* Khair's P.O.V *

What a beautiful thing marriage is , the way Allah brings together two strangers into an amazing relationship. Once we were strangers content living individual and single lives and now we have become better halves, not able to part from each other, a strange yet  beautiful feeling indeed.

Better half ....it reminds me of the time I had been walking with Shaakir one night on the beach front , and totally oblivious of Safwa's nearby presence he admired the moon and mentioned that I may find my better half on that full moon lit night. Laughing at what he said, I brushed it off , unaware that surely the love of my life, and my better half would be the very same girl that sat on a musallah, laid out on the beach sand, deep in contemplation, her face glowing under the radiance of the moon. Realising I was staring at her, I quickly lowered my gaze and scrathed the back of my neck awkwardly. Shaakir thought I had become embarrassed when I thought he was refering to his sister as my better half, little did he know that I was embarrassed because I was unconciously staring at her, and I was so grateful that he didn't realise and she was oblivious of my presence.
I was intrugued by her, for unlike many other girls who I had come across she never looked for attention from the opposite gender, she kept to herself, she was timid and shy, and what caught my attention the most was her obliviousness and her constantly being deep in thought. I wanted to know what it was that broke her, even though she tried to appear strong, somehow I noticed the distant, sad look in her eyes. Astaghfirullah for all the times I observed her and forgot about lowering my gaze.

Shaakir had been trying to play cupid all along, even though I had strongly reprimanded him, he insisted that he wanted his sister to marry me. I didn't have any problem with Safwa, she was the kind of girl I would'nt mind maryying, but I refused to concede to his wishes of proposing to Safwa as soon as I had arrived. It was an absurd idea , he was downright insane , she would think I'm some obsessed freak who just met her and wants to suddenly marry her.

When we had attended Khaleel's wedding I tagged along , acting as if I was oblivious about who he was , when in actual fact I knew very well as Shaakir had filled me  in on the details. I had requested to go along , as I wanted to gauge from her reaction if she was really over him , so I knew whether to propose to her or not. I know it was very kniving of me to do that , but it was the only way I would know what to do. Much to my happiness she seemed like she was over him and it looked as if she had already moved on a long time ago. My guess was she was distant and depressed because she regretted her previous actions , and she wasn't sure how to go about repenting for them.

After Khaleel's wedding when she sneaked out of the house , I had gone to the kitchen to get myself some water , concerned about her going out alone at midnight I followed her discreetly, and like always she was unaware of my presence. I made sure to keep a distance so that she didn't notice me , but at the same time I made sure to stay close enough to watch over her. When I saw the drunken man approach her ,  my heart began beating eratically and before I could stop myself , without realising my feet made their way to her on their own accord, my blood boiling I made sure to give the man a good lesson.

As I watched her on the balcony that night , beneath the radiance of the moon, a strong desire overtook me to make her mine. As I witnessed her hugging her knees , the sparkling tears dripping in succession , I wished there and then to comfort her and assure her that I would be her shoulder to cry on , her pillar and stregnth , but alas I had to wait quite a while for that to happen.

After my mother had left this world I was adiment on returning to South Africa with Khadija and my father and propising , knowing that Safwa was ready to give me a chance made it all the more better , and for some unknown reason I already had a positive feeling about.

All Praise be to Allah ! I do not regret my decision of making her my queen and in Sha Allah she will he my queen and companion in Jannah as well. I'm now over the moon to have my ocean lover wife by my side who brightens up my life , as well as my children who never fail to put a smile on my face. I supplicate to Allah to keep our bond as strong as it is , to increase our love and understanding, and unite us in Jannah.

And under the radiance of the moonlit sky , the soothing night , my better half I had found,

When the night was serene, when the skies were clear, when the stars twinkled. And now in this beautiful relationship we are bound.