Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak?

Uttara (Kamya Panjabi) is a beautiful woman and has an elder sister, Devyani (Indrani Haldar). She is happily married to Rishabh and has a teenage daughter, Tara (Navika Kotia), with him. Rishabh gets into an accident that affects his brain, becomes an alcoholic, and starts beating Uttara. Uttara sends Tara to hostel so as to not let the violent environment at home affect her and hinder her education. Rishabh becomes bankrupt but is helped by a businessman who had an eye on Uttara, though she wasn't aware of it. She is then forced to have sex with him but manages to save herself with the help of her elder sister Devyani at the last moment. She could not handle Rishabh's tormenting anymore and ends up killing him. She is consoled by Devyani's family, the Jakhars. She is freed from all her charges by Devyani's corrupt and immoral husband, the Senior Superintendent (SSP) of Police, Brahmanand "Brahma" Jakhar (Vishwajeet Pradhan). Uttara is welcomed into their house and is given a space to live, though at first she does not feel fully welcomed into the family against her daughter Tara's wish.

Brahma is a corrupt, cheating, womanizing person who also takes bribes. Everybody in his family is aware of his sins, except his and Devyani's son, Aditya Singh Jakhar (Raqesh Vashisth). Aditya values Brahma as God and the one thing Brahma fears is Aditya finding out his truth. Brahma in the past had also tried to molest a girl, Priya Pradhan (Riddhi Dogra), which causes a major change in her personality. Because of his evilness, Priya's previous marriage breaks up on the wedding day. But, thanks to Aditya, who fell in love with Priya at first sight, she got her confidence back. He made her smile again, saved her life numerous times, and finally married her. All this while Priya was unaware that Aditya is the son of the same person who ruined her life. After marriage, Priya decides to fight against Brahma's evil actions and attempts to rile Devyani against him. After a while, Uttara feels welcomed into Brahma's family and begins to fall in love with Brahma. Despite possible consequences, Brahma starts an affair with Uttara. Uttara later regrets the notion. Made aware by Priya, Devyani is not oblivious to his advances. Brahma manages to convince her that nothing is going between him and Uttara and that he is just consoling her as she does not feel accepted into their family.

After Brahma leaves on office business, Uttara begins to think about Brahma. She realizes that she is very much in love with him and thinks that he is in love with her as well. When Brahma returns, Uttara expresses her love, and Brahma marries her religiously, not legally. They consummate their relationship, and Uttara then slowly starts taking control of Devyani's household activities. Uttara and Brahma are also having sex repeatedly around the house, also unnoticed by the rest of the family members. By the time she is fully in charge of the household, no family members realize any difference, except Priya and Devyani. Devyani then tries to warn Uttara of Brahma's corrupt practices in office and his womanizing tendencies. Uttara, in her love, refuses to understand. When Devyani starts talking against Brahma, he reveals on Karuva Chauth that he will divorce her and wed Uttara, actually a plot to get Devyani in control. Priya takes this as an opportunity for Aditya to learn of Brahma and Devyani goes along with the plan.

After Uttara gets heavily drunk and seduces him, Brahma starts having second thoughts for Uttara. Brahma then confronts Uttara on how she is going to Tara on the topic. Uttara explains that she will make Tara understand who in turn will begin to call Brahma as father instead of uncle. This causes Brahma to eventually get enraged as Devyani has gone ahead with the divorce and in court is revealing all of his crimes as DIG, causing the Chief Minister to give a suspension threat. To celebrate the New Year's Eve 2012, Uttara hosts a party in which she had planned for Brahma to reveal that the two would marry. Brahma calls the wedding off, but pulling her onto the bed, and telling her that she is only worth a few weeks of sex. The two decide that he will wed Uttara if Devyani successfully divorces him. As Brahma's crimes come into play at the court one by one, Uttara then decides that she too will leave Brahma, after a final night in which they once again sensually have sex. It is then revealed that Brahma's crimes will be taken to a criminal court of law and Aditya finally realizes Brahma's evil actions after initially refusing to believe it.

Blaming his downfall on Priya, Brahma kidnaps Priya and saying that she is the reason for all problems tries to disrobe her and rape her, causing Aditya to beat him badly before he is dragged away by the police. Priya then leaves the household as Brahma is suspended and thrown in jail. She stays in a lodge and starts searching for a job but manager of lodge becomes interested in her and tries to misbehave with her. He tries to pimp Priya. Uttara is then forgiven for her mistakes by the whole family and for the first time she feels fully accepted. Uttara then travels to Tara's hostel where Tara forgives her, but on the way back Uttara begins to have back cramps. Stopping at the hospital, Uttara discovers that she is pregnant with Brahma's child. After a while, the whole family, minus Tara finds out about the pregnancy and when Aditya finds out about her pregnancy and gets angry at Uttara for being pregnant with his half-sibling, who is also to be Tara's half-sibling. Uttara decides not to tell Tara, but decides on keeping her next child. Brahma then returns to the house after his police car crashed, but he is broken and mentally disabled. Uttara sees through his disguise and takes down his plan to become the DIG of Haryana once more, this causes Brahma to get frustrated and running a car off a bridge and dying.

The series is remembered as the first show on Indian television to have a gay storyline shown crucial screenspace.[6][7]

The Indian Express quoted the series as 'Bold and edgy' saying, "What works for the story is each episode is reasonably fast paced and has tension writ all over it. The performances especially by the four women are good. The men put in decent performances. It shows you a different side to women who are probably in every other family carrying their own crosses!"[8]

Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak? on IMDb