Ishqiya (; ) is a 2020 Pakistani television series that aired from 3 February 2020 to 10 August 2020 on ARY Digital. Produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under Big Bang Entertainment, it follows a story of love, trust and betrayal which revolves around the main characters, Hamza, Rumaisa and Hamna, played by Feroze Khan, Hania Aamir and Ramsha Khan respectively.
At the ARY People Choice Awards 2020, the series won eight out of eighteen nominations including: Favorite Drama Serial- Regular Format, Favorite Director for Badar Mehmood and Favorite Actor for Feroze Khan. The series also aired on MBC Bollywood in Arab World, during Ramadan 2021.
Plot
Hamna (Ramsha Khan) and Rumaisa (Hania Amir) are sisters raised by protective parents. Hamna is quiet, calm and reserved while Rumi is carefree, outgoing and talkative, but both love their father dearly. Hamna and her college classmate, Hamza have been dating for four years and are madly in love with each other. Hamza is rather possessive about her as well, violently so. Hamna is hesitant to tell her father about him as he doesn't believe in love marriages. Due to her father's sickness and fear of him losing his respect, Hamna gets married to her father's friend's son Azeem on his insistence. She hides this from Hamza and avoids him for a while. When Hamza finally finds out, he screams at Hamna in front of everyone in their university. Heartbroken and betrayed, Hamza meets with a car accident and is severely injured. Hamna prays for his recovery and he survives.
After regaining consciousness, Hamza vows to take revenge. He soon reaches Hamna's house with his parents to ask for Rumi's hand in marriage. Hamna is shocked by this and is strictly against this marriage. She tries to stop everyone but fails as Hamza blackmails using all her messages and videos in which she is expressing her love for him. Hamza manages to marry Rumi, and the couples have a common reception. On the side, Alishba, Hamza's mother's partner's daughter who was in love with him, is extremely heartbroken and jealous. Rumi finds Hamza cute and is happy with the marriage.
After the marriages, Hamza begins calling Hamna often, sometimes to make her feel guilty for what she did, and sometimes to scare her by saying that he will mistreat Rumi. Due to continuous hushed calls and Hamna's distant and distracted behaviour, Azeem gets suspicious but does not question Hamna. Due to Rumi's carefree and lively nature, Hamza starts falling for her but does not realize it. He starts to enjoy spending time with her and she brings him joy like he has never known. Also, with Rumi being possessive of him, he begins to realize that he and Rumi has much more similarities than him and Hamna.
On Rumi's insistence, Hamza joins his father's business. As a part of revenge, Hamza gifts Azeem and Hamna honeymoon tickets and both the couples go on their honeymoon together. There Hamza continues to blackmail Hamna and beats a man up for staring at her. This makes Azeem more suspicious. Siddique Sahab (Hamna and Rumi's father) falls severely ill and is admitted to hospital but no one is aware of it except their mother. Alishba, who still has feelings for Hamza, begins to notice Hamza staring at Hamna and digs up their past and reaches their university to collect proof. As Rumi is more attached to her father, she immediately realises that something is wrong and asks Hamza to return. Once home, she becomes furious at her mother for not informing her about her father's illness.
Hamna confesses to Azeem about Hamza and her past, and while he feels betrayed , he vows to protect her.
Siddiqui Sahab passes away and Rumi is shattered and feels betrayed for not being able to help him. Azeem continues to behave coldly with Hamna but does not reveal to anyone about her past and the truth. When Hamza comforts Rumi after her father's death, she asks him whether he loves her to which he nods. Rumi asks him not to give her any false hopes and always remember that she too loves him. Rumi being unaware of his motive behind marrying her, advises Hamza not to become selfish in love and value others love as well, Hamza hugs her and his senses become overshadowed by her. He confesses same to his confidant, Shariq, that Rumi's tears make him uneasy and her happiness and well-being matters to him the most. Shariq says he has fallen in love with her which Hamza denies saying he has no place for love in his heart. Shariq tells him that Allah is much greater than his power of revenge and Allah has supported his love for Rumi. He advises him to give up on his revenge and accept his defeat (as he is in love with Rumaisa).