Mera Naseeb


Mera Naseeb is a Pakistani television series which aired on Hum TV from 1 April 2011 to 26 August 2011. The drama featured an ensemble star cast including Samina Peerzada, Sakina Samo, Rubina Ashraf, Bushra Ansari, Shagufta Ejaz, Durdana Butt, Sajid Hassan, Adeel Hussain, Imran Abbas, Imran Aslam, Syra Yousuf, Sanam Saeed, Rehan Sheikh, Ali Afzal and Sabahat Bukhari. It was also aired in India on Zindagi, premiering on 2014, 23 September. The shows ended its run in India on 2014, 13 October.

Story

The drama starts with two girls, Shazia and Nazia sitting in the garden of their house where they are listening to the stories of their Phupi Ammi. She tells them that they were born on the same day and the same time to two different mothers. A special priest or baba has said that their fate has been intertwined; whatever happens to Nazia will affect Shazia's fate as well, but in a negative way. Nazia, a shy and secretive girl takes this seriously whereas Shazia, a bold and rebellious girl thinks this is all nonsense. When Shazia finds out there is an interesting Bollywood movie that showing at the cinema, she decides that both her and Nazia should go and see the movie even though the elders of their home will not give them consent to do so. They skip college and leave for the movie where they meet Shahbaz who directs them to the proper entrance to the cinema. Being new to the whole concept of movies at the cinema, they buy tickets thinking that the drinks and popcorn will be included. When they are told to pay the bill, Shazia refuses and starts a fight with the cashier. In the meantime, the man who showed them to the entrance, Shebaz, comes in and they find out that he is the owner of the shop. He tries to explain the situation to Shazia and even negotiates with her, but she misunderstands his courtesy for flirting. He then allows them to take the drinks an tells them they can pay him off later.
The girls ask him to collect the Rs. 300 that they owe him from outside their college the next day however they do not have enough money so Nazia tells him that she will pay him off in installments of Rs. 50 per month. Shehbaz starts to like Nazia and gives her his number. She rings him and he asks her to him in the restaurant. Nazia and Shazia both go to meet Shebaz at the restaurant where he proposes to Nazia and asks if he can marry her. As they lift their bhurkas, they're spotted by a relative who takes them home and falsely accuses them. On hearing this, the three women in the house panic. Nazia's mother Salima stops her from going to college thereafter.
Both Shazia's and Nazia's weddings get fixed, Shazia's to an American educated man called Moeez and Nazia's to a man called Fahad, who has an overbearing mother. However, on the night of the wedding, Nazia's plans to flee with Shehbaz, only to be caught in the nick of time by her phoopi ammi. Therefore, both marriages take place.
After the marriage, problems arise for the two girls. Moeez loses his job and ends up living in a small flat, whilst Shazia takes up a job in a primary school as a means of financial support. Moeez, arrogantly, refuses to apply for jobs that he thinks are beneath him. In Nazia's household, her husband finds out about Shehbaz, but does nothing. Then her mother in law starts hounding her for a grandchild, preferably a boy.
Things continue to get worse to Shazia, when her husband starts drinking and beating her, eventually they have to move back to Moeez's parents house because of money worries. Moeez's father is cruel and beats his wife. This is the reason Moeez cannot stand him, and is emerges that he only married Shazia to spite his father. Whilst all this is happening, Nazia falls pregnant and her mother in law goes crazy buying blue things, as she expects a boy. Nazia doesn't mind the gender, neither does Fahad but he keeps quiet to please this mother.
Shazia has an argument with Moeez and moves back to her maternal home. Her mother is not told of the argument in case it upsets her fragile heart, as she has had major surgery. Her phoopi ammi and her chotti ammi, try and convince her to go home, which she does and reveals to Moeez that she too is pregnant.
Nazia on the other hand finds out that she is expecting a girl, due to a sonogram she attends with her husband. She is ready to reveal all to her mother in law but her husband cuts in and lies that she's having a boy. Moeez gets badly beaten up by Shehbaz, for harassing Nazia on the phone which makes him realise how much Shazia cares for him when she tends to his wounds.
On Nazia's baby shower, the truth gets revealed about the baby's gender and Nazia's mother in law kicks her out and claims that the baby isn't even Fahad's. She then pesters Fahad to divorce Nazia, when he has already promised to stick by Nazia whatever happens. Due to all the pressure of the situation, he kills himself. On his funeral, his mother breaks down and begs Nazia's family for forgiveness, finally having realised her mistake.
When Nazia hears of his suicide she goes into early labour. Upon giving birth and returning home, she sinks into depression. Her mother, Salima, then encourages her to go back to college and make something of herself, which she does.
In the last episode, Nazia takes her daughter to meet Fahad's mum, who apologises for what she has done and also encourages Nazia to marry Shehbaz. Shehbaz then meets Nazia and says that he is moving abroad, which prompts her to accept his proposal and make him stay. They are then shown married and as a happy family.
Shazia meanwhile also delivers her baby and is seen watching a film with Moeez in their bedroom. Moeez shows her job opportunities for him in the US and asks whether she'll consider a move to there. Shazia supports him and they too are seen to be happy together.

Cast

has been alleged to have plagiarised her drama serial Mera Naseeb from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book, Sister of My Heart. She has also threatened to take legal action against the writers of the show. However the screenplay writer had mentioned earlier before the show's original run that it is a drama adaptation of a story provided to them. Only recently it was mentioned the screenplay writers had no prior knowledge a plagiarized work was being provided to them to work with.

International Broadcast