On the nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing day of Monday, classes resumed. This day is easily everyone's busiest day.

Sarah, the early bird she is, revised Quran after Fajr then left early for the café to meet her best friend. As expected, the café just opened, leaving her and the workers the only people in the café. Since the city is far from their town, people leave early and get their coffees directly from the city before heading to work. This café was the hangout spot for college and high school students, but it was too early for school, so Sarah was the only customer. She prefers the peace and calm of the early morning café.

She left her bag on the table she and Sana usually sat at and went to order her dose of iced mocha. While walking over, she was texting Sana on the phone, asking her friend when she would arrive at the café. Once she reached the ordering counter, she lifted her gaze from her phone to the cashier to order.

"I'd like to order," she and a familiar voice said at the same time. They turned to see who the other was, and Sarah instantly recognized him. Her new neighbour. Her little brother's new best friend. Her new little friend's older brother. Her future husband with a bright, sunny smile. Wait, ignore the last part. She looked away.

He didn't recognize her through her Niqab, but her eyes felt familiar – like he had seen her before. He dropped his gaze to the cold, marble-tiled floor beneath him.

"You can order first," he offered, stepping back to give Sarah space.

"He's quite chivalrous... a quality of a future husband..." her heart snickered, making her internally curse at herself. Now's not the time to think like this!

"Jazakallahu Khairan Katheeran," she said firmly, stepping forward to order. The cashier was looking back and forth at them for a few minutes, unsure of whose order to take. She was glad when Sarah finally went ahead to order.

"Wa Iyyaki," Ibrahim returned her dua.

A familiar energetic figure rushed over to Ibrahim. Quickly, Sarah recognized the bubbly, energetic figure of Maryam in her pretty hijab.

"Akhi! Do you remember my order?" she asked, eagerly.

"Of course I remember," he started, "you drilled it to my head."

Maryam looked in front of her and noticed a ninja who was smiling down at her.

"Assalamu Alaikum, Maryam!" she greeted, hoping the little girl recognized her.

Maryam raised her eyebrows as she walked over in front to join Sarah, "Ukhti Sarah?" she asked, forgetting her elder brother existed, making him feel left out.

Sarah took Maryam over to the table she and Sana frequented, and they conversed about Maryam's school. Ibrahim ordered for himself and his little sister. He looked at his little sister yapping away with a stranger named Sarah, his gaze bouncing back and forth between them, unamused.

But he had to admit, Sarah's smiling eyes were a sight to behold. Lower your gaze, Ibrahim. Astaghfirullah.

Maryam excitedly related to Sarah about how she was going to her parent-teacher meeting with her mom, and how her elder brother was generous enough to offer to drop them off at school since it was on the way to his college. Sarah nodded and listened to Maryam's adorable voice.

"Are you settling in fine?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, Alhamdulillah!" Maryam beamed, gushing about how her school friends were welcoming and how friendly the teachers were. Sarah smiled, remembering her school days. It sounded like her school had remained the same wholesome school that she left behind. Alhamdulillah.

"Let's go, Maryam," Ibrahim called, holding out her cup of caramel macchiato in front of her. Maryam exchanged farewells with Sarah and ran over to join her elder brother. He smirked internally, feeling slightly victorious that his little sister chose him over Sarah. (Did she?)

The entire car ride towards her school was filled with mentions of how cool Sarah was. He tried his best to look interested, but he was majorly unamused by how his little sister was fangirling over a stranger they met a few weeks ago.

"What's so special about her anyway?" he blurted, raising his brows, surprised at what words came out of his own mouth.

Maryam widened her eyes, "How do you not know?" she exclaimed, earning a chuckle from her mother seated beside her. "She's smart, beautiful, so kind, lovely, skillful, and you have to agree, the best baker," she frowned at the rearview mirror her brother was looking at her through.

Ibrahim stretched his lips into a thin line, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"She truly is a brilliant girl, Allahumma Barik," Umm Ibrahim commented, nodding in approval.

"See! Ummi agrees!" Maryam retorted. He sighed, resigned and reluctantly nodding in agreement. Of course, Sarah was all that. Her smiling eyes proved it. But he didn't want to think about it. Astaghfirullah.

"Ishaaq is also a bright kid, isn't he?" Umm Ibrahim remembered.

"Who's that?" Maryam asked, cluelessly.

"Sarah's little brother, the one who saved your head from being split into two by a football," he reminded.

"Oh..." she remembered, her cheeks turning a slight pink as she remembered their third meeting.

"He is amazing, like a bundle of sunshine," Ibrahim smiled.

"Yeah," Maryam agreed, remembering his sunlight-drenched face, and wood-brown eyes looking amber in the sunlight.

"They're both wonderful, but that's because my best friend is the best!" Umm Ibrahim concluded. Her children chuckled in agreement.

Meanwhile, Sana reached the café on time, surprised to see her best friend early for once. Sarah stood up, leaving her half-empty cup of iced mocha behind to run over to her best friend.

"You're never early," Sana stated. Sarah chuckled.

"Well, I'm early now!" She walked her friend over to their table. "You look like you went through war or something," Sarah noticed her best friend's frown.

"There was a cat..." Sana started. "That Hasan held the cat right in front of me..." she seethed.

"What–"

"Then he walked away, cradling the cat, and checking if I hurt the cat somehow..." she concluded, gripping the chair next to her as if she was about to throw it to his face in her mind.

Sarah sighed. "At least you're here now, in one piece." They both got up to walk over to their Institute.

Sana nodded. She relaxed as her short friend leaned her head on her arm. "We'll be late," Sana said, pushing her best friend off of her, to which Sarah reacted with a pout. "I can see your pout through your Niqab, Sarah,"

Sarah smiled at her perceptive best friend, suddenly feeling an overwhelming wave of gratefulness to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) for blessing her with such a good friend, who understood her even through a veil.

***

At Bright Buds Institute, their teacher was Sister Farhana. She had two sons – both married – and a daughter their age, Reesha, who was also their classmate in the institute.

"Surah Yunus is so long and insightful, Subhan Allah," Reesha started.

"Makki Surahs always re-ignite the flame of my Iman, because it talks about Allah's immense power, all His miraculous creations around us – like the sky and the earth – that we take for granted," Sarah commented.

"Subhan Allah, everything about the skies and the earth, and even the seven heavens, Akhirah and the horrors of the day of judgement keeps me in check. It reminds me that I'm here for a purpose." Sana pondered.

Just then, sister Farhana walked in and greeted everyone with her loving, warm smile and everyone returned the Salam.

"Sorry to interrupt your discussion session, girls, but let's get right into the lesson, shall we?" she asked, for the first half of the sentence, she looked at her daughter with Sarah and Sana. For the other half of the sentence, she distributed her caring gaze to the whole class.

It was a small yet cosy classroom, with only six girls gathered there from around the neighbourhood.

The class went on with discussions and reflections from their classmates and teacher, everyone relating their life events to the lessons learnt that day.

Both best friends head home feeling refreshed. They could feel the Iman blossoming and glowing in their hearts, and their hearts beating a bit faster. They remembered Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His favours upon them and joined their families for lunch.

During lunch, Ishaaq whined about how he missed Ibrahim and how eager he was to meet him again. Abu Ishaaq and Umm Ishaaq were amused by their son's admiration for Ibrahim. Umm Ishaaq agreed – her best friend had raised the sweetest children.

***

Ishaaq flopped over to the couch, ignoring his elder sister who was seated on it. His stinky feet landed on her lap. Sarah pushed off his feet.

"I'm bored, Ukhti," Ishaaq sighed.

"Hi bored, I'm Ukhtuk," she grinned. Ishaaq rolled his eyes. Sarah chuckled at her annoyed little brother.

"Ukhti, you're boring," he spouted. Sarah laughed harder. She knew he didn't mean that.

"So, your maniac laughing machine of a sister who plays Minecraft from time to time is boring?" she raised an eyebrow.

His face lights up with an idea. "Let's play Minecraft then!"

"Nope, I'm busy," Sarah said flatly.

The light in his eyes dimmed, "Half an hour, please?" he asked, pleading rather.

"Okay, just half an hour," she reluctantly agreed.

Maryam's parent-teacher meeting goes swimmingly well. She received nothing but praise from all her teachers, making her mother grin proudly. Her daughter was truly amazing, Allahumma Barik!

Ibrahim picked up his mother and little sister on the way back home from college. He was happy to hear his little sister settling in well in her new school. The entire car ride back home was enveloped in a comfortable silence as both his mother and sister drifted off to sleep, tired after the day's events. At home, he helped his mother heat up the food and served lunch on the table.

Their busy father joined them for lunch, telling them about how the business with Abu Ishaaq and the other fathers was going well – and how his dream of opening a business had come true. Ibrahim smiled at his father's accomplishments, wondering when he'd be the one narrating his success stories to minions of his own.

Umm Ibrahim was retelling stories of how ambitious their father had been as long as she knew him, and Abu Ibrahim chuckled, remembering the days he made Dua for starting a successful halal business. Ibrahim then wondered, who would be by his side, cheering him on and supporting him like how his mother supported his father? A mystery.

A mystery? Just like the very mysterious Sarah? No way. She's just a stranger they met a few weeks ago. It's too soon to think like this, Ibrahim! Astaghfirullah.

He shook his head. Qadr Allah, like Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has said in Surah Ale 'Imran, Ayah 54:

"And they [i.e., the disbelievers] planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners."

He will trust Allah's plan, be patient and focus on improving himself for the family he will have in the future. And whoever it is with, He will be happy, since His creator only wants the best for Him.