In the Name of a Mate
Chapter 49: Taj Mahal

Time is like the blink of an eye, maybe the term is indeed true for some people so quickly feel the time runs without us knowing. Thousands of memories, hundreds of places and tens of months even felt like it had just happened. Six years is not a short time, six years provide many valuable lessons for all, especially the woman in blue hijab who is staring at the amazement of the building in front of her at this time

"Is this place for prayer too?"

"On Friday only. They do Friday prayers here. Therefore on Friday we do not have to pay to enter, but the crowds are amazing" Layla chuckled and pointed her camera towards the beautiful building

"The expensive tax really describes the true love that many people in the world dream of"

Layla looked at her friend who said that with a sense of high interest, her camera was incessantly snapping memories in the magnificent white marble building

"Oh yeah?"

"There's no way Ila hasn't heard the story, right?" Layla laughed in response to the friend she had just met a few days ago

"I love hearing the story a few times from different people's mouths"

"Because you work as my tour guide today, isn't it your duty to tell Amla?" Layla asked with a smile still staring at the amazement of the building that stood majestically in front of her. Fortunately he has friends here, Amla is one of the students who got a scholarship to this country. Layla got to know him when she saw the girl was confused at the airport because her wallet was left behind when she was about to pay for a taxi. From there the beginning of their closeness, with Layla who proposed her intention to visit the historic building

"Taj mahal is one of the UNESCO recognized icons of India. This magnificent building is made of beautiful white marble stone, it took 22 years and 20,000 workers to make it this beautiful. The details are so subtle, with beautiful Arabic calligraphy"

"There is a saying that Shah Jahan cut off the fingers of his workers and architects so that no one could build a building as beautiful as this, but there is no evidence at all about it, moreover, Shah Jahan is famous as a good leader"

"The most important of all is the story behind it, the symbol of the eternal love of a king on his queen. Shah Jahan had many wives, but his most beloved was the expensive Mumtaz, therefore when Mumtaz died, he was so devastated and made this tomb as a form of sacred love for his wife. But baby, in the last years of his life he never set foot here again. He became ill and there was a power struggle between his two sons. He was imprisoned and exiled in a small fort in Agra for life, the only thing he could do was to see the beauty of the Taj Mahal from a distance through the small fissure of his prison"

"It's a beautiful but tragic love story" Layla said

"But their story is still better than the Persian story, Layla Majnun. The story of Qais and Layla who can never be together until the end of their lives. Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan were once happy and could be together even though it ended up like that, while the story of Layla Majnun, they could only love but not be together"

Layla was silent, Amla said again brought up the memories of the past that she tried hard to forget until she went all the way from her country. He worked as a programmer at one of the famous companies in America, one of his dreams came true. His work did not make him have to stay in the company. It just so happened that he was on leave, and chose to go to this country, India. After the divorce he tried to stay away from everything related to Qais, right people say that loving is not as easy as forgetting. He moved to a college outside the city, away from his family and friends. Really trying to open a new page by leaving a lot of memories. But, it still cannot be forgotten. After graduating from college he was accepted to work at a giant technology company in America as a programmer, although full of long debates with his father. Layla thought it was impossible to waste the opportunity, when she was selected to attend a student exchange to the country of Uncle Sam, there she learned many things until after graduation yesterday she was offered a job there. The biggest reason is just one, to forget

"Will Sister Ila come inside? It's less complete if you haven't seen their tomb directly, because the purpose of the Taj Mahal is made for that, right?" Layla shook her head expelling the thoughts floating in her head, but her intent was misinterpreted by Amla

"Wouldn't you?"

"Huh? What's?"

"See their tomb, Sister Ila is not curious?"

"I'm curious, let's see"

"But inside we can't carry a camera" Layla nodded in understanding and put the camera in her bag. They must use footwear coatings so as not to pollute the place there

"Even after death, they were buried side by side in a special place that belonged to only the two of them" Layla nodded in agreement, Shah Jahan's tomb was right beside his wife's grave

The sound of a mobile phone attracted the attention of two people who were enjoying typical Indian food on the side of the road. The sound of the horn became a new rhythm for Layla, more dense than Indonesia. The horn is like a song on the road that is never quiet

"Hello, Assalamu'alaikum"

"..."

"No, I'm in India"

"..."

"..."

"Looks like I really need this" Layla chuckled slightly to the caller across the street

"..."

"I haven't given it yet but I've written it"

"..."

"Yes. Tell me don't think too much, especially think of me, I'm fine here. If I resign I go straight home"

"..."

"Wa'alaikumussalam"

"Huh" Layla took a deep breath after putting the square object back in her bag

"Returned?" Guess Amla's on target

"Kok you know?" Layla squinted her eyes suspiciously

"I'm a regional kid, who was asked that it was mute every phone call, even though I told my mother many times that I had not been off"

"That means they miss you"

"A turn to the house, told to clean up" Layla laughed and nodded her head in agreement

"Maybe it's a way of manifesting his affection for you"

"Love what if it's kayak babu"

"But to be honest you miss it when it's synced?"

"Emang anyway, as far as we go, the house remains the most comfortable place to return. When we can be ourselves, let alone the mother's nagging that I miss here"

"Make them proud of you, go to college well and be a successful person who is useful to many people" Amla nodded enthusiastically

"It's probably like my last day here, tomorrow I have to go back to America"

"Not exciting, the holiday period is only one day"

"Where do you say it, I think I also want to resign"

"But why? Where Kak Ila works well, her salary is also very much, why should I resign?"

"Happy isn't always about money, as you say as far as feet go, home is still the best place to go when it's not for everyone" Layla breathed in for a moment

"After all it seems like I should stop running away and turn around to face"