EL NATH (Glorious Regrets)
BonChap-Water (13)

Naira had trouble contacting Nair since returning from the hospital where she was interning this afternoon. Somehow Naira felt excessive anxiety even though she had prayed and even kept thinking whenever there was a chance.

And until nightfall, all the messages were still two ticks and Nair did not read. Though he only asked Nair if the man had sent CV ta'aruf to his Abinya.

Naira is unable to sleep, she thinks of Nair as if avoiding her. Are you backing down, Nair?

Naira breathed heavily when she had just finished praying the night, she saw a message from Umi sent at 11 pm last night. A message that became the answer to his anxiety.

📩 Umi

Assalamualaikum, Nai.

After Isya Nair came home, son. He asked Abi for his blessing.

But it looks like Abi hasn't given it to Nair.Don't be mad at him if he doesn't see you anymore.

Nair was just trying to obey your Abu's wishes. Umi always wishes you all the best, son. Umi knows, you love her.

Naira held her chest tight. Slowly but surely, her tears just came out without her asking. He stared at the wall clock that showed at 2 p.m. He was crying in silence.

Nair, I didn't expect you to be this close. I didn't expect you to fight this far. Forgive Abi who might hurt you.

Naira sat on the floor leaning her body on the side of the bed. He bent his knees and let his tears drip down.

Nair, I believe God must unite me and you at the right time. I'm sure you always say my name in your prayers like I always say your name in my prayers.

Nair, I'm always waiting for you as long as Abi hasn't juxtaposed a man to be my husband in front of the ruler.

Nair, thank you for your fight. I'll tell Abi that I love you. I will fight with you. I'm not gonna make you do this alone.

Oh my God, I love him really. I love him because of You. Because he's a man I believe can guide me, can advise me and God willing I want to reach for Your paradise with him.

Naira's phone is back on fire. A message from Nair went into his phone.

Nair's? Alhamdulillahot. Inner relieved.

Naira opened the message with a trembling hand.

📩Nair

Assalamualaikum, Nai.

Must be sleeping, huh? Or is it night prayer?

Nai, from tomorrow onwards, I can't see you anymore. I want to take care of you from my shahw*t. I want to protect ourselves from the sin of adultery.

Nai...

Believe me, our struggle will not be in vain. Wait for me, Nai.

Naira was crying. He believes what Uminya told is true. Nair obeyed his Abinya's wish. Nair really won't see her again.

Naira immediately replied to a message from Nair.

^^^Nair...^^^

^^^ I'm always waiting for you...^^^

It had been five minutes of the message being read, and Nair no longer replied to it at all. Naira bit her lower lip to muffle the sound of crying that was ready to come out of her mouth.

***

Nair rests his head on the back of the car. He was on his way from the airport to his home. A reply to a message from Naira he just received.

Thank you, Nai. Wait me. Someday I'll come again to your brother.

Puk!

The pat on Nair's right shoulder made him stare sideways. "Maybe this is the best, Nair," said Akhtar, who was sitting next to his son.

At midnight last night, while going to bed, he got a message from Nair.

Nair didn't make it, Ma, Pa. Nair is also home tonight.

Akhtar immediately contacted his son who was leaving in twenty minutes from Semarang airport.

Akhtar and the driver went to pick up Nair. He couldn't possibly let his son who was in such a bad state go home alone in the early hours like this.

"Nair has come tonight" Nair's reply made Akhtar frown.

Nair hasn't told me anything about what happened to him in Semarang. Akhtar only knew his son was rejected.

"Nair's sorry, Pa." Nair wiped her tears.

If he doesn't come, at least he and Naira can still meet. Even after this, it can still. But maybe he refused and did not comply with Abinya's request.

"Naair..."

"Everything's set, son."

"You've fought and done your best. The rest leave God."

Nair kept quiet and closed his eyes. He tried to sleep because he had to be on duty in the morning.

"Papa's life's journey is far more painful than yours, Nair."

"Papa and Mama had to go many times with the police in a time span that was not too long."

Nair opened his eyes and looked at his papa. Akhtar laughed softly. "Udah, while sleeping. Think papa's reading a fairy tale."

Akhtar chuckled softly.

"A few days before marriage, your mama Nair's accident. He was harmed by a man who was papa's rival for getting mama."

With eyes closed, Nair nodded. "Mom got a lot of it, Pa?"

Akhtar nodded. "Much Nair."

"Keep why mama chose papa."

"Yes, yes, because papa is the most handsome."

Nair blinks. "But nat!" his lips on papa who has high self-confidence like Nath.

"Indeed the most handsome papa, Nair."

"OKAY. Papa continues."

"Not finished the problem, Kakung same om Langit can even message in the form of a photo of mama edited. In the photo, my mom is made almost naked."

"Astagfirullah, that bad, Pa?" Nair looked back at his papa. He never heard that story.

Akhtar nodded. "Thanks to Ray and Om Josep, the perpetrators of the spreader and photo editing were met and immediately in the legal process without mercy."

"And it turns out the same person who used my mother."

"After marriage, the man's mother came and got angry. Asking his son to be released from punishment. His mother also threw a large amount of money in front of his mother."

"She also unpacked the photo problem that we were trying to hide from mama."

"Mom passed out, Nair."

Nair looked at Akhtar as his papa slapped his shoulder again.

"Mama and papa's love story is just as difficult, Nair."

"The difference is from which side our love is tested."

"If Nath is with Tiara, their journey is also hard."

"Bi and Rion."

"Zoy and Ezra."

"Everyone has their own measure. Perhaps because God loves you both, God tests with difficulties that you think you will not be able to pass."

"When you can get through all this."

"What you expect is not necessarily the best."

"But what God gives, must be the best." Nair nodded slowly.

Arriving home, Nair immediately got a warm hug from his mother.

Lintang could not sleep waiting for the return of Nair who he said failed in the mission.

Lintang fell asleep in the tv room while waiting for her son and husband to arrive home.

And when the main door was opened, Lintang immediately rushed into the arms of his beloved son.

"Mama's son is great." The cross stroked his son's back.

"Mom knows Nair is special, baby."

*What's special about Nair, Ma? To the extent that Nair who tried to run the relationship in a good way is still rejected.

Nair tries to stay away from Allah's prohibition, but Allah still tests Nair in a way that can not be with Naira in a halal bond*.

The cross released his embrace. "You rest, baby."

"If you don't want to tell a story, that's okay."

"Mama will wait until you're ready."

Nair nodded. "Thank you, Ma." Nair walked towards his room.

"Yes..." Akhtar pulled Lintang in his arms.

"All of our sons and daughters have felt this kind of unease, Lin."

"Bi even went out with his wound." Akhtar led Lintang to their room.

"Nath, he was willing to rest at the feet of his parents Tiara."

Latitude hit her husband's chest slowly. "That's because Nath was wrong, Mom."

Akhtar chuckles. "But I didn't expect, Nath same Tiara can also run a household life."

"But they were not yet adults."

The latitude sits on the edge of the bed. She let her husband change his clothes.

"But time can change anyone, Mom."

"Well that's him. I wish time could change Abinya Naira's heart."

"Amen."