The story of Momin Khan and Sheerin begins with two brothers. Their friendship and love for each other stood above all other things in life. Soon, one after the other, they were both married and started an independent life of their own. Being busy with their growing families and work, they were unable to spend time with each other as often as before. One day, after seeing each after a long time, they both admitted that they were drifting apart slowly and promised each other that if one person had a daughter, and the other had a son, they would marry them to each other so their families could reunite. 
As time would have it, the older brother had seven sons and finally, a daughter who he named Sheerin. The younger brother had a single son, who he named Momin. As they children grew, they were told of their pre-arranged marriage and they waited for the right time to marry. 
They were still young, when illness struck Sheerin’s father and he died soon after. Her oldest brother, Zabardust Khan took over as head of the family.
Soon Momin finished his education and began to live an independent life. In the years of being promised to Sheerin, he had grown fond of her as she had grown fond of him. They had spent their life idolizing each other and now waited for Zabardust Khan to fulfill the promise their father had made to each other. Zabardust Khan, on the other hand, showed no interest and ignored the matter altogether. Conscious of the unnecessary delay, Momin Khan sent a Jirga of elders and friends to discuss the matter with Zabardust Khan.
The reason behind Zabardust Khan’s reluctance was a personal grudge against Momin, for both their fathers had shown more love to him, Momin being an only child and the one who was to marry Sheerin. Besides, Momin had no wealth to his name and Zabardust Khan planned to marry Sheerin to one of his wealthier friends. 
When the Jirga question him as to why he was delaying the wedding, he said, “I have no objection to the marriage. There could be no better man than Momin as my brother in law. The wedding will proceed as soon as he is able to provide us with twelve kilograms of gold.”
Knowing that Momin’s disposition would not allow such as expense, Zabardust Khan was immensely pleased with his clever way of breaking the engagement. To his surprise, the Jirga accepted his demand and left.
Momin was eagerly waiting for the Jirga to return to his house. He paced nervously and kept glancing towards the door until the men showed up. They congratulated him first for they said that the deal had been made. Momin’s heart began to burst with happiness until they announced the amount of gold that he was to provide before the wedding. He knew he had no means to fulfill such a demand but there was little he could say now. He thanked the men of the Jirga for their time and escorted them out with respect. Then he gathered his friends and tried to formulate a plan. The only solution they could come up with was for them to go to the kingdom of the Mughals beyond the Indus and try their luck in Hindustan.
Momin and his loyal friends began the journey the next morning with a heavy heart. Sheerin had heard of her brother’s unjust demand and understood the reason behind it. She sent an urgent message to Momin just as he was about to leave, reassuring him of her love and promising to wait for him for as long as it took. The message lifted his spirits and Momin left the city with great hope.
After days of travelling, they came upon a princely state on the border of Hindustan where wrestling was very popular and their Nawab’s favorite sport. Momin joined in for a couple of matches for entertainment and to see if they could earn some money. He turned out to be good at the sport and soon began to master it. Within a week, his skill caught the attention of the others and they took him to the matches played for the Nawab. There, he displayed his strength and prowess as well until the Nawab asked his men to bring the new man to him. 
While Momin was in the court of the Nawab, he received a message from the great kingdom’s king to either pay forward the past two year’s taxes or get ready for war. The entire court set off in panic and voices rose in fear.
Momin immediately stood and offered his services. He also asked for permission to negotiate with the king on behalf of the Nawab. After a long discussion, it was decided that Momin, along with some trusted disciples of the Nawab would go to negotiate with the king. And so, Momin set of on another journey.
Upon reaching the great kingdom, they were walking through the bazaar when Momin saw a goldsmith's shop and went to inquire about the cost of twelve kilograms or what he could barter in return for it. 
While talking to the goldsmith, he saw a camel pass by, led by a royal servant. On top of the camel was a palanquin carrying a beautiful young girl who was crying uncontrollably. Momin asked the goldsmith where the carriage was going. He said that their town was terrorized by a giant snake that came to attack their citizen. The only way to keep the snake away was by sacrificing a girl and sending her to an open field outside of town every day. Today, he said, was the king’s daughter’s turn because the people were angry at having to send their daughters all this time.
Momin got up and followed the camel towards the field. Once it stopped, the royal servant helped the princess down and left with the camel. The princess saw Momin and said, “Do you not know that this is the snake’s land? He will be here any minute and eat me as well as you. Run away while you can.”
Momin replied, “I will not leave you here alone, and if the snake comes, he will have to eat me first.”
They looked around but nothing came. It grew dark, and deep into the night, they began to hear a hiss nearby. Momin stood next to the princess and drew out his sword. Soon, the hiss turned into a quiet slithering sound that seemed to come from all around them. Momin jerked his head this way and that until he saw a flash of glittering scales come close and retreat into the darkness. He jumped in the direction the snake went and saw two green eyes reflect at him in the dark. He ran back to the princess just as the hungry eyes flashed towards the princess but Momin held it back by stabbing the snake before it sank its dripping fangs into the princess’s arm. The snake turned towards Momin with crazed eyes and slithered madly towards him. Momin ducked and lay on the ground as the snake jerked forward and he pushed his sword up and outwards into the snake. The point of the sword entered from inside the open mouth of the snake and left out the top of its head. The giant snake writhed and hissed and after some time, fell with a thud.
They both waited for the light of the morning and began to walk back to the city at sunrise. When they reached the king’s palace, Momin walked with the princess up to the king. He was ecstatic to see his daughter alive and when she told him how bravely Momin had fought the snake and saved her, he bestowed on Momin titles of bravery and wealth beyond his imagination and married his daughter to him as well.
After the week of celebrations was over, Momin took as much of his gold as he could and with his old friends, travelled back to his old village. He promised the princess that he would be back as soon as he could. 
A few miles before the entrance to the village, Momin told his friends to settle for the night and that they would enter in the morning. He put his gold and wealth in his own tent and when his friends were asleep, he got up and walked towards Sheerin’s house in the dark. 
He walked up to the windows of the bedrooms and glanced in. The entire family was asleep on mattresses on the floor and his eyes settled straight on Sheerin’s sleeping face. He was so overcome by love that he opened the window and sneaked in. He walked up to her and reached out to stroke her face. Sheerin’s eyes shot open at the touch, and thinking it was a thief, she got up screaming. Her brothers scattered to their feet and pinned the man down. They scuffled together in the dark, the noise and screaming drowning out Momin’s cries as he yelled out his name. One of the brothers brought out his sword and slashed at the body until it stopped moving. 
They brought out a candle to see who it was and lying in the blood, wounded and still, was Momin. Sheerin began to scream in disbelief and grabbed one brother after the other, shaking him and crying. The night passed by in wails and accusing fingers.
That morning, the funeral procession of Momin Khan brought out the entire village that came to see the man. One of his friends went to tell the king and princess in Hindustan. The princess came as fast as she could and reached the funeral just as they were lowering the body into the grave. She broke down in tears at the sight and cried by the grave.