Faiz in the Drama

"Raat yuun dil mein teri, Khoyi hui yaad aayi,

Jaisay veeranay mein chupke se bahaar aajaye,

Jaisay sehra mein haulay se chalay baad-e-naseem,

Jaisay beemar ko, bewajha, qaraar aajaye."

These verses by Faiz Ahmed Faiz have been included in the narrative in the voice of the male protagonist, Ahmer, who contemplates the possibility of love and finds expression in these words. Throughout the drama there has been the use of metaphors of "darkness" to indicate Ahmer's cynicism and harted for an unknown girl. "Raat", "veeranay" and "sehra" in these verses also point toward his isolated state of being, after losing all he had held dear. With the introduction of Zoya into Ahmer's narative we notice a disturbance; she angers him, tests his patience, draws out the best and the worst in him initially. However as Zoya's character is further developed in the context of her being a doctor and somewhat of a maternal figure to the children of the hospital, we notice the softening of Ahmer's character. Love here takes on the role of reform, as it brings "zara si roshni" to end the "darkness" that encompasses Ahmer's soul. The use of the "chupke se" and "haulay se" indicate a gradual change in his narrative, one that took place so slowly that he could not have put up his defences against it. His writing table now has flowers on it, very literally indicating the arrival of "bahaar". Even his colleagues notice the visible change in him ("Kal tak tou yahan se wahan muskurahat thi" - Dr. Irfan), highlighting the introduction of a "baad-e-naseem". Ahmer continuously refers to an "aag" that burns within him, that kills every positive emotion that he experiences, indicating the existence of a pathology or the loss of a certain humanity. Though he derives most of his happiness from his work as a paediatrician, we notice here that he himself is in need of reform as this happiness never goes beyond the surface. Though he may be the "maasiha" or "thandi chaaoun" for other people; as a "beemar", he himself was deprived of peace of mind. Zoya is created as his "maasiha", being exactly what he needs to end his desolation and his solitude and provide him with the "qaraar" that he so longs for. 

**(I just wanted to add this verse as well because Dr. Ahmer always reminded me of Dasht-e-tanhai by Faiz:

"Iss qadr pyar se aye jaan-e-Jahan, rakha hai

Dil ke rukhsaar pe iss waqt, teri yaad ne haath,

Yuun guman hota hai, gar che hain abhi subh-e-firaq,

Dhal gaya hijr ka din, aa bhi gayi vasl ki raat".)