Aima Baig turned 31 this week and judging by her latest Instagram post, she had a small celebration with the people who matter most whilst reflecting on her life in the spotlight rather than being out galavanting.

Dropping a carousel of snapshots from the day, she shared mostly selfies, a picture with fellow singer Asim Azhar, and a moment from a small cake-cutting surprise apparently organised by friends and colleagues while she was at work.

The post came with a lengthy caption in which the singer explained what the day actually looked like behind the pictures. Baig began by admitting she isn’t particularly fond of birthdays – unless they’re a moment to remember someone “gone but unforgettable”. The first person on her mind that morning, she wrote, was her late mother.

She said she woke up early, thought about her mother and spent some time reflecting before heading straight to work, something she jokingly described as a mix of “work”, “mazdoori (labour)” and occasionally “majboori (compulsion)”. Still, she added that she remains grateful to be able to live the dream she’s built through music, even if the journey has come with its fair share of public scrutiny.

“Thank God every day I get to live my dream… all because of y’all,” she wrote, thanking fans for what she described as a constant stream of “love and hate” that has, over time, become more entertaining than frustrating.