Shabnam's storylines during her first stint in the show include a feud with her mother Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia), friendships with Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon) and Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley), her failed engagements with Muslim men and her difficulty acknowledging her family and religious roots. During her second stint on the show, her storylines include a friendship with Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), a relationship with Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami), the revelation that she has a secret daughter, Jade Green (Amaya Edwards), whose father is Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), delivering a stillborn son named Zaair, and suspecting an affair between Kush and Stacey. Shabnam left the square with Jade, leaving Kush behind after she made the decision for him to stay with his son Arthur whose mother is Stacey.