there is no sense
in shaking the tree when,
there are no fruits
ripe enough
for you to catch.

🥀

Chapter 1 : Rabah siblings
(after 10 years)

He looked at his black lade watch. Its minute needle is on eleven while it's
hour on one.

Azaan sighed, his shoulders slumped showing the hectic of his day. His work had eventually come to terminate. Mopping the floor finally. Azaan untied the apron and hooked it on the grapple before switching off the lights on the kitchen. He made his way out.
There in the cash counter seated the manager of the restaurant where Azaan works. His hand all wrinkled and shivering but had a tight grip on the pen in which he took notes of things from other bills. His specs dropped on his nose and his mouth pitched aside. "Sayyid (sir/mister)" Azaan summoned.

The old man looked up. His weary and sunken eyes gazed at Azaan with a vague glimmer. His lips stretched into a curl and his writings stopped "Ya Azaan! (Dear Azaan) you're working overnight, again?" He proclaimed.

Azaan gave him a leisure smile before flinging one shoulder. "I'm in need of money, sayyid" he effused.

The manager gave him a fatherly pat on his head. His eyes brimming gleefully as he looked at the youth in front of him who elucubrate up to dusk till dawn to run his family. The manager opened the drawer where they keep the cash they gained. He took out some bills and placed them on Azaan's hand. Azaan gasped.

"This is more cash that I'd worked for, sayyid" he exclaimed. The old man waved his hands in dismissal "Don't worry Azaan. This is yours" he deduced.

Azaan shook his head in disapproval "la sayyid (No sir) I don't take money which ain't mine. Here keep this with you" Azaan placed some cash on the counter while he pocketed the amount he deserved. The old man mused.

"Look Azaan. The money I gave you is the worth for your job you'd done for me." Azaan looked at the old manager, morosely. The man continued "Besides it's your sister's engagement and I know how much you are in require with this."

Azaan's shoulders sagged as he left a dejected breath. "But still-" he trailed off. The old manager kept his hand on Azaan's shoulders "Just take this as a small accolade from this old man" he placed the money back on Azaan's palm. He exhales softly

"Thanks" Azaan smiled a genuine one at that. The old manager laughed it away.

"Now now we don't want your sisters to worry about you not being home after midnight. Do we?" The manager snickered along with Azaan.

"Ya right. I need to get going then. As salaamu Alaikum (may peace be upon you)" Azaan smiled back hearing the reply before strolling out from the small restaurant towards his white Mazda 5. Reviving the ignition, he swift his car unto the dark crowd less highway. He headed to his home.

¡!¡!

"Akhi!" (Brother)

As soon as the doorbell rang both his sisters spring towards the main door. Azaan smiled genuinely seeing his sisters before hugging them and welcoming himself inside the house. His sister locked the door before asking him to get ready for his dinner.

"Why were you late Akhi?" His sister, Alfiya enquired as he descended the stairs folding his Kurtis sleeves up to his forearm. Azaan dragged the chair back before claiming on it. "Got carried away with the work's, Alfi" he stressed." I need to earn more for my effervescent sister's to be in Panglossian, right?" He joked.

Alfiya's face falls as she apprehends the lie from him. "It's because of my engagement. Isn't it?" She croaked.

Azaan stopped in the mid of swallowing his food while his other sister, Alniya sighed. He gave Alfiya a soft smile "What's me coming home late after work has to do with your engagement, Alfi?" He concerned.

"You don't have enough money for my engagement." Alfiya fretted "And you're not even allowing me to give you some too" she added.

Azaan's shoulder sagged as he looked at the dining table in distrait. After some months it will be his sister's engagement. Every girl has their dreams of how it has to be. Even though Alfiya has never demanded him to give her ample or commodious things. He still wants her to have her first engagement to be reserved. And for that he wants himself to earn enough as preferred his own money to make his sister's big day in remembrance. And in that, her money is not the most despised things his pride allowing to append.

"Alfi, let Akhi eat" Alniya mumbled breaking his thoughts "Akhi eat some more" she served some more soup into his cup but he stopped. "I am full, Niya" he interjected giving her an assured smile which Alniya know was fake. Alfiya frowned.

Azaan stood up and washed his hands. He looked at his reflection in the mirror before sighing. His dark brown eyes stared back at him bagged with dark circles. His face contoured more age than he is. His thick eyebrows were awry insides and his forehead slightly wrinkled. While his stubble has overgrown. He doesn't even have time to look after himself.

It has been three days or more he had watched himself in the mirror. His work as a waiter in a restaurant had made him taxing. Even though the pay they paid for him is not substantial. It makes him and his sister's go through their day to day life. But now on as it is his sister's engagement he needs to start working overtime. And being a waiter isn't enough for that. He has to do something about it.

"Akhi" he heard Alfiya calling him softly her voice thick. "I'm sorry for stressing you out. I just... just don't want you to feel burdened." She completes. Azaan sighed grievously and turned around looking at his sister's caramel brown orbs.

"You all will never make me feel burdened, Alfiya" he breathed. "And I'm sorry for rejecting your offer but Alfi I want to make your engagement grant with the money I've earned. I want it the way my father will be satisfied with me. Like the way he would have done if he was there" he whispered the last part.

Alfiya embraced her brother, her eyes pooling up. "I'm sorry. Akhi" She muffled on his chest. Azaan smiled at her affectionately.

"It's okay" he preached. "Go and sleep Alfi. I don't want Humaid questioning me why his soon-to-be bride has panda eyes on their engagement" Azaan joked.

Alfiya groaned her cheeks covering with tint pink, embarrassed. Azaan chuckled planting a soft kiss on her forehead. She smiled before wishing him goodnight and walked towards her room. Azaan looked at her slenderized figured who then disappeared into her room.

Azaan shifted his gaze above only to be startled "Ya Allah! Alniya you scared me" he whisper-yell.

Alniya tittered before handing him a towel for him to wipe. He muttered 'thanks' while he dried his face and both hands.

Alniya eyed her brother. His eyes drooped, subtle grown, face aged, skin darkened. Her brother had been the rock pillar for them. He had carried an enormous millstone with him at a tender age itself. His life ongoing without any resolution for him but his sisters.

Doesn't he feel tired from this? Doesn't he need time for himself? Doesn't he need to complete his back down paper and do a job which he likes, as his friends do? And all above that doesn't he have any expectations of how his life should be?

"Niya, you're bothered. What happened?" He enquired seeing her disturbed look. Alniya snapped out from her monologue looking at her brother's tired eyes which were filled with concern. "Is someone disturbing you in University?"

Alniya smiled genuinely before she shook her head. "Are you fine, Akhi?" empathized she. Azaan's eyes widened. fine?. 'Fine' will be the outermost feeling he will ever have. He isn't fine and he will not be in fine. His fine had been buried on the day their parents died. Azaan had forgotten how the feeling of being fine is and those words and feelings had become foreign to his ears. Shaking all the thoughts aways he smiled at her tightly.

"When do I'd never been in fine, Niya?" he sighed. Alniya didn't say or ask anything further. She had fathomed the underlined lies between his sentence.

"Every obstacle we face will eventually fade. Every phase of life will not be the same. Maybe Allah might be giving those stress for you to mold you into a person better than who you are now" She soothed "Have faith a strong one in that and face the consequences, Akhi"

Alniya's words swirled around his head. He knows that his affliction is nothing compared with many he had heard. And for that Azaan will always be obligated to his God. But is his faith strong enough for him to not blame his God for taking his parents away and putting his state, unkempt?

"Have thawakkul (trusting in God's plan) Akhi" Alniya breathed. Azaan nodded his head absent-minded as he sighs.

"I will" he smiled his white teeth in the show. "You don't have classes tomorrow?" He questioned. Alniya shook her head "No it's dance ball tomorrow. So I kind of took off from it"

Azaan bobbed his head again "Did you pay for the semester fee?" Alniya's throat clotted as she gulped. She shook her head in disapproval Azaan shoulders sagged giving her a tight smile.

"I am sorry. I'll pay it soon. I promise"
He assured. Alniya nodded heavily. She had lost her job as a salesgirl a month ago when she slapped a male customer who tried to humiliate her. The shop was very disappointed that they forced Alniya out from their shop saying their shop's name will be tarnished if she stays. She had tried hard to gain another part-time job but non was satisfactory for her.

"When did Riya slept?" Azaan's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "Slept a while ago before you came." She starter "She has school tomorrow so Alfi tucked her in bed"

Azaan smiled affiliated "You also go and get some sleep A
Niya" he blurted. Alniya smiled and said a faint 'goodnight' to him before disappearing, upstairs.

¡!¡!

As the dapples of moonlight flash. Azaan titled the knob of the door while opening it. At the side, attached to the wall near the window slept his youngest sister, Alriya peacefully. Her white glimmering face reflecting the moon's flicker. The hoot of the owl audible from far away. The breeze of the winter dancing with the naked branches of the tree enters the room keeping it chilled.

Azaan scooted to his baby sister as her innocent/babyface appealing more brightly. Her small plum lips slightly parted. Her eye fully shut and her lashes reach just above her cheekbones.

Even though she is not a baby anymore as she is nearly in the stage of puberty. Azaan still considers her as his baby sister. He chuckled remembering the cute scowl which marred her face whenever he calls her that.

Azaan smiled and pat her forehead-to-head tenderly. Looking all over her face. He felt relief revealing. The peace his baby sister emits just from a gaze at her was something that flows away from the forlorn from his heart. His sisters were the epitome of his list. Who am I kidding? His sisters were the only ones on his list. He had completely forgotten how life will be when he starts living for himself.

Like the depth filled ocean is how he is. Everyone knows the ocean and the beauty and peacefulness it spits yet no one cared to know the depth of it. Azaan exhaled his breath shaking.

"Akhi?" His sister stirred in her slumber. Her eyebrows furrowed and her nose slightly cringed as she tried to open her eyes. Azaan hummed.

"Akhi I waited so long" she purred her voice thick with sleep "and I don't know when I slept" she yawned.

Azaan chuckled seeing her cuteness but instantly the feeling of guilt overwhelmed him. He hadn't got enough time for his sisters to spend lately. He knows that they, his sisters are enduring over their life. They live mostly inside their home. All the feelings succumbed inside them and standing each other's back for strength, without any allegations and not being complainants. They breathe each day with the ray of hope that one day those sufferings will obsolete as Azaan thinks.

"Akhi is sorry for coming late, Riya," he said voice filled in guilt. "So as compensation for coming late. I'd brought chocolates for you!" He added.

The youngest of Rabah sibling's face visage into a blown smile which Azaan was proud for being the one to bring it.

"Really!?"

"Really" Azaan affirmed.

"There's chocolate for your friends too. I'd kept that in the freezer. Wake up tomorrow morning before Alfiya and you get that all for yourself. Don't need to give Alfi ukhti any bar okay" he chided.

The girl chuckled "Ha" she hummed and yawned her caramel brown orbs hooded with the drowsiness of sleep. Azaan pecked her forehead.

"Sleep Riya" he murmured.

He got up to go but something soft and warm locked his wrist. He looked down to see his sister "Stay Akhi." She pleaded. Her lips parted as her eyes plead with him to stay. How can he say no to his baby sister ?. After all, he didn't spend any of his time with her for a couple of days.

"Gladly" He smiled before scooting next to her on her small bed. The kid embraced her brother as they both slipped into a refreshing slumber both clinging to each other without any worries, the life had thrown at them.

🥀

---

Assalamualaikum & Heyya!

Yo wassup!
I hope this chapter wasn't so boring.
Who am I kidding? This was boring, isn't it?. Well, I just wanted you guise to know the bond of Rabah siblings. So I guess I done a pretty job at it. Haaa!!

And some of my favorite avocados had asked me the age of the crew in the second prologue. So I thought to doubt free them. And here are the ages.

Azaan & his friends: 14 yrs.
Alfiya & Imaan: 12 yrs.
Alniya: 10 yrs.
Alriya: 2yrs.
( The last two pals ages had already mentioned in the previous prologue though)

And their current ages can be calculated bcz their real story starts after 10 years.
Better next time.
Pray for me.
Tata, bye-bye, see you!