Scene One
Amana Superstore – An Unexpected Proposal
The afternoon crowd at Amana Superstore was thinner than usual. Imran stood near the customer service desk, going through a stack of invoices, when Sara approached him with an unusual expression.
"Sir… kuch log aap se milna chahte hain," she said.
"Suppliers?" Imran asked without looking up.
"Nahi sir. Nearest market ke shopkeepers hain."
Imran frowned slightly. "Unhein office mein bhej do."
A few minutes later, three men entered—middle-aged, respectable, faces familiar from the nearby market. Imran recognized them immediately: the owner of a small bakery, a cosmetics shopkeeper, and a stationary store owner.
"Assalamualaikum, Imran bhai," the bakery owner greeted warmly.
"Walikumassalam," Imran replied, gesturing them to sit. "Khayriyat?"
The stationary shopkeeper cleared his throat.
"Hum aik baat lekar aaye hain… thori si different."
Imran leaned back. "Ji, kahiye."
The bakery owner exchanged a glance with the others.
"Hum chahte hain ke Amana Superstore ke andar aik corner humein mil jaye," he said carefully. "Hum apne products yahin sell karein."
Imran blinked. "Andar?"
"Haan," the cosmetics shopkeeper added. "Customers already yahan aate hain. Aap ka store mashallah achi position mein hai."
Imran stayed silent, absorbing the idea.
"Aap ko rent bhi denge," the bakery owner continued quickly. "Aur profit-sharing bhi discuss ho sakti hai."
Imran rubbed his chin.
"This is… unexpected," he admitted. "Mujhe thora waqt chahiye sochnay ke liye."
"Bilkul," the men replied respectfully. "Hum kal phir aa jayein?"
Imran nodded. "Kal baat karte hain."
As they left, Imran sat back, heart pounding.
A corner inside Amana Superstore… yeh risk bhi ho sakta hai, opportunity bhi.
He picked up his phone instinctively.
---
Scene Two
Home Office – Partnership Through a Screen
Rimsha answered the video call from home. Fatima sat beside her on the sofa, playing quietly with blocks.
"Tumhari shakal se lag raha hai koi naya masla aa gaya hai," Rimsha said gently.
Imran smiled weakly. "Masla ya moka… samajh nahi aa raha."
He explained the shopkeepers' proposal in detail.
Rimsha listened carefully, occasionally nodding, occasionally asking questions.
"Corner ka area kitna hoga?" she asked.
"Ground floor pe jo unused space hai… billing ke paas," Imran replied.
"Footfall zyada hoga," Rimsha said thoughtfully. "Lekin brand identity ka kya?"
Imran paused. "Yahi dar hai."
Rimsha adjusted Fatima on her lap.
"Dekho," she said calmly, "agar tum control apne paas rakho—uniform display, same billing system—phir yeh expansion ban sakti hai, compromise nahi."
Imran stared at the screen.
"Tou tum keh rahi ho… consider karna chahiye?"
"Haan," she nodded. "Magar conditions ke saath."
He exhaled deeply.
"Tum ghar se baith kar bhi business chala rahi ho," he said softly.
Rimsha smiled. "Hum dono mil kar chala rahe hain."
Fatima suddenly looked up.
"Papa… phone," she said, pointing.
Imran laughed. "Haan beta, papa phone mein hi hai."
For a moment, stress gave way to warmth.
---
Scene Three
Kulsoom Aunty – Untold Pages of a Marriage
That evening, Kulsoom aunty sat in the courtyard, the sky painted in soft orange hues. Rimsha brought her tea and sat beside her.
"Ammi, aaj aap bohat chup hain," Rimsha said gently.
Kulsoom aunty stirred her tea slowly.
"Kabhi kabhi… yaadein zyada bolnay lagti hain," she replied.
She looked up at the sky.
"Hameed ke saath meri shadi bohat simple thi," she began. "Na koi bari rasmein, na shor sharaba."
Rimsha listened quietly.
"Pehli Eid pe us ne mujhe sirf aik jora dilaya tha," Kulsoom aunty smiled faintly. "Aur kaha tha—'aaj nahi, lekin aik din tumhein sab kuch doonga.'"
Her eyes filled.
"Us ne sab diya," she whispered. "Magar waqt ke saath mujhe yeh kehna bhool gaya ke mujhe us se kya chahiye."
"Kya chahiye tha, Ammi?" Rimsha asked softly.
"Bas saath," she replied. "Jab insaan jawan hota hai, samajh nahi aata… ke saath hi sab kuch hota hai."
Rimsha felt a lump in her throat.
"Hameed bohat kam bolta tha," Kulsoom aunty continued. "Lekin jab Imran paida hua… us din us ne mujhe dekha aur kaha—'ab hum poori family hain.'"
She closed her eyes briefly.
"Ab woh poori family mujhe yaad dila kar chala gaya."
Rimsha placed her hand over Kulsoom aunty's.
"Aap akeli nahi hain, Ammi," she said firmly.
Kulsoom aunty nodded slowly.
---
Scene Four
A Sudden Change – Fatima Falls Ill
That night, Rimsha noticed Fatima was unusually quiet.
She felt her forehead.
"Bukhar?" Rimsha whispered anxiously.
Fatima whimpered softly, curling into her mother's arms.
Kulsoom aunty came rushing.
"Kya hua meri bachi ko?"
"Shayad weather change ki wajah se," Rimsha said, worried. "Din garm, raat thandi."
Fatima began coughing lightly.
Rimsha immediately called Imran.
"Imran, Fatima ko bukhar ho gaya hai."
Imran's voice turned tense instantly.
"Doctor ke paas le ja rahi ho?"
"Haan. Abhi."
"I'm coming," he said without hesitation.
"Store ka kya?" Rimsha asked.
"Baad mein," he replied firmly.
At the clinic, Fatima clung to her grandmother tightly.
"Dadi…" she cried weakly.
Kulsoom aunty held her close, rocking her gently.
Doctor examined her.
"Seasonal flu hai," he said. "Koi ghabranay ki baat nahi. Lekin care chahiye."
Rimsha finally breathed.
---
Scene Five
A Grandmother's Night
That night, Fatima refused to sleep without Kulsoom aunty.
"She wants dadi," Rimsha said softly.
Kulsoom aunty smiled and lay down beside Fatima, stroking her hair gently.
"Main hoon na," she whispered. "Tum theek ho jao gi."
Fatima slept holding her grandmother's dupatta.
Imran watched from the doorway, eyes moist.
"Ammi…" he said quietly.
Kulsoom aunty looked up.
"Tum bhi chotay thay jab beemar hotay thay," she said softly. "Hameed tumhein isi tarah uthata tha."
Imran swallowed hard.
"Ab aap uthati hain," he replied.
She nodded.
"Zindagi ka silsila hai," she said.
---
Scene Six
Redefining Partnership – A Virtual Meeting
Two days later, Imran sat in the office conference room, phone propped up on the table. Rimsha appeared on the video screen, notes in front of her.
The shopkeepers sat on one side.
"As discussed," Imran began, "meri wife Rimsha bhi iss meeting ka hissa hain."
Rimsha nodded politely.
"Hum yeh partnership sirf tab karen ge," she said calmly, "jab Amana Superstore ka brand intact rahe."
She outlined conditions—uniform pricing, shared billing, limited display space, fixed contract period.
The shopkeepers exchanged impressed looks.
"Aap ne toh poori planning kar li hai," the bakery owner said.
Rimsha smiled faintly. "Business mein emotions se zyada planning kaam aati hai."
Imran felt a surge of pride.
After the meeting, he called her again.
"Tum ne kamal kar diya," he said.
Rimsha exhaled. "Yeh hum dono ki jeet hai."
---
Scene Seven
Maryam's Words – Faith and Balance
That evening, Maryam visited.
She listened carefully as Rimsha described everything—store pressure, Fatima's illness, Kulsoom aunty's memories.
Maryam held her hands.
"Tum sab kuch sambhal rahi ho," she said. "Lekin yaad rakho—sabr ka matlab yeh nahi ke khud ko bhool jao."
Rimsha nodded slowly.
"Har faislay ke baad," Maryam continued, "do rakaat shukar ke parh liya karo. Dil halka ho jata hai."
Rimsha smiled.
"Tum hamesha mujhe Allah ki taraf wapas le aati ho."
Maryam smiled back.
"Wahin se sukoon milta hai."
---
Closing Scene
Strength in Many Forms
Late at night, Imran and Rimsha sat quietly, Fatima asleep between them.
"Tum ne aaj phir mujhe sambhala," Imran said softly.
Rimsha shook her head.
"Hum ek doosre ko sambhal rahe hain."
Outside, the city lights flickered.
Inside, partnership had taken a new meaning—not just husband and wife, not just business partners, but companions through loss, fear, and hope.
And slowly, life was finding a new balance.
---
End of Chapter