For A Husband Who Doesn't Love Me
38. Kirana's Request

Kirana meets Maira to Ayu's new school. His arrival made Ayu sumringah, and welcomed him with sparkling eyes.

"Sister Kiran? Brother Kiran has finally come..." Ayu runs to embrace Kirana, but Kirana ignores her and then pushes Ayu away from her.

"Get in class first, yeah... New friends must have been very curious to wait for Ayu's presence..." Persuade Maira while crouching in front of the little girl.

Ayu did not reply. He looked at Kirana with sadness, while Kirana did not look at him at all. His heart was so hurt, he ran into his new class with teary eyes.

"I thought Kak Kiran's arrival was for Ayu, but it didn't seem so..." Maira.

"Indeed not... I have something important to talk to you about..." Kirana said as she walked ahead of Maira to the school garden.

Maira patiently followed behind. He was still thinking with Ayu who certainly returned sad after getting treatment from Kirana earlier. Though a few days stay with him, Ayu has started to cheer up again.

"What do you want Kiran to say?" Ask Maira politely.

"You're so good, are you going to punish me later after I become your honey?" Kirana asked full of questions.

"I mean, Brother Kiran?" Maira looked at Kirana in confusion.

"Any woman wants her husband to marry again? What's your plan behind all this?" Kirana looked at Maira's face with a sharp look of suspicion.

"I also don't want Kiran to marry Bang Hidayat... She's my husband, and which wife would her husband marry again?"

"Then why did you say that? You haven't changed your mind, have you?" Kirana looked worried.

"No... I haven't changed my mind... Not at all... But, erase the thoughtless bad thoughts in the mind of Brother Kiran against me... There's no other meaning behind this..." Firm Maira.

"So, are you really willing?"

Maira's speechless. His heart was instantly as if it was sliced open. His sharp eyes were reddened and glazed. "Now what does Brother Kiran want?"

"Can you make both of your parents present at our wedding? Also, your close relatives..." Pinta Kirana without shame.

Maira was suddenly confused. She had never even thought about it before, like a child who thought marriage was easy, because it was true that she had not felt the real marriage with her own husband.

"Marriage guardian enough from a female family, why should our family also present? It's very hard on me, brother..." Maira's words were filled with doubt.

"So, you mean I married Hidayat secretly?" Kirana asked with a face that looked angry.

"It's only temporary, brother..." Maira replied as if confirming Kirana's words.

Kirana shakes. "I don't want to... Anyway I want your family to be witnesses to my marriage later..."

Maira is stunned to hear Kirana's compulsion for her ego. She knew it was impossible, for it was tantamount to profaning her own husband's good name in front of his family, as well as his family-in-law. In fact, it was likely that all the families were vehemently against his wishes.

They will certainly be very angry with Hidayat and accuse her husband who is not-no, plus both parents themselves will surely grieve hearing this.

After Ayu's school, Maira went straight home. He calls Rizki to tell her he can't get to the kiosk. He also asked Rizki to pick up Ayu later.

Maira limped, walking spiritlessly from the bathroom. He glanced at the cell phone he had placed on the bed. He pondered for a long time, and in the end he kept calling his mother-in-law.

At first he looked ordinary. Conversing while laughing jokingly with her mother-in-law on a phone call.

"Mom, what about polygamy?" Maira asked her cell phone to her mother-in-law.

"Polygamy? Why does Maira ask that, son?"

"No, Maira just wanted to ask Mom's opinion... Isn't it in religion we don't forbid, Mom?" Maira tried her smile as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Emmm..." Maira sighed with great difficulty as she had already started crying. But he also held it so that his mother-in-law was not suspicious.

"Why, Son? Are you guys okay in there?"

"Well, Mom... Bang Hidayat loved Maira... A few days ago I was hospitalized..."

"Mustained?" Cut Bu Zainab sounded surprised by Maira's words.

"Yes, Mom, Brother has a high fever... And now you're very healthy..." Maira's reply removed Bu Zainab's worries.

"Alhamdulillah... Must be Maira's so bothered, huh?"

"No, Mom... Maira was only very worried about my brother's situation..." Maira stopped her speech. He thought for a moment before continuing his words.

"But it's true, isn't it, it's okay now?" Ask Bu Zainab to make sure.

"Yes, Mom..."

"So, why does Maira sound so moody? Usually so excited every time you talk to your mom..."

"Maira's not moody, ma'am... It's just that Maira has something to talk to Mom about..." Maira said hesitantly.

"Speak it, son... I'll hear it..."

"Maira's... Emm..." Maira hesitated again. He repeatedly bit his lower lip, pressing on his forehead with his own fist.

"Maira needs a friend, ma'am... Maira wants Bang Hidayat to marry again..." Maira's words held her raucous voice.

"Huh? Astaghfirullah hal'azhiim's..."

Maira repeatedly pleaded with Zainab to allow Hidayat to remarry, and asked her mother-in-law to come with the family to attend Hidayat's wedding later.

Maira leaned weakly on the sofa of her room. His heart still felt sore after he also called his mother to the village. The same question he received, was Hidayat not enough one to have a wife?

***

Hidayat immediately entered his room. He looks so worried about Maira's situation after getting a call from Rizki that his wife did not come to the stall.

Hidayat was surprised to find Maira asleep on the sofa. He approached Maira's position, then watched his wife's face so closely. His heart immediately felt agonizing because he knew how Maira really felt.

Hidayat carried Maira's body slowly into his arms, then carefully lifted Maira onto the bed.

Hidayat could not help his feelings, he fell asleep next to Maira while hugging.

"Don't do this to Brother, Mai..." Rintih Hidayat whispered beside his wife. He really didn't want that to happen.

Maira keeps her own pain. He woke up when Hidayat came and kissed him earlier, but he pretended to sleep so that there were no cries tonight.

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