**Scene 1: Dawn's Gray Return**
*(Richmond Kitchen – 8:00 AM EST)*
Rain streaked the windows as Maryam scrubbed Eid's last *biryani*-stained pot. Ayesha yawned over coffee, her gaze drifting to Ammi's spice jars lined like sentinels on the counter.
**Ayesha** (stirring sugar violently): *"Five a.m. *jetlag* is *haram*, I swear."*
**Maryam** (drying hands): *"Amina's been up since four chanting *'Dadi? *Dadi?'*...*"*
Suddenly, Imran's voice boomed from the living room:
**Imran**: *"*Ammi on video call! *Jaldi ao*!"*
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**Scene 2: Digital Dua's**
*(Living Room – 8:15 AM)*
The tablet screen flickered. Ammi's face filled the frame—soft morning light haloing her *dupatta*.
**Ammi** (voice crackling): *"*Assalamu Alaikum! Sab theek?*"*
**Khadija** (lunging for screen): *"*Dadi*! Mr. Bunny misses you!"*
**Amina** (poking tablet): *"*Dadi… *ghee*?"*
Ammi laughed, her eyes crinkling. *"*Alhamdulillah*! *Sabar*, Amina—Dadi mailed *ghee*!"*
**Irfan** (adjusting camera): *"We landed safe, Ammi. *Your duas* worked."*
**Ammi** (leaning closer): *"*Beta*, I stayed awake *all night* waiting. *Nazar utaro*—sprinkle salt!"*
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**Scene 3: Kitchen Confessions**
*(Screen Split – Kitchen/Living Room – 9:00 AM)*
Maryam held the tablet while Ayesha washed dishes.
**Ammi** (eyeing sink): *"*Dekho*! *American soap* wastes water! *Lota* is Sunnah!"*
**Ayesha** (holding up sponge): *"Ammi, Richmond has *water police*!"*
**Maryam** (whispering): *"She *sees* everything…"*
**Imran** (calling out): *"Tell her about *Babar's chicken nuggets*!"*
**Ammi** (horrified): *"*Nuggets*? *Kya shaitaniyat hai*?"*
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**Scene 4: Generational Gossip**
*(Living Room Couch – 9:45 AM)*
Khadija monopolized the screen.
**Khadija**: *"*Dadi*, Hamza drew on Abbu's *passport*! And *Chachi* burned *parathas*!"*
**Maryam** (blushing): *"*Khadija*! *Traitor*!"*
**Ammi** (chuckling): *"*Beti*, Maryam's *burned parathas* are *Eidi* for crows!"*
**Hamza** (waving drawing): *"*Dadi*, I made *Gulabo in Jannah*! *Rainbow grass*!"*
Ammi's eyes glistened. *"*Mashallah*… *Allah* keep her there."*
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**Scene 5: The Silent Exodus**
*(Living Room – 10:30 AM)*
One by one, the men vanished.
**Irfan** (edging away): *"*Emails*… *urgent*."*
**Imran** (fake-yawning): *"*Jetlag nap*!"*
**Ayesha** (calling after): *"*Janab*, *chai* won't brew itself!"*
**Ammi** (smirking): *"Men flee *video calls* like *djinns* from *Surah Baqarah*!"*
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**Scene 6: Spice-Scented Secrets**
*(Kitchen – 11:00 AM)*
Maryam showed Ammi her garden through the window.
**Maryam**: *"*Jasmine sapling*'s planted, Ammi. Near the *roses*."*
**Ammi** (leaning close): *"*Beti*… *truth*. Does Irfan *help*? Or *American men* just *grunt*?"*
**Maryam** (blushing): *"He… *tries*. Washed *one dish* yesterday!"*
**Ayesha** (snorting): *"And broke *two*! *Progress*, *not perfection*."*
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**Scene 7: Dua's Over Data**
*(Screen – 11:45 AM)*
Ammi's voice softened, filling the quiet kitchen.
**Ammi**: *"*Ayesha, Maryam… *listen*."*
She raised weathered hands. *"*Ya Allah*, protect my *children* in *foreign skies*. Wrap them in *rizq*, *sukoon*. Make their *kitchen* smell of *Karachi's love*…"*
Ayesha gripped Maryam's hand. Tears streaked the flour on her cheeks.
**Khadija** (whispering): *"Why's *Ammi* crying?"*
**Maryam** (holding her): *"*Dua's* are… *heavy rain*, jaan. They *clean* souls."*
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**Scene 8: The Unbreakable Connection**
*(Final Moments – 12:15 PM)*
Ammi touched the screen.
**Ammi**: *"*Khadija*, *Hamza*—*study hard*. *Amina*, eat *ghee*! And *Maryam*…"*
Maryam leaned in.
**Ammi**: *"Your *shahadah*… still *stronger* than Karachi *chai*?"*
**Maryam** (teary smile): *"*Alhamdulillah*, Ammi. *Stronger every day*."*
The call ended. Pixelated silence swallowed the room.
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**Scene 9: Uniforms & Unspoken Goodbyes**
*(Laundry Room – 8:00 PM)*
Maryam ironed Khadija's school dress. Ayesha sorted Imran's suits.
**Ayesha** (holding Irfan's shirt): *"*Karachi's dust* still in the *cuffs*."*
**Maryam** (steaming pleats): *"Should we… *not wash it out*?"*
**Ayesha** (smiling sadly): *"*Nazar*'ll steal it anyway."*
**Khadija** (dragging blanket in): *"*Chachi*, I can't sleep. *Dadi's dua* is *stuck* in my head!"*
**Maryam** (tucking her in): *"Good. *Dua's* are *invisible armor*, beti."*
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**Scene 10: Midnight Rituals**
*(Kids' Bedroom – 10:00 PM)*
Ayesha smoothed Hamza's curls. Maryam tucked Amina's Quran under her pillow.
**Amina** (sleep-murmuring): *"*Dadi… *ghee*…"*
**Maryam** (kissing forehead): *"*In dreams*, jaan."*
They paused at the door—two silhouettes guarding sleep-softened battles.
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**Scene 11: The Last Press**
*(Master Bedroom – 10:45 PM)*
Maryam ironed Irfan's tie. Ayesha folded Imran's socks.
**Ayesha** (holding up sock): *"*His *big toe* will *revolt* tomorrow."*
**Maryam** (smiling): *"Karachi spoiled us. *Loud hearts*, *slow time*…"*
She touched her hijab—Ammi's parting gift, embroidered with jasmine vines.
**Irfan** (sleepily): *"Coming to bed, *habibti*?"*
**Maryam** (turning off iron): *"*Ha*. Just… *pressing Eid* into *Monday*."*
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**Scene 12: Echoes in Silence**
*(House – 11:30 PM)*
The house slept. Rain whispered secrets to Ammi's jasmine sapling outside.
In the kitchen, the spice jars glowed like amber in moonlight—*zeera*, *dhania*, *haldi*—whispering:
*"We are here. You carried *Karachi* in your palms."*
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