Mahira Khan is embracing a new chapter in her life. The Pakistani actor, who is expecting her second child, recently opened up about experiencing pregnancy again after 17 years and how different the journey feels this time around.Mahira became a mother for the first time in her 20s when she welcomed her son Azlan with then-husband Ali Askari. The couple, who got married in 2007, parted ways in 2015. Years later, Mahira found love again and married businessman Salim Karim in 2023.Now, almost three years into her second marriage, Mahira is preparing to welcome her second child. She announced her pregnancy on social media and later made her baby bump debut at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where she also spoke about the apprehension she felt about making such a personal moment public.For her TIFF appearance, the ‘Raees’ actor chose a dark-hued saree from Aafrinish by Niazi, featuring intricate detailing and paired with an embroidered dupatta. She completed the look with statement earrings, glam makeup and her hair styled in a loose braid.In an interview with Images Dawn, Mahira was asked whether she was nervous about revealing her pregnancy at TIFF. The actor’s answer was “yes and no”. She explained that she is a private person, which made the idea of sharing such an intimate part of her life with the public somewhat daunting.Mahira also admitted that she was particularly conscious of what she would wear, as walking a red carpet while pregnant brought its own set of considerations. However, she eventually realised that she no longer wanted to hide the changes happening to her body and felt more comfortable embracing them.The actor also reflected on the striking contrast between her two pregnancies. Mahira was 24 when she was pregnant with Azlan, whereas she is now 41. She feels that not just her age but her outlook on life, her emotional state and her physical experience have changed considerably.“The last time I was pregnant I was 24. I’m 41 now, so I’m literally a different woman … emotionally, physically, in every possible way. Pregnancy has been different this time around. At 24, I think I went through pregnancy with a certain innocence. I was excited, my health was great, and perhaps I didn’t think too much about everything that could happen. I just went with it.Mahira said the second pregnancy has been more demanding physically, even as she feels more emotionally aware of what she is experiencing. Used to a life filled with work and travel, the actor said she has had to adjust to moments when her body does not keep pace with what her mind wants to do.At the same time, that greater emotional awareness has also made her more conscious of how precious and fragile the experience is. Mahira acknowledged that her life was already well established, with a grown-up son, a career, routines and independence, and she had imagined what this phase of her life would look like.“I have a grown-up son. I have my work, my routines, my independence. I had a version of what I thought this stage of my life was going to look like. To suddenly find myself starting this journey again after all these years has required a real emotional adjustment as well. You imagine a lot of things for yourself and for your life, and this wasn’t necessarily one of the things I had imagined at this point. But we plan and then God plans, and of course His plans are supreme.“For Mahira, the unexpected pregnancy has ultimately become a lesson in letting go of the need to have every aspect of life planned. She described the experience as teaching her about surrender and accepting that some of life’s biggest moments arrive when they are least expected.
