Like Samira Fazal’s much-lauded Mera Naseeb, Jafaa is the story of two girls and their journey after marriage. Deebu (Sehar Khan) settles down to married life but is afraid to return to college and her past, but her husband Dr Numair (Usman Mukhtar) supports and reassures her, insisting she complete her education. Hassan (Mohib Mirza) and Dr Zara’s (Mawra Hocane) relationship now takes centre stage as they try to resolve why Hassan will not seek treatment for his very obvious mental health issues. Both Mirza and Hocane give us some strong, layered performances as abuser and victim. Mirza is an excellent performer, easily switching between pouting, childish vulnerability to Machiavellian Romeo, while Hocane shows us how love and societal pressure can put women into the “good girl” trap, blinding them to consequences. The author reminds us that domestic abuse is not limited to the poor and the ignorant, as we watch the wealthy, empowered Dr Zara being lured into a trap by Hassan. Desperate to bind and control his wife, Hassan promises to seek treatment if Zara has his child. Zara is fooled for a moment, but remembers to take precautions, because Hassan is not reliable. Prolific writer Zanjabeel Asim presents another story laced with intergenerational trauma and dysfunction. The show boasts a strong star cast but the teasers have hinted at overdone, Gothic melodrama, which the first episode foreshadows. The one hope may be director Yasir Nawaz, who knows how to reel in the audience by creating tension in a simple story with some sharp editing. Wafa (Ushna Shah) is a child of trauma and divorce. Never quite at home, she has learned to make herself useful and runs her mother’s new family. Superficially, Wafa’s father’s (Babar Ali) home is a picture of love and respect for the traditional values we associate with the joint family system. Below the surface, however, violence, resentment and avarice vie for supremacy. The clash between eldest grandsons Farjad (Adeel Hussain) and Saalis (Usama Khan) mirrors the rivalry in the family. Farjad is hardworking, self-righteous and conservative, while Saalis is a pleasure-seeker, always looking for short-cuts like his parents. Wafa’s otherwise loving step-father suddenly wants to rid himself of the girl he loved as a daughter for so long. This plot turn seems forced and out of character, betraying a weakness in the writing. Despite the promos promising a repeat of wealthy toxic lover tropes, at least initially, the story is better than expected and devoid of the high masala quotient that makes such shows so unbelievable. The cast avoids melodrama and there is no love at first sight/ violent obsession between the leads. Mehru Nissa (Anmol Baloch) has started working at a new office where she falls for her boss’s politician friend Shahnawaz Shah (Ali Raza). Shahnawaz and his mother, Saman Shah, are corrupt, hereditary politicians, who use and abuse their positions for profit. Mehru is an assertive girl who supports her family since her father’s death. Ali Raza slips into the role of the arrogant, proud Shahnawaz with ease, his irritation with Mehru more obvious than any attraction. The best surprise is Anmol Baloch, who isn’t the most organic actress, but plays her role with restraint and makes the show watchable. The script from Hina Nafees is slow but structured and would have done better if director Fahim Burney had edited more and picked up the pace. As winter draws in, Geo TV brings us a new supernatural thriller, starring Hashaam Khan and Sehar Afzal, and a lot of black magic.