The Broken Ring's
Message to Arfan

"Have you guys been contacted by Lita?" ask Arfan at dinner.

Riani and Larisa looked at each other for a moment before then both shook their heads.

"Normally he calls at least once a day. Why hasn't she called at all this week." Afran added again.

"Tempo the day I called, Lita didn't answer. He chatted, saying he didn't have time to pick up the phone because he was busy. Don't know what's busy," Larisa said later. He also felt strange why the last few days Lalita did not respond too much when contacted. In fact, it is usually Lalita who almost every day contact him to talk about anything. Starting from talking about something important, to something that is not important at all. Sometimes Larisa to the point of listening to her sister's babble.

"Didn't he call you, too, Riani?" ask Arfan to Riani.

Riani who was previously immersed in her own thoughts, immediately seemed immediately shocked to hear the question that Arfan was addressing her.

"She didn't call me either" Riani finally said in a soft voice.

"Then you didn't try to contact her?" ask Arfan again.

Riani looks worried. The fact that Lalita met him and asked for an explanation about Erick and Larisa's relationship the other day made the middle-aged woman nervous all the time.

"Riani?" Arfan was seen linking his eyebrows to see his wife's furious expression.

"I haven't been able to contact Lita lately. There were some activities in the foundation, so I was busy helping out there" said Riani then giving an alibi.

Arfan looks to be breathing. He had indeed felt that something was wrong since Lalita and Erick's anniversary party the other day, but of course he did not want to think too much.

"Risa, Erick didn't tell you anything? Did they fight?" ask Arfan then to Larisa.

"Erick didn't tell me anything. Pa. We only talk about work if we happen to meet together" said Larisa. He always felt so wrong if this papa asked about Erick and Lalita.

Once again Arfan sighed, this time his sigh sounded rather long. For some reason, his feelings became unpleasant. He kept thinking of Lalita. However, since it was not her habit to contact her daughter first, until now she was still waiting for Lalita to contact her as usual.

Meanwhile, Larisa and Riani turned their heads again, as if there was something they wanted to tell each other, but no one dared to make a sound.

"I'm done" Arfan said, rising from his chair. The middle-aged man just left the dining table, without waiting for Riani and Larisa to finish eating first.

From the dining room, Arfan walked into his study. He immediately returned to sit at the desk because he intended to check back some files that had not been completed before he checked. But because his mind again turned to Lalita, Arfan finally put back the file he wanted to read. The man then pulled out his cell phone and contacted Lalita.

"Hello, Pa." Lalita's voice immediately sounded across there.

There was immeasurable relief in Arfan's heart after hearing the greeting from his beloved daughter.

"Yes, hello" said Arfan as he cleared his throat to neutralize his voice to sound ordinary, emotionless.

"Is there anything Papa called?" ask Lalita.

Arfan never called Lalita first if there was nothing really important.

"Nothing." said Arfan.

"Tumbent." Lalita murmuring.

"Why haven't you called Papa in the past few days?" Arfan asked back.

"Don't you contact Papa all this time, not because there's anything important?"

Lalita was silent for a moment.

"Yes too. Sorry to bother Papa," said Lalita at last.

Arfan slightly frowned. There was something strange about Lalita, she could feel it clearly.

"You why? Same story Papa. You got a problem? Or was he fighting with Erick?" ask Arfan again.

"No. Me and Erick as usual" said Lalita. He's not lying. He and Erick are as usual, but that doesn't mean their relationship is okay. He was the only one who was stupid because only now realized it all.

"Really you and Erick don't have a problem?" Again Arfan asked.

"none. Why did Papa ask that? Erick and I have a problem, right?" ask Lalita.

"No, it's not that. Papa just felt like you were a little weird after your wedding anniversary party the other day."

"Weird how? It's just that I feel like I've never been this normal before in doing anything."

Arfan speechless. Again he felt something was awkward and tried to cover Lalita, even though he did not know what it was.

"Have you not contacted Papa, Mama and Brother at all during these few days? Isn't that a little weird done by a Lalita?" Arfan was a little joking to melt the atmosphere.

"That's not weird, Pa. That's just progress. All this time, I was too dependent on Papa, Mama and Sis Risa. It can't be like that forever, right? Now I started trying to be independent and do everything without depending on anyone. I try not to be spoiled anymore" said Lalita.

"It's good that it's like that." Arfan finally chose not to argue Lalita, although of course there is nothing that feels stuck in his heart.

"But, Lita. Papa doesn't matter if you want to keep spoiled on Papa. You can count on Papa forever. Even if Papa is no longer there, Papa will prepare everything so that you can get everything without having to do anything else" Arfan added.

"Thank you, Pa. I knew very well that Papa loved me very much. I am always grateful and grateful for that. But do as necessary. Everyone has a limit to what he can do, including Papa. Please don't force yourself just to spoil me. Later I can fall asleep and become a bad person without me noticing" said Lalita.

Arfan gasp. She had no idea what Lalita meant to her, but she was sure there was some implicit meaning that her daughter was trying to convey.

"Why did you say that? Of course you will never be a bad person just because Papa did something for you" Arfan said.

Lalita did not answer and only sounded to sigh with some restraint.

"Maybe Papa thinks so, but the truth is not like that, Pa. If Papa hurts someone for me, then Papa has made me a bad person. I wish I was happy with that, of course not. I would never be happy if what Papa gave me was the result of taking someone else's property ...."

"What are you talking about, Lita?" ask Arfan in astonishment. She felt as if her daughter knew something.

"none. I'm just wondering" said Lalita.

"Oh, yes, I have to finish something. It's been a while, yeah, Pa. Later when it's done, I'll call Papa again," said Lalita again before then disconnect the phone.

Arfan just stared at the screen of his phone. Now that he was fully aware, something very crucial happened to his daughter.

Connect ....