(Not) The Substitute

Eps 10 - Inheritance And Will

"Sa... Elsa.." exclaimed the grandmother knocking on the door of Elsa's room. Elsa opened the door while rubbing her swollen eyes.

"What, Grandma?" ask Elsa.

"You haven't eaten before, you'll be sick" said the grandmother.

"I'm not hungry" replied Elsa and she walked in directly on the grandmother's tail from behind.

"Don't do it, Sa. Eat first yes, son" persuaded the grandmother, Elsa nodded slowly because in fact she also felt hungry.

Her grandmother rushed to the kitchen to get food for Elsa.

After that, he also delivered his food to Elsa's room and this time the grandmother came with Isna.

"Sa, eat a lot of ya. You must be healthy and fit if you want to be a model" persuaded the mother and Elsa nodded.

With great difficulty he tried to swallow the food that had just been fed by his grandmother.

"You must be strong, Sa. And you have to be able to accept all of this, no matter how it happens because of you"

"Stop blaming Elsa, Mom" exclaimed Isna disliked "Arfan is also wrong here, they've been in a relationship for a long time and everyone knows it. Then Arfan arrived and said a contract with the name of Elnaz"

"Because of Elnaz beside her, Is. Try to imagine the feelings of Arfan, in the stay of his bride on the wedding night, not only that, he even had his biological sister pretend to be herself in the guarantee" hatch the grandmother who provoked Isna's anger.

"It's been, it's my fault" exclaimed Elsa "How else, the rice has become porridge"

.........

After examining his last patient, Arfan rushed home. Today he came home early, trying to eliminate his cowardice as Liam said.

Arriving home, he saw his parents who were eating dinner.

"Where's Elnaz?" ask Arfan.

"Had eaten this afternoon" replied the mother. Arfan did not respond and he rushed into his room.

While Elnaz who heard Arfan's arrival immediately pretended to sleep, he curled up on the edge of the bed like the night before.

Arfan moved her back to the middle of the bed and enveloped her properly.

Arfan cleaned himself, performing prayers after that he also crawled up on the bed making Elnaz panic.

"Will he sleep in bed?" his inner rebellion was unacceptable. Arfan threw himself at the side of Elnaz, half leaning against the head of the bed.

Arfan noticed the plain face of Elnaz clingy while continuing to remember Liam's suggestion. Marriage counseling, being husband and wife to Elnaz, wading through the household with Elnaz. It felt like it was very difficult, their status, their past, their circumstances and conditions. It all feels so hard.

Arfan crawled back down from the bed, picked up a pillow and he returned to spend the night on the sofa. Elnaz who realized it was breathing a sigh of relief, tomorrow he will talk to Arfan. Talk from heart to heart and ask for a divorce from her. Elnaz doesn't care whether Arfan will return to Elsa or not after that. But Elnaz could never be the wife of Arfan, the wife of the man she had considered her own older brother.

.........

Elnaz himself also wanted to talk, but he still did not have enough courage for it. Elnaz still could not face Arfan who is her husband now. Anger, disappointment, hatred, still enveloped his heart.

Arfan's phone rang, and he frowned confused because his grandmother contacted him.

"Assalamualaikum" said Arfan.

"Fan, meet grandma at home now" a strict command from the grandmother sounded.

Arfan glanced at Elnaz who also glanced at him at a glance and quickly Elnaz turned his face.

"Yes" answered Arfan and he hurried off to see his grandmother.

After Arfan's departure, Elnaz was sad again. Alone again, lonely again, and no one really cares. Till when? Until when will he live like a living statue in Arfan's room?

.........

Arfan went into the grandmother's house, and there the grandmother was waiting.

"What's up, Grandma?" ask Arfan gently.

"Grandmother wants to talk to you alone" said the grandmother with a look of sadness.

"Speak what?" asked Arfan and he sat down in front of his grandmother.

"Grandma's very old, Fan. Ajal can pick up grandma anytime and anywhere, grandma does not have anything to be inherited or wastated. Especially for you, grandmother's first grandchild from grandmother's first child" said the grandmother in her weak voice. While Arfan still faithfully listened.

"But grandma has one inheritance and one will for you, and grandmother's legacy is Elnaz. You have taken her forcibly, Fan. You married her without talking to anyone. She's your wife now and you take full responsibility for her life.

And grandma's will, divorce Elnaz if you can't be a good husband to her, if you can just make her cry, grieve, never assume her there's even you... You let her starve. "grandmother couldn't hold back her tears uttering every word of it. During this time he took very good care of Elnaz, in each of his prostrations he always begged the best mate for Elnaz because after marriage then the husband who will be the place to lean on Elnaz, Elnaz, role model Elnaz. But now, Elnaz was even married so unfairly and treated more unfairly. It makes her so sad.

While Arfan, he was very surprised to hear the words of his grandmother who said he let Elnaz starve. Arfan had indeed made Elnaz grieve and cry and he was trying to overcome it now. But starving? Arfan had never been home so he did not know whether Elnaz had eaten or not.

"What do you mean, Grandma?" asked Arfan in a soft voice.

"In your house, Elnaz was never considered, was he? No one wants to talk to her, what's wrong with Grandma's grandson, Fan? He never asked you to marry him, never wanted to be your parents' daughter-in-law. But... He's still your brother, Fan. Your cousin sister, at least remember the blood relation if you do not want the marriage.how can you make her suffer so much in your house?" grandma said with a trembling voice. He could not imagine how much Elnaz suffered in the house of Arfan.

"His parents never expected his birth, and his husband never expected him to be his wife, in-laws who are also om and his own aunt never expected his presence to be a daughter-in-law in their home. But did Elnaz expect and want all that? No, Fan. Not at all" he said sadly.

While Arfan, he was silent. It's his fault that he never spoke to Elnaz, leaving early in the morning. It's like Elnaz wasn't there. And Arfan also knows how the treatment of his extended family to Elnaz since long ago, should Arfan realize his status as Arfan's wife will now make Elnaz more disliked by everyone.

"Remember this grandmother's legacy and will, Fan. Elnaz also deserves to be happy, like that poor girl. The neighbors talk about her, consider her her brother's fiancee, consider her your affair, consider her a family disgrace"

Arfan's heart was claustrophobic hearing it all, he felt even more guilty. His eyes were even hot. He knew how pure his Elnaz was, he knew how innocent and kind his Elnaz was.

"I.." just as Arfan was speaking, he saw Elsa coming, walking quickly to him, and she fell in front of Arfan with tears in her eyes.