Pakistan’s entertainment industry, especially TV plays, is evolving positively. Recently, it has produced serials that are not only revolutionary and garner millions of views but also reveal the bitter truth of our society. The latest example is the ongoing TV serial ‘Kafeel,’ an eye-catching play that has won the hearts of millions of viewers.
The serial revolves around Zeba, played by Sanam Saeed, a perfect example of modesty and elegance. She is kind, beautiful, and intelligent. However, despite the fact that Zeba herself is amazing, her life is completely the opposite. Her story is a painful look at how a small misunderstanding and a backward society can turn a young girl’s dreams into a life sentence.
While attending a wedding, she meets a man named Jami, and the two develop a bond, which leads Jami to give Zeba a handkerchief that serves as a secret love letter.
It is a wonderful memory for Zeba, but a nightmare for her mother; in her eyes, a girl in love is a serious scandal that must be hidden immediately; in order to “protect” her family’s honor, Zeba’s mother advises her to get married.
Ironically, the groom’s name is also Jami (Jamshed). Zeba believes she marries the man she falls in love with because of a “Backward culture” in which girls are not allowed to meet or talk to their future husbands before marriage. She attends a wedding full of hope, only to find that a stranger (played by Emad Irfani) is waiting for her on the wedding night.
Over the years, her husband, Jami, revealed himself to be a “social parasite,” or a lazy person who refuses to work and prefers to live at others’ expense. He is a master at gaslighting Zeba, begging Zeba’s parents for money while acting like a “saint” in front of everyone.
In public, he appears to be a good person, but behind closed doors, he is an emotional predator.
Looking at Zeba’s siblings reveals Kafeel’s sadness even more. Her sister is married to a wealthy man, and her brother has a successful career.
They all live happy lives, but Zeba is suffering. Even after giving birth to four children, Jami hasn’t changed. He cheats with other women and treats his family like a bank.
He even steals money from his own daughter, and the real victims here were not just Zeba but also her children, who grew up watching their father’s controlling and abusive behavior, while their mother works as a teacher so she can provide food to her children.
When her friend asks her for a divorce, Zeba finds herself in a cage with invisible walls. In her society, divorce is seen as a “stain” that ruins her daughters’ chances of marriage. She stays not out of love, but out of fear.
The heartbreaking part is Zeba’s mother, who blames everything on “faith” and calls it “Naseeb ka khel.” This is a dangerous excuse to avoid the truth.
It is not her fate that ruins Zeba’s life, but her mother’s fear and lack of communication.
The story of Kafeel is something very inspiring and eye-opening, especially for the Pakistani audience. There are millions of Zebas roaming around who are trapped in a marriage and don’t know what to do. 
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