Nasreen is introduced alongside lifelong best friend
Missy Booth (
Poppy Lee Friar), when the pair are drinking cider on a sofa inside a
skip on their street. The next day, the pair start at Ackley Bridge College, having previously attended different schools. Due to Missy retaking a year, she is placed in the
year group below Nasreen. Nasreen's friend
Alya Nawaz (Maariah Hussain) immediately disapproves of Missy, due to the way she talks and dresses. In order to fit in with Alya's group of friends, Nasreen begins wearing a hijab and shuns Missy. When Missy confronts her and exposes her for
drinking, the pair fight and are taken in to see headteacher
Mandy Carter (
Jo Joyner), who gives them a formal warning. When
Cory Wilson (
Sam Retford) flirts with Nasreen and kisses her, she discovers that Missy asked Cory to have sex with Nasreen, as revenge. Despite still being angry with Missy, she agrees to help her find her missing mother,
Simone Booth (Sam Power). While on the way home, Nasreen
comes out to Missy as a lesbian. She also reveals that she has slept with teacher
Lila Shariff (Anneika Rose) when the pair knew each other at Nasreen's former school. Nasreen begins to rekindle her relationship with Lila when the pair kiss, but Lila later tells her that they cannot have a relationship since she is a teacher. Nasreen learns that her father
Iqbal (Narinda Samra) is arranging a marriage for her, with an unnamed boy in Pakistan. Initially reluctant to marry him, she later agrees to it, out of fear to come out. Nasreen struggles with the idea of being in a loveless marriage to a man and comes out to mother
Kaneez (
Sunetra Sarker), who is initially disgusted with Nasreen, but later accepts her sexuality. Kaneez goes on to introduce her to gay Muslim
Naveed Haider (Gurjeet Singh), who she can have a fake arranged marriage with.
Aaron Turner (
Adam Fielding) approaches Nasreen on the street, and informs her that he is her half-brother, and gives her the address of his house. She arrives to find Iqbal there, and that he has a secret family. Due to feeling like she cannot experience any other lies, she cancels the fake marriage with Naveed. While at
mosque, Nasreen's trainers are stolen by
Sam Murgatroyd (
Megan Parkinson), an Islamophobic lesbian attending Ackley Bridge College. Despite their differing views on race, the two have sex, and begin a secret relationship. When sister
Razia (Nazmeen Kauser) has a fight with Sam, Nasreen intercepts and is accidentally stabbed by Razia. Nasreen decides to apply for a place at
Oxford University, and Missy accompanies her to her interview. Missy confides in Nasreen about her plans for the future, which Nasreen mocks. The pair argue, but later reconcile their friendship. While walking on the street, the pair are hit by a speeding car driven by
Anwar Wazir (
Antonio Aakeel). The pair initially survive the accident, but Nasreen is distraught when she finds Missy's dead body in her bed, who has died as a result of internal bleeding. Angry with Anwar over Missy's death, she asks Sam to order the Murgatroyd family to attack him, but later disgusted with herself for her violent actions, she confides in Kaneez. Still grieving over Missy, Nasreen stops attending school in order to work at a factory, but after Kaneez and Naveed's disapproval, she rejoins school. Nasreen kisses classmate
Chloe Voyle (
Fern Deacon) at a party, who
outs Nasreen. Initially petrified to come out due to the Muslim community's opinion on homosexuality, Nasreen takes pride in herself and comes out as a lesbian at school. She later takes her
A Level exams, which she underperforms in, meaning she cannot attend Oxford. However, unbeknownst to Nasreen, Kaneez drives to the university and pleads with them to let Nasreen attend despite her results, to which they eventually agree. Nasreen then spreads Missy's ashes and leaves for university. ==Development==