When Ye Dil Mera started last year, the audience was initially gripped to the show since it was bringing back power-couple Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir for the third time together on screen.

Apart from them, the teasers had picturesque views of beautiful locations such as Islamabad and Shogran. Last but not the least, the storyline too seemed to be not your run of the mill saas-bahu saga, instead the teasers and first few episodes hinted towards a dark, edgy thriller which would be a rare treat for fans of Pakistani dramas.

The honeymoon period

The drama did indeed start on an intriguing note with powerful performances from all the three main leads; Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir, and of course Adnan Siddiqui. Viewers were quickly hooked to the play as the air of mystery kept them glued to their screens. Among the many questions that had to be answered were as to how Aman knew Aina or why Aina had those nightmares. Every other week we questioned why Mir Farooq was overly possessive of Aina or what secrets he was hiding.

While the graph of the drama seemed to be gradually going up with new facets of the play’s characters coming to light; viewers still waited impatiently for the actual story to unfold and the narrative to build the momentum that is essential for the thriller genre to work on screen.

The slowdown

Fast forward 29 episodes into the drama and I feel the last few episodes have been nothing but more repetition with the play’s slow-paced screenplay again being nothing write home about. Till now viewers have more or less everything they need to know yet we are still three to four episodes away from the finale.

In the previous few episodes, the same situations have been repeating to the point that one wants to pull the hair out. The episodes have been filled with the same flashbacks of the past we have seen many, many times. If not flashbacks, the dialogues give us deja vu such as Aina saying to Aman that “Agha Jaan kay begunahi kay saboot tumhare mun pe maarungi“. Aina has nothing to do all day except cry, sleep, or take a stroll in the garden. Why does she not investigate her Daryabagh home for the evidence she is looking for?

Also, can someone tell how Bua-ji found Farhana Khala in Islamabad? When did Bua Ji travel from Sukkur and how did the two get in contact? Furthermore, I cannot fathom how Mir Farooq being the smart guy he is still hasn’t figured out where his daughter is even when Aman has disclosed his identity to his father in law.

Although the pacing and plotting of the storyline have definite issues, there still are some moments worth mentioning. One scene in particular in the latest episode has the viewers curious, where Aman hints towards his possible death with the words “Agar mein maara bhe jaun.”

This revelation has intrigued viewers of the drama as to what the possible end could be? However besides that, pretty much the loose ends are all tied up so it remains to be seen what the forthcoming episodes showcase. In conclusion, I believe the viewers are still hooked to the play mainly because of the superb performances by the cast, and not the actual story.