Ta umarh nibhaane waali thi woh, apne nikaah ko!

Zoya Faruqui, the ever bubbly girl, accepted defeat this easily and ran away without even giving a hint of her whereabouts to anyone at the Khan mansion or her own foster family? She who was about to stay put in her marriage for a life-time, she who always put others ahead of her had no qualms running away like that? My understanding of her character could definitely be wrong. For, I am not Zoya, not Surbhi Jyoti the actor who essays the role, nor Gul Khan, the director, nor any one from the CVs, or even the production house – am just a viewer- and perhaps a bad one at that too. I have no years of experience watching Hindi, or for that matter, any language soaps. I grew up watching some of those old classics of Buniaad and Uthaan; but never could enjoy the later soaps much, as I found them very insulting to women in general with too much of passivity on part of female leads. Now, in my thirties, I watched a bit of Jhansi Ki Raani, Bade Ache Lagte Hain, and Afsar Bitiya, and this could be called my experience in serials. I maybe a bad viewer, but I can definitely expect stuff from a show that I had a liking for! I started watching the serial for this one character, Zoya, who was portrayed as a different, independent, bubbly, and unselfish girl who could stand up for herself and against injustice. Each time she stood up for equality and rights I felt proud. Each time she showed and professed her unconditional love and care for the members of the Khan household – for phupi, Najma, and Mr Khan, I thought I knew her. Now, let each of my assumptions be wrong. But, haven't I heard enough and more of this character of Zoya from this forum? How unselfish she is, how she goes out of the way to help others, how sincere she is, and how she always thinks about others and their happiness above hers! And above all how much she loved her phuphi, tamatar and Mr. Khan- not to mention her aapi and jiju?

So, ladies and gentlemen, where is she? That Zoya? I know there will be too many to outnumber me here and tell me that Zoya was in shock and could not think clearly; that this was the normal reaction for anyone who sees her almost husband in the arms of another woman on their nikaah day. But, didn't I hear her telling her Mr. Khan that she was gonna be loyal to this relation of her nikaah for a life-time, just the previous night? I know there will be an argument that nikaah never happened. But, she had already accepted Mr.Khan as her sohar, right? I guess I heard her talking to Tanveer like that during the mehendi ceremony and even during their so-called face-off? I despised the characterization when I saw her bearing all those burning pain during that function, when IMHO, the character never had any need to do so, she could have very well made everyone see Tanveer's real face, then or before that – she could have recorded their conversations, challenges, or even put hidden cameras in the mansion. Now, now, now I know many of you will tell me she was busy with and excited about her marriage. But, she had to do all this for her marriage and the man she loved only – for nothing else, and so that is not an excuse, no matter what comes! So, this indeed was a flaw in Zoya's characterization according to me. Plus, think of all those moments of agony she spent at the nikhaah hall, waiting for her Mr.Khan to come over – what comes to your mind if you are waiting for someone so close to you? Even if that person is 10 seconds late, you start suspecting the worst?! We expect them to be earlier or on time, but if at all they get late, we can't tolerate – we panic, we think of everything worst that could have happened? And here Ms. Khan is telling us that Zoya Faruqui, the impulsive girl, waited for almost a night without even doubting Tanveer's foul play? Even as she was challenged by that thing on that very morning?! Phew, I really have difficulty digesting that!?

Ms. Zoya Faruqui was the only person who could have avoided this tragedy in the show, in all of their lives. She was warned, she had just enough time, and even resources to help her out, but alas! Gul Khan chose it differently, and that also means we all need to accept it, as such?! Well, I believed right from the beginning that Asad's characterization was very poor. He was shown as a successful business-man that too self-made; but when it comes to personal life, he was always shown as a dumbass getting dumber every day. He always judged, he was conservative, etc. are different points and I have nothing to do with that. A man whose life was spent in misery and distrust will not trust anyone this blindly, whoever it is. And that should have been why he never could trust Zoya. Alas, I do not want to discuss on this character anyway here—the point I want to put across is, Asad being a dumbass, I never expected him to do anything differently. He was never to see through the vilest plans that were being weaved around him. But, our Zoya was quick-witted and intelligent to see thru things, she was shrewd and had a presence of mind that none else showed in the whole show. She ran away, and let Tanveer take over her Mr.Khan, her phuphi, and her tamatar (one of the weakest characters in this show) and play with their lives as she pleased? And her own aapi and jeeju do not even need to know her whereabouts? And Zoya can live like that? What a pity, what a shame Ms. Khan? You could not have created this Zoya only! She was better off the typical, all-sacrificing, ever-bearing, no-wit, never-questioning so-called traditional- woman mode. Why show us a powerful character and then ruin her like this?

I am sad Ms. Faruqui did not stand up for her Mr.Khan and her phuphi in their times of need. She would have been the only stone wall that could have safeguarded them both from shame, disgrace, self pity, and what not now and in the future episodes (You know what, I really have no trust in Ms.Khan). She knew the truth, she was made well aware of Tanveer's dirty, bitch-like plans, and still all you are saying that she was shocked. The Zoya Faruqui, I knew, would never have felt this kind of a shock of a lifetime in such a moment and would have continued in it, she must have been mute or dumb for a while, just for a while, and would have sprung back to life and action in no time – to save her Mr. Khan! She trusted her Mr.Khan, I heard her challenging the Tanveer thing that her Mr.Khan would never let her down. And then, Ms. Gul Khan, you showed us Zoya breaking down and not even giving a benefit of doubt to her Mr.Khan, the man for whom she thought she was giving her lifetime? Wow, what a superb characterization?! Think of the dialogues they made her deliver in that rain scene, when Asad tried talking about the truth? In such an emotional situation, who would not blurt out the complete truth? If I would have been really shocked and hurt like that, I would have screamed at my man saying I knew the bitch would do this, but how could he? But, no, our Zoya was made to talk about sachai at that moment, so that she does not have to blurt out about the Tanveer challenge at all, even by mistake?!!! Now, should we also gulp down that she, who loved her phuphi like her own long-lost mother, did not even think of her phuphi's shame of not able to complete her 10-day challenge? She did not see that her Mr.Khan, as usual, was confused and dumbfounded? That he needed help to grapple reality and come out of the situation (not that he would have believed her, if she said anything at all – but when had he believed her, and did not she know that when she agreed for the nikah, real or fake?), That the bitch character was having the last laugh? And she ran away dying her own death a hundred times? Zoya Faruqi, who can do anything in this world, just chose to succumb down to a vile threat from Tanveer and is choosing to close her eyes towards the truth? How much more dumb this could get?

I am in no intention to talk about all the follies and illogical turns of events of the recent story line (I know you all know it, but do not want to take it seriously), but I hated this butchering of Zoya's character to make Tanveer and Razia win for the time being. Not to talk about the ruining of Ayaan and Dilshad's characters – Dil not doing anything for AsYa or throwing the Tanveer thing out and Ayaan thinking his brother did it intentionally to avoid the nikaah?!! Holy crap! There were sure a hundred other ways to bring a twist in the story line. But, what, they thought taking viewers for a ride was easier??

And since, I do not see shows just for romance or actors, I stopped watching it. But, thought I had to tell this. I know there are plenty out there still watching the show, many enjoying the current twist and turn of events, many just anticipating positivity in the near future, many just watching it for the much-hyped up Ajmer ASYA scenes, and many taking it all part and parcel of a daily soap. But, Ms. Khan, Today I once again realize why I never chose to watch any of the Hindi soaps before. No matter how much ever romance, separation, or pining you show with the hottest actors around, a show, for me, has to have a decent plot, at least some amount of sensible and believable logic, and strong characterization. I do not take crap, and I hope there would be some around, who may agree with me. It is no more Qubool Hai!

SS

P.S.: The post and the comments made herein are my views and are not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Apologies, if it actually hurts anyone's feelings/sentiments.

I couldn't agree more with a lot of the points you made. To be honest, I could even let go of the fact that she did not believe him at all, despite Tanveer's words, and the fact that she just made all these promises and said she trusted him the night before. Because well, we are all human and miunderstandings CAN happen. But I still cannot digest her reaction - the whole renouncing the world thing and being completely lifeless. Yeah, no. 😳 I've watched a lot of indian shows, movies and I am a hopeless romantic kind of person but even then - and people will disagree - I still believe that there ARE in this world a few things that one cannot ignore, even for the sake of love and those things include duty and responsibility. And let's not even talk about responsibilities towards her loved ones, what about Zoya's responsibility to HERSELF? I know her reaction was a very typical Indian TV heroine reaction but you know what, I DID expect a little different this time, because like you mentioned, Zoya is different. She IS confident, independent, self-respecting and so much more which literally makes her the lead attraction to watch the show - at least for me. So for once I didn't want to see a heroine who just ran away from her problems, deserting everyone, and worst of all deserting herself. It would take a while, but eventually I wanted to see Zoya set an example for women that you don't need to renounce the world, stop living your life, and waste your tears on a person who isn't worth them - a person who CHEATED on you. Where is the logic of punishing yourself as such? Maybe I am expecting too much - for your average heroine/person it would be too much to ask but Zoya is different. Or well, she WAS different before Gul butchered her character for the sake of a illogical track.