
"Have you finished being a hero?"
"Huh?" Artha was dumbfounded asked by Tania. It turned out that the one who pulled the collar on his shirt was the girl, the cousin sister who was being escorted shopping.
"I saw everything. Did you know that girl?"
"Which one?"
"Both. You were even willing to be slapped to protect the girl. So, who is he? Come tell me," urged Tania while nudging Artha's arm.
"One of them had met on the street, but I don't know her name" Artha replied as she grabbed Tania's shopping bag.
They walked like lovers. Moreover, Artha who brought shopping bags, all women's views were on them. The women were very envious of Tania for having such a gentle lover like Artha.
"Again, that look. You look? They always thought of me as your girlfriend" Tania grumbled.
"It's okay, lah. If I don't have a wife outside, I'll marry you. Cousins can marry, really," Artha's clerk.
"Ladies! I don't want to have a gini man" Tania replied as she pointed at her cousin's sister's face.
Tania continues to urge Artha to tell her about the girl she helped. Don't know why? Tania felt more interested in hearing the story about the foreign girl than when Artha told her about Elena.
From the man's attitude, Tania concludes that, Artha is in love with the girl. Honestly, he prefers Artha to be in a relationship with another girl. Elena was too spoiled for Tania who used to live independently. Not to mention, he is demanding a lot, but still limited to dating.
Tania was worried, if Artha married Elena, the girl could not accept Artha's lack. Elena always demands perfection in everything. If he asks for jewelry, he just wants to buy diamonds, branded bags, eat at super fancy restaurants. It was all too much in Tania's eyes.
Artha opened the car door for Tania. When the girl had put on her seat belt, her phone rang. His favorite song sounds like a ringtone.
"Who?" artha asked while starting the car engine.
"Your father. How'this? No lift?"
"Thank you, but don't tell me I'm with you." Artha stepped on the gas pedal and drove away from the mall parking lot.
"Hello, Om."
"Call, Tan. Is Artha with you?"
Artha listened to Tania and Hendry, her father. A deliberate call was loudspeaker for the man to hear as well. Tania is lazy if she has to tell her conversation with Hendry, so she deliberately made Artha hear it directly.
"No, Om. What's up, huh, Om?"
"If he goes to your house, please tell him to come home. His mother's sick."
Cait!
Artha immediately stepped on the brake. He was weakest when he heard his mother was sick. The phone call ends and he finds a taxi for Tania.
"I have to go home right now. You go home by taxi" Artha said after getting a taxi.
"OKAY. Be careful with the car. Greetings to om and aunt," Tania said as she closed the door.
Is aunt really sick? Om Hen didn't sound anxious at all. It seems like they are lying.
Tania knows Hendry well. He loved his wife very much. If Khumaira was really sick, she must have been very panicked.
"Ma! Mama!" artha shouted as she arrived at the terrace of the house.
He ran until he fell in front of the door. As soon as Artha panicked to hear her mother was sick. His eyes widened when the woman who he said was sick was actually dressed neatly.
"Ma .. ma! Said sick? Why even wear kebaya and …." Artha still did not understand what they were doing.
"No need to talk much. Quickly change your clothes with a suit. We're going out of town" said Hendry, a man of mixed ethnicity. His mother is indigenous and his father is of Chinese descent.
He married Khumaira after converting. They could only have two children, because Khumaira had a disease that made her uterus have to be removed. Their first son worked in an oil mine abroad.
"What event is it?" search Artha.
"You said don't ask too many questions. Go there quickly!" hardik Hendry's.
"Yes, yeah. Angry only. Later fast old, you know, Pa," as long as Artha.
Hendry pelted the man with the slippers of the house. However, it did not work out regarding Artha. Yeah, because he's just acting.
Khumaira bobbing heads. Father and son are always like that when they meet. Sometimes, Khumaira wished her eldest son would stay in the country with them. The house was definitely more crowded and warm.
Thirty minutes later, Artha came down in a black suit that fit perfectly on her body. He likes a little tight clothes, because he thinks it looks macho. Artha was asked to drive by her father.
"Why not just use a driver, anyway, Pa?"
"much protest. Already, you're the one driving," replied Hendry while reaching for his phone. He read a message from his best friend with a sumringah face.
Artha glanced from the upper rearview mirror. The man smiled and saw his father looking happy. He is often denied, but he is the type of child who loves both parents. Khumaira also smiled faintly.
What the hell is it? Mom and Dad look so happy. What makes them like that?
Artha wanted to ask, but was afraid of breaking the happiness of her parents. After all, seeing the appearance of her parents, Artha thought they were going to a party. If he knew, they would go to the engagement party.
Arriving at their destination city, they stayed in a five-star hotel suite. Artha grew curious, but again, again, she could only endure her curiosity. Tomorrow, he will know for himself, he thought.
"It's very strange. If you want to go to a party, why stay at a hotel first? Why don't you go straight to the party, just go to the hotel?"
Artha rolled around on her bed with her mind spinning in her brain. Thinking of it like anything else, he still felt confused. Both of his parents looked happy, but it was like they were hiding something from him.
"I can't sleep. Can't! I don't want to die of curiosity. It's better to ask them," Artha murmured.
He's out of the room. Coinciding with that, both of his parents were already standing at the door of his room. They invited Artha to speak in the living room.
They tell her that they will match Artha to the son of her best friend who lives in the city. How surprised that man was. He was tricked into coming to the city and would be betrothed to a girl he had never met at all.
"Ck! Papa and Mama think, Artha is just an item? You do not ask what Artha thinks and immediately hold an engagement party. Artha refused!" said the man.
However, Hendry suddenly held onto his chest just after Artha replied. Artha and Khumaira were panicking. The wife rushed to the room. She was looking for her husband's medicine.
With trembling hands, he put the medicine into Hendry's mouth. Artha sat limply looking at her father asphyxiated, her face flushed red. He breathed a sigh of relief after a few minutes and Hendry's breath returned to normal.
If so, Artha is only able to follow the wishes of her father. The man accepted the match and let his love run aground. After all, she never got the blessing to have a romance with Elena.
*CONNECT*