Betting Love Above Destiny
37 Because of the Engagement Ring

"I want to complain to you about Meidina." Adli said that with a face that looks very serious. Arafka silently waited, what would his friend say. Meidina, when she heard her name called, she felt called to pay attention to Adli.

"You know, Rafka. I've had a crush on him since first sight. I agreed with mas Nizam to compete for his heart. You don't go along in this. Why are you playing that serobot now, Rafka?" adli said with a serious look.The seriousness was not reduced from the first moment he came.

While Nizam, did not refute a little Adli's speech. Fadil and Widad were even seen throwing smiles at each other, it seems they were deliberately waiting for Arafka's answer to the accusations from Adli. However, the handsome young man still looked silent, and still looked calm.

"Surely you secretly like Meidina Shafa too, but since your rivals are many, you're afraid that you won't win. Then you use your closeness with Shaykhona to get it. Yes, Rafka," Adli pointed with a sharp look at Arafka. The young man seemed to be overwhelmed with great anger, until he did not care about anyone in the gazebo two.

"Abjectly," said Arafka flatly, and not accompanied by seriousness when saying. Apparently the young man has a calm personality, not easily provoked, not easily emotional. Evidently when getting such accusations from Adli, he should immediately defend himself, in order to maintain his self-image, especially in that place there is also the prospective wife, but he even looks quite relaxed, he said, and not riled.

Arafka was calm. Adli became angry.

"I don't take it, Rafka."

"What do you want, Adli?" rafka asked still in a calm tone.

"At least give me a chance to get close to him first, if I can't, then I'll declare you win,"

"Oh that's it." Rafka still responds casually.

"Yes," said Adli steady.

"That." Arafka gestured to Meidina Shafa who was sitting at the very edge and it was right to the left of Adli, only a distance of about two meters. When Adli turned his head, the young man immediately looked shocked, not expecting, that the girl who was being fussed was also there. Adli was wrong.

"AW AW AW." Azmi and Nizam both laughed. Adli's expression that looked confused did not know how to do, it looked very funny. Added with his reddened face, made some of them laugh.

"Come on Adli, what are you saying now?" ledek Azmi while unable to stop the laughter.

"Emm that, anu Mbak. just now it's just kidding us. Don't take heart, yes" Adli told Meidina while stealing a look at Arafka with a look of annoyance. "Oh yes, I want to say congratulations, Ms. Meidina for her engagement to Rafka" Adli added again. It seemed like he was now starting to master the situation.

The only person who looked shocked by this remark from Adli was Fitria. Because of all of them, only he does not know about it. Meidina Shafa, just smiled with Adli's words, a smile full of mystery, none of which is able to give meaning.

"I'm the same Rafka was a close friend, Ma'am. He is besides handsome, his person is also very good," Adli said with a smile. "But if one day he hurt Meidina, just tell me, let me jotos him," he added, staring threateningly at Arafka. the handsome young man only smiled slightly in response to the friend's chattering of Meidina Shafa. While others even cheered Adli's speech just now.

"Once again, congratulations, may you be the soul mate of the afterlife." Adli ended his unofficial speech with a prayer. All of them spoke amiins in unison for the prayer. Except Arafka and Meidina. Both are silent. Though they are the subject of sincere prayers given by Adli.

"I'll excuse you, everyone" said Adli and a spring turned his heels to leave immediately.

"Where are you going, Adli? Just sit down, it's still raining" Fadil said.

"No need, Ustad," Adli refused, but within two steps, he stopped again and spoke to Arafka. "Rafka, I'm waiting in the hall." Adli then continued to leave the gazebo in a hurry.

"He still wants to make calculations, Dek," said Nizam Ali with the rest of his laughter. Arafka also laughed briefly, and immediately got up while reaching for his motor contact on the table.

"Where is Rafka Deck going?" ask Widad wonder.

"I'm going to go first, Mom."

"It's still raining." Ustad the KM teacher warned.

"It's okay, it's starting to go away."

"You want to meet Adli's invitation, huh, Dek?"' guess Nizam.

"No, Mas. I'm going to see sheikhona."

And for one reason that Rafka called, they could no longer hold the young man back from leaving. After shaking hands with all his seniors, Arafka also said goodbye to the ranks of the hooded girl with her words, "me first, everyone." And as he said that, his gaze was not fixed on one particular direction. The handsome one soon passed. However, just a few steps, ustadz Fadil called out to him.

"Sir, we'll practice tonight, can you attend?"

"Come real yes, our conversation is not over, sir," Nizam said. Arafka just nodded briefly. And back to keep going. However,

"The ring is great, Rafka Deck," Fadil said.

"What ring, Mas?"

"That." Fadil beckoned to Meidina. Only then did Arafka look at the girl, along with Meidina who was also looking at him. For a moment they stared at each other. However, there was no signal that could be captured.

"Buy where? I want to make my candidate later, too" said Fadil. He even followed Fitria who was very curious about the ring that Meidina wore.

"The only thing is yes, Mas. Later," said Arafka and immediately continue the step. For the young man's answer to Fadil, it means fix if the nice ring worn by Meidina is their engagement ring.

"From the back, it's too late, if Mas Rafka is handsome," said Fitria.

"Eh." Nabila warned while gesturing to Meidina.

Fitria immediately laughed. "I'm sorry, Din. I was just kidding. So the initials MA in your ring is Meidina Arafka ya."

Meidina did not answer anything, because Fitria's words did not need an answer, everyone there already knew that it was true.

"Phitria. Don't let this spread. This news is still confidential. You know yourself, Rafka deck fans here a lot. So, try this not to spread, until later they get married," said Ustad Fadil reminded.

"Yes, Ustad I understand. I am also one of the fans of Rafka mas, but only limited to ngefans, not to be crazy," said Fitria accompanied by laughter. "Meidina." Fitria menoel Meidina Shafa's shoulder.

"What a dream you are, Din. Could be Rafka's fiancee."

"Ah." Meidina flicked her hand. "It looks like we can go back to the guesthouse now yes," he told others. And everyone agrees on that.

🌺🌺🌺🌺

Eventually all the exam questions ended, although it had to be late almost half an hour from the usual time duration. The sweat spots almost filled his face. Like he just thought hard and seemed pushy. It is surprising that a Zaskia Ariva occupies the last sequence number when collecting the exam exam exam exam sheet. Though he was very intelligent, his brain was brilliant, quite impossible if the test questions complicated him. Unless something else has robbed him of his concentration, until time has passed.

And that's the fact. It was about fifteen minutes, when he had completed half of the exam. However, then his gaze was fixed towards Meidina Shafa who was sitting not far at the side slightly ahead of him. The ayu girl did the test while holding her hand on her forehead. And it was the ring of jewels that encircled his ring finger, visible emitting a three-color glow when it collided with the reflection of sunlight, quite dazzling to the eyes. Especially when Meidina's hand moved, two letters emanated clearly from her ring. So the mind was formed in Zaskia Ariva.

If only I had worn that ring.

A thought that immediately plundered him towards the hayal and long wishful thinking, which then hit the wall of reality. It felt like he was crashing into a steep cliff, sick to feel. Even the bones are crushed and leave no strength.

O Allah.

Zaskia cried in silence. Crying without sound and stuffing. As a result, the exam questions were abandoned. Because it still takes a long time to neutralize feelings.

Two facts are happening here.

First, from the Zaskia side. His unattainable desire to wear Arafka's ring had left him so disappointed and hurt.

Second, the fact from the side of Meidina Shafa, which in fact is inversely proportional to Zaskia. Meidina cried because she did not want to wear the expensive ring. But it was her mother's tears that melted her heart, and made the girl let the beautiful ring curl around her ring finger.

The incident happened the next day after the shaykhona declared her engagement to Arafka at the Alhasyimi mosque, her parents came to see her to Alhasyimi branch one. As usual, they met at the guest house. Meidina Shafa was silent at the time. He only occasionally came to smile when both his father and mother told him about the joy they felt, when their very simple residence was the arrival of a great guest, the great guest, ulama Sholih caliber KH Abdullah Umar Hashim. They believe that his arrival along with other kyai will bring their own blessings to the family of Mr. Ibrahim and Ms. Salma, the parents of Meidina Shafa.

And it turns out their beliefs are true. He who came to see turned out to bring a proposal that they never thought. Which makes a husband and wife very happy because of it. Therefore, they immediately accepted the proposal, even though they did not know the figure of the young man who would become a son-in-law.

Because they argue that an alim allamah with the status of a cleric will not be arbitrary in filing someone. Especially among the thousands of students, if there is one that is so considered, even in the matter of choosing a partner, surely because the santri has the privilege. And the shaykhona will not be carelessly choose a partner for the santri he privileged. In this case it is Meidina and Arafka of course. Therefore, the parents of the girl were very happy. And it feels like an unexpected blessing.

Meidina did not deny their assumption. That's not the wrong reason either. However, the ayu girl felt that the young man who brought a proposal for her, was completely inappropriate to be with her. Because of that, Meidina immediately said, after a long time she was silent. "But, Mother." The girl seemed to hold her breath for a moment. "Mother and father still don't know about Arafka" he continued in a soft voice.