Weekends bring families and friends together, after a long week of fulfilling commitments, studying, working, and effort. If relaxation was permanent, we wouldn't know its value. Good and bad come in turns – times of hardships and times of success, and both times bring us growth through lessons. And both times show us the value of the good. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Surat-us Sharh, Ayahs 5-6:

"For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease [i.e., relief]. (5) Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (6)"

The workweek restarts today. For Sarah and Ishaaq, it was their usual routine. For Ibrahim and Maryam, it was a new routine they would need to get used to.

As promised, Ibrahim arrived at the park to join Ishaaq and his friends for a football match early in the morning. He is three years older than most of them, but they were getting along fine. After a short game, Ibrahim and Ishaaq's team won.

"You play really well, Akhi!" Ishaaq called out, running toward Ibrahim. He was panting and dripping with sweat. But through it all, his smile was wide and bright. The gold sun's rays made him shine.

"You're quite skilled yourself, Ishaaq," Ibrahim patted his shoulder. Ishaaq beamed proudly.

"Brother Ibrahim, do you want to join our team?" Ayyub, Ishaaq's best friend asked, scratching his head. Ibrahim chuckled.

"Of course, I'd be honoured to be part of your team, Ayyub," Ibrahim ruffled his hair. Ishaaq frowned and folded his arms, jealous of Ayyub. Ibrahim noticed and chuckled, ruffling Ishaaq's hair. Ishaaq's face lit up and he chuckled along with Ibrahim and Ayyub.

Meanwhile, Sarah got ready to go to her centre. She had enrolled in a Tafseer course during her gap year. She went out early to meet her best friend Sana at the café before they went to the Tafseer centre together.

The cool winter breeze blew in Sarah's face. She struggled to keep her Niqab in place. It seemed to have a mind of its own, trying to fly away with the wind. She held her Niqab with one hand and her bag with the other.

Ibrahim was returning home after football with Ishaaq and Ayyub. They were chatting away, headed in the same direction: Ibrahim's house. Sarah just walked past it.

Ishaaq recognized Sarah by her green bag and overall outfit style. The outfit in question was a black abaya, black hijab and black niqab.

"Ukhti!" Ishaaq called out, running toward Sarah, leaving Ibrahim confused. Sarah ruffled her brother's hair. The excited smile on his face was replaced with an annoyed pout once Sarah messed his hair up.

"Agh! Sarah, I just fixed my hair –" Sarah chuckled. She reluctantly pulled her hand away.

"You're still playing? School will start soon!" Sarah remembered.

Ishaaq frowned slightly, "We're going to get ready to go now, Ukhti..."

"Alright, good boy!" Sarah waved goodbye to Ishaaq and Ayyub.

As Sarah noticed Ayyub, she wondered, "Sana is already at the café, right?"

Ayyub nods, "Yes, Ukhti, she's already there,"

"I should get going then," Sarah waves a final goodbye. She then noticed a fourth person, whom she hadn't seen before. Their eyes met for a second and they both looked away.

Ibrahim had no idea who she was. But her presence radiated a strange sense of familiarity. Sarah too, sensed that familiarity.

It was that young man she saw. Her mother's best friend's son. What was his name?

Ibrahim.

Ishaaq was gushing all about how cool Ibrahim was after dinner yesterday. Sarah chuckled to herself at how Ishaaq found a new friend to look up to. Then she remembered the first time their gazes locked. His calm gaze woke a few of the butterflies in her stomach. She shook off the memory. She finally reached the café.

When the boys reached Ibrahim's home, Ishaaq went to his house next door and got ready for school. Ibrahim was going to drive them to Ayyub's house, which was on the way to Ibrahim's college, so he agreed to drop them off.

"You can drive too, Akhi?" Ayyub asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I got my license last year, Alhamdulillah," Ibrahim recalled, turning back to look at Ayyub in the passenger's seat.

"I have two years left till I can get one!" Ayyub complained. Ibrahim smiled, remembering the times when he was eager to get his license at Ayyub's age. Ishaaq finally arrived, explaining that he was 'fashionably late', and Ayyub gave him a glare. They rode to Ayyub's house together.

Sarah scanned the café to look for Sana. She was sitting by a table in the corner of the café, reading through her notes, with a cup of iced americano in front of her. Sarah walked briskly over to Sana, realizing that she might have kept her best friend waiting for too long.

"Sana – Assalamu Alaikum," she called, reaching Sana's table and sitting in front of her.

"Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu, sloth..." Sana shot her a glare. Sarah jolted.

"Go get your iced mocha," she reminded, gesturing at the counter.

"Yeah, I will" Sarah left her bag on the table, then noticed the cup of iced americano in front of Sana.

"How can you drink that bitter thing...?" Sarah asked, wincing.

"Just like how you can drink that overly sweet thing," Sana eye-rolled.

Sarah ordered her iced mocha and dropped back down on her seat with the cup of coffee in hand.

"What took you so long?" Sana asked, frowning at Sarah through her niqab.

"I was brushing when you called..." she recalled, sheepishly. Sana rolled her eyes at her lazy best friend.

"We're actually half an hour early," Sana broke the news by flashing the notice on WhatsDat where the centre announced that they would start classes at 8:30 AM due to the teacher's car problem. Sarah read it and nodded in understanding.

"We have plenty of time then," Sarah smiled, relieved. "Let's revise the notes!"

"That's what I was doing," Sana smiled back at her friend, her gaze softening as she turned to look at her notes.

In their Tafseer centre now, they were in Surah Yunus. A beautiful Surah filled with valuable lessons. Their classes take place thrice a week, and those three days are the best days of the week.

Abu Ayyub thanked Ibrahim for dropping his son and Ishaaq to his home. Ibrahim said it was just on the way to his college, and Abu Ayyub didn't need to worry. With that, he drove off to his college, while Sana and Sarah walked to their Tafseer institute. Abu Ayyub was delighted by the arrival of the new neighbour, and he drove his son and Ishaaq to their school.

Outside the centre, the shiny letters in bold glistened in the sunlight. Bright Buds Institute. The name always brought a bright smile to Sarah and Sana's faces.

It was Ibrahim's first day at his college here. New faces everywhere he looked. Except for one face. That face was bicycling without looking in front and crashed into Ibrahim.

"Astaghfirullah, I'm sorry brother," the familiar face apologized, supporting Ibrahim as he tried to stand up.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern and sincerity.

"I'm fine, Alhamdulillah, a little scrape on the elbow, but it'll get better soon, In Sha Allah," Ibrahim dusted the sand off himself.

"You should be careful next time," Ibrahim cautioned. He tried to recall where he had seen this familiar face before.

The familiar face nodded nervously. "I'll be careful," After digging through his bag, he handed out an ointment for treating wounds. Ibrahim thanked him, applied the ointment and returned it to him, thanking him again.

Hasan was staring at a kitten box on the other side of the road. And he still was staring at it. "I was looking at those kittens over there," he admitted.

Ibrahim turned to where he was looking and nodded in understanding. "Have I seen you before, brother?" he asked, unable to recall him.

"I think you have... back in the exam centre... Ibrahim, was it?" the familiar face remembered. Ibrahim's eyes widened as he remembered.

"Hasan!" He smiled, finding comfort in a familiar face amongst unfamiliar ones. "You're still a cat lover I see,"

"I know all the cats in the neighbourhood, those kittens are new here though," Hasan stated, wondering where the kittens came from.

Ibrahim followed Hasan over to the other side of the road. Hasan picked up the box of kittens. Both were meowing at him, hungry for food. Two small orange kittens. He ripped off pieces of cooked chicken from his sandwich and fed it to the kittens.

"Where is their mother?" Ibrahim asked, looking around.

"If they had one, she would be nearby," Hasan understood the kittens' situation. "For now, I should take care of them,"

Hasan brought the kitten box to the college and left it with the security. The security gladly welcomed the two new recruits. He would come back to take care of them after classes.

Hasan and Ibrahim exchanged hugs and retold stories from what happened after their boards, and how they're going on with their lives. Hasan showed Ibrahim to his department. Software engineering was right next to business administration.

"We'll be seeing each other often, In Sha Allah," Hasan waved, as he turned to walk to his department.

"I'll be glad to, In Sha Allah," Ibrahim waved back, entering the business management department.

Ishaaq and Ayyub were at the school they had been attending since they were little monkeys running around causing mischief everywhere. Maryam was taking her time to adjust to her new school, there were welcoming gazes and other hijabi sisters like her in the school.

Sarah and Sana along with their classmates listened to their teacher's inspiring and knowledge-filled lectures. They engaged in heart-felt discussions with their teacher and classmates about their takeaways from the lessons.

Ibrahim learned his way around the college campus with the help of his long-lost friend, Hasan. They get along well, and Ibrahim says Alhamdulillah often because of his reunion with Hasan, a beautiful soul.

The trees swayed in the winter breeze. The sun descended in the sky, making the sky change from blue to a deep orange. The few small clouds drifted in the sky, carefree. The children – whether they were thirteen like Maryam or nineteen like Hasan and Ibrahim – returned to their cozy homes, after exchanging farewells with their newfound friends or long lost. As soon as they enter home, they're greeted with the familiar scent of dinner, and the welcoming hugs of their loving parents, and siblings.

They re-tell stories of the events of that day and gasp and chuckle together at what passed, enjoying their time together.

Yet, when they retreat to their own rooms, they can't help but wonder about the mysteries of the day. For Ibrahim, he thought about who that cheerful niqabi sister was. He knew now that she was Ishaaq's elder sister. But there was a strange sense of familiarity he felt when he saw her eyes. He shook his head.

"Astaghfirullah," he said to himself. He shouldn't be dwelling on thoughts of a random non-mahram sister.

He got up and performed Witr Salah. Pouring his heart out to Allah. Thanking Him for blessing him with a loving family. Thanking Him for blessing him with a beautiful home in a beautiful country. And thanking Him for blessing Him with beautiful souls as his righteous friends. More importantly, he asked Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to forgive Him and guide him and keep him steadfast on the Straight Path.