Scene One
A Calm Morning – Rimsha Returns to Work
A week had passed since the day that quietly changed Rimsha's life forever. The house had returned to its normal rhythm, but inside her, everything felt new. The morning light slipped through the curtains as Rimsha stood before the mirror, adjusting her dupatta carefully.
She placed her hand gently on her stomach, smiling to herself.
"Ab sirf meri zindagi nahi hai," she whispered softly.
"Ek aur zindagi bhi hai mere saath."
From the doorway, Imran watched her with a fond smile.
"Ready ho?" he asked gently.
"Thakawat to nahi?"
Rimsha turned toward him.
"Bilkul theek hoon," she replied.
"Doctor ne bhi kaha tha ke agar main comfortable hoon to kaam shuru kar sakti hoon."
Imran nodded, satisfied but still protective.
"Phir bhi, agar zara si bhi tabiyat heavy lage, mujhe foran batana."
She smiled.
"Promise."
Kulsoom aunty appeared from the corridor holding a glass of milk.
"Office se pehle yeh peena zaroori hai," she said firmly.
Rimsha laughed lightly and took the glass.
"Ji Ammi."
After breakfast, Rimsha and Imran left for Amana Superstore together. Rimsha felt a strange mix of excitement and nervousness—returning to work after such big news felt like stepping into the world with a new identity.
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Scene Two
Amana Superstore – A Normal Start to an Unusual Day
At exactly 10:00 a.m., their car stopped at the gate of Amana Superstore. As usual, staff members greeted them respectfully.
"Good morning, Madam."
"Good morning, Sir."
Rimsha smiled warmly, responding to everyone. Nothing seemed unusual. No balloons, no banners—just another regular working day.
"Lagta hai sab normal hai," Rimsha said quietly to Imran as they walked inside.
Imran nodded casually.
"Haan, bilkul normal."
But his eyes carried a secret sparkle.
They moved toward their office first. Kashif soon entered with files.
"Welcome back, Madam," he said politely.
"Reports ready hain."
"Shukriya, Kashif," Rimsha replied.
"Please leave them here."
For the next hour, Rimsha went through reports, checking stock levels, sales performance, and staff schedules. She felt good—focused, capable, and confident.
Still, something felt… off.
"Imran," she said suddenly, looking up from the files.
"Aaj cafeteria mein zyada staff kyun ja raha hai?"
Imran shrugged lightly.
"Shayad koi internal meeting hogi."
Rimsha raised an eyebrow but returned to her work.
---
Scene Three
The Cafeteria Door – A Moment Frozen in Surprise
Around 11:30 a.m., Imran stood up.
"Chalo," he said casually.
"Cafeteria chalte hain. Coffee peete hain."
Rimsha hesitated.
"Abhi? Kaam—"
"Kaam baad mein," Imran interrupted gently.
"Doctor ne kaha hai breaks zaroori hain."
Reluctantly smiling, Rimsha followed him.
The moment Imran opened the cafeteria door, everything changed.
"Surprise!"
The cafeteria erupted with applause and cheerful voices. Colorful balloons floated above, light pink and white ribbons decorated the walls, and right in the center stood a beautifully decorated table.
On it was a cake.
Big, bold letters written clearly on top:
"MOM TO BE"
Rimsha froze.
Her hand instinctively flew to her mouth.
"Yeh…?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
Staff members smiled warmly. Saba stepped forward.
"Congratulations, Madam," she said happily.
"Yeh sirf ek celebration nahi… ek dua hai."
Tears instantly filled Rimsha's eyes.
"Imran…" she turned toward him, overwhelmed.
"Tum ne yeh sab—"
Imran smiled softly.
"Meri zindagi ki sab se khoobsurat khabar ke liye… yeh to choti si khushi hai."
---
Scene Four
The Pink Sash – A Shy Smile
Imran picked up a pink sash from the table. Written on it were the same words:
"Mom to be"
He held it out playfully.
"Yeh pehno."
Rimsha shook her head shyly.
"Please, nahi… sab dekh rahe hain."
Staff members chuckled lightly.
"Madam, please," Saba said gently.
"Yeh din zindagi mein baar baar nahi aata."
Imran leaned closer.
"Sirf aaj ke liye," he whispered.
"Meri khushi ke liye."
Rimsha looked around—the smiling faces, the genuine warmth, the respectful joy—and finally nodded.
"Achha… sirf thori der."
As Imran carefully placed the sash over her shoulder, applause broke out again.
"Mom to be! Mom to be!" someone cheered softly.
Rimsha laughed through her tears.
---
Scene Five
Cake Cutting – A New Identity
Imran handed her the knife.
"Tum karo," he said firmly.
"Yeh tumhara moment hai."
Rimsha placed her hand on the knife, Imran's hand gently covering hers.
Before cutting, she spoke softly.
"Main kabhi nahi socha tha ke meri zindagi itni khamoshi se itna bada tohfa de degi," she said, her voice trembling.
"Allah ka shukar… aur aap sab ka shukriya."
"Ameen," everyone replied together.
The knife sliced through the cake, marking the beginning of a new chapter.
As cake was distributed, laughter filled the cafeteria. Rimsha sat carefully, sipping juice, while staff members congratulated her one by one.
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Scene Six
Maryam Arrives – Sisterhood in One Glance
Just as the celebration began to settle, the cafeteria door opened again.
"Sorry, late ho gayi," a familiar voice said.
Rimsha turned—and her face lit up.
"Api!"
Maryam stepped inside, slightly out of breath, still in her simple yet graceful attire.
"I tried to come earlier," she said, walking toward Rimsha.
"Traffic bohat tha."
Rimsha stood up immediately, hugging her sister tightly.
"Mujhe bohat khushi hui ke aap aa gayi," Rimsha said softly.
"Chahe thora late hi sahi."
Maryam cupped Rimsha's face lovingly.
"Meri choti behn… ab maa banne wali hai," she said with pride.
"Allah tumhein aur tumhari amanat ko apni hifazat mein rakhe."
"Ameen," Rimsha whispered.
Imran greeted Maryam respectfully.
"Thank you for coming, Api."
Maryam smiled.
"Is khushi mein na aati to shayad khud ko kabhi maaf na kar pati."
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Scene Seven
A Quiet Corner – Sisterly Talk
Later, as the crowd thinned, Maryam and Rimsha sat together in a quiet corner.
"Darr to lagta hoga," Maryam asked softly.
Rimsha nodded honestly.
"Thora sa… lekin saath hi bohat sukoon bhi hai."
Maryam held her hand.
"Tum akeli nahi ho. Main hoon. Haroon hai. Ammi jaisi Kulsoom aunty hain. Aur Imran—"
She smiled.
"Woh to pehle hi tumhara saya ban chuka hai."
Rimsha looked toward Imran, who was speaking with staff nearby.
"Allah ne mujhe bohat nawaza hai," she said quietly.
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Scene Eight
A Day to Remember
As the day moved toward afternoon, the decorations were gently taken down, but the happiness remained.
Imran walked up to Rimsha.
"Thak gayi ho?" he asked.
"Thori si," she admitted.
"Magar dil bohat khush hai."
"Phir chalo," he said gently.
"Office ke baad seedha ghar."
Maryam smiled at them both.
"Apna khayal rakhna," she reminded Rimsha.
"Ab tum sirf Rimsha nahi rahi."
Rimsha smiled, touching the sash once more before removing it carefully.
"Ab main 'Mom to be' hoon," she said softly.
And in that moment, surrounded by love, respect, and quiet prayers, Rimsha felt ready to embrace the future—one gentle step at a time.
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End of Chapter