Heeramandi — Episode 5 “Tajdar – The Lover’s Dilemma” Recap & Review

Tajdar – The Lover’s Dilemma

Episode 5 of Heeramandi starts with Alamzeb showing up at Tajdar’s house. Tajdar is shocked to learn that Alamzeb is the daughter of a courtesan and asks her to cut ties with him. Meanwhile, Ustaadji tells Fareedan about Alamzeb fleeing on the night of her initiation ceremony. Fareedan tells him that she was throwing a party for the Nawabs and the British cops at her palace.

At the same time, Mallikajaan throws her gold jewellery in the fire pit, upset about Alamzeb fleeing. She asks Bibbojaan to take Nawab Zulfikar’s help to bring Alamzeb back home. Wali Mohammed shows up at Khwabgah and is upset with Fareedan for inviting the whites to her court. Fareedan tells the nobleman that the event was held to celebrate him and tries to calm him down. She invites Bibbojaan and Mallikajaan to the party and rubs salt in her wounds, by Cartwright to her party.

At Fareedan’s party, the whites and the nawabs all dance which breaks another one of Heeramandi’s rules. Tajdar finds Alamzeb waiting outside his house and takes her to a safe space for her to hide. He offers her some food and asks her to flee Lahore the following morning. The next morning, Mallikajaan tells Waheeda and Bibbojaan that she would leave no stone unturned to bring Alamzeb home.

Mallikajaan accuses Bibbojaan of being Alamzeb’s accomplice and mocks her. Bibbojaan leaves to go to the mosque and Mallikajaan asks her older daughter to pray for Alamzeb’s return. Meanwhile, Daadijaan finds Alamzeb and forces her to stay over. Tajdar lies to his grandmother and father and states that Alamzeb is his friend’s sister.

Daadijaan asks Tajdar to call his friend and seek his permission to let Alamzeb stay over at their place for longer. Bibbojaan asks the librarian to look for Alamzeb before going to the mosque to pray for her sister’s well-being. Siama’s mother and aunt wonder what will happen when Iqbal returns from prison and finds out that Saima has been sold off to someone else.

The next morning, Ustaadji praises Fareedan for her party. He observes that Nawab Wali Mohammed has left the party and worries that he will not return to her court. Fareedan tells Ustaadji that she is sure Wali will return. Fareedan asks Ustaadji if he knows where Alamzeb is and gets worried when he learns that Mallikajaan’s daughter is nowhere to be found.

At the same time, despite his hesitance about mingling with a courtesan, Tajdar finds himself falling for Alamzeb. The two bond over their love for poetry. That night, Bibbojaan and Waheeda go to the Baloch Hotel for a celebration. Waheeda is sure she would make Mr Henderson swoon over him because of her singing and dance. However, during her performance, Waheeda notices Bibbojaan trying to entice the British officer.

Mr Henderson pays Waheeda off and leaves to get into a room with Bibbojaan. Waheeda feels betrayed by her niece and is embarrassed. She causes a scene at the Baloch Hotel reception which  Tajdar and his friend – the bookshop owner notice. The bookshop owner tells Tajdar that Alamzeb has fled from the world of chaos and asks him to let her live away from Heeramandi and the world of courtesans.

That night, Tajdar goes back home and tells Alamzeb that she is free to stay in his house for the next two months. The next morning, Waheeda shows up at Khwabgah and pledges her allegiance to Fareedan. She offers to help Fareedan bring Mallikajaan down. Waheeda tells Fareedan that she had hidden Rehana’s case file at the Shahi Mahal and was willing to hand it over to her.

Fareedan gets excited and asks Waheeda to bring the case file to her but Waheeda leaves to go to the Shahi Mahal, knowing how desperate Fareedan is for the file. At the same time, Tajdar asks Alamzeb to maintain a distance from Daadijaan who was growing fond of her. She asks Tajdar to take him and Daadijaan for a drive but he refuses.

Daadijaan takes Alamzeb shopping for Eid but Ustaadji spots them together. That night, Mr Baloch asks Alamzeb to invite her brother over for Eid. Alamzeb panics knowing how Tajdar had lied to his father. Just then, Tajdar shows up at home wounded from another protest. Mr Baloch is worried for Tajdar’s safety.

Daadijaan asks Mr Baloch to marry Tajdar to Alamzeb. At the same time, Alamzeb tends to Tajdar’s wounds and empathises with him. Tajder is touched and pulls Alamzeb into an embrace. On the other hand, Waheeda asks Mallikajaan to celebrate at the Shahi Mahal, afraid that their court will be shut down. Mallikajaan tells Waheeda that she will not celebrate until Alamzeb comes back home.

Ustaadji shows up there and asks Mallikajaan to visit Mr Baloch’s house on Eid. Mallikajaan shows up at the Baloch house on Eid and causes a scene. Tajdar comes clean about his love for Alamzeb and tells his father that Alamzeb was Mallikajaan’s daughter. Daadijaan is heartbroken by the lie but Tajdar refuses to let Mallikajaan take Alamzeb back to Heeramandi with her. 

Mallikajaan challenges Tajdar and asks him to make Alamzeb his wife or else she would make Alamzeb a courtesan. The episode ends with Mr Baloch threatening to kick Tajdar out of his house if he tries to marry Alamzeb.

The Episode Review

It is heartbreaking to see Alamzeb suffer the consequences of her mother’s actions and we see that in the final moments of the episode. Daadijaan, who loved talking to Alamzeb is embarrassed by her when she finds out that she is the daughter of a courtesan.

This goes on to show the double standards of people living in Heeramandi. Daadijaan was more than happy to send Tajdar to the same courtesans of Heeramandi in the first episode of the show and is now embarrassed by the fact that he had fallen for one of the courtesans.

It seems that Waheeda is still debating between helping Fareedan and staying loyal to her sister. It is unclear what her true motives are at this point but one can expect her to ask Fareedan to give her Khwabgah in exchange for the case files. With three more episodes remaining in this one, I am excited to see how this story concludes.