Spheres of Women in Humsafar

*missed blog post from week 3

The first shot of Humsafar shows Khirad spreading clothes out onto a balcony, from where she proceeds to conduct other household chores and assures her mothers that she has taken care of all the house work. She later helps her mother tutor the children at their own flat. 

In contrast to Khirad and her mother the other women of Humsafar do very little. Even Sara, who has a job at Asher's office, is rarely seen engaging in any sort of work at her office, rather she seems to use it as an excuse to go chat with Asher whenever she feels like it and comes and goes as she pleases. Similarly the maximum Fareeda seems to do is tap at a few keys at her keyboard or watch documentaries about human rights.
Thus the women seen in the domestic sphere (especially that of the lower class) have a higher degree of functionality, and are constantly seen engaging in some activity or the other. The women of the upper class, even when depicted in the public sphere do little. Khirad too, when she crosses over to the upper class, notices the lack of activity and the options available when she laments "kisi ko meri zaroorat nai".
This "zaroorat" is important for it is only when she starts taking caring of Asher does she truly win her love as depicted in the scene when she brings him juice and he gushes "tum mera kitna khayaal rakhti ho". To be active in the domestic sphere thus is seen as a sign of being a "good" wife and in turn a "good" woman.