Prison of Love
Ta'aruf again?

80

The end of the ta’aruf process with Fatih made me go through an easier stage of life than before. It was like giving me a special ticket to the special path to Abah and Mom's heart.

They no longer manage my life. Several times indeed ta’aruf offer came back. No, I'm not saying that I rejected them. I let them go through each stage but again failed, yes.

Three months after we rejected Fatih, a man who was with the same organization as me came home, asking permission to apply for the ta’aruf process with me.

In the last few months, I joined an organization, a kind of forum where talented writers all over Lampung were involved. And that man is his chairman.

His face looked shady with a thin beard adorning his chin. His morality is good, visible with his extraordinary religious knowledge. That I know from how to talk. He also admitted that once on his campus, he was the student president.. His height is only about 160 cm. But his face was sweet with a split chin.

Abah and Ibu accepted her request to’aruf with me after she submitted her personal data CV. But strangely, after the CV data I received, suddenly he was intensely contacted through the application exchanging messages.

At first I didn't care much, only I answered a few. But the more left, the contents of the message get stranger.

“Naya, Brother Shadowin, I think you are very beautiful yes with short hair shoulder?”

“If we get married later, you want a boy or a girl first?”

“What are you doing, Naya? I'm sleeping with you next to me.”

My first response to reading such a message was goosebumps mixed with disgust.Without waiting for a long time, I quit the organization and cut off contact with him, the number I blocked. When I told Mom, she was angry while berating the man, calling him that a man cannot be seen only in the eye, that all this time he often discussed religious issues as a cover only.

It's insanity. Hengky never said anything like that to me.

Not long after, I just found out, that organization is not really a collection of writers. Their agenda is unclear and indeed every meet up, instead of discussing the program, but only vague chatter while samling teases between men and women.

Damnit. I could have been in an organization like that.

The third man, he did not propose the ta’aruf process, he was a layman who just wanted to get acquainted with me. The house is in front of the Uwak house. He and his family saw me several times while visiting the uwak house and said, they fell in love with me.

I don't know, I'm also amused to write it like this. But, according to the information from uwak, they were really serious about pulling me into part of their family tree.

Because this man is a person who does not understand the process of ta’aruf, he invited to meet at a restaurant. I don't really have a problem, a restaurant in a small town like where I live doesn't have a VIP room and the place is open, so I don't think it's a problem if we meet there.

But Mother and Abah were clearly against it. It is illegal to meet alone even in the open. I accepted and refused to meet the man. But secretly uwak kept calling me and asked me to meet secretly without the knowledge of Abah and Mother.

I have refused but Uwak continues to insist, Uwak reason because he feels bad continue to be asked the family of the boy about when I and their only son it will meet?

“Come, Naya. You won't regret it. He's the son of the office here. His father was a head of the department and his mother owned a famous beauty clinic here. Moreover, he is the only child, your life will be guaranteed, Naya!”

I only smiled when I heard Uwak say, Come on, if this is a matter of treasure, of course Hengky is the winner.

But this time I give up, I can't stand being terrorized with questions, “Where? Have you replied to Hendra's message?”

Hendra and I finally met. Yes, the man was named Bayu Hendra Indrawan.

The initial impression when looking at it for the first time was, “Wow! It was like meeting an 18 year old!”

I didn't care much about it but as our chatter continued, my heart immediately said,

The vow! I don't talk to this guy at all.

I talk about politics, he just laughs.

I'm talking about religion, he scratches his head.

I asked about how his future plans, he just replied casually, “Let it all be like running water.”

Okay, I gave up on finding chat material. When I let him open the chat but there is an increasingly awward atmosphere with him who just fell silent while misbehaving.

Lastly, I talked about the latest artist gossip and unexpectedly, he served my chat with enthusiasm.

Oh, naw. The warning alarm in my head was ringing loudly.

I can't marry a man who only knows what the latest gossip is about artists. What would my son be if he had a father like this?

My refusal this time made an unexpected reaction. Uwak had even silenced me for a few weeks. The last words he said to me were,

“You'll be sorry, Naya. They have prepared everything to propose to you. The whole family knew. How could you possibly refuse it?”

I waited a while, what does that mean?

I did not ask for admission at all, I only once agreed to meet him. Our chat also does not run like ‘man ordinary’, yea... I call it that because I feel not to be ‘aku’ while nearby. Then how could his family's reaction be that big if there wasn't ‘bisi’ from the other party?

Mother and Abah when they heard the story from Uwak just laughed softly. They try to cool the heart of Uwak with words, “Already, not a soul mate..”.

Only a month after my refusal, a wedding invitation came into my hands. Hendra was married to a woman who Uwak said came from another city.

Their wedding was very lavish and festive, seven days and seven nights inviting a dangdut artist of the capital. Uwak continued to insinuate me, saying that I might have lived a good life if I received his proposal, the new fortune car dowry would have been in my hands if I were the woman Hendra married.

When I heard Uwak's nagging I just smiled. Uwak just did not know, in my heart, I was grateful to have rejected it. No, our way of life is very, very very different. There is no regret in my heart.

Some subpoenas from some people after that I immediately refused. I've been so tired of finding excuses to reject their applications.

Until I don't feel like time is passing. I, who initially fadly designed some abayas and sold them to the nearest person, by His power, started from the order of ten abayas developed into fifty and I could not believe, now I can attach my own abaya brand and have twenty employees.

Ten people in production, two admins, eight people in packaging. And I myself besides being the owner also doubles as a content creator.

My abaya design tends to carry the concept of teenagers who although syar'i but still stylish. Because indeed I like soft colors and do not like if my abaya model becomes a market, I always sell one abaya model in very limited quantities. I'm talking, limited edition.

And apparently, that's the attraction. Customers like to wear clothes that are not worn by others. Feels special and luxurious.

I am busy with my world and Hengky is busy with his world. Three years passed until Abah finally approached me this afternoon. Saying a sentence I can't believe,

“How are you doing Hengky, son? Ask him to come home sometime. Meet Abah.”