Suraiya was born in Gujranwala, Punjab (Pakistan) to the owner of a small furniture shop. Later her father moved to Lahore and Suraiya[2] was taken to Bombay on the request of her mother, maternal grandmother and uncle. No one heard of Suraiya's father again after that time.She attended New Girls' also known as J.B. Petit High School for Girls, in Fort, Mumbai. She received religious Islamic teachings in Persian at home.