Dawn Images

After a remarkably successful run, Bas Tera Saath Ho on ARY Digital finally came to an end this week.

Farhan Saeed, who played one of the two leads in the drama alongside Sana Javed, penned a heartwarming farewell post on Monday for his team, fans and his character.

“Today, I say goodbye to Anas. And somehow, this goodbye feels heavier than I expected,” the actor wrote.

“For months, I have lived with his silence, his fears, his pain, his patience, and the parts of him he could never put into words. I have carried his story with me, and somewhere along the way, he stopped feeling like a character and started feeling like someone I knew,” he added.

Since it began airing, Bas Tera Saath Ho continued to generate headlines about a variety of issues it took on through its story. Anas, in particular, remained the subject of much debate and for good reason.

Despite being the protagonist, Anas wasn’t portrayed as Pakistani television’s run-of-the-mill macho ‘male saviour’ who sweeps his love interest off her feet and fixes all her life issues by marrying her. Bas Tera Saath Ho was, to a great extent, lauded for doing the opposite.

Saeed portrayed a vulnerable orphaned young man who was regularly emotionally, verbally and physically abused by his uncle, aunt and their two children. He was made to do all the housework, often at the expense of his education. Anas was also the sole caregiver for his frail grandfather — played by veteran actor Salman Shahid.

Consequently, Anas grows up to be a timid but upright man, who fails to speak up for himself, even when it mattered most. Over the course of the story, however, he gains strength by remaining honest and true to himself and marrying a headstrong woman, Ansa, masterfully played by Javed.

It was this transformation from a scared, abused orphan to a self-possessed young man that drew in audiences and got them to love Anas. Finally, Pakistani television had a hero who wasn’t exerting dominance by barking orders. Instead, Anas showed that a leading man can be kind and vulnerable. He can be shown ironing his wife’s clothes, serving her breakfast and supporting her ambitions without feeling overshadowed and still be a memorable hero.

Saeed reflected on this journey in his post.

“Anas taught me that sometimes strength is not in fighting back. Sometimes, it is in surviving. In holding on to your dignity when everything around you tries to take it away. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is finally choose yourself,” he wrote, before thanking his team, including the director, Qasim Ali Mureed.

“Tonight, as Bas Tera Saath Ho comes to an end, I leave Anas where his story belongs — with all of you. Goodbye, Anas. You will be missed,” Saeed wrote.