THIRD PERSON'S POV:

"Have you informed Amma?" Anwar asked and Maryam shook her head without looking at him.

"Which shirt, white or blue?" Maryam asked as she was going to iron his clothes for next morning

"Blue" He replied without looking at her and kissed Hamdan's head who was sleeping

"Tell me if you need anything." Maryam nodded on that ordering tone and finished her work in some ten minutes then lay down on bed taking Shifa in her embrace.

Maryam and Anwar both were facing each other, Shifa and Hamdan were sleeping between them. Anwar was silent and Maryam was just watching his face which was showing the same tensed expression which he was holding since the time, when doctor confirmed about Maryam's pregnancy.

"Suniye" she whispered

(listen)

"Hmmm" He hummed and looked at her

"Ek baat puchhu?!" Maryam said in almost no voice

(shall I ask you something)

"Agar zaruri nahi hai to mat puchho"

(if it's not important then don't) he said and closed his eyes

"Zaruri hai" Maryam mumbled and he again open his eyes

(it's important)

"Puchho" that was an order

(Ask)

"Aap.. Aap khush nahi hain na!"

(you... You aren't happy. Right?) Maryam said in slow voice and Anwar keep watching her for a good moment.

"Ye kesa sawal hai? Zyada mat socho so jao" that was a ruthless order as usually He turned his side and soon slept, but that made Maryam tensed.

(what's this nonsense? Don't think so much and sleep now)

===============

After few days :

(Evening time)

"Really Amma? Why you haven't told me before?" Rani asked to her mother with surprised expression on her face

"Yes Really... Anwar told me in the morning" Amma confirmed and Rani smiled.

"This is the first time when we heard a good news after bhai's marriage" Rani said with a smile.

"What good news!!? Even I'm tensed.." Amma said to Rani. "what happened amma? Why are you tensed?" Rani asked at the same time Maryam entered in the room with tea and snacks

"I'm thinking will it be son or daughter" Amma said and Rani looked at Maryam.

"May it will be a boy, not girl" Amma said and Maryam was shocked...

"Ameen" Rani said with a smile.

"And if it's a girl then?!" Maryam couldn't stopped herself to ask, placing the tray of tea in front of Rani.

"Bibi agar ladki apni maa par chali gai to Allah hi rehem kare hamare khandan ki izzat par" Amma said and Maryam was numb, she wasn't expecting any like that

(If the girl will resembles her mother then, may almighty do mercy on the reputation of our family)

Maryam didn't said anything and moved towards the room, 'will my daughter do the same which I have done in my past??' she asked to herself and picked Shifa from the bed.

"She is my little doll, may she never got any problem in her life." Kissing and embracing her daughter Maryam asked to almighty for shifa's good future and sat down on bed with tear filled eyes.

"Mummy" Hamdan comes to Maryam and she hummed in reply

"Ma'am said that we have to make a card for our mummy" Hamdan said and Maryam smiled.

"Really? Will you make a card for me?" Hamdan shook his head on the question

"I'll make a card for my mummy, she will be happy" Hamdan said happily and Maryam nodded with a half smile.

"Yes she will be very happy, her son is such a nice boy" Kissing Hamdan's cheek Maryam said and Hamdan smiled proudly

"But when will my mummy come back?" Hamdan asked and Maryam shrugged her shoulders. Even after six months of her mother's death he was still missing her.

"Hamdan you didn't tell me what happened in your school? Have you play with your friends or not?" Maryam asked to divert his innocent mind and she got success in that.

"Mummy I made a new friend, he is very fast runner..." Hamdan was saying and Maryam lay down taking Shifa in my embrace and Hamdan beside her. He was narrating the whole story and Maryam didn't realise when she slept. But after some half an hour or less her slumber got disturbed when she listened Hamdan's crying sound. She got up with a jolt and followed the voice just to find Hamdan crying after slipping on the already wet floor and Rani's son was standing with him

"What happened?" Maryam asked, Rani and her mother also came towards them.

"Hamdan what happened babu, stand up, good boy" Maryam said while wiping his tears and he informed the he fell down while running with his cousin brother, because the floor was wet.

"Don't cry beta..." Rani said and kissed Hamdan's cheek but Maryam was standing as if she was the culprit, in the time being Shifa started crying and Maryam scoot towards the room, she was trying to stand up but fell down and bust her head with the headboard.

"Shifaaaa.... My baby..." Maryam embraced her kissed her cheek, Maryam went to courtyard carrying her daughter who was still crying.

At the same time Anwar entered in the home, and looked at the scene.

"She is her own daughter, that's why she is talking her care more than Hamdan. Can't you take care of a innocent boy? What were you doing? And why the floor is wet?" Amma shouted on Maryam and hugged Hamdan.

"Amma I never do...." Maryam didn't said anything further as she knew there won't be any benefits

"Hamdan, see Shifa is saying that her Hamdan bhai is not a strong boy that's why he is crying" Maryam's words hit the little man's ego, he suddenly looked at Maryam and Shifa who was crying.

"No Shifa I'm a strong boy, see I'm not crying, but you are crying you are not a strong girl" Hamdan said and Maryam smiled while rocking Shifa to hush her

"What happened why they both are crying" Anwar asked and every got to know that he was present there.

"Both brother and sister fell down and bust their heads" Maryam said while looking at Anwar and he nodded

"Hamdan show me what happened to my beta." kneeling down in front of his son Anwar checked his knees and Maryam moved towards kitchen to heat up food for everyone. She was holding Shifa in one arm and working with other hand but suddenly she started feeling dizziness, to protect herself she held kitchen counter.

"What happened?" she listened a voice and turned to saw the owner, she was Amma

"Amma I'm feeling dizzy" Maryam informed and she nodded, but...

"This will continue to happen.... It's not a big deal..." Amma said and Maryam listened without uttering any word.

"Haven't you make rice?" Opening the pot to check that Amma asked and Maryam shook her head.

"I just made roti for dinner" she replied in slow voice.

"Very nice... I already told you that Anwar takes roti as well as rice in dinner, but you don't have to listen anything" Amma shouted on Maryam and she held the kitchen counter as she was feeling still dizzy.

"What happened Amma?" Anwar came inside the kitchen and asked her.

"Ask to your wife... I told her to make rice as well as roti but she only made roti" Amma complained to Anwar in angry tone

"It's okay Amma.... If you wanna eat rice she will make rice for you" Anwar asked his mother and she shook her head

"You know na.. I don't eat rice in dinner I was saying for you" Anwar nodded on that and left the kitchen, and Maryam served dinner for everyone.

===============

Anwar was laying on the bed and Hamdan was straddling on his abdomen, narrating his father the whole story of the day, and Shifa was rolling and crawling on the bed. She made her way towards Anwar and placed her tiny chubby palm on his chest.

"Shifaaaa...., come here" Hamdan said and kissed her cheek after leaning towards her. She chuckled and jumped when Hamdan talked to her.

"Papa see Shifa always laugh when I call her this" Hamdan said happily and Anwar caressed his head

"Shifaaaa...." She again laughs and Hamdan become happy of his little sister's chuckle

"Shifa say Hamdan bhai" He instructed, and little Shifa was standing on her knees resting her both hands on the chest of her step father

"Baa" She tried to repeat the words, at the same time Maryam entered in the room with a tray in her hand which was holding a single cup of tea. Placing the cup of tea on side table she neither said anything nor wait to listen, just turned off the lights and lay down on her side taking Shifa in her embrace.

"Where is your tea?" Anwar asked and Maryam opened her eyes.

"I'm feeling nausea with tea, even with its smell" Maryam mumbled and Anwar turned his head towards her.

"Hamdan come on, it's already late, now sleep" Anwar instructed his son and he nodded and lay down beside Anwar to sleep.

"Why You didn't had your dinner properly?" Anwar asked in the same rude tone while sipping his tea, but Maryam was surprised that he noticed about her appetite, she only had four or five bites that too half heartedly

"I don't like egg plant" looking at her husband's face she said in whispered and again closed her eyes. Anwar didn't utter a single word and keep caressing Hamdan's head, soon he slept. Anwar was remembering how his mother and Rani was scolding Maryam.

"Maryam, Maryam utho (wake up)" Anwar ordered her in the same rude tone and she opened her eyes with great difficulty

"Ji" she murmured

"You must be hungry, Do you want to eat anything else?" He asked and Maryam nodded.

"Chicken" She demanded in soft voice and Anwar sat down on bed then nodded with the same expressionless face, and soon he went out from the room after picking his bike keys.

Maryam was watching the door from where he left and complaining her present life with past.....

She was in fourth month of her pregnancy and feeling hungry, making herself stand she went to the kitchen but didn't got anything to eat, she made her way towards the stairs to went to Aatish's room, and he was sleeping peacefully in his room without thinking about his wife's condition.

"Aatish.. Aatish... Wake up, please" She shook his and and he woke up.

"I'm very hungry, please bring me something to eat" She asked and he glanced at clock.

"Rose at this time I'll not get anything, sleep now I'll bring whatever you want but tomorrow" In sleepy voice he mumbled and slept again

"Aatish... Please I'm very hungry" She said and Aatish snoring slowly by then

"Aatish... There isn't anything in my kitchen to even cook" She shook his shoulder while saying that and he opened his eyes

"Rose let me sleep.... I'm tired" He said and Maryam made her way to out from the room but before going upstairs her gaze went to the, fridge which was placed in kitchen. She stepped in the kitchen like burglar and open the fridge to find out something to eat but she didn't realise when she drop the knife stand, which made a terrific thud. Maryam got scared and started picking up the knife stand from floor

"What are you doing here?" she looked up on the whispering voice

"What happened?"

"Nothing Ammi, I'm warming milk for Gudiya" Aatish's bhabhi yelled in reply and looked here there to check the presence of her parent-in-law

"Bhabhi I'm very hungry.... And I don't have anything to eat. I was just trying to... find out something to eat" Maryam informed her and she felt sorrow for Maryam.

"I said to Aatish to bring me something but he is not listening" Maryam added and cried.

"Don't cry, take this and go from here... " Aatish's bhabhi said to Maryam while giving her left over food from the fridge and she nodded while crying.

"Maryam.." She turned to go but stopped by the call.

"Ji bhabi?!" (yes)

"Please don't tell to Aatish or anyone that I give you food" She pleaded in terrified whisper and Maryam tried to gulp her tears but couldn't

"Now I understand why people become thief, because of their hunger.... I'm feeling like a thief while searching food for myself" Maryam said in mumbling voice

"Don't cry and please go from here if anyon..."

"Maryam...."

She came out of her trance when Anwar patted her shoulder lightly.

"Hmm.."

"Where are you lost? I'm calling your name since a minute" He said and Maryam suddenly sat down on the bed. Anwar passed her a poly bag and she made her way to the kitchen to transfer the food to the plate, and came back to room in some two minutes.

Sitting on the bed she started feeding herself and remembering the time when she just use to crave of each and everything in her first pregnancy. Anwar was sitting beside Maryam resting his back against headboard, busy in remembering how he use to take care of Saba. After her death he forgot to smile, even after many months of his second marriage his smile was still offered with him. But suddenly he came out of his trance when listened a sob and turned his head towards Maryam who was eating but crying too

"Maryam what are you crying for?" He asked and Maryam looked at him but shook her head in reply without uttering a single word whipped her tears with the back of her palm before lifting another bite. Maryam was crying because she was remembering about Aatish how he use to treat her but Anwar was treating her in a better way. He sacrificed with his sleep to bring the thing for which Maryam was craving.

"If there isn't anything then why are you crying?" Anwar asked with frustration. He was missing Saba so he become angry on Maryam, but Maryam turned towards him and on the spur of the moment hugged him. Anwar who was angry just a moment ago become shocked. Her head was resting on his chest and both arms were wrapped around his ribcage, and she was crying with hiccups.

"Aap bohot achhe hain" Anwar sighed on that statement and closed his eyes, while resting his head to headboard. he forgot about his rage and frustration.

(you are very kind)

"Roya mat karo, kuch chahiye ho to bta diya kro!" He said in same rough tone, after wrapping his one arm around her shoulder and she keep crying, hiding her face in his chest. Anwar didn't asked about the reason as he thought that was a pregnancy mood swings, but that wasn't mood swing but her true feelings, which were developed in heart after comparing Aatish with Anwar

(Don't cry, tell me if you want anything!)

"Maryam... Don't cry" Maryam break the hug and sniffed while nodded.

"I'll go to Surat for three days" Anwar informed her

"When?" she asked

"Next month, I have some work there" He replied in the same rough tone while laying down on bed, and Maryam nodded

"Finish this soon, it's already cold" Anwar commanded in same offhand manner and Maryam nodded.

=============

Again the same question...

How is this part?

Liked it or not?

Now a good news....

😁

My dear MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN won 3rd position in The Reader's Choice Award 2020.

😎

Thanks for voting and nominating my work.

It's all my work but books are yours

❤️❤️❤️

_Naaz Jamal