With Zeba’s (Sanam Saeed) unbothered take on her cheating husband, the impact of this dysfunctional life deepens on the children. The eldest son, Subok (Ashir Wajahat), not only bears the burden of being the breadwinner but also endures the humiliation of seeing his father with other women. At the same time, they struggle to put food on their table.
The girls’ startled looks and envious eyes when they visit their aunt and adore her lifestyle give the heart an ache. Where Zeba struggles in every aspect of her life, his siblings are well settled and happily enjoying theirs. The hope that Jami will change after having children has thrown the whole family into a deeper pit.
When Tanya (Hania Ahmad) expresses her envy of her cousins, she elaborates that what bothers her more than their luxuries is their relationship with their father. Their uncle not only savours his relationship with his children but also serves as a father to his nephew. She adds that the child will not feel the need for a father, even though they crave one and one is at home. The fact that the kids long for their father and his love shows how deeply this family is hurt by one decision.
While Zeba still blames their fate, the children continue to suffer because of her hope to hold on to her marriage. The fear of judgment and her attempt to secure her daughter’s future leave them more broken. Her inability to see her children’s growing trauma did not sit well with the Kafeel viewers. Talking about the heart-touching conversation between the children, a user wondered why Zeba is unable to see her children’s pain. They posted:
You can’t help but feel for these kids. They’re not jealous of what they lack ( wealth )but they’ve been starved of a father’s love.They probably wish they didn’t have one at all & Zeba,how can she not see this? How is staying with this man helping her children in any way?#Kafeel pic.twitter.com/oVdvE2FXWk
— 𓇢𓆸 (@atia_anishah) February 3, 2026
Critical of Zeba’s choice to remain married to a liability in the form of a husband, a netizen stated:
How Zeba is reminded again again in #Kafeel that a husband like hers is a liability. Again , when her girls said about her BILs nephew, that he won’t even feel the absence of a father!
This is the whole point of the show.. that how she spent her whole life with a useless man and…— Sherry 🍁 (@CherieDamour_) February 4, 2026
Subok is also denied the opportunity to pursue higher education while working to fulfil the family’s needs and taking evening classes for his Master’s degree. He is bound to understand his financial limitations and face the social divide between him and his cousins. His choices in life are driven by financial insecurity, and he pushes to refuse the ‘princess from a fairytale’ in marriage. Talking about how the class difference creates a divide between the two, a user posted:
The conflict feels painfully real. Subuk is burdened by financial insecurity and family dysfunction, while Daneen can afford the privilege of love. You root for both, even as #kafeel shows how class can limit love. Brilliant writing. pic.twitter.com/y6t74APON5
— DaretoDrama (@DaretoDrama) February 3, 2026
