Bol

Zainab sits in jail awaiting a hanging, her fate hanging in the balance. A man urges her to speak up and tell her story because it could change lives. An assistant to the president brings forms for an appeal and for media coverage at the site.

The president signs the forms that allow media to record the hanging if the appeal is denied. This decision triggers media attention and the arrival of reporters to the site.

Zainab's five sisters and mother visit, sharing tears and a final embrace before she is led away. The family looks on as guards escort her, while the press pushes for a sound bite.

At the hanging site, a cut-off time is announced as 4:00 AM, heightening the tension. Zainab steps to the microphones and begins to tell her story to the gathered press. Her testimony unfolds against the backdrop of the personal history she shares.

She describes growing up with six sisters, a mother, and a father who longs for a son to support the family. The family is loving toward Saifi, the intersex child, despite the father's prejudice.

Hakim's rigidity about gender roles and his distrust of Saifi set the tone for the father's tyranny. Saifi is deeply loved by the mother and siblings, but Hakim's hostility creates undercurrents of danger.

Hakim is drawn into Saqa's schemes when a broker offers him money to teach Quran to children. Saqa runs a brothel and pressures Hakim using mosque funds, creating a web of corruption.

Unable to earn money through teaching, Hakim agrees to Saqa's demand that he marry Meena and father a child. Meena is Saqa's oldest daughter and an established prostitute, which makes the arrangement morally complex.

Hakim's marriage to Meena continues; Meena bears a baby, a girl, reinforcing Saqa's plan. Hakim reacts with anger and possessiveness toward the new family, fueling conflict.

Meena gives birth to a girl, a fact that pleases Saqa, who expects to keep the baby within the family. Hakim begs Meena to give him the baby to spare her a cruel fate, and when his pleas fail, he is expelled.

At night, Hakim tries to kill the baby to prevent a grim future. Zainab intervenes and kills Hakim in a fatal knock, then they conceal the infant.

Zainab tells Saqa that Hakim killed the baby and that she killed Hakim in the ensuing confrontation. The confession leads to Zainab's death sentence during the ongoing trial.

A persistent reporter keeps probing for Zainab's innocence, but the evidence remains inconclusive. The media coverage intensifies as the execution date approaches.

The president watches the ongoing coverage and schedules a meeting to discuss the case and the possibility of reconsideration. This moment hints at a potential shift in how the case is viewed by those in power.

After the events, Zainab's sisters open Zainab's Cafe, a thriving business that symbolizes renewal. The family also raises Meena's daughter, and in the cafe Meena recognizes her daughter among the crowd, signifying reconciliation.