There is a recent drama airing on ARY that shows a doctor from a middle-class family struggling with her career. During her journey, she marries a man from a family of doctors, but he is the rebellious one who chooses to be a businessman. Now, the article is neither about the drama nor its writing, publicity or any other factor. The only dialogue that caught my attention while I was watching it with my mother came from Kubra Khan, the female protagonist in the serial. She was talking to her mother, played by Marina Khan, and said, “Since I got married, it feels like the world has not changed at all. People still seem to prefer their daughters returning from their in-laws’ house in a coffin, just so that they can plant the flags of their upbringing on their graves.” Now, this does not sound that heart-touching in English, but in Urdu, it hits different.

Now, the theme I want to highlight in this case, and in our societal context, is the fascination with women's suffering. This happens a lot in our homes and in households across Pakistan, where an honourable woman is the one who sustains her home and lives in any conditions given, without complaint or........

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