Here’s what I thought about the first episode of Ye Dil Mera

After watching Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly together in Yaqeen Ka Safar, people couldn’t wait to see the couple on-screen, again. The new project, Ye Dil Mera, casting the very favorite couple, was one all of us were looking forward to but it courted some major controversy with its teaser. So I definitely had to watch the first episode as it aired last night.

The first episode of Ye Dil Mera starts with a suspenseful scene around railway station where an adult and a little girl seem to be escaping and the brief scene ends with a gunshot

With no connection to the rest of the drama, this scene that appeared like a flashback, is probably left to join dots later in the drama. This one brief starting scene tells a lot about where the drama will be headed – it tells this isn’t just another misogynistic love story as we were expecting based on the very misleading trailer, rather the drama will reveal a lot of past incidents that must have led to the acts carried out later in the show. Especially, the gunshot at the end was a cliffhanger.

Escorted by guards and looking absolutely dapper, Adnan Siddiqui, as Agha Jaan, makes a powerful entry in the first episode of Ye Dil Mera

The episode reveals Agha Jaan as a very protective and possessive father to his only daughter, Noor-ul-Ain, played by Sajal Aly. Be it someone asking his daughter out for cup of coffee or Noor-e-Jaan sneezing just thrice, Agha Jaan made sure to protect his little daughter, even if took sending s gang of boys to beat the shit out of the naive guy who asked Noor out.

Agha Jaan has also made sure that his Noor e Jaan doesn’t eat anything from the university cafe; and, for that Ali Bakhsh, their trusted butler, is always around Noor, like an angel of death. Yes, I call him angel of death because his lurking is very creepy.

Based on the first episode of Ye Dil Mera, Noor-ul-Ain doesn’t look like any of Sajal Aly’s previous roles which is always a plus

She is a university student with a group of close-knitted friends and her massive love for her Agha Jaan and Boowa.

Noor-ul-Ain is a lively and friendly girl, who loves napping.. just like us. Although her love for her father is huge, yet at some parts, the suffocation of such over-protected love was highlighted. I mean, who wants a blanket and thermometer just because they sneezed?

Ahad Raza Mir as Amaan, meets Noor-ul-Ain at a wedding, where he acts like a creep, stalking her and sketching her

Apparently very bored at the wedding, Amaan, the new character introduced to the episode, keeps staring at Noor-ul-Ain. By borrowing a pen from a waiter, he starts making a sketch of her. Uncomfortable with the constant staring, Noor comes to confront him. He apologizes for making her sketch without her permission and hands her over the sketch by saying, “Ye ap kay liye, Noor ul Ain.” Thus, confirming he’s a creep.

Noor-ul-Ain is freaked out when she realizes that the sketch shows her mark that she always conceals with makeup and her short hair, which she had only when she was very young. This disturbs Noor throughout the rest of the episode and she keeps wondering who that person must’ve been. She also feels like she’s been constantly followed and tells her friend about her fear. Anyhow, she doesn’t share it with her father, knowing how over-protective he can get.

Amaan’s character is then slightly yet vaguely introduced when he’s shown eating with a family that is “just like his own”

Amaan met the father of this family in Spain where he helped him reach to doctor. They became really close friends and gradually, Amaan became a part of this family. He now runs businesses in both, Pakistan and the UK. When the topic of his own family is brought to the table, he responds, “Meray ghar ka mahol bilkul aesa tha, same values,” which just confirmed my suspicion that something is definitely up with him and his family.

Ahad’s character is further twisted when he comes to Noor-ul-Ain’s university, as CEO of an Oil Refinery

Amaan proposes a collaboration with the universities all around Pakistan, offering 100% scholarship to best performing students to study abroad, given they’ll come back and serve Pakistan. He says he looks forward to work with them and see them work for Pakistan. After his session is over, along with other students, Noor-ul-Ain goes to him and greets him too. Surprisingly, he treats her just like any other student, pretending he doesn’t remember her from anywhere.

The episode ends with yet another confusing scene where Amaan and a-girl-with-no-face are seen playing piano to the same tune, and I don’t know either.

Just as it started on a climactic note, it ended on one too. Seeing this first episode, it’s safe to say, this doesn’t seem like just another cute love story; it seems as Amaan has a motive to achieve, which is directly linked to Noor-ul-Ain.

We are just as eager to find out who this Amaan person is and what does he want. The first episode had a lot of open endings, making sure we anxiously wait for the next episode. We just hope that the story line isn’t very mainstream, as the drama will later reveal. I have my hopes because it is Farhat Ishtiaq who has written it after all.

You can watch the first episode here:

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Cover image via Hum Network Limited / YouTube