SPM ~ My musings16.5.19 Bound by compromise
Life is all about negotiating ,making concessions, making extremes meet. Often it seems a struggle to find a mid -path. We find thosewho show signs of flexibility, stand a fair chance of survival. Those who don’toften end up broken. Given the predicament that Zainab faces in the story, onesmile from Kainat makes her believe, that her daughter is ready to cross thethreshold from girl to woman hood. Zainab, for the sake of prevalent traditions, would rather ignore theconcealed rebellion that beneath the concession that Kainat seems to show, in going along with this engagement toHumza.
However as a mother Zainab, to me, is aware who resides inKainat’s heart. Zainab also fears thatgod forbid Kainat may even consider going against this agreement to marrying Humza. So Zainab gently reminds Kainat , that her consent shows the weightage she gives to the teachings of faith andethics that Mainjaan imparted to her! But to Kainat, such commendations, eitherfor her character, or more so for Mainjaan do not go down well with her!
Kainat smashes the mirror, which caught her reflection.. a while ago. A tearful, pious girl, bound by faith, respect for family values, given toher by family elders! But in reality,she sees herself, still poor in the heart! For all the teachings of morality and ethics, faith , do not give her the richness of having Zaroon in her life. Kainat’s mirror smashing act, in fact speaks in fury about how Mainjaan broke the agreement that he himself set up between him and her! that’s the wayshe sees it! After Zaroon’s arrivalMainjaan made no concessions in bringing Zaroon and herself together! Zainab is horrified at her daughters violent outburst! The horror of a smashed mirror, the superstition of seven years bad luck.. must have made Zainab anxious. But according to her faith and family values.. the brief for her daughter is , it’sbest she accepts and takes thing in a stride… can this sound advice be applied both to men and women?
For the very first time, in the mirror smashing scene, I see Kainat, differentiating between a man of god and the unseen god himself. Mainjaan whom she placed on a pedestal all her life! She finds him fallible like herself, not infallible like god. She seems at a stage where she sees, even hernext of kin opposing her love towards for Zaroon. What she wished to see in themirror before she smashed it, was a girl..not alone but with a Zaroon who woulddote upon her..
Mind you , the reality that no one gets everything one wants.. and one often ends up making compromises .. in theory this may be, but in practice, not quite. For we have both Kainat and Sultanat who are unwilling to let go of their, beliefs or virtues.
Kainat under no circumstances is ready to forsake her love for Zaroon, despite his rejection, and her mother and Mainjaan’s opposition. She will continue to look upon the ultimate decisionof her god. even her sister Saltanat ,so far fails to strike a comprise between her and Zaroon. But for Kainat, her hearthas agreed to let Zaroon in, and she intends to hold him in there. Let theelders compromise her life with Humza. She retains that, which her heart agrees upon.
Sultanat stands by her confession before Neelam in the kitchen, that its hard but attimes, one has to compromise with what onedesires, for the sake of one’s belief in certain principles. So both cousinsisters dig their feet in for what they believe in.
The kitchen, is shown as a stereotypical scene where womencongregate to prepare and cook meals. Alongside, views upon domestic politicstoo are exchanged. Once again Neelam andSultanat meet and rejoice in their plot to sabotage Humza and Kainat’s engagement. As the task to manipulate Humzato say no was not as difficult s they envisaged !
Many a rivalry too is carried out in the kitchen. Kainat skilled with her determination of not compromising over Zaroon with Saltanat, veryliterally barges into the cosy behind closed doors plotting of her cousins. Goneare the days of Kainat being theinnocent and meek as the white dove. Kainat has decided she will not forsake her new found show of militancy ! If others under the web of deceit stab her in the back, than she too willretaliate in a manner which makes others feel uneasy!
The knife scene is Kainat at her cutting best.. as seen and openabout her sentiments. Both Saltanat and Neelam have been involved in choppingup alliances between Kainat and Humza ina concealed manner. Only Kainat hasclocked on to their behind the scenes meddling. The knife pointed at Saltanat, by Kainat instils a certain fear in her. Perhaps it’s guilt too. It’s amusing when Kainat hands overthe knife to her rival Sultanat ! asks her to cut the transparent bag that contains thevermicelli.. The transparent bag is the visible fondness Saltanat showedtowards Zaroon and contained him in the clear bag of her emotions. Now Kainat strikes a compromise with Saltanat.Demands a fair chance of also having access to the uncooked raw vermicelli.. half given the chance, Kainat shows, the knife sheprovided, forces Saltanat to share her love Zaroon with Kainat.. who ends up making a sweet dessert out of the vermicelli. A dessert made by the ingredientof Kainat ‘s love.
The love collision between Zaroon and Saltanat! churns up a gamutof close contact love moments. Now their love is a warm tasty dish containedand concealed with a lid. I wonder if is the sweet vermicelli that Kainat made in the kitchen? Over which these two mutual lovers, talk about removing obstacles that keep them apart..but Saltanat already fears a separation looming up between her and Zaroon.. is it due to the new unwilling tocompromise Kainat ? or is the separation inevitable due to Saltanat‘s own tough line about her principles?
Kainat is quite clear that she will not compromise over her lovefor Zaroon! and that goes for Humza too.. who wants to know how serious she isabout him? Rather coldly she puts him in his place , it’s her personal matter ,which she’d rather not divulge about. Humza does wonder that like it or not but he is involved!
As usual Zaroon lurks in the shadows. ,me feels he tends to showup in a contrived manner to retrieve messy scenarios .To him Kainat just mightput Humza off by her icy distant attitude. A miffed Humza poses a riddle for word wizard Zaroon.. that Kainat’seyes defy totally what she speaks about on the phone.
Zaroon realizes, like Neelam does too, that Sultanat may be up tosomething that only she knows about. The game is on for Zaroon! He muses he cannot let the Delhiites score a winner over him !
Many seem to be involved in using smoke and mirror techniques ofcoming to one momentary compromise.. getting Kainat and Humza hitched ! Rubina and Ghazala check up on Zainab to ensure she is still standing by her compromise tothe predicament her Kainat has landed her in !
Even Mainjaan compromises his austere values for the sake of thisnew alliance he has given approval for. So by all means, whether trickery or honesty! things are moving towards settlements!
But a mother’s heart can also see through the façade of compromisethat her only child, her universe, Kainat puts on. No wonder, she falls in prayer with a contrite heart for the desiresof her daughters heart. Zainab cannot strike a worthy compromise between what she desires and what Kainat wants. Thus she too rests hercase in the just court of god.. 17.5.19 Hamlet53.
The good thing about this episode is that both the sisters are pretty clear about what they are notwilling to compromise. Neelam once again, has no loyalty towards Kainat, but she thinks the world of the mostintelligent one put of all the cousins.. Saltanat! Neelam though tends to stir trouble
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