words in a different way.

This episode introduces us to another character Birbal Fareed, Mahir Fareed’s younger brother. Hoor-e-Jahan’s deteriorating health has become the talk of the two. Maalha not only deals with the pain to see her mother suffer, but she also endures a lot dealing with the guests who don’t mean anything good.

Aside from Hoor-e-Jahan’s health, this episode almost entirely focuses on jinnat’s and jadoo.

Mahi travels and risks her pregnancy to meet a scholar (Dr Dred? I forget his name) and ask him about the dreams that she has been having. Despite a very detailed explanation, something just ticked me off about the whole jadoo thing. Being an avid listener of Mufti Tariq Masood’s speeches, I do believe that black magic exists, but I also don’t want my life to think about that alone. I don’t want to understand what it is. The whole explanation of Changeling was just… I don’t know how to put it–it seemed evil. Here’s the thing. You read about something new, you get curious and then you end up reading more about it. Do I, as a Muslim, really bother about Changelings when I have a million things to do in my life-time? There are prayers and recitations and fasting and zakaat and Hajj as farz, and countless sunnah stuff that one must observe. Why waste time in learning about the Changeling? But then, reading fiction is just as useless. I know, I’m a hypocrite.

I understand the message that the writer was trying to make, and it does get delivered. Thoda drag hua lesson, that’s all I’m saying.

Jinnat or no Jinnat, Jadoo or no Jadoo, the things that happen to us happen to us because it’s written to happen. That’s the falsfa-e-Taqdeer that us mere mortals can’t come to terms with. That’s the philosophy of fate. And that’s how we are supposed to keep our mind on the right track. Things happen because Allah has planned it so. Yeh har ek baat pe kehna ki yun hota to kya hota, that doesn’t help anyone. Yep, that’s Ghalib. I can quote poetry once in a while.

As for Kaif and Maala, Kaif might have confessed how he feels about Maala, and Maala might have freaked out. Everybody knows how Kaif feels about Maala, even Maalik and Mahir and that new dude Birbal, I guess.

Kabeera is also involved in jadoo etc, and she pays handsomely to get Ziyad out of picture (sheer jealousy). I was intrigued that Kaif was there to tackle the fake Aamil. How the hell did he get there?

Maala, on the other hand, is now suspicious of Kaif. Will she let her go? Only time will tell.

Nemrah moves the story back and forth to keep the suspense going, and I like that style, most of the time. It gives a feeling that we are watching a movie where scenes cut in between and switch to another one. I felt that the back-and-forth in past and in between scenes was a bit much in this episode, so much so that it was almost annoying. Just finish one scene and then move on to the next.

Tutorial moments

What are changelings?
How Jinnat and Jadoo works?

Let me know how you felt about this episode. You can comment, or email me.

Shabana Mukhtar