Shabnam returns to Walford after attending her grandmother's funeral, but leaves after arguing with Masood. She soon returns when she hears about Masood's downward spiral so she moves in with him and Tamwar. She gets a job working with Denise Fox (Diane Parish), at the local Minute Mart. A market worker, Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami), tries to impress her, but she is not interested. She befriends Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner). She soon gets closer to Kush, and they kiss and have sex. She tells Stacey that she had a daughter named Roya who she left on her aunt's doorstep and was adopted. The father is Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo). Shabnam develops feelings for Kush and when he gets her to admit it, he says he feels the same. They date in secret but Stacey finds out, and then Masood also finds out through gossip. Masood is against this, so Shabnam lies that Kush has proposed to her. Kush says it is happening too fast and Masood orders him to leave. Kush later admits that he is unable to commit as he is still mourning his dead wife. Shabnam admits that she only pushed their relationship through lying because she loves him. They resume their relationship and take things more slowly, and tell Masood of their plans, who comes round to the idea.