Loving You Through Do'A
Aceh
...Never for a day did I think of you. How are you doing? Does that smile still decorate your face? Everything I always think about....
...Maybe my way is wrong, I should not have the right to think of someone who is not halal to me, but I am just an ordinary human being who continues to hold back my lust....
...If you are happy there, I will be happy, even though I initially did it with pretense....
...Zahra, how are you? Haven't seen each other in a long time, are you still willing to wait for me? Or I'm actually waiting for your invitation with another man....
...Forgive me for not being honest since I met you. Because to me, you're close to me but it feels a long way to go....
Akbar's right hand saw a picture of himself with his friends at school, he also found a photo of Zahra while he was at the mosque, the photo was taken by a classmate who admired Zahra since she first became a student at her school. And the last photo Akbar saw was a photo of him with Eve and other office friends.
Akbar's smile seemed thin to see it, in his heart Akbar always asked God to guide Eve to become a true Muslim.
It did not feel like three years Akbar graduated from school, and everything was just a good memory for him. Meeting his friends first will really make him happy, because after all Akbar makes his school friends already like brothers to him.
There has been no word from Zahra since the message Akbar received at the office. It turned out that it was Zahra's last message confirming that Zahra would be waiting for him. Akbar opens a text message from Zahra, and rereads it, only hoping that Zahra patiently waits for him.
"Akbar, eat first son!" Tell Ms. Wati to knock on her son's room door.
Akbar soon realized with his delusion in the past, he was about to put the photos in a drawer, he said, but he instead put the photo on his study table and smiled before he went out to meet his mother who was waiting for Akbar at the dinner table.
"Sorry for so long, ma'am." Akbar said sitting in front of his mother.
"Not long." Said Bu Wati scooping rice onto Akbar's plate.
Akbar saw his mother, he looked at her face because it was like there was something she wanted to convey.
"What's wrong mom?" Ask Akbar softly.
"Kangen's mother Khadijah, it's been 3 years that I haven't seen her." Replied Ms. Wati held back her tears.
"Tomorrow morning we go there." Akbar.
"No need son, I know you're busy working, ask permission same ustadzah for video call with Khadijah alone it's made mom happy." Sahut bu Wati's.
"Mom, I work hard for Khadijah's mother, when a mother misses her child I don't follow her will anyway."
"Yes, that's it."
"Well that's dong, yes, I've continued to eat ya ma'am. I'll call Furqon first." Akbar went to his porch and told Furqon.
Furqon who knew that Akbar was going to Aceh immediately asked him to come with him. The company trusts all its employees.
The day after they were ready to go to Aceh, Wati looked nervous when entering the plane, Akbar immediately clasped his mother's hand and said that it would be fine. The mother simply smiled as she nodded her head slowly.
Before long they had arrived in Aceh and immediately to the boarding school owned by the Zahra family. This time Akbar is the one who looks nervous because he will meet with Zahra believers and his family. In the depths of Akbar's heart he murmured to meet Zahra there, though impossible.
They walked into the pesantren, one of the santriwati called Khadijah to meet those who were already in the hall. Furqon looked at Akbar who was agitated at that time, his best friend only showed a forced smile to his mother.
Both Furqon's eyes were surprised to see who was coming, he was speechless when Khadijah came with Hindun and greeted them. Akbar's family chatted, while Furqon asked Khadija during the boarding school. Hindun was still standing looking at Furqon with the Akbar family, he let out a long sigh before finally exiting the hall.
"It's been almost two years since Hind taught here brother." Khadijah. Furqon misbehaves Khadijah's words, while Akbar and Bu Wati only look at Furqon who has been quietly playing with his own mind.
"Then her husband? Didn't Hindun come with her husband?" Ask Ms. Wati.
"Do you not know?" Khadija asked back.
They also looked at each other waiting for the next Khadijah words.
"His husband died 1 year ago ma'am, initially he was not actively teaching in pesantren, but after her husband died, Hind ustah increasingly active teaching here." Answer Khadijah.
"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi roji'un." They said surprised.
Khadijah silently looked at Furqon who looked shocked at the news from him, then a small smile was engraved on Khadijah's increasingly beautiful face.
"I'll go to the toilet for a second." Said Furqon immediately exiting the hall room.
"Sir Akbar," call Khadijah.
"Yes?"
"Sister Zahra send greetings." Khadijah.
Bu Wati looked at Akbar who blushed embarrassed to hear it and became misbehaved.
"What is your relationship with Zahra?" Ask Ms. Wati.
"We're just friends ma'am, nothing more." Reply Akbar.
"Is it true that Zahra is getting married soon?" Zahra asked again.
"Married?!" Bu Wati was surprised to hear that.
"There is no need to be surprised like that ma'am, after all what Akbar said was right, that we should not fantasize." Zahra said again breathing out.
"When I'd love to have a daughter-in-law like Zahra." Said bu Wati.
Akbar looked at the two women he loved in turn, even he could not say much about Zahra's marriage.
"Just do what's best for everyone, ma'am, Khadijah." Akbar said smiling.
"I've always prayed that my sister be his soul mate. Come mom! Khadijah take a tour of the pesantren."
Akbar just shook his head to see his sister's attitude like that, without realizing Khadija was already a mature woman who could share romance with him. Akbar laid his body on the floor of the hall while waiting for Furqon.
As he was about to walk towards the hall, Furqon passed Hindun.
"Assalamu'alaikum." Hindun.
"Wa'alaikumsalam." Furqon Reply.
Hind smiled for a while and continued on his way.
"I'm so sorry." Furqon said stopping Hind's footsteps.
"Do you know?" Ask Hind without looking back.
"I know from Khadijah. Why didn't your family tell us? Why have you been hiding all this time?" Furqon asked back.
Hind took a deep breath, "so that I would still love my husband. I was afraid that when you heard this news, there was little hope for you to be back in my life."
Furqon felt limp at his feet just as he saw Hind standing together at the pelaminan first, in fact he still harbored feelings for Hind although not as big as before.
"When you say that you accept another man's proposal, I decide at that moment to tell you whatever it is, what your life and my life will be like, what it will be, and I don't want to turn the corner just to meet you in your heart. Hind, you are the first woman I love because of God, and you are the first woman to teach me the meaning of disappointment." Said Furqon enduring the sadness in her all this time.
"Thank you fur, and I'm sorry I let you down." Hindun continued his path while wiping his tears at Furqon's words.
Furqon sat on a park bench recalling the incident when he said he would apply for Hindun after graduating from school in front of Kiyai and ustadz in college a few years ago. Furqon's hands clasped loudly because he was disappointed to hear Hind's reasoning. Even he did not know that all this time he was not expected by Hindun at all.
From a distance Khadijah saw Furqon with a feeling of worry, moreover he had seen Hindun as out of tears. Khadijah sighed looking at his brother's best friend, there was happiness in his heart to see Furqon, but he also felt guilty for telling Furqon the Hindun problem. When his footsteps were about to approach Furqon, Khadija realized because there was Akbar first approaching. Khadijah's smile expands and leaves the two friends in the boarding school.
"I saw Hindun crying as he walked into the office. What's the matter fur?" Tanya Akbar sat down beside her best friend.
Furqon glazed over to Akbar, "does Khadijah already have a bar husband candidate?" Furqon asked back.
Akbar did not understand Furqon's question, "you mean?"
Furqon smiled faintly, "may I propose to her bar?"
Akbar is surprised to hear his best friend, because Akbar knows that Furqon is not joking about the business of applying to women.
"If you make my sister cover your wounds, I won't let you propose to her. You're kidding, aren't you?"
"My presence all this time was never expected by Hindun, and I look like a foolish man hoping he returns my proposal. I liked Khadijah when Hind said that I accepted another man's proposal." Answer Furqon.
"What did my sister tell you until you dared to like her?" Tanya Akbar was serious.
Furqon smiled faintly considering the events of the past.
"Say, I am a brave man, not a coward like you who hesitates to convey his good intentions. And Khadijah was amazed at me for still being able to smile happily even though Hindun was not with me. I don't know why Khadijah's words strengthen me, and he says, "i always pray that Brother Furqon is strong to pass the test of feeling." that's what your sister told me." Answer Furqon at length.
Akbar did not expect that his sister would dare to talk to Furqon like that. Now Akbar felt slapped because Khadija had been paying attention to his attitude, even Khadijah knew that he had feelings for Zahra since school.
"Deliver your intentions to Zahra bar before it's too late." Furqon patted Akbar on the shoulder and left his best friend.
Now Akbar saw Furqon approaching Khadijah laughing together. Akbar pulled out his phone and sent a message to Zahra so she could still wait for him.
Then Akbar joined his family while paying attention to Khadijah's attitude to his best friend. He saw clearly that his sister occasionally looked at Furqon with admiration.