‘Meri Guriya’ has consistently held up a mirror to Pakistani society, especially when it comes to abstract ideas like ‘izzat’ and ‘behayi’. The show raises questions and ruffles up how we should see certain aspects of our society.

This episode is no different. Actually, this week is guaranteed to leave you angry at, well, everything that happens. 

In this episode, it is revealed that Abida was not Dabeer’s victim, rather, that all the crime in their area with regards to girls being raped and murdered is actually his doing. His sister, Samreen begins to catch onto him, so he takes her hostage, ties her up and leaves her to die. At home, the story he gives is that Samreen ran away with a guy that she apparently loves and wants to get married to.

While this is happening, the pressure from the neighborhood is going growing. They want Shehnaz and Safina stop and one thing that’s bothering them is their demand for everyone to submit to a DNA test. They try everything to stop them until they reach the final, rather disturbing, solution. They set Shehnaz and Shahmeer’s house on fire. Yup, you read that right.

Now, the first thing that angered me was Dabeer’s attitude throughout the episode. 

After he ties Samreen up, Dabeer reveals everything to her. Towards the end he says ‘har baar bach jata hoon, sab mil kar bachatay hai’. This isn’t just a dialogue in some drama, this is a harsh reality here in Pakistan. Sab mil kar bachatay hai; as we’ve consistently seen in the show, people are more concerned with their honor than they are with justice. Somehow the two concepts are intertwined. In the beginning of the episode, one of the ‘elders’ of the community says ‘apne jaan se zyaada aziz ghairat hai’; this comparison is what allows characters like Dabeer, both in TV and in real life get away with the heinous crimes that they commit.

Also, these people that they live with are the most annoying, evil and self-obsessed people ever. They make me want to grab them through my screen and beat them up. 

Girls in their community are being raped and murdered aur unn ko apni parri wi hain. Obviously, it was expected to see some pushback on the issue, however, the way these men club together and quite the issue is just shocking. It just connects to what Dabeer said about getting away with it. Their drive to silence Shehnaz gets so strong that they actually physically try to harm them by burning their home.

I initially thought to myself that this is an exaggeration on the part of the show, but then I realized that that’s a very limiting way to see the issue. When Zainab was killed in Kasur, there was a very obvious attempt to protect certain people, in such cases, people can do anything to save themselves. The show brings forth a very ugly part of our society and our thinking as a nation.

This episode of ‘Meri Guriya’ has left me with a lot to think about. Yes, this show is about raising awareness, but what more can we do as a community to bring such people to justice and to protect our children.

The show is doing its part, but once it ends, what will we do? 

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