Women and the one Hamsafar, Ashar

Hamsafar revolves around three women fighting over one man Ashar; one of them being Ashar’s mother herself. Farida is shown to be an extremely selfish woman who uses her niece to get rid of Khirad just because she despises her. She acts like she is in love with Sara when she isn’t and would never have gotten her married to her son since Ashar shows lack of interest in Sara. Farida’s sister is also aware of what Farida has in mind for Khirad but Sara’s love for Ashar forces her to become a part of the plan. Farida runs an NGO and is supposedly a very generous woman but when it comes to her son there isn’t a slightest hint of that generosity or good heart. Farida is portrayed as the typical evil mother in law who ‘loves’ her son but is indirectly or rather directly (in Farida’s case) is ruining the life of her only son. It is ironic how Farida compares herself to Ashar’s father trying to appear as the better parent while she herself plays a negative role in his life just because she gets the threat of getting a divorce from her husband in case she tries to come in between ‘ Ashar’s and Khirad’s nikkah.’ This point in the episode where Farida gets threatened is one of the most important parts of the drama because it sends Farida into a shock. That is the point where she decides to take revenge from Khirad who causes such a situation in the house and not because she wants Ashar to get married to Sarah.

The characters of Sara and Khirad are shown to be poles apart. Sara is shown as a working woman so that covers the public aspect of the novel. She is in love with her ‘childhood’ friend/cousin Ashar and repeatedly reminds him throughout the drama hoping that it might lead to Ashar liking her in return but unfortunately for her, it doesn’t happen. Sadly for her Khirad enters the scene to ruin what’s left. Khirad is shown as the simple and pious girl with her head covered all the time. She is shown as the typical domestic girl and an obedient daughter who likes being self-sufficient. Khirad is not a working woman but teaches kids at home to earn money reflecting how it works in the society that she lives in; women stay in their homes. The social life of women in Hyderabad is within the household while that of women in Karachi is in restaurants or their huge mansions. The type of interaction also varies considerably. The relationship of Khirad and her mother with their ‘khala’ is of a very genuine nature and non-selfish nature. It’s like she is Khirad’s real aunt. On the other hand, the interaction between Farida and her sister is more reserved and the envireonment that is shown in the episode rather seems formal than two sisters catching up on life or showing kindness to each other. These women have grown out of emotions and just like to discuss the material things of life and how Khirad’s mother might be asking for money with Farida being least worried about her husband extending financial assistance to his sister.