Strong faith, red lipstick

Amid the hustle and bustle of charming domesticity that everyone is familiar with - the clinking of a spoon against a teacup, complaining about floppy toast for breakfast - actor Asma Abbas bared all to her fans about her 2018 cancer diagnosis. Taking to her vlog to film the most candid of videos in a sunlit lounge as she tucked into breakfast at daughter Zara's house, Asma recounted the moment she realised something was not quite right with her body.

"Something felt off," she recalled the Radd actor. "I couldn't figure it out, but of course, like all women, I ignored it." Making the well-heeled observation that women always place themselves at the bottom of their list of priorities after their families and careers, Asma added, "Women are always too busy taking care of everyone else. I'm the same. I didn't take it seriously at first."

A life-changing diagnosis

As soon as Asma took her doctor friend into confidence, however, she was told to get herself checked out immediately. From there began the slippery slope that began with a series of tests and culminated in the ultimate heart-stopper: a positive cancer diagnosis. Alarm bells started ringing in Asma's head - but not just about her health. As a staunch career woman, Asma's mind flew to her work commitments.

"I was shooting at the time, and I started worrying about work," confessed Asma. "I started worrying about the people I was shooting with and how I'd be letting them down if I disappeared for treatment."

However, a solution was at hand: Asma, who was working on two projects simultaneously at the time, was able to convince the team to wrap up her part of the work in 10 days. "I went to Pindi for treatment immediately after that," explained Asma.

Commencing treatment with Zara by her side as her rock, Asma casually recalled the harrowing bouts of radiation and chemotherapy she went through as she battled the deadly disease, choosing to stay positive every step of the way. The simple reason for her positivity in this bleakest of times? Her strong faith that this was all preordained.

"Lots of people asked me to go here and there - America, Shaukat Khanam, and so on - but I was convinced Allah would guide me through it all," noted Asma. "I knew that if Allah willed it, I would live, and if not, then I wouldn't."

Remaining positive in the bleakest of times

It was more than just her faith that kept Asma grounded. With her daughter by her side and a strong determination to always look her best, Asma showed how even the most painful of treatments can be made just a little brighter. "Zara was with me the whole time," recalled Asma fondly. "We both went for my treatment together. It was very painful, but my daughter was with me through it all."

Asma added - almost giving a supercilious side-eye to the ones who dared to mock her - that she had in the past been scorned online by her subscribers for her love for bold lipstick choices, but that their outlook on life couldn't be more wrong.

"This is what life is all about, you know," she said in her usual no-nonsense manner. "I have never shied away from it. Even during my treatment, I would always get up and put on red lipstick. Red lipstick, orange lipstick, pink lipstick, and colourful clothes. These are the colours of life!"

Proudly brandishing the colours of life during the bleakest of times, Asma explained that even her doctors would be taken aback by how well-dressed she was at all times. "I was always ready and looking my best, and the doctors were always surprised - they would ask 'Where is the patient?' I knew I had to stay positive."

Keeping faith

Being positive, of course, did not mean being automatically pain-free. "It was very painful," stressed Asma again. "There was about three or four months of treatment, and then I went to Lahore for my recovery. I couldn't walk. I couldn't move. But I had faith in Allah and a dua on my lips at all times. To anyone in my position, I would encourage you to do the same."

With Asma pausing in between for sips of tea and guests coming and going in the background, the simple picture of domesticity contrasted starkly with the account of a horrific disease and its potentially fatal consequences - a cruel reminder that yes, such a painful, life-changing diagnosis can strike literally anyone. However, Asma served up words of encouragement for her spellbound fans by reminding them to keep their faith burning strong.

"I have had nine operations," she said baldly. "Other than my heart, everything has been taken out! But by the grace of God, I am still with you. You know what has saved me every single time? My willpower. That, and my faith."

Saying a prayer for anyone else suffering from a cancer diagnosis, Asma urged her followers to think positively. "People always wondered if I was scared," she mused. "Of course I was scared! But I knew that with faith and a positive outlook, I would pull through. Allah gave me health and recovery. This has nothing to do with me. God wanted me to live, and that is why I am still here."

And with that gentle reminder to power through life with a strong dose of faith and sunshine, Asma went off to the kitchen to help her daughter with the stream of guests, continuing to live her post-cancer life to the fullest.