Knights For Mundika
10

Mundika could not stop her smile every time she remembered Mansoor's strange uncontrollable behavior. It was as if the man had just gotten some horrible-sounding news about him. Didn't she already know the risk she would take when deciding to make her a wife? She was surprised when the man convinced her that he would be there for her no matter what. Ever made a good deed what he can get a man of that gift and that decade?

But that's exactly what he's been looking for from a man. He did not know that enough men were trying to approach him and propose to his eldest brother, Majid. But with all the deceit of his two older sisters made the men retreat. What he never thought was the man he wanted was one of the children of the Emir of Dubai. Inevitably many things will be compromised himself with his new family environment. Talking about his new family, he realized that he had not known anyone but Ahmed and Mansoor and his parents. How's their sister? Can they accept this different self? Or will they behave like Maitha and Haya? Remembering his two brothers he became sad again. Never mind, someday he believes his two sisters will love him as he loves them.

"Hayo, daydream, the food you ordered has begun to cool," Tegur Rabiya before him. "The bride-to-be should be happy, should not put her face up as if she were sad. Later your fiancee approached you again to ask why are you like this?"

"She was visiting my work space Rabiya and making me smile while watching my own world until I forgot you were here" Mundika took a spoon and started eating meatballs she ordered earlier. After a long debate, he and Rabiya decided to have dinner with a menu at a restaurant that provides Indonesian cuisine. "And I'm not sad at all, but happy."

"I envy you Mundika, getting a man like Sheikh Mansoor bin Maktoum, not because he is the son of the Emir of Dubai, but his actions are very gentle towards women" Rabiya continued. "When he saw his cold appearance he didn't seem to care about you at all. I wish I had been proposed to by a guy like Sheikh Mansoor..."

Mundika turned to look behind Rabiya and seemed to recognize the two men who were walking towards him.

"If my older brother Majid proposed to you how was Rabiya?" Mundika smiled meaningfully. “Are you willing to accept?”

"Hahaha, don't bother" Rabiya said, hitting his spoon on Mundika's head. The two have been friends since they attended medical school. The incident of help Mundika did to him when his mother suddenly suffered from heart disease changed his view of the girl in front of him. The status of Mundika who was born to the second wife of the family leader Al Hassimi and from a faraway country in Southeast Asia made her antipathy, but not a few Mundika hated herself who did not like her first. In hindsight, why could he accept such irresponsible incitement? Doesn't any child know and want to be born of what kind of parents? This girl actually showed excellent manners better than the nobility in the UAE in general. He was so laid-back, simple, grounded, and dedicated that even though some disliked him for his background, many more admired and cherished him.

"Where might your handsome and great brother choose me to be a wife, his rival is too much! Not to mention his two sisters. With you who are siblings, let alone with me, who is actually an outsider..."

Mundika knew very well that her brother put his heart on this friend. But because of his busy life as a potential replacement for his baby in the company, making him rarely have time for his personal affairs. He himself rarely met face to face with the older brother whom he greatly respected and admired. And tonight's moment is the perfect time to repay the kindness and affection that so much Majid has given him.

"Sir Majid, Zayed," Mundika stood up from her seat and approached Majid and Zayed who were standing right behind Rabiya. He greeted Majid's right hand as a sign of respect and kissed his brother Zayed's forehead as a sign of his affection for his youngest brother. Yes, he had planned his brother's meeting with his best friend, Rabiya.

Rabiya fell silent as Mundika casually welcomed Majid and Zayed. He was very embarrassed, wanting to escape from the place now because he was sure that Majid heard the conversation between Mundika and himself.

"I'm sorry Rabiya, I purposely gave a surprise to meet you with my brother," Whisper Mundika in Rabiya's ear made her face red. "You guys, my brother if you want to be introduced to you and only now is there time. Kudoakan hopefully given ease and smoothness.”.

Mundika sat down again and gave time for Majid and Rabiya to exchange phone numbers. He prayed in his heart that both his loved ones could reap the same happiness as him and Mansoor.

"What is this lover of my heart doing alone here?" Dalmouk's voice from behind shocked Artika.

"Dalmouk?"

"Ah, the pictures of our little princess apparently." Dalmouk sat down next to Artika and let Artika's head lean on her shoulders. "It doesn't feel like he's an adult and in two months he's about to start his new life as a wife..."

"Yes," Artika suddenly fell silent making Dalmouk confused. If his wife sulks by leaning her head against his shoulder it shows that there is a problem that is holding her back and needs her to help in finding a way out.

“What's up?” Dalmouk swiped Artika's black crown.

“Is what we've been doing all this time Dalmouk right? Is hiding our past mistakes against Mundika good we did?” Artika's eyes were nilar and began to stagnate. “Do we not tell it first than he knows from others?”

“Why do you think like that?”

“It seems that the Almighty is beginning to rebuke us for suddenly having to face that one of the patients our son is treating is my cousin Dalmouk, and it seems that our son knows that, he said,” Artika's tears began to drip unstoppably. “I asked my cousin not to say anything and he promised me he would keep this secret. Yet do you not think that our son is secretly investigating and determined to know? I'm afraid Dalmouk.., I'm afraid Mundika will hate both of us and herself for feeling that the words Maitha and Haya always say to suppress her have a point. That incident made me indirectly snatch you from Latifa in a bad way.”.

The powerless Dalmouk saw Artika crying and hugged her soulmate tightly.

“That's not true Artika, I'm the one who's wrong for having put you in second place when I promised you to be first and last, please don't blame yourself...,” Dalmouk wiped the tears of Artika that continued to flow nonstop. “I was also wrong to have made you an ungodly child for forcing you to leave your parents behind. So please don't you take it alone. I will stand by you and explain it. Be patient until Mundika and Mansoor get married.”.

Without Dalmouk and Artika realizing Latifa was listening to their talk holding her stomach which had a large incision scar a sign that she had suffered a serious injury. He also cried hearing it. Wasn't it enough to reap the selfishness of his old self because he wanted to have Dalmouk and separate him from his original ribs? Is it not possible for soulmates to come together in the end? But why until now he feels he remains an antagonist in this family? How else would he make amends for his fatal mistake so that he could be relieved and live his old age quietly and happily?

***