"Ehd e wafa" ~ "The promise of Loyalty"

I want to share a topic that is very close to my heart "The promise of Loyalty"  or " Ehd e wafa". To my non-Pakistani folks who have't heard about this, this is a block buster drama series which recently aired its season finale and is based on the story of four high school students from different backgrounds and their journeys to find their purpose in life while learning to be loyal to their commitments.

You can find the plot summary and the drama trailer here. Just to give a quick summary to my readers, the story begins with four notorious yet talented students who go on to find their calling in life and become four pillars of the establishment; politician, journalist, bureaucrat and a soldier. Many aspects of this drama are a fairly good representation of our society and persuaded me to think beyond the mere entertainment aspect of this project.

The drama calls out to some serious issues plaguing our society such as corruption, dirty politics, societal pressures, family inheritance, feudal system, entitlement, aristocracy and many more. It does a good job in establishing the plot from the perspectives of four diverging lives and the obstacles they face, and then converges them to share the same goal which is to protect the country and serve the people.


Some important lessons that I've understood are:

1. Loyalty (to yourself, your loved ones, your profession, and to your country)

Find your calling and once you find it utilize it for the benefit of others; its okay to not follow the crowd (i.e. become a doctor or engineer), there are a lot of professions out there that are true fit for you. Talk to a counselor, if you don't find one reach out to people in your dream field (via LinkedIn or twitter) and find out how they got there (in most cases they will be more than happy to guide you).




You become who you believe to be; this is so true in its entirety. Let me explain it this way; when you are trying hard to fix the pieces of puzzle you fail to see the big picture only until the end when things become clear. In Ehd e Wafa, Shehryar dreams big and works hard to make it through the crowd although belonging to a lower income household.

Whatever you do give your 100% (i.e. be loyal to your profession) which is the punch line of this drama in its name and its true meaning. Some easy steps for practicing this are: be punctual, dress smart and be poised. Use the 40 hours (or more) that you have at work, take up side projects to improve workflows and make your work more efficient rather than just getting your work done. In short make 'your rozi halal' by giving your 100% without much distractions (ahem social media).

Respect your teachers and mentors: I mean this is self-explanatory but I've realized people don't give due credit to their mentors or teachers as much as they deserve, yeah their job was to discipline you and that's not always easy but they are the reason where you are in life. A visit to school, a call or text to an old teacher can really make their day! In the case of this drama, some of the best scenes were between the encounter of Assistant Commissioner Shehryar with Warden Firdous and how he goes out of the way to help him. 

Choose your friends wisely: this point is well made by the drama, as the saying goes 'a person is known by the company he keeps', make sure you surround yourself with positive energy, people who aspire to achieve big things in life and motivate you to do the same, and once you find such rare people don't let them go! 

Do the next right thing even in a hard situations: the system and politics are not fair or perfect, period!  Life is complex, it's not always black and white, right or wrong, if and when you are in such a situation, take a step back and be aware of your conscience, it usually tells us what's the next right thing to do is. In this case, Sharik comes across some serious challenges against the system, but he makes his way through it and in the end remember if you are doing the right thing God is always by your side even if it feels like the whole world isn't!

You can contribute your services to the community in any profession that you choose: You don't have to be a doctor, social worker or politician to contribute to the society. Every small act of kindness makes a difference, even if it goes unrecognized. Talking respectfully to your domestic staff, cleaners, tea boys shows your character and uplifts their morale. If you are privileged enough then contribute your time, money and skills for someone's development and you'll see wonders happening in your life, trust me!

2. Importance of healthy partnership  

Women are equal partners: Rather than the pretty girl on the side that all guys are fighting for, this drama portrays the importance of an equal partner, support system and backbone for anybody to pursue their passion. Like the proverb goes; behind every successful man there is a women, it definitely works both ways and this two-way relationship is well displayed by Captain Dr. Dua Saad, 17th grade English lecturer Masooma, the opinionated house wife Rani and Sharik's backbone Ramsha.

It's important to find a partner who shares your passion or believes in your dreams: In this case, 3 out of 4 boys have love marriage but the one arrange marriage shown also has its unique chemistry between Shahzain and Rani. Although arrange marriages are great (I mean it saves up a lot of time on Tinder 😉), find an efficient way of getting to know the person that works for both families. Some level of conversation is helpful, from an Islamic perspective both individuals have a right to get to see and talk to their potential spouse in an open setting. Also making dua (prayer) helps a lot in this big decision!


3. Life is a journey 


Its okay to make mistakes and learn from them: Throughout this play Shahzain's character is the most complex with shades of gray. It was intriguing for the audience to figure out what is going on in his head. But the moral of the story is that humans are not perfect, we make mistake and sometimes blunders and we learn, but true friends should be there to bring us out from our deepest devils and show that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Also, something I thought was quite diplomatic (also wise) the suggestion that both Dadajaan and Rani gave to him of not exposing himself which would not only ruin his reputation but would cause people to supersede him.


Romance can wait (be patient and loyal to the one): high school romance is great but it can wait.... I mean its the time when your hormones are at its peak and its okay to feel infatuated, but realizing what you are experiencing and taking a conscious step and holding some of those emotions can save you from a lot of heart break. If it's the right person for you, life always has a way of closing the loop. Hold in tight and trust God!

This was beautifully shown in the chemistry of Dua and Saad by displaying Dua's strong character and mindful upbringing by her wonderful father (I also loved the Ayat ul kursi scene both times and cried), it shows us the connection that we have with our parents and God even after they are long gone.


Take a stand for your love (speak up): Living in a patriarchal society (even in the West) it is considered bold for a women to speak about her feelings. Although Islamically, a women has a right to express her interest in someone in a respectful manner. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s first wife has established this example in Islam. In modern day, it is considered normal for a women to flirt or flaunt her beauty but not speak about her feelings. This drama gives a good point on owing your feelings and conveying them at the right time in a respectable way. Even if it doesn't work as you planned, you have fulfilled your moral obligation of clarifying your position and rest is all fate! In this case Shehryar is a lucky man that Masooma waits for him all these years but others won't.

Finally, I am happy with all the closed loops of this drama and how everything ended from where it began. I mean as they say if its not a happy ending then its not the end yet! Both me and Abbu cried while watching it, it was our favorite Sunday ritual. The show will be missed, it did live up to its legacy of Alpha Bravo Charlie.


Disclaimer:

Although it is a drama and a work of fiction, but the lessons can be applied in any walk of life. I am not a drama critic and this was my humanly attempt to reflect on some of the things I've learned from this well written and performed script.

Kudos to the writer Mustafa Afridi and director Saife Hassan, and all cast members and crew.

Pakistan Zindabad!









These are some of my thoughts, let me know about your viewpoint or if you have any constructive feedback by emailing at mentorsnow.info@gmail.com