# The Ghost (TV series)

The Ghost is a 2008 Pakistani television series directed by Babar Javed and written by Umera Ahmad, based on eponymous novel by Danielle Steel. It stars Faysal Quraishi, Sania Saeed, Savera Nadeem, Samina Peerzada, Savera Nadeem and Nadia Jamil. The Ghost revolves around an architect who after his divorce goes to Scotland and enters in an old castle where he comes to know the meaning of love.
At 9th Lux Style Awards, Saeed won Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress - Satellite for her performance.

## Premise

It is the story of a wealthy businessman who lives a happy live with his wife. The smoothness retains in his life until his wife remains with him. After ten years of her marriage, she falls for her office colleague and decides to separate from him and they both part their ways. After divorce, the heartbroken husband goes to Scotland to lessen his pain of the broken marriage. There, she gets intrigued by an old castle owned by an elder lady. He meets there with another beautiful lady as well and gets smitten by her. He falls for her and later discovers something peculiar about the castle. On discovering revelation one and after another, he comes to know that it's not actually like that what it seems.

## Plot

In the last seven years of his married life Ayaan Danyal has turly focused on his career of architect and almost ignored her wife Ayeza. On the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary, Ayeza demands him of divorce due to the loveless marriage. After divorce she wants to marry her colleague Sameer Gardezi. Despite ignoring his wife Ayaan is truly loyal to her, loves her and doesn't want to divorce her. Despite giving a second chance to him on his request, Ayeza becomes a victim of conflict between Sameer and Ayaan and one day goes away from him and sends him the divorce papers when he is outside the city. He tries to converse her but she is not ready for anything. On his friend's insistence, he also signs the divorce papers. After their divorce, Ayeza stills cares for her and asks for his condition frequently.
To forget away the bitter memories of his past, he goes to UK. In UK, he does nothing except roaming and wandering. During a little mishap on in Scotland, he faces a minor road mishap and comes across Miss Marina who lives alone there in a nearby castle. She tells him that her husband has passed away and her son lives in another city. He experiences several spooky incidents there as well. At a night, he hears the sound of violin and tells her in the morning that she plays good violin but she denies stating that she doesn't know to play a violin. When he goes outside, Marina says to someone that he has listened you while playing violin. While looking for the books of Marina's deceased husband in a room, he finds booklet, a personal diary of Maya as told him by Marina. She tells him that Maya lived here as a paying guest.
Through the diary, he comes to know that Maya lived in India with her parents and was waiting for Aryan who was brought up by her parents and now wants to marry her. However, at the time of wedding it comes to know that Aryan will not come and the marriage is called off. The depressed Maya decides to got to UK to know the reason of his refusal. She receives a letter from Aryan's friend Adam where he tells her that Aryan wants to marry someone else in UK. Few days later, she receives the letter of Aryan where he tells her that he misses her. Maya wonders on seeing the date on the letter which was one week before Adam's. It makes her wonder that what happened in one week that has changed everything. Further, she was sure of her love that she observed in his eyes. For many days, she was seeing Aryan in her dream caught in a trouble near a castle. Eventually, she goes to UK to ascertain the matter without telling her parents.
The diary ends but Ayaan is left with suspense and curiosity to know about Maya's story. She asks Marina about her but she tells she knows nothing. In a nearby park, he comes across a child Rumaiyya and becomes her friend. But her mother Sana scolds her for playing with him and does not like him so much. Sana has a traumatic past due to her relation with her husband Mansoor Kareem who is a popular singer in Pakistan. During the struggling phase of his career, Sana used to make him courageous but upon gaining stardom he starts hiding his marriage status which Sana dislikes a lot. It creates a conflict between, affects their relationship and they divorce. After her divorce, Sana comes to UK with her daughter.
While looking for some instruments, Ayaan gets Maya's another diary where he comes to know that Maya reaches Scotland and looks for Aryan but couldn't find him and even from the addresses of the letters she couldn't not find even a clue. While wandering, he comes across a Hindustani man Michael who helps her.
Mansoor comes UK and promises Rumaiyya to meet her. Despite his promise he doesn't come and she locks herself in the room. Sana then calls Ayaan pwho convinces her to come out of the room and pdomises to meet her with her father. He and Sana takes her to Mansoor who yells at her for bringing her to him. Sana goes from there with Rumaiyya when her daughter learns that her parents have divorced.
Maya goes to the Castle with Michael where Aryan lives with his friend Adam but finds there nobody. It was the same castle that she often saw im her dream. On returning to his house, Maya falls ill and again starts looking for him after recovery. After trying for many days she decideds to return but decideds to go to the castle for a last time. On reaching there, they decide to stay in the castle due to the dark in outside. Maya goes to sleep and wakes up anxiously after seeing the clear visual of her past dream. She sees that Michael has shot Aryan outside the castle. She comes to know that he is actually Adam who has been helping her as Michael for many days. On her interrogation, he confesses that he has shot Aryan dead accidentally while hunting birds. He burnt his dead body and doesn't tell it to anyone due the fear of being jailed. He keeps getting for forgiveness but she denies and returns to Hindustan.
Ayaan feels symathy for Sana as found her in the same situation that he has faced. They share their bitter past experiences with each other and share a friendly bond.
In her house, Maya feels disturbance and axniousness and starts thinking so much about Adam. She realises that she loves him thus leave for Scotland. She forgives the already ashamed Adam and eventually marries him. After their marriage, they spend their life in the castle.
Ayaan looks for the bakery about which Miss Marina had told him few days ago but could't find. He wonders on knowing that bakery was here about forty years ago. Miss Marina gets worried and tells Ayaan that his son who was coming to meet him has died in a train accident. Ayaan confirms it to Sana who tells him that neither there is any news about any train accident on any news channel nor the Railway authorities know about it. The telephone of the castle rings and Miss Marina from the other side of the line speaks to Ayaan that he has gone to his son's house and will not return soon. If he wants to go back, he can. The phone cuts and Ayaan shocks to see that the telephone has no connection. The scared Ayaan leaves the castle and goes to Sana who is stunned to know that he has been living in that castle for so many days and that too with Miss Marina who has died some forty years ago. Sana tells him that the castle was taken by a man on lease for his Indian wife and after her death in an accident, it went to Miss Marina. Her husband returned twenty years after their marriage and her son died in a train accident on returning from London. He understands the mystery of the castle and goes back there one last time before returning to Pakistan. He tells Sana that the story of Maya has taught him the true meaning of love.
Eleven months have passed since Ayaan came to Pakistan. He visits Ayeza who meets him with her newborn and they discuss on different things. In the end, he tells her about the pregnancy of her wife Sana.

## Cast

* Faysal Quraishi as Ayaan Danyal
* Nadia Jamil as Ayeza Farooqi
* Asif Raza Mir as Sameer Gardezi
* Samina Peerzada as Miss Marina
* Sania Saeed as Maya Kapoor
* Badar Khalil as Mrs. Kapoor
* Shehryar Zaidi as Mr Kapoor
* Amber Khan as Mahima
* Rehan Sheikh as Aryan
* Savera Nadeem as Sana
* Ahmed Jahanzeb as Mansoor Kareem
* Ismail Bashay as Adam
* Farah Nadir as Ayaan's PA (Episode 1)
* Mahjabeen Habib as Samiya (Episode 1)

## Themes and analysis

According to Amna Mufti, writing for BBC Urdu, The Ghost sparked controversy upon its release in 2008. Mufti noted that the drama tackled sensitive themes such as divorce, remarriage, and a woman's choice in her life partner, which led to a significant amount of backlash at the time.

## OST

The OST of the series is sung by K. K. Momina Duraid wrote the lyrics. Farrukh Abid and Shoaib Farrukh composed the music.

## Production

The Ghost was based on eponymous novel by Danielle Steel with screenplay by renowned Pakistani screenwriter Umera Ahmad. The roles played Sania Saeed and Samina Peerzada were originally a single one in the novel which was split for the television adaptation.
The series was shot in Scotland.

## Reception
### Reviews

In a review of the drama, Masala.com stated that it is an underrated show and described it as highly female oriented show.

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s)/ nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 2010 | Lux Style Awards | Best TV Actress - Satellite | Sania Saeed | Won | |