Kush Kazemi

Kush has the loudest mouth and widest smile on the market, but behind his mischievous bravado is an equally big heart.

Kush is loud, fun, friendly and a real fitness fanatic! He’s always been health-conscious, but the harrowing experience of losing his wife made Kush feel that his life was out of his control. The order and structure that Kush’s gym workouts give him help him feel at ease in an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable world.

Kush is in his element as a market stall trader; his gift of the gab means he could sell ice to an Eskimo! His natural good looks and boyish charm make him the type of guy most blokes want to be like and most women want to be with. But will he manage to melt the hearts of Walford’s ladies, or encounter a cold reception?

Backstory
Kush was born in 1985. He was previously married to Safirah on 3 June 2012. On their honeymoon, Kush got a tattoo with the date they got married in Roman Numerals (XIII VI MMXII, 3/06/2012).

Not long after Kush and Safirah got back from their honeymoon, Kush was playing a five a side football competition and he went to get changed after the game and he had three missed calls on his mobile, from Safirah. Kush thought she'd just changed her mind about what she wanted to eat that night.

When he rang her phone back it was her boss that was calling him, Safirah had collapsed at work and they'd called an ambulance. Safirah boss told Kush it was a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot on the lung) and he said to meet them at the hospital.

Unfortunately there was heavy traffic on the road and by the time Kush got there, Safirah had died. Kush never go the chance to say goodbye.

After Safirah death, Kush then moved back with his parents. Kush then went out to bars and had sex with strangers for a year. Kush then realised he couldn't live in the past anymore, he moved to Walford and got a new job as a market trader, where he met Shabnam, and started a relationship with her.

Storylines
Kush made his first appearance on 20 October 2014. He is a friend of Martin Fowler. The character and casting were announced on 19 August 2014, when it was said the character was a "good guy" who is "funny and full of energy". He is said to have a "brash exterior" underneath which hides "a tragic past that he is keen to escape from". Ghadami said of his casting, "I'm so excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders as I've been a fan of the show for as long as I can remember.

Kush causes disruption on his first day by trying to drive his van down Bridge Street, but ultimately makes friends due his casual nature. He is attracted to Shabnam Masood, despite her coy nature, and helps with the cooking for her brother Tamwar's birthday to impress her. Kush helps Martin's wife Sonia Fowler to arrange a nude charity calendar, and convinces her by walking naked through the market. As they bond over the idea, Sonia attempts to kiss him, and then admits that she is having trouble in her marriage. Kush encourages her to forget about it, and later takes part in the charity calendar along with Sonia. In an attempt to give Shabnam some Christmas spirit, he kisses her, but keeps this from his friends. Kush pushes Shabnam on her feelings for him, and she later has a one-night stand with him as she is upset over losing her job. She rejects him after, feeling guilty for betraying her religious views, until Kush convinces her to start a relationship. They keep it a secret, until Stacey Branning rumbles them and they decide to tell Shabnam's family. However, Shabnam's father (Masood Ahmed) hears it from Donna Yates first, and is angry at them for keeping it a secret. Shabnam persuades Masood to accept them but ends up lying that Kush has proposed to her. When he tells her that it is happening too fast, as they have only been dating a short while, Shabnam is devastated at her actions and Masood throws him out. Afterwards, Kush confides in his friend Martin Fowler that he is not ready for another marriage after the death of his first wife, Safirah. At Donna's 30th birthday party, he gets drunk and when Shabnam tries to talk to him, he tells her that he is still grieving over the loss of his wife. Eventually, Shabnam admits that she does not want to get married—she only lied about the proposal because she loves him. They decide to take things more slowly. Masood comes round to this, but tells them that he does not want to see Shabnam getting heartbroken.

After kissing Stacey a second time and regretting it, Kush finds out that Shabnam is five months pregnant with their child. He has initial doubts about his future with a baby, but apologises to Shabnam and tells her he wants the baby and they begin planning their wedding. Seven months into her pregnancy, Shabnam's baby dies, leaving Kush heartbroken. Shabnam gives birth to their son, Zaair, but Kush is unable to cope and leaves the room. He does visit Zaair later, cuddling him and telling him how proud he is. Shabnam and Kush argue because he was not there for her and she plans to move to Pakistan, while he considers returning to Essex with Carmel. However, Carmel and Masood get them to reunite. Shabnam rearranges their wedding, hoping that being married will help them gain custody of her daughter Jade Green. Kush thinks they are marrying for the wrong reasons but they agree that they love each other and want to marry. After the wedding, Shabnam tells Kush that Stacey's baby is not Martin's, and Stacey tells him she thinks he is the father.

Kush finds out that Shabnam is five months pregnant with their child. He has initial doubts about his future with a baby, but apologises to Shabnam and tells her he wants the baby. On the episode that aired on the 6th November 2015 saw Kush marry Shabnam.