This was a Bilal episode through and through, but we will cover the other important events as well, fret not. This review is late because I was not in a mood to type. Sometimes, my phone corrects all Urdu words to nearest English words and that makes my blood boil. Posting from mobile is NOT a nice experience.

Anywho!

Rant First

Shabana is upset when she learns that Dadi is planning to ask her to move in with them, but later she relents, because she “promised” that she would help Kabeer and not do anything to upset Dadi. If I were her, I’d let that dadi die. I mean, I understand the makers are trying to show she was the “friend” for Kabeer, but she’s a bit much, and she’s just…cheap. Her interaction with Kabeer makes me cringe, and this one was no different.

Dadi: I have manners.

Lagta nahin hai aapko manners hain, dadi, sorry to say.

I must say, Kabeer takes after his dadi in some cases, like how he kept insisting that Shabana should decide, right then and there, to fall in love with him. I had a question for him in that scene: Bhai, pagal wagal toh nahin ho gaye ho?

Alright, with that rant out of my head, let’s move to the good parts.

Oh, Shabana!

I liked that Kabeer called Shabana to give a heads up for Dadi’s call and her demands. I didn’t like Shabana agreeing to move in, but Kabeer’s heads-up call must be commended.

I also liked that despite the pressure Kabeer put on Shabana (abhi bol that you will fall in love with me), she stood her ground. Very practically, she described the situation: she likes his presence, his kind nature; she feels in his presence, and so on… but she didn’t say she loves him; didn’t promise she’d fall in love with him; doubts that she even has the “hiss” to fall in love. Loved that part.

Now, come to our dear Bilal.

Bilal in the City

Bilal reaches Karachi, and is awestruck by the awesomeness of a new place. Don’t we all do that? The ugliness of behaviour from big city people becomes evident later. First, we are in awe, and so is Bilal.

First, Jamal treats Bilal as if our hero is a young kid who knows nothing. Bilal is still respectful, but the expressions on his vulnerable face say it all: he isn’t happy with Jamal’s attitude. Jamal drops Bilal in the middle of nowhere because Bilal has to deliver the cakes. The cake is for a supposed influencer, who refuses to pay. When Bilal inists, she calls Saadi. Saadi (who seemed very reasonable until today), shames Bilal for asking for payment. Bilal does agree to call the cakes a PR package (he’s forced to do so).

The awe translates to shock of sorts. He did not know this, did he? Heck, he isn’t even on Instagram.

What I liked was how Bilal and Shabana moved to the city, and how their experiences were. Both faced something awful on the first day. Both have very different perspective of life (Shabana is strong, Bilal is naive), and yet, life treated them both the same way. Their journeys are distinct yet similar.

When Bilal calls Jamal to be picked up for home, Jamal’s phone is unreachable for hours. Bilal finally calls Jamal’s wife. The nephew picks up the call Bilal accidentally overhears the argument between Jamal and his wife. He knows, for sure, that he isn’t welcome in that house.

And then Bilal waits to be picked up. His defeated walk to the side and then slumping on that perch, way too real and relatable. I mean, I don’t have a shitty older brother but I know the feeling of being too freaking tired and not even bothering about where you sit.

~~~