Sanam Saeed recently penned an emotional message to Zeba, her character from the drama serial Kafeel.
The 41-year-old actress took to Instagram on Friday, February 27, and congratulated her character for Jami's house roughly after 20 to 23 years of staying in abusive marriage.
She began, “Sweet mama bear Zeba you're free now. Ab samjh aiee 1 chup, 100 sukh?”
Saeed then finally explained the reason the audience once wondered since the start of the drama that why she chose to stay in an abusive marriage and had children despite marital and financial problems.
The Zindagi Gulzar Hai actress explained, “Agar tub decision laiti to itnay saal apnay zindagi kay zaya na karti. Likin Yai bhi hai kay tumhay yai 4 farmabardar, laiq aur piyari aulaad bhi na milti jo aaj tumharay zabardast dosst bhi hain.”
According to the wife of Mohib Mirza, it wasn't fair to bring children into a dysfunctional relationship and then expose them to the fights and daily humiliation as they now carry a childhood trauma with them forever.
“But, because you have given them your undivided attention, and dedicated your life to them, they turned out alright,” said the Barzakh star, adding, “They are sensitive, smart, kind, tameezdar young adults and they now need a safe space to grow evolve and see their mother thrive.”
She also shed light on a society’s major yet common issue i.e. women being stuck in abusive marriages just like her character in Kafeel.
“Women end up staying in abusive marriages not because they're weak...They stay because abuse physically rewires the nervous system,” Saeed noted, adding, “So while dear Zeba, you are blamed for being weak and selfish, for having children, for dragging them in to this life.. for choosing to stay from a place of habit and fear instead of getting a divorce even though you had the green light from your father, even though you had your family to back you up, I know hope was confused with fear.”
She continued, “I know the idea of "he will change" for the children tricked you. I know that there are many women like you and to judge them is to judge ourselves too for not being a society that embraces women's decision to leave and helps them rebuild their life as single women and mothers.
“Until then the stigma of divorce will hang over their heads and the hushed tones, the sad looks, the what will she do now bechari instead of offering strength and support will remain the narrative.”
In the end, apart from thanking Umera Ahmed for offering her another powerful character, Sanam Saeed applauded her character once again.
"So Shabaash dear Zeba for finally walking out of an emotionally abusive marriage at last, the actress noted, adding, “Thank you for not throwing the rest of your life away. You may have lost your youth but you're not old yet, you have half your life ahead of you.”
