Forever His

Chapter 66: What's The Gender?

Mahnoor's POV:

The guests start trickling in one by one, each carrying brightly wrapped gifts or bags with adorable bows and ribbons. I greet a few of them, directing them toward the gift table we set up near the decorations.

Once most of the guests arrive, I decide it's time. I excuse myself and head upstairs to bring Ayesha and Farjaad down.

When I open the door to their bedroom, I find Ayesha sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand gently cradling her baby bump. Farjaad is by her side, wearing the most ridiculous combination of a pink T-shirt and blue sweatpants. The contrast is so hilariously bad that I can't help but snort.

Farjaad grins. "Fashion icon, right?"

"Totally runway-worthy," I deadpan, motioning for them to get up. "Come on, everyone's here. Time to dazzle."

Ayesha smooths out her simple white dress, looking radiant and glowing as she stands. I offer her my hand for support, even though she insists she doesn't need it. "I can manage," she says, but there's a fond smile on her face as she takes my hand anyway.

As we walk down the stairs, I glance at her. Her eyes are wide, taking in the setup Shahmeer and I worked so hard on. The balloons, the bunting, the food table—it all looks even more vibrant under the sunlight.

When we reach the bottom of the stairs, Ayesha's eyes begin to glisten with tears. She lets out a soft, shaky laugh as her hand flies to her mouth.

"No, no," I say quickly, stepping in front of her. "Don't cry! It's a happy occasion."

She sniffles, wiping at the corner of her eye. "I know, it's just—" Her voice cracks. "My dad would've been so happy if he was here."

I pause, my heart squeezing at the sadness in her voice. I've never known how Ayesha's father passed away—Farjaad once told me it was tragic, and that they had been incredibly close. But I've never asked her about it, not wanting to bring up something she might not be ready to share.

Instead, I place my hands gently on her shoulders and tilt my head toward the sky. "Look up," I tell her softly.

She blinks at me, confused, but does as I say. The sun shines brightly above us, rays filtering through the fluffy, scattered clouds. It's beautiful—peaceful in a way that words can't quite capture.

"He's watching us," I say, my voice calm but certain. "He's watching you. And I'm positive he's extremely happy right now."

Ayesha stares at the sky for a long moment, her lips trembling. Then she looks down at her bump, caressing it gently, before lifting her gaze back to me. A big, radiant smile spreads across her face, lighting up her features in a way that makes my heart ache with both happiness and longing.

She steps forward and hugs me tightly, catching me a little off guard. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

I hug her back, smiling softly as I pat her on the back. "Alright," I say, pulling away with a teasing grin. "Now stop being all mushy and emotional. You're supposed to be the glowing mom-to-be, not the weepy one!"

She laughs, dabbing at her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm done crying."

"Good." I gently usher her toward the garden. "Now, go stand behind the table with Farjaad. It's showtime."

She chuckles and does as I say, with Farjaad trailing close behind her. Once they're in place, I grab the speakerphone I had stashed under the table earlier.

Taking a deep breath, I press the button to amplify my voice. "Hi, everyone!" I say, glancing around at the crowd of smiling faces. "I'm Mahnoor, and today we're here to celebrate Ayesha and Farjaad as we finally find out the gender of their little bundle of joy."