Asfand sighed in relief as he entered his room but was disappointed to not find Zubiya inside.

As he removed his watch and kept it on the dressing table, he found a folded sheet over it with his name written atop in red.

He unfolded the paper quickly and found it was a message to him from his wife.

Meet me at the terrace at 12.

~Zubiya

At 12? What is she doing up there at this time? He looked up at the clock and realized only 20 minutes were remaining before it struck 12. 20-minutes were enough for him to change out of his scrubs and take a shower.

He quickly grabbed a fresh set of black kurta-shalwar and headed to the shower.

As he climbed up the staircase he noticed the golden lantern hanging at the entrance.

It wasn't there before.

He slowed down his pace, not sure what he was going to find up there. Curious, to what Zubiya has been up to he climbed the rest of the stairs quickly but stopped short as soon as he reached the top.

He smiled softly at the vision in front of him.

Zubiya was asleep on the mattress that was laid at the centre, with just his brown shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

How on earth did she even get this mattress up here?

As he walked towards her he noticed that there was another lantern hanging just above the mattress and a couple of other strings wrapped with fairy lights hanging from it which was attached to the top shade above them.

She definitely had help.

Zubiya looked so ethereal with all the soft golden glow surrounding her.. she almost seemed as if she was an out-of-the-world goddess.

To his amazement he noticed photos clicked in polaroid camera hanging from the white strings.

His smile spread wilde as he read the caption below them. When Everything started; Engagement; Dating; Wedding; Turmeric function; Reception; First Anniversary -

"You just ruined my entire surprise! Do you realize how much trouble it has taken me to prepare all of this?" Zubiya softly asked as she slowly sat up from her reclined position.

"But who told you to take so much trouble to do all of this? And surprise? What surprise? It's not even my birthday today." Asfand asked her as he continued to look at the photos. He chuckled when he saw some really funny ones like the one where he was holding little Muskaan. But he was grimacing at the camera as Muskaan had just peed on him for the very first time.

"It's not necessary to give give surprises to your loved ones only on their birthdays or special events. It can be given at any time." Zubiya stated to him.

"Really?" Asfand asked raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yes. Now, get down here. Next to me." Zubiya said as she pulled Asfand by his right hand.

"Alright, my lady. As you wish." Asfand said as he sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

"Okay- okay. Enough. No more attitudes, please. Now, tell me this. How did you like my decorations?" Zubiya asked as she looked up at him expectantly.

"Hmm.. It's good.. for a beginner.." Asfand said thoughtfully.

"What?! This is not my first time! For your information let me tell you in all your birthdays-" Zubiya ranted furiously as she tried to remove his hand around her.

"Okay! Okay! I am kidding! You always get so fired up quickly. At least let me keep my hand around you." Asfand said as he tried to hold his furious wife in his arms.

"Wow. You expect me to not get angry while you constantly keep on irritating me. Now, that's very fair." Zubiya grumbled as she folded her arms.

"Okay! I am sorry. So, you were saying? Your decorations are really beautiful by the way. I am seeing these photos after many days. I don't even remember when I went through them the last time." Asfand said wistfully as he looked at the rest of the hanging photos.

"Which is why I planned all of this. To reminisce all good and worse moments of our lives. Or else as we will go ahead in our lives we will forget our past moments." Zubiya said.

"Not a bad idea, huh." Asfand said as he nodded his head at her to which he recieved nothing but an eye roll.

"Okay, look at this one. Our first ever photo together. This was taken on my first birthday that celebrated with you people and you had gifted me this polaroid camera. I think I was reading the instructions and you were telling me to leave it. In between all this Gaiti bhabi had already clicked a photo of us. This is the first photo of us together which she later showed me the next day." Zubiya described as she pointed at a photo while Asfand smiled wistfully.

It's already been a decade.

"And look at this. This is from our engagement. Look at your expression - why do you seem so guilty? Wait... Ohh - yeah! Faryal! Faryal had hugged you suddenly and you were scared if I minded!" Zubiya said as she chuckled. Asfand joined her soon after.

After reminiscing through all the photos of their dating period; after Muskaan's birth; their wedding, honeymoon and other photos till now for another half-an-hour they both cuddled into each other, covering themselves in a light blanket as they became lost in their own thoughts.

"We need more films for my camera. I have finished all in these few years. We need to get a new refill to capture moments of the new generation." Zubiya said softly.

Asfand turned to her confusedly. "But there are still 50 or so left. And Muskaan isn't that fond of taking photos."

"Yes. Which is why I'm talking about our baby. He or she has to be photogenic with me clicking their pictures, right?" Zubiya askied him back with a shy smile.

"What? Are you just telling me that you are- " Asfand almost whispered back, staring at her amazedly.

"Uh-huh." Zubiya whispered back as she nervously nodded her head at him.

"Uh-huh?! How- When? I mean, when did you get to know about this?" Asfand exclaimed as he was still in a shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had imagined this moment numerous times but witnessing it happening and actually living it was really surreal for him.

"Just a few days ago. Remember I told you years back that Gaiti bhabi somehow comes to know about everything? She was the one who suggested that I should probably get it checked." Zubiya said, laughing softly.

"If you came to know a few days back why are you telling me now? Why didn't you tell me as soon as possible?" Asfand asked shaking his head.

"I actually wanted to give you a surprise on your birthday. But I can't hide anything from you. Morever I didn't feel comfortable hiding this from you. You deserve to know just as me. Are you happy, though?" Zubiya asked nervously.

"Happy? Are you crazy? I will be the most happiest person you will find today. I feel as if I've already reached heaven. Don't you feel the same, Zubiya? This feeling is totally out of the world. A feeling that I just can't express in words." Asfand asked Zubiya with an amazed look on his face.

"Yes. When I got to know.. I couldn't believe it. But when I saw the results... Asfand, I am so happy. So much that I can't tell you." Zubiya said and hugged Asfand tightly close to her.

"Me too, Zubiya. Me too. Thank you."

Zubiya held a camera in front of her and shouted, "Muskaan, please. Say cheese!"

"Cheeeeessseee!" Muskaan squealed and posed for another photo.

"Zubiya, what did I tell you- " Asfand said as he stopped beside her.

"That I'm not supposed to stand for long?" Zubiya asked back.

"Yes. Now, let's go and sit somewhere." Asfand stated as he put his arm around her shoulders and tried to walk her around towards the near seats.

"But, I want to take some more photos." Zubiya pouted.

"Listen, you can click as many photos of Muskaan later on as well. Lets leave her for a while to play with her friends. And in the meanwhile why don't we take some rest?" Asfand suggested, as he slowly turned his wife towards the seats.

"We? Who we? You don't need any rest." Zubiya grumbled as she slowly sat down with Asfand's assistance.

Asfand rolled his eyes as he sat next to her.

"By 'we' I meant us." Asfand repeated again as he softly laid his palm on her huge baby bump.

Zubiya shook her head as she tried to hide her soft smile.