Naima Jeffery

Name: Naima Jeffery
First Appeared: 19th February 1985
Last Appeared: 19th November 1987
Played by: Shreela Ghosh

Naima Jeffery brought a unique charm to Albert Square when she ran a corner shop on Bridge Street with her husband, Saeed. Born in England to Bangladeshi parents, Naima and Saeed faced racial abuse and vandalism from a neo-Nazi group, including the notorious Nick Cotton, making their life in Walford anything but easy. Naima’s arranged marriage to Saeed was fraught with tension as she resisted adhering to traditional Muslim customs, frequently defying Saeed’s wishes and refusing to share his bed. Meanwhile, Saeed’s visits to prostitutes and strip clubs, along with making obscene calls to Naima’s friend Debbie Wilkins, only worsened their relationship. Thanks to an anonymous tip from Dot Cotton, Naima discovered Saeed’s misdeeds and decided to divorce him, defying her family’s wishes.

After Saeed left in December 1985, Naima embraced Western culture and feminism with gusto. She traded in her saris, learned to drive, chopped her hair short, and moved in with Debbie. This new, liberated Naima attracted plenty of male attention on the Square, including from Walford’s resident heartthrob, Simon Wicks, and Dr. Jaggat Singh. However, these relationships never became serious. Despite her attempts to forge her own path, Naima’s family continued sending over cousins for her to marry. In 1986, Rezaul Gabir arrived, living and working with Naima while reporting her every move to her parents. Their relationship was rocky from the start, and when Naima refused to marry him, her parents cut off her financial support, forcing her to move in with the Fowlers.

In 1987, Naima was introduced to yet another cousin, Farrukh, an important politician from Bangladesh. Despite her initial resistance, Naima found herself drawn to Farrukh, who, unlike her other suitors, supported her independence. The pair married in Birmingham and left Walford for Bangladesh in November 1987.