Scene One
Three Months Later – Time Slips Quietly
Time has a strange way of passing—sometimes crawling, sometimes flying. No one in the family realized how quickly three months had slipped by until the shape of Amana Mall itself told the story.
Where once there were raw columns and scaffolding, now stood defined floors, glass panels, escalator shafts, and clear outlines of shops and corridors. The sound at the site had changed too—less of deep drilling, more of finishing work: tiling, wiring, ceiling frames, paint samples.
Early morning sunlight reflected off the glass façade, making the structure look alive.
Imran stood at the site entrance, helmet under his arm, eyes scanning the building with quiet satisfaction.
"Waqt ka pata hi nahi chala," he murmured to himself.
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Scene Two
Chief Engineer's Pride – Ahead of Schedule
Inside the temporary site office, Chief Engineer Tahir spread out updated progress charts on the table. His face carried unmistakable pride.
"Sir," Tahir said confidently, tapping the chart, "agar isi pace par kaam chalta raha, toh hum schedule se kaafi aage nikal chukay hain."
Imran leaned forward.
"Kitna aage?"
Tahir smiled.
"Construction phase almost complete hai. Sirf finishing ka kaam reh gaya hai. Do mahine mein Amana Mall finishing stage mein enter kar jayega."
For a moment, Imran said nothing.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Alhamdulillah. Yeh team effort ka nateeja hai."
Tahir added,
"Sir, workers motivated hain. Design clear hai. Decisions timely mil rahe hain. Isliye kaam rukta hi nahi."
Imran replied calmly but firmly,
"Pace achi hai, lekin quality aur safety par aik percent ka bhi compromise nahi chahiye."
Tahir straightened.
"Bilkul nahi, sir. Aik aik cheez standards ke mutabiq ho rahi hai."
As Tahir left, Imran looked again at the massive structure outside the window.
Ahead of time, he thought. Magar zimmedari bhi utni hi barh gayi hai.
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Scene Three
Rimsha and Maryam – Excitement on Site
Late afternoon, a familiar car pulled into the site parking area.
Rimsha stepped out first, followed by Maryam. Both wore simple outfits, safety helmets placed carefully.
"Har baar naya lagta hai," Maryam said, looking up at the building. "Jaise har visit par mall grow ho gaya ho."
Rimsha smiled, excitement clear in her eyes.
"Kyunkay sach mein grow ho raha hai."
They walked inside with the site supervisor. Escalators were being installed, glass railings fixed, electrical panels tested.
"Yeh food court ka area hai," Rimsha said, pointing. "Lighting thori warm honi chahiye."
Maryam added thoughtfully,
"Aur family zone ke paas washrooms aur seating clearly visible honi chahiye."
The supervisor nodded, taking notes.
Imran joined them from another section.
"Tum dono jab yahan hoti ho na," he said lightly, "toh mujhe lagta hai design aur zyada clear ho jata hai."
Maryam smiled.
"Hum sirf dekh nahi rahe, feel bhi kar rahe hain."
Rimsha placed her hand on a newly tiled wall.
"Yeh sirf bricks nahi… yeh humari journey ka hissa hai."
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Scene Four
Imran's Routine – Consistency Builds Trust
Imran's routine had become almost ritual.
Early mornings at the site.
Midday meetings at the office.
Evenings revisiting progress reports.
Late nights answering calls.
Workers noticed.
"Sir roz aate hain," one laborer whispered to another. "Isliye hum bhi dil se kaam karte hain."
Imran didn't raise his voice often. He didn't rush people unnecessarily. But his presence alone carried authority.
One evening, he stopped near a group finishing plaster work.
"Thak gaye ho?" he asked gently.
A worker smiled.
"Sir, thakawat ka ehsaas tab hota hai jab kaam bekaar ho. Yeh kaam acha lagta hai."
Imran nodded silently, heart heavy with gratitude.
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Scene Five
Unexpected Visitor – A Police Patrol
One ordinary afternoon, as site activity continued, a police vehicle slowed near the entrance. Uniformed officers stepped out, scanning the area as part of routine patrol.
Among them was DSP Haroon.
Imran noticed him and walked forward in surprise.
"Haroon bhai?" he said. "Aap yahan?"
Haroon smiled, adjusting his cap.
"Patrol par tha. Socha zara dekh loon ke shehar ka naya landmark kaisa ban raha hai."
They shook hands warmly.
Haroon looked around, genuinely impressed.
"Imran," he said honestly, "yeh kaam sirf business nahi lagta… yeh discipline aur vision ka result hai."
Imran replied humbly,
"Bas koshish kar rahe hain, bhai. Allah ka karam hai."
Haroon walked a little further, observing safety measures, organization, signage.
"Har cheez rule ke mutabiq hai," he said approvingly. "Aaj kal yeh rare hota ja raha hai."
Rimsha and Maryam joined them.
Maryam smiled.
"Haroon, tumhein pata hai, yeh har din naya lagta hai."
Haroon chuckled.
"Lag toh mujhe bhi raha hai ke main kisi developed city ke project par khara hoon."
Turning to Imran, he added sincerely,
"Proud of you. Tum sirf apni family ke liye nahi… shehar ke liye misaal ban rahe ho."
Imran felt something tighten in his chest—not pride, but responsibility.
"Yeh appreciation bohat qeemti hai," he said quietly.
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Scene Six
Evening Reflections – Quiet Gratitude
As the patrol vehicle left, the site slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
Rimsha stood beside Imran, watching workers wrap up for the day.
"Unexpected tha," she said softly. "Haroon bhai ka yun aana."
Imran nodded.
"Lekin unke lafz… unka yaqeen… woh yaad rahega."
Maryam added thoughtfully,
"Jab mehnat khamoshi se ho, toh tareef bhi sachhi hoti hai."
They stood there for a while, the building towering above them, sunlight fading into evening.
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Closing Scene
Running Ahead, Staying Grounded
Three months had passed without announcement. Time hadn't knocked—it had simply moved.
Amana Mall was running ahead of schedule.
The team was confident.
The family was united.
And the vision was clearer than ever.
Chief Engineer Tahir's words echoed in Imran's mind: "Finishing stage… do mahine."
Yet Imran knew—speed was a blessing only when paired with sincerity.
As he walked out of the site that evening, he looked back once more.
The structure stood firm, patient, and promising.
Just like the people building it.
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End of Chapter