Habs debuted a few weeks ago to significant hype. Written by Aliya Makhdoom and directed by Musaddiq Malek, it stars Feroze Khan, Ushna Shah, Dania Anwer and Ayesha Omar in lead roles.

The premier gives viewers a glimpse of the story. We see Ayesha (played by Ushna Shah) winning a gold medal and taking a stand for her sister all in the same episode. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Basit (played by Feroze Khan), who is very obviously slated to be Ayesha’s love interest. He is intense and brooding, much different than other roles played by Feroze Khan that usually tend to be brash and loud. In order to inherit the family fortune left to him by his father, Basit must get married, which is a deal breaker for him. He seems to mistrust women for reasons discovered later. This leads to his aversion to marriage.

Over the next few episodes, Ayesha and her family’s dire financial situation is covered, as well as Basit’s conundrum with his father’s will. Basit needs to forgive his mother for abandoning him and his father. This he finds hard to do. This is what leads to his mistrust of women and marriage. Ayesha and her sister Bano are being financially exploited by their mother, who only sees them as money making machines. The mother goes as far as rejecting Bano’s desire to get married because that would lead to her leaving her job. Ayesha steps up and attempts to find a job in order to replace her sister’s income so she can get married, giving up her own dreams of pursuing higher education.

Based on the story so far, it is nothing new. Abandonment issues and hatred of mothers have already been done before in Badzaat and Ibn-i-Hawa, which makes it the new cliche that Pakistani producers have latched onto.

Basit is introduced to Soha (played by Ayesha Omar) as a potential match. He is, of course, suspicious of her as well. However, his family and friends push him to pursue her so he may take control of his father’s business. Soha and Basit have little chemistry on-screen, most likely because Ayesha is meant to be his actual love interest. Even when he proposes to Soha and she says that she needs time to think, both seem to be devoid of any emotion.

Basit is introduced to Ayesha, as she looks for a job at his company, and things are rocky with Soha. Soha eventually declines his proposal because she has no interest in him, and Basit reconnects with his mother who asks for forgiveness. He says he forgives her but it is unclear whether he means it or not. A major plot twist is revealed regarding his parents which changes his mind about his mother’s abandonment.

This brings us to the latest episode, which covers the nonsensical nature of the will left behind by Basit’s father. Meanwhile, Bano has lost her proposal and is in anguish. The only happy element in this episode is Basit and Ayesha’s blossoming relationship, as they have predictable chemistry. He appears to become a different person around her.

Based on what has gone on air so far, it is nothing new. Abandonment issues and hatred of mothers have already been done before in Badzaat and Ibn-i-Hawa. This makes it the new cliche that Pakistani producers have latched onto. The characterisation is okay, and while it is nice to see Feroze Khan in a more subdued role, it is not enough to make up for the confused storytelling. The pace seems strange as well, with abrupt shifts in the story and exposition spread over the length of a few episodes. Habs is an easy watch, at par with everything else on offer, which is usually popular amongst the average viewer. However, it is nothing to write home about thus far.