That night, after Taalim and everything, the boys had a get-together.

Since their elder brother would be leaving for the East district the next day, they had to spend their last hours together, because they didn't know when he'd visit again. He was always very busy with his work at the East district, and also supervising the City's main masjid among other things.

Some people said, he'd take over his father's position in the council soon enough. This was because, he was among the most influential in the East district, aside the proprietress of the famed Iqra Complex.

Even though he saw to most of the projects being undertaken in the district as a whole, he made sure to have his own business venture, a café, as he also supervised the main masjid of the City Tâ Hâ.

East district was the largest among the four districts as it actually comprised the part of the island from its east to the central portion, where a grand and lustrous masjid was built to represent the City.

Another reason for their meeting was that, Arkaan would be leaving to Ukashah's place the same day he left.

The boys were sad over departure, but had fun a lot that night under the treat of Ismaîl. He made them have an overnight game and eating spree, under the permission, sought after great difficulty though, by the elders.

Arkaan had a lot of fun that night.

He had never before in his life, had such an experience.. with people outside home.

Not even at home. When his father was there, he had fun and joyous moments, but not this kind..

Also he had moments with friends - but not this type, - but ones that left dark memories in his head.

On the ladies side, most of them had retired early to their rooms.

Maryam was on her way to her room which was close by Fatima's own, their doors right next to each other on the same line.

When she passed by Fatima's door on her way, she happened to peek inside as the door was wide open.

With an elfin mien, a pretty girl stood in her long mauve-purple gown, her golden-coloured yellow locks falling below to her waistline in heavy tresses. Haven inherited her mother's hair traits and their father's eyes, Fatima Az-Zahra really did look like the Goldilocks character, or much more, - a blooming marigold swathe.

"Younger sis, can you come inside for a brief discussion." Fatima Az-Zahra smiled to Maryam, as she beckoned the girl into her room.

Earlier, she had intentionally left the door ajar, waiting for Maryam. She knew Maryam would pass by her door to reach hers, and so had left it ajar, to spot her on time.

She wanted to speak to Maryam on a matter of interest she knew only Maryam could really achieve, because -

She might be the only one to find the link.

Because..., she was the only one piece who had connection with all the other puzzle pieces!

She closed the door, and had Maryam sit across from her on her prayer carpet, as she sat crosslegged on her own brightly-coloured bedsheets.

"Why does Elder sister wish to speak to me?" Maryam asked, a kind smile on her face.

It wasn't that hard for her to realize Fatima had intentionally left the door ajar to notice her when she passed by.

Fatima looked at her,

Always willing to help! That's even makes you more of the perfect candidate!

She smiled back,"It's about a boy..."

•••

The next morning, the sun rose high up, amidst fiery-smoky clouds, making a wonderful effect of sunrise.

Arkaan looked back at the large estate mansion, he had expected at least Zak to have come out one last time, even if not to accompany him to Ukashah's, then at least see him off, yet there was no sign of him.

All the Al-Maghribi brothers had met him before he left except for Zak and Abdullah. The little brat had said he had something important to do and took off right after the sun had began to rise. As for Zak, immediately after he was summoned that morning by his mother, after the Fajr salah, he never returned.

Even though the Al-Maghribi brothers saw him off, his parting still felt bleak and he felt dejected not having seen Zak and Abdullah, the two he felt closest to among them all.

He took with him some of the clothes and books, with other necessities Zak had offered him, at least till he gets his things which would have long arrived at the North district's port by now. He remembered the red henna-dyed beard man he had left it with - His friend he had made on the sea trip.

He looked back one last time at the large estate mansion, expecting to see a dark blond guy running towards him, calling with a wide grin on his face," You thought I'd let you go by yourself? What kinda friend do you think I'm."

No one came.

He was already a little distance from the mansion. After walking in small steps and looking back once in a while, he had finally reached the bridge connecting that piece of land to the Mt. Shirah landmass.

He began climbing the bridge.

•••

Meanwhile, somewhere within the easternmost parts of the Al-Maghribi mansion, a young boy sat in Tasshahud position on a carpet, which lay spread upon the shiny white pavement of a beautiful compound.

The light from sunrise had just flushed into the compound, illumining its beautiful and exotic scenery.

Flowers bloomed all around, the shade of trees, and the clear sounds of bubbling fountains made it refreshing to be there. The birds landed there, perching on whatsoever they could find, chirping happily.

This boy was busily reading from the Holy Qur'an with intensity and beauty. The words seemed to have their own life such that, when one hears them, it were like the letters were swirling and dancing elegantly in a masterpiece of beautiful symphony.

Floating in the refreshing morn air in gentility and style, the letters of the Qur'an were articulated in an ethereal sound form.

Echoing nature's sounds, the vibrations resonated within the entire compound upon hitting any existence, living and nonliving; it was a creation in eloquence par excellence.

All the rules of Tajweed were in set, and the expertise with which the boy read, created a strange effect.

The birds seemed stupefied that their notes failed to even stand in comparison to the boy's recital, instantly fading in the background when they sang.

The voice of the youth was beautiful, and the words were perfect.

The most beautiful song could not compare!

The conjugations and grammar were on point, and the eloquence and articulation couldn't be more expressed by any one in any form.

But then, there was one thing lacking only a master of the elocution of the Qur'an would know, his heart...

The words were only flowing from memory, and not from his whole attention. His concentration for the Holy Book was only half of what was needed, thus the full radiation and effect that his recitation would normally manifest was lost, even upon himself.

"Stop~!" An icy clear voice rang from across the compound. A beautiful lady was seated on a rocking garden chair supervising him. Her blue eyes which were a reflection of his, pierced into his soul, as if to see into what was bothering him. Yet, her stern face told him she wouldn't tolerate any of that.

Zak raised his head to look at his mother who was sitting across from him on the compound. He turned to reminisce what had happened since he came.

Earlier that day, after the Fajr Salah, he had plans to see Arkaan off. But these plans were thwarted the moment his mother called him.

"I heard you lost in an Islamic competition to Maryam yesterday." She had said, when he had come before her.

He looked up at her unreadable expression as she stirred the dark tea she held in ceramics into swirls like fairies dancing in the wind, the vapour rising steadily.

"Yaa Ammi, it was just a little competition, that's all." Zak looked at his mother apprehensively. His mother was easygoing and lively with them all, but when it came to such competitive things as this, she did not accept anything except first, or the best.

"Okay.." She said. Zak heaved a sigh in relief as he made to get up from his tasshahud position in front of her. He gave his mum a peck and a hug as he grinned.

"I have to accompany Arkaan to Ukashah's place today so --" Zak's grin came to a halt the moment his mother stopped stirring her tea.

From the time he had come till now, her eyes hadn't left the tea she was stirring, but now, as Zak looked at them, he felt a chill down his spine.

His mother was unhappy with him.

"Every week you complete the Holy Qur'an by reciting a manzil daily, divided into a morning recitation and an evening recitation. Today is what day?"

Zak now understood why his mother really called him. Guilt filled him, and he lowered his head, but he couldn't lie, not to his mother, not to anyone else.

It baffled him, how his mother always found out about him, especially his Qur'an recitation. Unlike Abdullah who comes to her compound daily to recite, he stays in his own private quarters, and yet still she is able to keep tabs on him!

"Monday."

"Last week, you missed your morning recitation on Saturday," she resumed stirring her tea,"you made up for it?"

Zak knew the question was rhetorical. He remembered he had led Arkaan to the masjid that morning to meet Ukashah. Afterwards, that night he was tired after all that work and night Taalim, he only read half the daily manzil before dozing off.

He had planned to make up for it the next day, but things didn't go as planned again, that Sunday.

Zak kept quiet even as his mother continued," Yesterday, you spent the morning with your father and Ukashah, and the evening whiling away your time with the boys."

"You know Abdullah was here to recite."

She looked up at him,"He never misses a day."

"So what's become of those three periods you've missed?" Her blue eyes turned in a calm anger which made the room Zak was in suddenly feel like all the warmth was drained from it.

"Last week, you didn't complete the entire Qur'an like you normally do" she sighed, putting the tea cup down," You think Ukashah ever misses his recitation? "

She raised her son up to look into his eyes,"You of all people know how much I care for you, but you can't continue neglecting your Aakhirah whenever you wish to have fun with your friends."

"You already understand why I monitor those who try to be your friends closely."

"I don't want you to be misled, and following the rest of the youth of today. Many of them don't have good upbringing and are not minded to pursue beneficial goals, even of this world."

"Your Qur'an recitation I restricted to only the seven manzils, so in a week you'd complete the whole Qur'an once, but you're still being complacent."

"Remember among the five Al Iskandarī approved of, you had the slowest pace and rate in completing the Qur'an after Urwah. Don't you see the competition? Would you like to see that others you knew reached higher positions in Paradise than you."

"Would you like to feel regret that you could have done better?"

Zak remembered; in the past, Ukashah completed the Qur'an every three days, dividing his reading between the five salawât daily.

Abdul Bâqi completed it every two days, his recitation was divided in a morning and evening session for the two days.

Zayn had completed his Qur'an recitation in just two nights of Tahajjud salâh. This, he repeated every two nights.

Urwah would use half the month to finish his reading. Thus, he completed the Qur'an twice every month.

When Zak joined them, that was one of his shortcomings. He would normally just love to spend his free time reading ahadith.

When Al Iskandarī told him he needed to form a schedule for finishing the Qur'an within a constant time period, he tried, but failed to consistency.

He sought help from his mother when the other boys began to question his position since he wasn't even well bonded with the Holy Book. She then formulated this for him, using the manzils to mark his progress everyday.

She saw to his management of time, and cut off unnecessary pastimes, and - friends..

Soon, Zak had formed a steady routine and bond with the Qur'an recitation.

Only when the halaqah dissolved that it began to show signs of weakening, but his mother wouldn't allow it, and would once in a while, show him that she monitoring...

Thus, that morning she had kept him in her compound. Until he finishes four recitation periods, which was same as two manzils that morning, he wasn't moving anywhere.

But his mind would roam to Arkaan whom he had to accompany to Ukashah's that morning.

What a bad friend he must think I am.

He looked at his mother with pleading eyes which said that 'just lemme go, when I return, I'll complete everything in shaa Allah.'

His mother calmly said, even as she held her own Qur'an, tracking his progress,"Don't worry.. I told Abdullah this morning to see him off."

Then she sighed," You've to learn from that boy. Good boy he is; completed his morning recitation even yesterday night 'cos he had plans for today."

She sighed again with a smile. Abdullah really was a different kid altogether, with his own way of thinking. She laughed at how he easily persuaded her using his twice-the-amount recitation he completed the previous day to get that morning off.

Zak felt a bad premonition. Abdullah wasn't going to accompany Arkaan.

Since the day before, he noticed Abdullah was upto something and yet, he never found time to find out what? He had even missed an important gathering on a competition, something he never would miss.

Zak sighed. There was nothing he could do to convince his mother. Even as he resumed his Qur'an recitation, he hoped Arkaan would find it in his heart to forgive him somehow...

•••

Arkaan breathed in deeply, collecting his thoughts together; If Zak is not coming, no need to feel bothered about it. I'm about to start a new phase, I might as well get into my best form.

Even as he made it almost halfway up the bridge, he heard the sound of the tinkling of an anklet.

That sound...

His mind went into a daze as he conjured up a long forgotten memory.

A little girl stood with a boy upon a bridge as they watched the river flowing below them.

They both seemed to be content with the silence that reigned, calmly soaking in the effect of peaceful nature.

But whilst the girl was sighing in peaceful calm, the boy's eyes would shift ever so slightly to the girl. They were very little that time, and the boy didn't understand what was it in his heart, but he felt a great attraction to the companion by his side.

Normally, he was oblivious to such things, but this was the very girl who showed him kindness that day when everyone had turned their back on him and his mother.

He felt grateful to her.

"I got you something from the last time." The boy looked at her hopefully, that his gift wouldn't be rejected.

"~So we would never forget that we're always friends." He added, just in case the girl found a reason to decline the gift.

The girl looked at him apprehensively. She had no friend except this boy. And this was because although everyone found it difficult to approach her due to her reserved nature, and her family's status, this guy was the first to; actually, he wouldn't have either. It was after that day she had given him from her own food that he seemed to wait by the bridge every morning and evening when she makes her way to and from school.

Usually, she'd walk with her brothers, and they'd see the poor lonely boy walking by himself, head cast down.
For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to lit up when he raises his head to the sound of approaching footsteps.

When he sees her, his eyes lit up, but as her brothers surface the bridge after her, he lowers them again even as they would pass by him in their rowdiness.

It was one day when she was walking to school early dawn all alone, her brothers having taken the lead leaving her, that everything began.

The boy only saw her looking down gloomily, her eyes still sleepy from waking early to go to school. She paused momentarily, her eyes entranced by the calm flowing river beneath her. She approached it; almost like a call, she fell.

The boy only acted in a fraction of a second, his benefactor was in trouble. Rushing to the side of the bridge, he was able to pull her out of the river early before she passed out from drowning, holding her by hand.

He was able to get aid by rushing to the school which wasn't faraway to get her brothers. They carried her home.

Luckily, she saw the face of her helper. From that moment, it started with a timid 'hi' every time they met, to a vibrant friendship where they could share almost everything with each other.

Her parents wouldn't have allowed her to be friends, much less with a boy. But as long as it were only moving to school together, and returning, no one bothered, especially since he saved her. Her parents also kept her brothers to watch out for her.

Now, he was offering a gift of friendship.

She looked at the simple trinket in his hand. Inwardly, she wanted to laugh at his silliness. He obviously long wanted to give her something, perhaps as thanks for her sharing her meal the last time. But she also owed him, even more, for saving her from the river.

If they continued things like this, they'd only continue to be indebted to each other, who knew, perhaps for a lifetime.

She giggled.

He looked up, scratching the back of his head," You don't like it?"

"Silly," She laughed,"You obviously bought it from the old man who sells those simple vanities at the school gate. You know what he says are not true, right? He only wants you to buy his stuff." She chuckled.

Arkaan lowered his head, his crimson face baffled her. His shyness was one thing that endeared him to her.

The boy looked at his gift. What the girl said was true. Promise of lifelong friendship? What a girl likes? All the old man said was garbage meant to promote his products. But he had still bought it - with money he'd struggled to obtain. Though it was an inexpensive ornament, for him, it meant a lot, since money wasn't something he came by everyday .

What was I thinking? Even her parents wouldn't be happy if they saw it!

Resigning his resolve, he made to put the gift away, but she had immediately grabbed it, a smirk on her radiant visage. "No take backs! Seriously, you're so stingy, and not persistent." She pouted,"Don't you understand a girl's language."

Arkaan looked at her, baffled once again.

She was turning the thing in her hand, amused. "Hope it's halal, and you didn't get it from bad money!"

Bad money???! This girl would kill him someday with her eccentricities.

"Of course, it's good money! I saved for it." Arkaan defended, and he wasn't lying. Even though he was used to doing certain bad acts before. He had changed after he had met the Scholar, his Tutor always monitored his every action, and saw to it that he was being good.

Since that time, he began learning the verses the man recited when they first met. Surprisingly, his life was changing for the better. He now run some small errands for the town's people. Of course, not for the sake if money, but because the Scholar thought him to be kind and do good, For Allah loves the good-doers.

He'd normally narrate to her his time with the Scholar, and how he enjoyed every moment if it, and also his adventures with the people in Town. She would just make an expression of excitement on her face as she listened intently to the narratives. She especially loved listening to these, tales of adventure she could never have.

At the end of the day, some of them reward him. Since the Scholar said, as long as he did not covet the reward, and did the errands with a good intention, it's okay to receive them, he never declined, with 'thanks' on his expression. People had began to love him, instead of the revulsion they had for him before. But it was not easy to get their trust at first.

Now he could save, to take care of his mother and buy other necessities, including this he bought especially for her.

The girl laughed."I like it."

His heart felt contented now.

"Actually, I also have a gift for you."
She opened her hand to reveal a locket and key."I've long wanted to give this to you. You keep the locket." She fixed the key to the trinket he gave her, and wore it as an anklet.

Smiling, she stamped the bridge with her little feet to check it out, making a distinct sound which he'd never forget.
•••

Arkaan smiled, apprehension filled his heart as he patiently waited for the owner of that distinct sound he could never forget, to make their way up the bridge...

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu. In shaa Allah, I'll be inactive on Wattpad for a while, even though I might watch your comments and other things.

I've to prepare well for my exams this end of sem, so..

You remember I mentioned working on three Crescents. Well, the other one is about two-thirds finished.

I had to force myself this whole morning to fill in the blanks of this Crescent. So in order to study hard, I'll keep the other Crescent till after my last paper next month before updating, in shaa Allah.

But don't worry, after the paper next month, perhaps a Crescent or two.. Or more will be released, in shaa Allah.

Uptill then, May Allah reward you all for your support.

Salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.