The night had covered everyone in its cold and dark embrace. The full moon lit up the sky reducing the weight of darkness on everyone.

The men were clearing out the charcoal waste from the stoves while the women gathered the essentials and packed them up in the bags they brought. Ishaaq, along with the rest of the boys were picking up the litter of tissues and empty bottles and throwing them inside the black garbage bag that was hard to see because of the dim light.

Just as Ayyub had asked about the whereabouts of the two little gremlins, everyone turned their heads to him, and then back around them to realize that indeed – Hania and Ismail – are nowhere to be found.

"No, I haven't seen them," Sarah replied to Ayyub's question. Well, it was time to go, and they had to run off somewhere while everyone was busy with their own stuff.

"Then we better get to finding them soon," Hussein added, sitting up from the mat and walking over to join Ayyub. "Come, let's split up,"

"They must be nearby," Umm Ayyub speculated. "They can't have gotten too far,"

"We'll find them, Ummi," Sana consoled her mother as she stood up to join Sarah. "Let's go,"

Sarah nodded and followed Sana back into the forest of trees. They went in and out and around the forest together. Then split up. Hania and Ismail could literally be anywhere in the entire expanse of the hills area. There were a lot of places to search.

Sana went to look for them on the right side of the forest that led to the park, while Sarah went to the left side that led to the playground. They would likely be in either of these locations.

All the parents phone-called each other, updating them on where they checked and found no one.

Remember that Sarah is navigationally challenged, so... add her to the list of people lost. She observed her surroundings and realized she was going around in the same place in circles. And then she tried going back but she ended up at what seemed like the same place she was standing on before. Just great.

She called her parents – but their lines were busy, talking to the other parents or maybe the boys. She called Sana – but her line was busy too, talking to her parents maybe. Everyone was busy looking for Hania and Ismail. Sarah tried but uh... she ended up getting on the list of lost people.

She didn't know what to do.

She scrolled through her saved numbers and came across a familiar one.

She has this number blocked on WhatsDat.

She knows whose number it is.

This number is her only hope... right?

With reluctance and hesitation, she unblocked the number... and called it.

The owner of the number immediately picked up.

"Ukht Ishaaq?" he asked, quite worried. Sarah was not the type of person to call him for chit-chat. 

"Have you found Hania and Ismail yet?" she asked, keeping the conversation direct.

"No... we're still looking for them," Ibrahim replied. Ishaaq was with him, the rest of the boys split up and went to different areas. Ishaaq was concerned when his sister called.

"Ukhti, what happened?" Ishaaq asked before Ibrahim could. He put the phone on speaker.

"Oh, you're here too?" Sarah asked, relieved. "Ishaaq... I don't know where I am,"

"What?" Ishaaq asked, disappointedly. "Don't tell me you got lost – but I know you did,"

"Yeah, anyway this is the way to the playground so come find me,"

With that, Ibrahim and Ishaaq head over to the place Sarah described. Ishaaq kept complaining about how she always gets lost even in the most obvious places. Ibrahim was listening to his complaints. He smiled at Ishaaq's complaining – he was a caring little brother.

At the back of his mind, a thought drifted by... That's a way to get to know her.

Ishaaq sees his sister in the distance and dashes to her. "Ukhti!"

Sarah was relieved when he arrived. "Yeah, Jazakumullahu Khairan,"

Ibrahim found their bond wholesome. No matter how much Ishaaq complained, he did care for his sister. "Let's continue looking for Hania and Ismail,"

"Yeah, alright," Sarah agreed and followed Ishaaq and Ibrahim back to search for the two rascals elsewhere. It was the end of their first day here, and the first night had already started with Maghrib (Maghrib signifies the start of night according to the Islamic Lunar calendar).

Sana, still wearing Hasan's coat, headed to the park. Hasan was already at the park, searching for Hania and Ismail silently. When Sana entered, she yelled out their names. Hasan jolted out from the trees, startled by a random lady screaming names in the dark of night.

"Astaghfirullah!" he said probably to the trees.

Sana saw him jolt out and pretended not to see him, looking down at the coat she was wearing. Hiscoat.

Hasan cleared his throat and walked ahead of her, calling out Hania and Ismail's names. She was close behind but walking in a different direction, also calling out their names.

After a few minutes, Hania and Ismail emerge from the middle of the park and run up to their eldest siblings.

"Akhi! Ukhti!" they saw both of them and ran up to them. They were laughing while running, while Sana and Hasan were catching their breaths after yelling out these troublemakers' names.

"Why did you leave without permission?" Hasan and Sana ask their own siblings at the same time.

"You should have told us where you were going," they continued scolding them.

Hasan and Sana sigh, "Everyone was looking for you two,"

The four of them – two tall and two small people – stand together in a kind of circle on the dark grass of the park. There were streetlights nearby, so they could see each other in the dim golden light.

The two kiddos feel guilty for making the whole neighborhood families worried. "Sorry, we'll tell you before we go next time," Ismail agreed. A small cool breeze whipped past his hair.

"Yeah!" Hania chirped, glad to be with her eldest siblings. The breeze flipped Hania's braided hair slightly. Then, both of the kids kept glancing back and forth at Hasan and Sana.

"What are you looking at?" Sana asked.

Ismail and Hania observed each other and then said in sync, "Why are you wearing Akhi's coat?"

Sana just blinked at them. Well, she wanted to know why too.

"Because ukhtuk (your sister) was feeling cold," Hasan replied on her behalf.

Sana narrowed her eyes at him. "But ukhtuk didn't ask for it,"

"But I told Hania to give it to her anyway," Hasan retorted without backing down.

"Maybe your Akh should have minded his own business," Sana shot back.

Ismail and Hania were looking back and forth between them.

"Maybe your Akh (brother) knew how forgetful ukhtuk can be so–" Just as Hasan realized what he was about to say, he hushed himself.

"What were you saying?" Sana asked Hasan directly.

"Let's go back and tell the others we found them," Hasan dodged the question. They hold their siblings' tiny hands and walk back to the packing, aunties, and uncles – who were by then done packing. Sana didn't press further, but she was still confused. What was he trying to say? There's no way he cares. But a small part of her... hoped that he did.

On the walk back she couldn't help but recall how Hasan and Sana from 9 years ago would be laughing together as they walked, discussing the next prank to pull on their parents, and about schoolwork and every other thing they thought of. Just carefree, and happy together.

And now, the atmosphere was tense, their 'argument' from earlier weighing down on them along with the darkness. She was frowning slightly, and his expression was as calm as ever. He really did not care what he was doing – if he did, there would be a small sign of expression on his face. But she saw nothing. She lowered her gaze to the path ahead. There, that stupid clenching feeling in her heart returned.

Hasan noticed her gaze on him and turned to face her, but she was already looking down at the road ahead. He too turned his gaze back – and for a moment – his expression was melancholic. He doesn't know how he can show her he cares. Not more than what he can do. Like ensuring she's warm by lending her his coat. He felt that he had reached a dead end with nothing more he could do.

When they reach the assembly point, their parents begin round two of scolding Hania and Ismail. Sana returned to Sarah, who received her in a hug with a concerned expression. Of course, her friend had an RBF. But this was too much frowning.

"We'll talk later?" Sarah asked, raising her hands to hold Sana's shoulders.

Sana patted her best friend's head. "Sure,"

On the car ride back home, the girls plan a sleepover at Sarah's family hotel room. Now because of that:

Sarah, Sana, and Maryam will take over Sarah's family room. Ibrahim, Hasan, Ishaaq, Ayyub, and Hussien will take over Ibrahim's family room (which is next to Sarah's family room) The fathers will sleep in Hasan's family room. The mothers will sleep in Sana's family room with Ismail and Hania.

The two elevators of the hotel on the ground floor are huge. So, the women and girls fit into one and the men and boys occupy the other. Their hotel rooms are on the same floor.

When both the elevators reach the fifth floor, the women and girls stroll ahead to their rooms and the men and boys get into their own rooms.

Of course, some people do not get in before stealing a few glances at people they're curious about. Sana remembered she still had Hasan's coat wrapped around her. She took it off and handed it to Hania to send it back to Hasan's room. Maryam and Sarah were waiting in their room for Sana to join them, talking about their brothers. The conversation was started by Maryam.

"You play Minecraft too?" Sarah asked, surprised. "Ishaaq is always screaming with his friends on video call, playing that," Sarah smiled.

"Akhi used to do that too, I remember," Maryam added, remembering her elder brother also being too loud when playing games with his friends. "But now that he's in college, he has a lot of work to do... and can rarely play," Maryam lowered her head, playing with the orange carpet she was sitting on.

Sarah patted her hand in a consoling gesture. "Everyone grows up one day, you will too," Sarah stated. She recited an ayah from Surat-ul Ahqaf since the topic reminded her of it.

"And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my offspring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims [submitting to Your Will].""

"Alhamdulillah [all praise and thanks be to Allah] for our mothers and fathers, who raise us with such love and care into exceptional people," Maryam commented, as she heard Sarah translate the ayah for her.

"We never truly understand their hard work and sacrifice unless we become parents ourselves, Subhan Allah," Sana said, as she joined to sit on the floor carpet with Sarah and Sana.

Maryam and Sarah nod slowly. "Yeah, that is why we should be loving and caring to them too, and do our best for their happiness," Sarah added.

"Subhan Allah [glory be to Allah]," Maryam said, honored to be with sisters who remind her of Allah and her deen (religion).

We stop here for now, but all I'll say for the next few hours is that Maryam is let in on the secret of Sana's past.

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

it's been a while since I prepared an author's note and... I'm writing this to apologize for the 9-hour delay for this chapter AhEm.

this marks the end of the first 3 arcs for the two other couples, but Sarhim's arc 3 continues. You'll know when arc 4 starts for them. 

and yes this chapter is a mix of all the events I've been to with a special someone. the BBQ, the hotel stay, and the hills area. in the upcoming chapters, I've planned some interesting stuff but I need your help here.

how do I get Sarah and Ibrahim closer? 

like at least as friends? 

what events would lead to that?

y'all are my beta readers, I realized that hehe. love you 🫡🎀💖💖