When Love Is Afflicting
Annisa

"Your face looks different than usual" Ibra said.

Ibra was Furqon's cousin and best friend, who helped him build the Indonesian restaurant in Egypt.

"Feelings from the past, my face gini gini aja. Handsome and many have a crush."Furqon smiled sweetly, then raised both of her hands from the table, leaning her body against the back of the chair, putting both of her hands on the back of her head.

"Yes yes! you are handsome and sweet. But listen, your match with Yasmin was canceled" Ibra said pulling a chair in the room, then sitting her body in front of Furqon's table.

Furqon sighed harshly, his face sparkling from earlier, lost instantly hearing Ibra allude to her aborted match with Yasmin.

"Annisa" Furqon said paused his sentence for a moment." All because of Annisa, Yasmin's sister."

Ibra stared intensely at Furqon's face, waiting for the man to continue his story.

"Annisa likes me. He didn't know that Yasmin and I were married. And Yasmi. asked me to propose to Annisa."

"What about you?" ask Ibra.

Furqon's lips twitched with sparkling eyes, reminiscing about something she could not forget.

"Did you remember?. It used to be the time of the Tilawatil Qur'an match in the city square. A sweet-talking little girl recites the holy verse of the Qur'an very well. I was so far from the front of the stage. I can't recognize that sweet-talking little girl from a distance." Furqon leaned back against the back of the chair and closed his eyes with his face turned upward.

"I fell in love with that little girl, Ibra. Without me knowing him, and only from the voice and chant of the holy verse of the Qur'an an its." Furqon paused his sentence for a while." I prayed, asking God to give the little girl to me, to be mine in the future." Furqon paused his sentence again." Luckily, Umi was one of the judges on the show. I went to Umi, and asked Umi to give a prayer beads to the little girl who got the first champion."

"Is that little girl you mean, Annisa?" ibra asked to look at the story of his best friend. At that time, Ibra was also on the show. Ibra also admired the young girl from a distance.

Furqon opened his eyes, and directed his gaze towards Ibra."I just found out, when a teenage girl at HARAPAN High School, gave me a prayer beads" Furqon replied, closing her eyes again, recalling the time Annisa gave her a prayer beads. Furqon knew the prayer beads very well, because they were once his. It was given to a little girl through Uminya.

"Then, why can't you recognize him?. Though Umi Fadilah at that time became a judge on the show. Why don't you go see the girl you mean?. When Umi Fadilah gave the prayer beads, where did you go? until I don't see what the girl's face looks like?" ask Ibra curious.

Wouldn't if we liked or admired someone, definitely want to know him and see that person more clearly like what?, thought Ibra.

"I went home first before the gift. You know at that time my health has not fully recovered" Furqon replied, returning his head to the back of the chair.

Furqon was fourteen years old. Furqon just recovered from typhoid in nature. Make Furqon can not linger long outside the house, what else is the night.

"Then what are your plans now?" ask Ibra again.

"Yasmin, ask me to propose to Annisa. And I have asked Abi and Umi to meet Ustadz Bilal" Furqon replied.

Ibra nodded her head.

"Then what about Yasmi ?" ask Ibra again.

"I don't know, only God knows everything" Furqon urged. Actually pity Yasmin. Furqon also knows that Yasmin loves him. But Furqon will not waste this opportunity, to get her first love so far, because of the matchmaking that her parents arranged since sometime.

"That is the Divine mystery. Who are you marrying?.In love with who?. Who will marry?. No one knows" Ibra said.

"We humans can only plan and pray. But God determines it. I can only give in to my prayers and remembrance. With whoever I'm a match, I'm sure, that's what's best for me" Furqon said.

Furqon also knows about a man named Shaka who will propose to Annisa. Yasmin told him in a message through her phone. But Furqon did not give up on prayer and asked God. Before Annisa legitimately belonged to someone else, Furqon still had a chance to reach for her love.

"You know Ibra. For years I prayed to God that I might meet the little girl. I kept it all this time, because of my matchmaking with Yasmin" Furqon said with glassy eyes.

"After I found it." Furqon covered her smile so sincerely." The little girl fell in love with me too. But it turns out...." Furqon paused his sentence and sighed harshly." The little girl turned out to be Yasmin's sister. When I found out, my heart was broken, Ibra. I had to bury myself deep again in this feeling." Furqon involuntarily shed her tears.

"But the teenage girl kept bothering me. Not shy and embarrassed at all to say love me." Furqon re-carved his smile."He always manages to make my heart beat, Ibra."

**

"Assalamu aleikum!"

"Greetings hallaikum!"

Annisa, who happened to descend the household, immediately returned the greetings of someone who exclaimed outside the house. Annisa set her foot towards the door, to open the door for the guests who came. After opening it, Annisa instantly fell silent looking at the two guests standing in front of the door.

"Annisa! who's coming?."

Umi Hani's call immediately managed to resuscitate Annisa from her daydream.

"Please enter Om Ustadz and Aunty" said Annisa smiling and then stepped aside to make way for the no longer young married couple.

"Thanks, Son!" reply Umi Fadilah gently rubbed the tip of Annisa's head while smiling.

"Annisa! who's coming?" exclaim Umi Hani again from the direction of the kitchen, because Annisa did not reply to her speech.

"Tante Fadilah and Om Ustadz Munzir, Umi !" reply Annisa. After that, they told the two guests to sit down.

"Please sit down, Auntie. Annisa went to the kitchen for a while" said Annisa and immediately stepped into the kitchen.

Umi Hani also immediately came to meet the guests who came.

"Eh! Ustadz, Ustadzah" greeted Umi Hani kindly, then shook hands with Umi Fadilah." For a moment, I called Bang Bilal first" he said later, and immediately stepped into his room with Ustadz Bilal. Soon Ustadz Bilal and Hani were the same out of the room.

"Assalamu alaikum Ustadz Bilal." Abi Munzir stood up from his seat and extended his hand to Ustadz Bilal.

"Alhamdulillah, Good Ustadz" replied Ustadz Bilal, sitting his body on an empty sofa after removing the link of their hands.

Ustadz Bilal and Abi Munzir both sighed deeply. It seemed like the two middle-aged lung men were just as confused as to begin the conversation from where.

"Begini Ustadz Bilal" Abi Munzir finally spoke first, to express the purpose of their arrival.

*connect