Darlings (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Badru desperately tries to have a child as a last-ditch effort to change Hamza. She believes that if Hamza wants a family, he might stop drinking and become a better husband. This is her attempt to escape the abusive cycle by manipulating his desires, showing how trapped she feels in the marriage.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Badru mixes anti-alcohol pills into Hamza's food, showing she is willing to try extreme measures to save the relationship.

• badru pregnancy
• hamza alcohol
• manipulation
• escape abuse

After learning Badru is pregnant, Hamza becomes paranoid that she confided in Zulfi about his health condition. Driven by jealousy and control, he pushes her down the stairs in a violent rage, causing her to miscarriage. This act reveals his true nature, not even his unborn child stops him from hurting her.

Foreshadowing: Hamza's paranoia increases after his cirrhosis diagnosis, and he becomes obsessive about who Badru speaks to.

• hamza violence
• miscarriage
• stairs
• jealousy

When Hamza discovers he has cirrhosis of the liver, he realizes his health is deteriorating severely. Rather than genuine concern for Badru or the baby, his decision to feign reformation is driven by fear of death, he wants to survive. Once Badru loses the pregnancy, his true violent nature emerges unhindered.

Foreshadowing: The film reveals Hamza's cirrhosis diagnosis before Badru's pregnancy is confirmed, establishing his mortality as a key motivation.

• cirrhosis
• hamza health
• fake reform
• alcohol

After Badru decides not to kill him and unties him, Hamza tries to escape but is accidentally run over by a train. His death brings a tragic end to his abusive reign, though Badru and her mother initially planned to kill him themselves.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Badru and Shamshu plot to kill Hamza, setting up the climactic moment where she must choose between vengeance and letting go.

• hamza death
• train accident
• ending

Zulfi, who works around the Chawl, witnesses Badru's suffering from Hamza's abuse firsthand. Moved by her plight, he files a police complaint against Hamza under Section 498A (domestic violence law), leading to Hamza's arrest. This act of courage ultimately puts Badru in a difficult position.

Foreshadowing: Zulfi is shown observing the abuse and Badru's injuries throughout the early part of the film.

• zulfi
• section 498a
• police report
• domestic violence

After Hamza pushes her down the stairs and causes her miscarriage, Badru's patience finally snaps. She realizes Hamza will never change and that the abuse will continue. With her mother's support, she switches roles and begins drugging Hamza with sleeping pills to inflict the same suffering he caused her.

Foreshadowing: The miscarriage is the turning point that transforms Badru from victim to perpetrator.

• badru revenge
• miscarriage
• retaliation
• justice

The Chawl residents face a redevelopment project where builders want to replace the old housing with modern apartments. Hamza becomes obstinate, refusing to negotiate and demanding double rent based on another builder's offer. Badru attends a crucial meeting in his place, which enrages Hamza and leads to more violence against her.

Foreshadowing: The conflict is introduced early, showing how Hamza's stubbornness affects not just Badru but the entire community.

• chawl
• builders
• renovation
• housing

At the end of the film, Shamshu reveals she was also a victim of domestic violence in her past. Her husband was abusive, and she killed him to escape. This shared history motivates her to help Badru eliminate Hamza, believing it's the only way to truly free her daughter.

Foreshadowing: Shamshu's protective behavior toward Badru and her willingness to commit murder hint at her own traumatic past.

• shamshu
• domestic violence history
• mother daughter

When Hamza escapes, he cunningly lies to Zulfi, pretending he only wants to protect Badru and Shamshu from the women's planned crime. This manipulation causes confusion and leads police to suspect Zulfi, showcasing Hamza's ability to twist situations even when vulnerable.

Foreshadowing: Hamza has always been manipulative, promising change while in jail to secure his release.

• hamza manipulation
• zulfi
• escape
• lies

In the climactic moment, Badru grapples with the moral weight of killing someone. She chooses humanity over vengeance, deciding not to become a murderer. This choice represents her true, not liberation through death, but through refusing to stoop to Hamza's level.

Foreshadowing: Badru's internal struggle is set up through her conversations with her mother about whether murder is justified.

• badru choice
• mercy
• moral dilemma
• liberation

Hamza is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, a terminal condition caused by years of heavy alcohol abuse. This diagnosis comes while Badru is pregnant, and it triggers his brief facade of reformation, motivated not by love but by fear of dying.

Foreshadowing: The diagnosis is revealed shortly after Hamza's arrest, adding urgency to his character arc.

• cirrhosis
• liver disease
• terminal illness
• alcohol