Jackson Heights

The story revolves around six Pakistanis living in Jackson Heights a suburb in Queens, New York.

Salma (Aamina Sheikh) works very hard at Haseena Beauty Salon. The owner of the salon Aalia (Meher Jaffri) is a good friend of Salma. Salma stays with her mother-in-law and step daughter Iman and is the sole breadwinner of the house. Her mother-in-law is cruel to her and makes shrewd remarks on everything she does.

Later in the series is it revealed that Salma's husband Sikandar (Ali Kazmi) is a convict doing his time in prison and has been released early due to good behaviour. Sikandar is abusive towards Salma and has no constant source of income. He gambles and mugs people and sells stolen watches and cell phones in the gray market.

Imran Bhatti (Noman Ejaz) is a cab driver with a heart of gold. All the other cabbies of the neighbourhood admire and respect Bhatti very much. Bhatti came to New York fifteen years back on a tourist visa and has never been able to go back to Pakistan because of his illegal visa status.

Bhatti has told everyone in his family that he owns a cab company in the US. His ailing mother lives in Pakistan with his older brother and sister-in-law who treat her badly.

Bhatti is married to an American woman Kathy as part of a citizenship deal. Kathy is mean and rude towards Bhatti. Kathy's daughter Isabella (Alma Moos Nunez) shares this attitude with her mother. Her son Mark (Theo van Golen) however, is close to Bhatti and looks up to him.