Mirza Sahiban Doctors

'A long time ago, a couple gave birth to a baby boy

'in a village in the Punjab.

'The boy's mother died during childbirth,

'so he was wet-nursed by another woman,

'who had recently given birth to a daughter.'

BANGING

'The woman treated the boy as if he were her own.

'According to the traditions of the time, from that day forward,

'the children were deemed to be cousins.

'The babies grew up and went on to have children of their own -

'their offspring were named Mirza and Sahiban.'

It's a really nice kameez.

-Thank you.

-Nadiya made it. She's very talented, my beautiful wife.

So how did you two meet?

We've known each other since we were children.

Wow, that is something.

Not really, we're cousins.

Right, this might be a little bit cold.

-Ooh.

-Sorry.

It's not you, the baby just kicked me.

He's going to be the next Messi, I'm sure of it.

She is joining the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

SHE SPEAKS THEIR LANGUAGE

Just so long as the little one is fit and well.

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

See the tiny hand, it's waving at us. Look!

Is that its head?

Oh, my God.

I'm just going to be a moment.

Is everything OK?

I'll be back in a bit.

-Are we doing this?

-We are going home.

-I don't want to go home.

-No, we've got to go home.

AIR HISSES

It's the baby's heart.

Problem on the scan?

I'd really appreciate a second opinion.

Doctor Hayhill, Consultant Obstetrician.

Mind if I take a look?

What is it? What do you see?

I'll need to show these scans to some colleagues of mine.

What colleagues?

A consultant in foetal medicine,

possibly then a paediatric cardiologist.

We may need to do a more specialist scan.

Is there something wrong with the heart?

Let's take one step at a time.

You must have some idea, or you wouldn't be worried.

There may be an issue with how the heart is developing.

What does that mean?

Let's let Doctor Hayhill speak to the specialist,

and we'll do a more detailed scan.

-And then what?

-We'll get you back in, talk through all the options.

-Options?

-How best to proceed.

We're having this baby!

Nadiya, I know this is very hard.

-Is it going to die?

-Try not to worry, OK.

How could this happen?

Unfortunately, it's not always clear.

There must be some reason.

Could it be hereditary, something in the family?

I need some air.

Hello.

Can I help you?

Hi, Sgt Hollins. We've had a complaint from one of

your neighbours who says that he had his tyres of his car slashed,

outside your shop.

-Really?

-Really. I know that you've complained about this car before,

you said that it was disrupting your customers.

Well, yes. Isn't it the police's duty to look after

law-abiding families and their businesses?

It's our job to support everyone, really.

Even those who make as much noise as they like?

The thing is, he says that this is not the first incident.

He said that last week, he had his car keyed,

and the week before that, something to do with his wing mirrors.

Did he report it?

No.

Do you want to tell me what happened this morning?

No, not particularly.

You got any cameras outside the shop?

Unfortunately not.

I'll check with the CCTV on the street.

Are you accusing me of something?

No, I just want to find out what happened.

Was anyone else in the shop at the time?

My nephew and his wife were out.

Just you, then?

Are you going to take the word of this man over mine?

I'll let you know how I get on with my enquiries.

Thanks for your time.

'When it was time for the children to go to school,

'Mirza's parents sent him to live with his uncle.

'He enrolled in the same school as Sahiban.

'At first, Mirza did not notice her.

'But as they grew into adolescence,

'feelings of love began to blossom between them.'

I didn't expect you to take so long.

I need you to start on that order.

What?

It has to be ready by tomorrow, remember?

-Just give her a moment, Auntie.

-I'm fine.

Of course she's fine. She just went for a scan.

How did it go, by the way?

What?

What's the big secret?

The silk, what colour?

Red.

It's here, right in front of you.

What's wrong with the girl?

Just leave it, will you?

What happened at the hospital?

The baby - there's something wrong with its heart.

How bad is this thing? Can they fix it?

We don't know yet.

Is there a risk to Nadiya?

I don't think so.

She could get rid of the child.

How could you even think that?

That would be haram.

'Sahiban became a beautiful young woman,

'so beautiful that it was said that when she went shopping, the grocer

'would be distracted and instead of oil, he would pour honey for her.

'Mirza, too, was handsome, a skilled horseman and brilliant marksman.

'As the couple's love began to blossom,

'they were lost in their own world, lost in one another.

'Love was now writ in their destiny.

'Unbeknownst to them, so was great pain.'

How could you let her say those things?

Just ignore her.

She's poison.

It's a lot to take in right now for all of us.

Is that why you asked the doctor if it was in the family?

I was thinking of your dad.

What's he got to do with this?

He died of a heart attack.

It wasn't just his heart.

Besides, you don't know it's the same thing.

You think this is my fault, that I'm the one with some defective gene?

I think it's something we should have discussed.

When?

Before we made a baby?

Maybe even before we got married.

What?

Maybe it would have been better if we'd looked outside the family.

I didn't mean...

Nadiya, where are you going?

Nadiya, what are you doing?

Please, just listen.

Leave me alone!

I was being foolish. I didn't mean what I said.

-I thought you said you loved me.

-I do. You have to believe me.

Nadiya!

'Mirza and Sahiban's love affair became the talk of the town.

'When Sahiban's father heard about it, he was furious, forbade it.

'Instead, he found a suitable young man from the same tribe

'to marry her.'

Are you not eating?

No, I'm not hungry right now.

Tough morning?

Yeah, I had a couple in earlier.

Their baby has got a congenital heart condition.

Oh, dear. What's the prognosis?

-Surgery's an option after birth.

-Risky.

Yeah.

There was something else.

They told me that they were cousins.

Really?

I think it could have a bearing on what's happened.

Increased risk of abnormalities.

Yes, but it's not a given, is it?

I know lots of couples that have got no problems.

No, but you do need to tell the consultant.

'A date was set for the wedding.

'Desperate to escape her fate, Sahiban sent word to her lover,

'hoping he would come to rescue her, but she heard nothing.

'It seemed a hopeless situation.'

WOMAN PANTING

Hello. What's your name?

Nadiya. I'm pregnant.

OK, Nadiya, I want you to stay very still

for me while I call an ambulance.

72-44 to Control.

I've got an RTC on Bank Road, with one pregnant female,

ambulance required.

Stay very still for me.

An ambulance will be on its way very shortly.

Are you hurting anywhere else?

First cousins?

Yeah, it's not uncommon in families from Pakistan,

lots of other cultures too.

Do we know if there have been any previous cousin marriages in the family?

No, I'd have to look into that.

Because the risks get cumulatively greater.

I can't believe it's still legal.

-Hang on...

-I know, cultural sensitivities.

No, not sensitivities, stigma.

That's what stops families reaching out

and getting the information they need.

So it's our fault now?

No, but...

Look, there's a genuine fear of coming out

in the open, and acknowledging there may be bad blood.

Now we're back in the Dark Ages.

There are a lot of positives to consanguineous marriages,

especially for the female.

Convince me.

OK, she's given higher status,

protection within a family she's already part of.

What they're protecting is the family's assets.

That might be part of it but there are

a lot of families that are very happy.

PHONE RINGS

And at the end of the day, you can't stop two people falling in love.

Ruhma Hanif.

Nadiya?

She's coming in. OK.

'Mirza could not allow his sweetheart to marry another man.

'He took his bow and quiver and rode to the town,

'the day before Sahiban's wedding.'

-So she accelerated after the junction?

-Yeah.

Did you see anything in the road that she might have swerved around?

-No, nothing.

-No.

All right, thanks for your help.

You don't mind staying on?

No. BP's normal.

You're sure there's no tenderness?

It was just my head.

Well, you've had a lucky escape.

But to be on the safe side, I'm going to check the baby.

Is it OK?

You hear that?

That's fantastic, right?

I'll come back and check on you again in a while.

I can't get my head around it.

What happened out there?

I don't know.

You must be able to remember something?

I just lost control of the wheel.

Why? Why did you lose control?

I'm tired.

Why don't we leave the questions till later?

Praise Allah, she's OK.

The baby also?

Yeah.

What?

Nothing.

Why can't you ever just be happy for us?

All I've ever wanted is your happiness...

But not with Nadiya?

She's right...

You're poison.

This baby, what's wrong with it?

Don't tell me you haven't thought it too.

Fazal!

Everything OK?

He's upset, it's understandable.

Yeah.

'Sahiban's brothers and her bridegroom

'discovered she was missing and set off on horses after them.

'Confident that he had gained sufficient distance

'from any pursuers, Mirza wanted to stop and rest for a while.

'But as her lover dozed under an acacia tree,

'Sahiban was filled with fear.

'If her brothers came and Mirza woke up, they would be sure

'to die from his arrows.'

-Doctor Hayhill thought it would be OK to have a quick word.

-Yeah.

Nadiya, Sergeant Hollins is here.

Can you talk with him for a few moments?

You were very kind.

It's just a preliminary chat,

to see if I can piece together what happened.

I'm sorry, but I can't really remember much.

I have to ask you this - have you consumed any alcohol or taken

any drugs before or after the crash?

We don't drink.

And I need you to do this, I'm afraid.

I need you to blow into this tube...

..for about five seconds, please.

OK, you can stop.

Yeah, that's clear.

It wasn't why I lost control.

So you do have some idea what happened?

No.

Were you trying to avoid something? Something in the road?

Maybe.

I've spoken to a couple of people who witnessed the crash.

-Yes?

-One of them said they saw you go through the junction,

then accelerate.

It was the brakes, they weren't working properly.

Right. I'll flag that up when the car gets checked over,

because there were tyre marks in the road.

We've got trained investigators who can tell whether you were

braking or accelerating, they're very clever.

Nadiya?

I was upset. I didn't know what I was doing.

Rob, I'm sorry,

but it's really important that she gets some rest.

Yeah, of course. We'll speak later.

Was this your idea of a way out?

-What?

-Were you trying to kill our baby?

I would never!

-I can't do this any more.

-Fazal.

No, it's over. Do you understand?

'She took Mirza's quiver and broke each arrow in half.

'Then she waited, praying that, when they arrived,

'her brothers would take pity on him.

'At the sound of drumming hooves, Sahiban woke Mirza from his sleep.

'He instinctively reached for his arrows,

'only to find the broken pieces.

'In that split second, an arrow from Sahiban's brother's bow

'pierced Mirza's throat and he fell to the ground.

'Mirza looked at his lover accusingly,

'wondering why she had betrayed him.

'As a second arrow pierced his chest, Sahiban threw herself over

'Mirza's body to protect him from further hits.

'But as the arrows rained down,

'she was killed also

'and the two lovers became the stuff of legend.'

I'm sorry.

Are you OK?

I was thinking of an old folk tale, Mirza and Sahiban.

Do you know it?

Yeah, I think.

Star-crossed lovers,

killed because their families disapproved of their union.

Generations making the same mistakes, over and over.

What have I done to you?

Is there a reason why you've mentioned this story?

To get at me.

Is that true?

My husband, Karim, he was my cousin.

So you should understand.

I had a little baby boy.

A child?

He died soon after he was born.

I had no idea.

It was such a beautiful day, I remember.

Basant.

The kite festival.

A lot of doctors were away that day.

The hospital was so quiet.

Like we were in the wrong place, everyone else was celebrating.

Do you know why he died?

I never found out for sure...

..but I know it was his heart.

I'm sorry.

Nadiya, this has no reflection on what's wrong with your baby, OK?

I'm going to make sure that you have the best care possible.

I never told my husband why the baby died.

Sorry, I don't understand.

Like Sahiban, I wanted to protect him,

so that he would be free to marry again, not tainted.

Because of the fear of bad blood.

What about you?

I sacrificed myself so that he could be happy.

You don't think I love Fazal enough, is that it?

I don't think that's what she meant.

You don't know her,

the way she's treated me since I married her precious nephew.

Mrs Malik.

You think I should let him go?

Yes.

-I am sorry for you.

-For me?

Because you are wrong now, as you were then.

You have no right to judge me or my marriage,

or whether I have this baby.

It will only lead to more pain.

Things aren't as I hoped, but I accept what's going to happen,

and I'm going to try to be the best mother I can.

Inshallah.

Then you are stronger than me.

-Oh!

-Nadiya?

What's wrong?

I think I'm bleeding.

I should get Fazal.

He won't come.

Let me talk to him.

It was my fear and I've driven a wedge between you.

The things I said to her.

Will be forgotten. Right now she needs you.

She could lose the baby?

I don't know but you must go.

Don't make the same mistake I did.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

Now go! Hurry!

Everything OK?

I pray that it will be.

Are you here about the accident?

No, about what happened outside your shop.

I thought you might like to know that we're not going to

-pursue the matter.

-Oh, that's good.

-Yeah.

Although, however, I would like some reassurance

that we won't get a repeat of this morning's events?

-I imagine not.

-Mmm.

I think it's nice to show a bit of kindness to your neighbours.

How about they do that to me?

Yes, yes, of course, officer.

Thank you.

SHE SIGHS

'His beloved was dressed in a red bridal dress,

'her delicate hands darkly painted with mehndi.

'She had been taken to an upstairs room but Mirza knew the house

'from when he was a boy and managed to find Sahiban and steal her away.

'The lovers galloped off into the night.'

The bleeding has stopped.

That's a good sign, right?

Let's hope so.

I would never hurt our baby.

I know, I know.

I've messed up so badly.

Forgive me?

The baby, is it...?

Well, we're going to find out.

Are you ready?

Right.

BREATHING

Sounds strong.

Our baby's a fighter!

Seems so.

We'll keep you in for monitoring, keep an eye on things.

Thank you.

So it's going to be OK?

Whatever happens, this baby is precious and it's going to be loved.

Excuse me, your car.

There's a problem.

I have a nephew who runs a garage.

I will ring him for you,

ask him to give you neighbour's rates.

All right. Thank you.

I referred them to the local genetic service for counselling.

They'll explain any increased risks of future pregnancies, you know,

look into family history.

Sorry, you know all of that.

Is Hayhill all right with this?

I just don't like being backed into a corner.

-Feeling like I've got to defend a practice, a culture, even.

-Mmm.

It's just weird.

You know, being with people who spoke Gujarati,

it reminded me of Aamir and his family and my family

and everything that I've lost.

And what about the kids?

They're missing out on grandparents,

extended family they've not even met.

They've got you.

But is it enough?

All we can do is make choices and hope they're the right ones.

And what if the choices I made come back to haunt me?

It is everywhere.

And as a health practice I think we should strive to set

a better example for the community.

She's not?

All of us?

Feet up with a bacon sandwich or sweaty leotards in the gym...

You could do both.

"My new directives are to take immediate effect

"with no exceptions."