Scene One
Early Afternoon – Home, 1:00 PM
Time had been moving quietly these days, measured not in hours but in Rimsha's breaths.
It was exactly 1:00 PM when Rimsha felt it—
not the usual discomfort she had grown familiar with,
but a deep, heavy pain that started low in her belly and spread slowly, firmly, unmistakably.
She gripped the edge of the bed.
"Allah…" she whispered.
Another wave came, stronger this time.
Rimsha closed her eyes, her forehead damp with sudden sweat.
This was different.
This was not fear.
This was arrival.
She tried to call out, but the pain stole her voice for a moment.
"Imran…" she finally managed, her voice trembling.
Imran, who had been sitting nearby going through some papers from the mall, looked up instantly. The moment he saw her face, his heart skipped.
"Kya hua?" he rushed to her side.
Rimsha held his wrist tightly. "Imran… pain… bohat zyada."
Imran didn't hesitate even for a second. He checked the time, his hands shaking despite himself.
"Ammi!" he called out loudly. "Ammi, please jaldi aaiye!"
Kulsoom aunty appeared at the doorway, already sensing what was coming. One look at Rimsha, and she knew.
"Waqt aa gaya?" she asked calmly, though her heart raced.
Rimsha nodded weakly.
Kulsoom aunty immediately moved with purpose. "Imran, gaari nikalo. Bag tayari hai?"
"Yes, Ammi," Imran replied, already moving fast.
Another contraction hit.
Rimsha cried out softly, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes—not from pain alone, but from the overwhelming realization that life was about to change again.
Kulsoom aunty held her face gently. "Beta… himmat rakho. Allah tumhare saath hai."
---
Scene Two
On the Way – The Rush to the Hospital
The car sped through Islamabad's roads, traffic lights blurring past.
Imran's knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
"Bas thori dair, Rimsha," he kept saying. "Bas thori dair."
Rimsha leaned back, breathing as taught during the prenatal sessions, though every breath felt heavier than the last.
Kulsoom aunty sat beside her, holding her hand, softly reciting:
"Ya Allah… asaani farma…
Ya Rab… rehmat farma…"
Fatima had been left at home with a neighbor aunty, sleeping peacefully, unaware that she was about to become an elder sister—again.
Rimsha's mind drifted briefly to Fatima.
Ya Allah… meri beti ko salamat rakhna… aur is bachay ko bhi.
Another sharp pain.
Imran glanced back anxiously. "Hospital aa gaya."
---
Scene Three
Hospital – Labor Room Entry
The hospital doors slid open.
Nurses rushed forward with a wheelchair.
"Patient name?" one asked quickly.
"Rimsha Imran," Kulsoom aunty replied.
Within moments, Rimsha was taken inside the labor ward. Imran walked alongside until the nurse stopped him.
"Yahin rukiye, sir."
Imran froze.
That helpless moment—when a husband must let go—hit him hard.
Rimsha looked back at him, fear flickering in her eyes.
Imran leaned close. "Main yahin hoon," he whispered firmly. "Kahin nahi jaa raha."
Kulsoom aunty kissed Rimsha's forehead. "Beta… sab theek hoga."
The doors closed.
Imran stood still, staring at them, as if willing them to open again.
---
Scene Four
The Call – Maryam Informed
Minutes passed.
Then more minutes.
Kulsoom aunty sat beside Imran in the waiting area. She checked her phone, then looked at him.
"Maryam ko bata dete hain."
She dialed.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three.
Maryam picked up.
"Assalamualaikum, Baji," Maryam said, unaware.
Kulsoom aunty's voice was calm but urgent. "Walikum salam, Maryam beta… Rimsha ko labor pain shuru ho gaye hain. Hum hospital aa gaye hain."
There was a pause.
"Ya Allah…" Maryam whispered. "Hum abhi nikalte hain."
"Jaldi aa jana," Kulsoom aunty replied. "Dua karna."
Phone disconnected.
Maryam immediately turned to Haroon. "Rimsha hospital mein hai."
Haroon didn't ask questions. "Gaari nikaalta hoon."
---
Scene Five
Waiting – A Test of Patience
The waiting room clock ticked loudly.
Imran paced back and forth, stopping every few steps, sitting down, standing up again.
Kulsoom aunty remained seated, her tasbeeh moving steadily between her fingers.
"Ammi…" Imran finally spoke, his voice heavy. "Agar—"
She stopped him gently. "Beta… agar magar Allah ke kaam mein nahi laate. Sirf yaqeen."
Imran nodded, swallowing hard.
After almost an hour, the doors still didn't open.
Then footsteps echoed.
Maryam and Haroon arrived, breathless.
Maryam rushed forward. "Kya hua? Rimsha kaisi hai?"
"Abhi labor room mein hai," Imran replied.
Maryam placed a hand on his shoulder. "Allah behtar karega."
Haroon stood quietly beside Imran, his presence steady, reassuring.
---
Scene Six
Two Hours Later – The Moment
Time slowed.
Two full hours passed.
Then suddenly, the labor room door opened.
A woman in a white coat stepped out.
Dr. Samina.
Everyone stood up at once.
Imran felt his heart climb into his throat.
Dr. Samina removed her mask slightly and smiled.
"Mubarak ho," she said warmly.
Imran froze. "Doctor…?"
"Aap ko ek pyari si beti hui hai."
For a second, no sound came out of Imran.
Then—
"Alhamdulillah…" he breathed, tears instantly filling his eyes.
Maryam clasped her hands together. "Ya Allah tera shukar!"
Kulsoom aunty's lips trembled as she raised her hands. "Shukar hai mere Rab ka… shukar."
Haroon smiled quietly, his eyes moist.
"How is Rimsha?" Imran asked urgently.
"Wo theek hai," Dr. Samina assured. "Thaki hui hai, lekin dono bilkul safe hain."
Imran felt his knees weaken. He leaned against the wall, overwhelmed.
---
Scene Seven
Fifteen Minutes Later – The First Hold
The nurse came out gently, cradling a tiny bundle wrapped in soft pink cloth.
"Father?" she asked.
Imran stepped forward, almost afraid to move.
"Yes… main," he said.
The nurse carefully placed the newborn into his arms.
So small.
So warm.
So real.
Imran looked down at his daughter.
Her eyes were closed. Her lips moved slightly, as if dreaming.
"Assalamualaikum, meri beti," he whispered, his voice breaking completely.
Tears rolled freely now.
Maryam smiled through her tears. "Bilkul Rimsha jaisi lag rahi hai."
Kulsoom aunty leaned closer, her hands shaking as she touched the baby's cheek.
"Meri nani… meri duaon ka jawab."
Haroon placed a respectful hand on Imran's shoulder. "Mubarak ho."
Imran looked up, pride and gratitude filling his face. "Shukriya… sab ka."
---
Closing Scene
A New Beginning
Outside, the afternoon sun shone gently.
Inside the hospital corridor, life had been reborn.
Pain had turned into prayer.
Fear into faith.
Waiting into joy.
Somewhere, Rimsha rested, unaware that her daughter was already wrapped in love.
And somewhere at home, Fatima was still asleep—
not knowing that when she woke up,
she would wake up as an elder sister.
The cry of a newborn had rewritten everything.
A new chapter had begun.