Kaisa Hai Naseeban revolves around the concept and rituals of dowry system and marital abuse prevailing in the Pakistani society. The drama is produced by Abdullah Seja under their banner Idreams Entertainment. Starring Muneeb Butt as the manipulative, abusive husband and Ramsha Khan as his wife, the drama focuses on their toxic relationship.

Marium (Ramsha Khan) lives with her parents and sister, Farah (Anamta Qureshi).

Some background

The story revolves around Marium whom her father marries off to her cousin Ahmed whose family lie about being wealthy back in Malaysia. Marium’s father is under the impression that he is securing his daughter’s future by marrying her into a well to do family, but the reality is far from the truth. While Ahmed and his family act as a well mannered and rich family, the charade wears off as soon as they reach Malaysia.

Marium ’s mother in law reveals that their financial situation worsened over the years forcing them to live in a small apartment. Through her conniving attitude, she compels Marium into doing all the household chores eventually also pushing her to accept a job in a restaurant. On the other hand, Ahmed is shown as good for nothing and hot-headed, who leaves no stone unturned to raise his hand at Marium. Anytime Marium decides to leave, Ahmed and his mother make her believe things would change which compels her to stay back.

Marium also has a sister in law Sana (Shehzeen Rahat) who is married to Waheed (Farhan Malhi). Waheed’s suspiciousness of Ahmed’s sweet behavior and Marium’s absence from the house eventually lead him to the truth about the harsh reality of Marium’s marital life. In the process of helping her flee her husband and his family, Waheed bears the brunt of divorce from Sana. While successfully having reached Pakistan, Marium’s problems do not end as Ahmed awaits her arrival at her parents’ house.

Marium does not hold back her woes and despairs as she shares everything with her parents who throw Ahmed out of the house. All of these miseries lead to Marium’s father’s ill health. While Marium tends to her father’s health, she is accompanied by her cousin, also her brother in law Affan, who had been interested in her before being married to her sister. Affan’s closeness to Marium is disliked by his mother who asks him to stay away from Marium as this would lead to problems in his and Farah’s married life.

Does a woman always need a man?

As the drama shows Marium break free from an abusive marriage, it also demonstrates the need of a woman to take a man’s help to do so. Furthermore, it shows how being involved with another woman, only as a helping hand even, destroys the man’s own marriage; two themes I find rather problematic for they do nothing but perpetuate our society’s patriarchial construct that we are trying so hard to move away from (21st century, hello?)

While Marium is shown to be an educated, working woman in the drama, things are always not easy for many women out there as they are scared to leave their homes or be labeled as divorcees. Being divorced is considered a taboo in Pakistani society, even if the man is in the wrong, it is always considered that the woman has not been able to save her marriage. Although, things seem to be progressing as more and more women are learning to stand up for their rights, the patriarchal supremacy needs to mellow down.

What do you think of the drama? Let us know in the comments.