Aur Khirad Ahsaan (Mahira Khan) belongs to a small locality in Hyderabad and lives with her mother Maimoona (Saba Faisal). Maimoona's brother Baseerat Hussain (Behroze Sabzwari) is wealthy and married to Fareeda (Atiqa Odho); they have a son named Ashar (Fawad Khan). Since she has cancer and doctors inform her that she will die soon, Maimoona seeks her brother's help in arranging Khirad's marriage. To compensate for not taking better care of Maimoona, Baseerat promises that Ashar will marry Khirad. This irks Farida, who has always wanted Ashar to marry his cousin Sara (Naveen Waqar), the daughter of Farida's sister Zarina Ajmal (Hina Khawaja Bayat). In spite of their reluctance, Ashar and Khirad are married moments before Maimoona passes away. Sara, who is in love with Ashar, is heartbroken upon learning this and attempts suicide. Both Ashar and Khirad are aloof towards each other and feel uncomfortable in the forced marriage. Ashar still promises Khirad that he will attempt to maintain a stable relationship. Khirad feels that by marrying a man who is financially superior, she has lost her self-respect. Gradually, the duo fall deeply in love with each other. Ashar admires Khirad's innocence, simplicity and purity of heart; his admiration is reciprocated by Khirad, who is in awe of his caring personality. While he develops a strong and loving relationship with his wife, Ashar remains friends with Sara. When she humiliates Khirad, Ashar reprimands her for her callousness. Soon, Baseerat becomes ill and on his death-bed, he reminds his son that it is important for him to always look after Khirad.

Encouraged by Ashar, Khirad enrolls in university for graduate studies. She meets Khizar, Sara's paternal cousin, who has strong feelings for Sara. In order to win her affection, he agrees when he is asked to create misunderstandings between Khirad and Ashar. He begins to visit their house, while praising and flirting with Khirad; this makes Ashar increasingly paranoid and jealous. Farida offers Khizar a deal; to receive money and Sara's hand in marriage, he must convince Ashar that he is having an affair with Khirad. In the meantime, Khirad discovers that she is pregnant with Ashar's child and plans to surprise him. Khizar invites Khirad to his apartment and alongside Farida and Zarina, successfully causes Ashar to witness what appears to be Khizar and Khirad's intimacy. Farida pretends to be outraged at Khirad's supposed adultery, and insults her while Ashar listens tearfully. Khirad protests and calls Khizar, who continuously insists that they had an affair. Leaving no chance for Ashar to speak to her, Farida exiles Khirad from the house. Before taking refuge with her mother's old friend Batool Bano in Hyderabad, Khirad leaves a note for Ashar in which she proclaims her innocence and reveals her pregnancy. She desperately attempts to contact Ashar, however he refuses to listen to her. A few months later, Khirad goes into labour and tries to contact Ashar one last time, who ignores her phone call. Khirad gives birth to a baby girl and names her Hareem; she vows that she will never forgive Ashar for what he did to her.

Four years later, Khirad reluctantly returns to Karachi, where she visits Ashar to seek financial assistance for Hareem, who needs open heart surgery. He initially refuses to help and fails to believe that Hareem is his daughter, but relents and also allows them to stay at his house, by believing Hareem is his daughter. When Sara discovers that Khirad has returned, she confronts Ashar and informs Farida, who returns from a trip to America and threatens to exile Khirad once again. In retaliation, Khirad threatens to tell Ashar the truth behind their misunderstanding. Ashar informs Sara that he has never loved her and suggests that she should stop pursuing him. Khizar arrives from America and blackmails Farida by threatening to reveal Khirad's innocence if Sara does not marry him. Farida urges Sara to marry Khizar, but Sara and her mother refuse and blames Farida for ruining Sara's life. Meanwhile, Hareem's operation is successful and Ashar finds that his feelings for Khirad have rekindled.

Zareena is disturbed by Sara's everlasting depression, which stems from Ashar's rejection and her refusal to love anyone else. Ashar attempts to reconcile with Khirad, citing their daughter, but she rejects him and decides to leave Hareem in his care. Having realized that Sara will never marry him, Khizar visits Ashar to reveal the truth but an angered Ashar has him escorted out by security. The incident sparks the memories of Ashar's past with his wife and in his sorrow, he accidentally discovers the letter that Khirad left for him, which Farida had hidden. Ashar then overhears his mother's conversation with Khizar, and finally learns of their connivance. Sara commits suicide and her mother blames Farida for her misery. With the pretense that Hareem has fallen ill, Ashar asks Khirad to return from Hyderabad who is living with her mother's old friend Batool Bano.He then confronts Farida, accusing her of destroying his life, and simultaneously blames himself for failing to trust his wife. Farida loses her sanity when she realizes what she has done. Ashar begs for Khirad's forgiveness and asks her to return to his life; she finally forgives him and they reconcile. Three months later, the two are shown to be living a happy life with their daughter.

• Fawad Khan as Ashar Hussain
• Mahira Khan as Khirad Ashar Hussain
• Naveen Waqar as Sara Ajmal
• Atiqa Odho as Fareeda Hussain
• Behroze Sabzwari as Baseerat Hussain
• Sara Kashif as Hareem Hussain (child)
• Hina Khawaja Bayat as Zarina Ajmal
• Noor Hassan Rizvi as Khizar
• Saba Faisal as Maimoona Ahsaan
• Shahbaz Wolf Rajput as Ali
• Qaiser Naqvi as Batool Bano

Guest Appearances

• Khalid Anam as Khirad's father
• Mansha Pasha as the wife of Ashar's friend
• Kanwar Arsalan as Raza, Ashar's colleague
• Kanwar Atiq ur Rehman as Umar, Ashar's colleague
• Sarmad Khoosat as Dr. Idrees, Khirad's Professor

The show's theme song Woh Humsafar Tha was composed by Waqar Ali and sung by Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch. It was written by Naseer Turabi in 1971 after the fall of Dhaka. The song is frequently played throughout the episodes.

Some people regarded it as revival of drama industry. According to critics, the show was socially regressive and demonstrated the misogynistic mentality prevalent in society. Sabahat Zakariya wrote, "If Haseena Moin was the benchmark of mass popularity back then, then Humsafar is an indicator of our endemic regressiveness."^[7] The series has gained a very large audience internationally.^[8]

Star reported that the Humsafar page on Facebook had thousands of European and North American fans and viewers, with many saying they had never watched any Pakistani drama before but are completely hooked on Humsafar. ^[9]

Promotion

Hum TV gave the show its Hum Honorary Phenomenal Serial Award.^[10]

Dubbed

Humsafar was dubbed into Arabic and broadcast by MBC in the Middle East, under the name Rafeeq-Al-Rouh (???? ?????). The show immediately gained immense popularity and after airing its first few episodes, became the most watched drama on the channel. Because of its popularity the show was telecast again after few months. Before this Pakistani dramas were not as popular in the Middle East due to language barriers and also due to the popularity of Latin dramas.