As Zeba’s(Sanam Saeed) struggles continue, Kafeel moves on to the next chapter of her life: the present. Still married to Jami (Emmad Irfani) and with four kids, Zeba becomes the breadwinner of her family, struggling to make ends meet. She has a son and three daughters who stick with their mother through troubled days.
The episode opens on a Sunday, as the girls plan to celebrate their brother, Subok’s (Asher Wajahat) birthday, when a ruckus breaks out over an unpaid electricity bill for two months. Though Zeba had given Jami the money to pay the bills each month, the bills remain unpaid, and the electricity authority threatens to cut off their connection.
Zeba ends up asking her brother for help, and the children join in with whatever money they have to deal with the situation. The makers of Kafeel show, very delicately, how every member of the family is affected by Jami’s misconduct. This situation leads to a further altercation between the couple and more distress for the children, especially Subok, who slowly confronts his father for misbehaving with his mother.
The children not only witness their parents’ fights but also share the financial burden with their mother. The drama serial initiates a conversation about how wrong decisions ruin many lives. Not only Zeba, but her children are suffering too because Jami’s ego won’t let him change for the better. With her father’s death, Zeba chooses to remain married to Jami, fast-forwarding to the present where she, along with four children, suffers for that decision.
The viewers, sentimentally attached to Zeba’s arc, commented on her decision to stay with Jami and on how, now, she, along with her children, shares the burden of Jami’s actions. Stating that Kafeel has been realistic in showing how women remain in unhappy marriages, with children to suffer the consequences as well, a user posted:
It’s almost uncomfortable how honest #kafeel is. I would be lying if I don’t admit that there are women stuck in bad marriages for decades. And their decision to not call it quits (fiscal/cultural reasons) impact the kids too who also face the consequences of a bitter marriage.
— DaretoDrama (@DaretoDrama) January 19, 2026
The confrontation between Zeba and Jami shows the children standing, staring into thin air as they silently suffer. The children end up becoming anxious, a user said and posted:
A viewer added that though the young characters on the screen are a change, their happiness does not indicate that they have not suffered because of this marriage. They posted:
Another added:
Weighing on the reasons behind her inability to divorce Jami, the user added that many women chose to remain in bitter marriages, children being one of them. They posted:
Absolutely. I would be lying if I say I do not know women who got married in the 80s or 90s & decided to stick to it despite the bitterness. Kids turn out to be a major reason too. But I like how Kafeel draws the thin line between depicting & glorifying.
— DaretoDrama (@DaretoDrama) January 19, 2026
The stigma attached to divorce is another reason, a netizen stated:
A lot of people were conditioned that way, divorce is a real stigma in many cultures even today. The amount of targeting, woman blame,assumptions are never ending and its hard. Ive seen it with a close friend not every woman gets a 2nd chance they suffer post divorce too
— Dramafan (@KhyberSKY) January 19, 2026
Being realistic, many could relate, as many women in the 90s remained in toxic marriages instead of divorcing. A user commented:
Sharing that they belonged to a broken household, a user posted:
