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After bringing tears to many an eye with his performance as Tabish in the last episode of Aap Ki Izzat on Saturday — and no, we will not be giving any spoilers — Ahsan Khan took a moment on Sunday to appreciate the show and everyone who worked to make it happen.

In a post on his Instagram account, the actor said the show “was not merely a drama” for him, but represented “a defining journey in my career, a chapter that challenged me, inspired me and ultimately became a new beginning”.

He thanked producers Momina Duraid and Nina Kashif first for helping bring such a story to TV screens. “Our society needs stories that make us reflect and look within,” Khan said.

He appreciated Kashif in particular as a friend and thanked her for trusting him with the show’s lead character.

Next came director Saife Hasan, whom the actor called “an asset, not just to the project, but to everyone fortunate enough to work alongside you”.

The longest tribute was naturally reserved for Khan’s co-lead Urwa Hocane. “I could not have done what I did without you beside me. Your presence as my co-actor brought out the best in me and allowed Tabish to truly shine,” he said.

The actor called Urwa “supremely talented, an exceptional actor, a beautiful human being and a truly cherished friend”.

Their co-star Sania Saeed got a more light-hearted ode from Khan for “finally becoming my mother on screen instead of my heroine”.

He commended the other actors on the show for their work, “brilliant, effortless and extraordinary as ever” and said a “heartfelt thank you to my entire crew: every technician, spot boy, helper and every member working tirelessly behind the scenes,” calling them the backbone of every performance.

Lastly, the actor thanked the writer of Aap Ki Izzat, Umera Ahmed, for penning such a meaningful script. “Your words gave this story its soul and its truth,” he said.

While last weekend marked the end of the saga of Tabish and Beena, Khan’s fans need not worry because the programme replacing Aap Ki Izzat on HUM TV is none other than his classic pre-Partition period-piece Aangan, which will be airing again after its successful 2018 run.

The show — which is directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and based on a 1962 novel by Khadija Mastoor — stars Urwa’s sister Mawra, Ahad Raza Mir, Sajal Ali and Sonya Hussyn alongside Khan.