"Ammi, have some fruits." passing a bowl of fruits to his mother Athar ordered before sitting beside her.

"Madiha nhi aayi abhi tak?" she asked and Athar shook his head. Today Madiha and Athar had different shifts so Madiha was late to come back. He took his mobile out from the pocket to call his wife but at the same time Madiha walked inside the room with a bag full of fruits and passed a disappointed look to her husband.

(Madiha hasn't come yet?)

"Ab kya kar diya mene jo aese ghur rhi ho?" knowing very well that he got this look only after making some mistakes he asked and Madiha ignored while walking towards the bed.

"Darwaza band karna bhul gya hoga." Said the lady and Athar smacked his forehead but looked at his mother.

(Must have forgotten to close the door.)

(How do you know?)

"Ammi, are you feeling better now?" Madiha asked while sitting beside her mother-in-law and the old lady nodded. 

"Aap fruits khaiye main khana banane jaa rhi hu." Madiha passed a tiny yet tired smile and shook her head.

(have fruits, I'm doing to prepare for dinner.)

"Abhi abhi to aayi ho, thaki huyi hogi, kuch deyr araam kar lo."

( You have just come, you must be tired, take some rest.)

"Ammi pehle kaam kar leti hu, Araam karne ke liye puri raat hai." with this statement Madiha walked out of the room and Athar saw his mother grimacing while mumbling something.

(Mom, I'll do my work first, I have the whole night to rest.)

"Ammi?" this call was a question in itself and she started having fruits without saying anything. "Ammi, tell me what are you thinking about Madiha?"

"Iski maa ne agar usi waqt rishta qubul kar liya hota to aaj halaat alag hote. Na ise itne mushkile dekhni padti na tumhe itna intezaar karna padta."

(Back then, if her mother had accepted your marriage proposal, the situation would have been different today. Neither she have to face so many difficulties nor you have to wait so long.)

"kya kar sakte hain? Qismat me yahi likha tha."

(What can we do? It was in our destiny

He sighed in a dismissal manner as he did not want to give his mother any reason of stress. She was already not in a good condition. For four days she was hospitalized because she had a heart attack, fortunately, she was out of danger but not completely fine. Arif and Farha had shown their real color due to which the old lady went to this condition. 

Athar and Madiha decided to take her along and now, after almost a month, Madiha made her place in her mother-in-law's heart however the old lady didn't express her love in words.

"Ammi, your medicine." Madiha walked inside the room and passed the medicine box to her mother-in-law and turned to go back in a hurry but stopped on the door only by a question "Abhi kya bana rhi ho?" asked the old lady.

(what are you cooking for dinner?)

"Abhi... Mix veg, kal hum dono wohi le jayenge lunch me."

(For dinner... Mix veg, tomorrow we both will take the same for lunch.)

"Sabzi mujhe de do, cutting chopping ka kaam main kar deti hu." stepping out of the bed the old lady said and walked towards Madiha.

(Give me the vegetables, I'll do the cutting and chopping.)

"Ammi, aap araam kariye."

(You take rest)

"Theek hu main, sara din araam hi karti hu." Athar and Madiha looked at each other but said nothing, they silently followed the lady to the kitchen like her subordinates.

(I'm fine, I so nothing but resting whole day.)

Athar placed a chair for his mother, she started chopping and Madiha started making roti. This man was feeling happy to see the two most important ladies of his life together. Life was looking perfect for him just one place was still empty which was choking him from inside...

"Athar, where are you lost?" Madiha scolded him "Hmm?"

"Ammi is saying something."

"Yeah Ammi?"

"Main soch rhi thi ab wapas chali jau... Bohot din ho gye yaha rehte rehte."

(I am thinking to do back, I'm here for a long time.)

"Kyu Ammi, koi takleef hai yaha?" before Athar could reply Madiha asked her mother-in-law while making roti and the old lady sighed.

(Why Ammi? Do you have any problem here?)

"Mujhe to koi preshani nhi hai tum logo ko mere yaha rehne se preshani ho rhi hai..."

(I don't have any problems but you people are having problems due to me.)

"Aapse kisne kahi ye bekaar baat?" Athar asked.

(who told you this nonsense?)

"Main dekh rhi hu, Madiha media wajah se thak jati hai."

(I'm already witnessing, Madiha gets tired due to me.)

"Mujhe aadat hai Ammi, main nhi thakti. Mujhe achha lagta hai aapke paas baithna, aapse baate karna, aapke liye kuch banana." Madiha smiled while rolling another roti and putting it on the hot pan.

(I am used to it, Ammi, I don't get tired. I like sitting next to you, talking to you, cooking something for you.)

"Saas ki khidmat karna bhi kisi ko achha lag sakta hai bhala?" without looking at Madiha the old lady asked. She was indirectly presenting her doubt in Madiha's statement but Madiha smiled sadly.

(Can anyone like looking after a mother-in-law too?)

"Main aapko saas samajh ke khidmat nhi karti... Mujhe lagta hai Allah ne mujhe ek aur baar mooqa de diya maa ki khidmat kar ke jannat kamane ka... Bas isi liye aapki khidmat karti hu." 

(I do not think of you as a mother-in-law, I feel that Allah has given me one more chance to earn heaven by serving a mother... That's why I look after you.)

"Saas aur Maa me koi farkh nhi hota kya?"

(Isn't there any difference between mother in law and mother?)

"Hota hai." Madiha muttered and placed the last roti in the box then started cleaning the kitchen slab without even looking at anyone.

(There is a difference.)

"Kya farkh hota hai?" asked Athar and Madiha smiled sadly looking at her mother-in-law.

(what's the difference?)

"Jab Ammi ki khidmat karti thi to wo duaye deti thi..."

(My Ammi showered me blessings when I used to look after her...)

"Duaye to main bhi deti hu, bas tumhare samne nhi..." Madiha looked up at her mother-in-law who opened her arms for both Madiha and Athar.

(I also bless you but not on your face.)

Athar was the first to hug his mother but Madiha took a long minute to believe that the surreal scene playing in front of her eyes was real. Taking a small step forward she stood in front of her mother in law. She left Athar and stood up in front of Madiha, taking her in a motherly hug she caressed her head. Athar smiled and took the both ladies into his embrace, he was so happy to see this scene but three of them were disturbed by his ringing mobile. 

"Hello," he received the call. 

"Oh... Okay!" the smile on his lips vanished for a moment and his expressions turned soft then he glanced at his wrist watch. "Right now?" he asked and both the ladies looked at each other as if trying to understand the matter of discussion but couldn't.

"Okay, I'm coming." he cut the call and looked at Madiha with a big grin. "I'm coming back in half an hour." he walked towards the bedroom followed by Madiha. "but where are you going?" she asked and Athar turned to see her. 

Placing his arms around her waist he slightly pull her closer, Madiha hurriedly looked behind, her mother-in-law was still in the kitchen her back was facing their bedroom. Seeing her concern Athar clothed the door with his foot and focused on his wife.

"I will tell you everything after coming back." whispering that he placed his lips on hers and Madiha closed her eyes with a deep breath, before she could relish this moment the small peck was ended on a sweet note. "I love you, Athar."

"Love you more." kissing her cheek he took a step back and left. Holding her blushing cheeks Madiha went back to the kitchen and started cleaning the platform one more time.

"where Athar has gone?" his mother asked and Madiha shrugged. "he didn't tell me."

Both the ladies started working together, Madiha prepared dinner and her mother-in-law made salad. Both the ladies did not realise when one hour passed in between their talks and works and a doorbell grabbed their attention. 

<><><><>

One Hour Ago

Athar took a seat in front of a middle aged lady and waited for her to finish the ongoing phone call. "Assalamualaikum." Athar smiled and the lady nod her head with the same smile while ending the call. 

"Day before yesterday, early in the morning a baby girl was found on our doorway, through cctv footage we found the man who left her here." she said and Athar nodded. "He is a poor man already having three daughters, another daughter is nothing but a burden on him, he wanted a son but since it's a daughter he doesn't want to raise her." Athar patiently heard and understood the rest of the case. 

"Can I adopt her?" he asked and the lady nodded. "After settling down the legal formalities with that man I immediately called you."

"Can I see her?" Athar asked and after only a few minutes a lady brought that little girl in her arms. 

"Ma'am, I just need assurance that her parents or anyone else won't claim for her custody in future."

"It won't happen. Everything is legal! We have NOC of his biological parents that we can transfer her custody to anyone, and I found you the best." Athar smiled and nodded. He had visited this orphanage more than four five times but all the girls present there were above 2, but Madiha and he wanted a younger child so that they could experience the every single milestone of her growth. Athar was already in contact with the staff of the orphanage, moreover he covered some articles regarding orphan children in the magazine so he had good contacts with the management of the orphanage. 

Athar took the baby in his arms and kissed her forehead. "We need to do some legal formalities, the papers are all ready just need your signatures." said the lady and Athar looked up.

"Yeah sure, let me see and sigh."

"According to the Indian constitution a single father can't adopt a girl, so the papers required your as well as your wife's signature along with a copy of their identity cards." the lady said and Athar look at the baby in his arms. He did not want to give her back just because of a damd signature. 

"Can I take her home right now and bring my wife tomorrow for the legal formalities?" asked Athar and the lady thought for a few seconds then nodded. She would never hand over a baby to anyone like this but since it was Athar so she showed trust in him and let him go. 

<><><><>

Madiha looked at the door and then towards her mother-in-law. "Athar is back." she walked towards the door and opened it to get a shock. He was carrying a baby. 

"Sambhalo apni beti ko." he said in hushed tone and placed the baby in Madiha's arms. She was not ready for this surprise but shifted her eyes from her husband's face to this little girl. 

(here is your daughter.)

Madiha could not help herself, her eyes filled with tears to see this baby in her arms. She was a week old, dusky baby with a fine nose and pink lips. Madiha looked at her husband and he pulled her in a hug. "Aren't you Happy?" she just cried and Athar kissed her head.

"I don't know... I don't know anything, Athar." she was so confused that forgot the appropriate words to react and just cried on her husband's chest. "Ammi" Athar looked at his mother who was seeing the scene but he did not separate his crying wife from his chest. She needed emotional support and as a husband, he was there for this work. 

"We adopted her," Athar told the whole story to his mother who smiled and opened her arms. Madiha broke the hug and passed the baby to the old lady who blessed her while embracing her.

"I thought you wouldn't be happy with this decision either."

"Betiyan rehmat hoti hain... Rehmat ke aane par ghar me khushiyan manani chahiye, nakhush hone ka kya matlab hai?" Athar was emotional after seeing this moment. Just a few hours ago only this place was empty in his life and now he was feeling complete.

Three ladies are most important in life. 

A mother who holds paradise under her feet.

A wife is half of the iman and partner in paradise.

And ...

A daughter who raises the status of her loving father in paradise.

Today he got these three ladies who were bringing all goodness to his life.

<><><><>

After a few Months

Only today Athar told his mother the court case and she was shocked to hear that. Madiha changed her daughter's clothes, made milk for her and handed over to her mother-in-law. 

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" she asked Athar who shrugged. "Because it's not important. Nothing will happen. So don't worry."

"Aap bas dua kriyega..." Madiha whispered and placed a kiss on the cheek of her sleeping daughter.  

(Just pray for us.)

"Allah Hafiz." Athar also whispered and kissed his daughter walking out of the home. Today was the heading of the case and both the husband and wife were tensed because only a few days ago they got a notice from Danish regarding a theft.

Danish was accusing Madiha of the theft of 10 ounces of gold jewellery and 5,00,000 cash. The cherry on the cake... The papers that state this already have the signatures of Madiha, they were the same papers that Danish made her sighed in the police station. He didn't do anything big just added two lines in the whole matter. One line stated that Madiha had stolen 10 ounces of gold jewellery and 5,00,000 cash from his home and the next line stated that only 1 ounce of gold and 50,000 cash was recovered from her. However the second was true. At the time of leaving Danish's home she was wearing 1 ounce of gold jewellery and in anger she took 50,000 cash but she returned that to Danish in the police station.

Athar was assuring Madiha that nothing wrong would take place but deep down he was also scared. He knew that no one can do anything in the matter of divorce, if Madiha did not want then no one could send her back to Danish but in the case of theft Madiha could go behind the bars. And it was not easy for him to compensate for such a big amount because the EMI of home was already breaking his back. But this time Madiha was not weak like before, she was ready to fight against Danish in every possible way because now she was seeing a happy life with her family. She was not ready to go away from this satisfactory life in which she spends a tiring day but at night her husband shows her love in different ways, sometimes he brings her ice cream, and sometimes flower, sometimes nothing just a good night kiss and sometimes he messages her head or shoulder to give her some relief. On the other hand, her daughter was bringing new joys to her life. Her life was becoming perfect so Danish's chapter needed a permanent closer soon! 

<><><><>

Hello all...

I don't know what the hell I'm writing in this book🤦🏻‍♀️ I truly don't know.

So bear with it...

Bye bye