As another layer of Kafeel unfolds, Zeba (Sanam Saeed), an arts teacher at a private school, struggles to make ends meet with her children. While the eldest son, Subok (Ashir Wajahat), is working alongside his studies, the girls are doing side gigs to ease their mother’s burden.
While the plot centres around Zeba, the sympathy and empathy towards her are lacking; she has been living in an abusive marriage. Yet, the sympathies have turned towards the children who suffer because she decides to remain married to Jami(Emmad Irfani) and build a family.
Society’s judgment and societal norms overcame her father’s constant support and pushed her and her four kids into a living hell. The children live in a constant state of anxiety, trying their best to put things together to reduce their mother’s turmoil. Subok not only participates in financial responsibilities but also fulfils the role of a missing father to her sisters.
Kafeel has become one of a kind, as the drama serial aptly shows: this protagonist is not bound to elicit sympathy; she is only a human facing the repercussions of her faulty choices. As she grieves her loveless marriage, she met with the rightful allegation that she has been happy in her misery. Where women wear a cloak of sainthood while continuing to live miserable lives, this drama serial shows how Zeba is held accountable for her choices.
This sequence was quick to initiate conversation around Zeba and her miserable state. Appreciating how Kafeel addressed how Zeba’s awful state was a choice, a user posted on X:
Zebas’s friend tells her:
“You weren’t brave. I was. I came out of a bad marriage. But, you enjoy your misery. You are still in a bad marriage because you care about what the society thinks. But what has this society ever given you in return?”
Glad #kafeel addressed this.
— DaretoDrama (@DaretoDrama) January 26, 2026
One netizen added that viewers are unable to sympathise with Zeba, as she chose this life for herself despite her parents’ support. They posted:
Finally someone said it ,Zeba loves her misery. She went through hell, yes, but the audience couldn’t sympathize because she chose to stay in that hellish marriage despite her parents’ support, and even had four children along the way.#Kafeel pic.twitter.com/iAavqSeb8I
— 𓇢𓆸 (@atia_anishah) January 26, 2026
Responding to this, another critic added that Kafeel has busted the myth of sainthood associated with miserable women. They posted:
This is why we need to shatter the myth of sainthood around suffering abuse that could be avoided #kafeel
Obviously some people are literal prisoners due to uncontrollable reasons https://t.co/wY3wAD9LD4— Sadaf Haider (@tomtomatoe) January 26, 2026
A user added that the messaging behind the drama serial is to be unlike Zeba and walk out of unhappy marriages at the right time. They posted:
Another added that any girl who believes the “good girl” image will help them should watch this drama and choose their happiness. They posted:
