Akad Shackle

Recognition

The dinner menu is presented already on a minimalist dining table with a more beautiful order than usual. Rahma has prepared everything for tonight.

A happy news she will present as a surprise to her husband tonight. The news of pregnancy that just a few days ago he knew, he deliberately kept it only for himself. She did not tell anyone before telling her husband.

Tonight Anggara came home right after Maghrib prayer. Rahma also enthusiastically welcomed the arrival of her husband who had not returned home for nearly two months. Only through chat did they communicate that if Rahma who started asking news about her husband.

After Isya, Rahma waited for her husband who was still in the mosque complex to perform congregational prayers. Her heart was filled with happiness, impatient to see her husband's reaction immediately. The thing they had been waiting for God finally gave them trust.

"Mas, have you come home..want to eat first?" Rahma grabbed the husband's hand and kissed the back of his hand full of reverence. Not to forget Anggara also landed a kiss on his wife's forehead. Long-standing routines are not performed because of the distance that stretches between them.

"We eat first yes" Anggara replied with a smile on his lips. Again a warm kiss he landed on Rahma's forehead which is certainly reciprocated with a happy smile Rahma. His heart was more flowery, impatient to immediately give the happy news he had prepared.

Twenty minutes passed, the husband and wife's dinner went well. Small talk flowed between them.

"Honey, there's something I want to talk to you about" Anggara gently rubbed Rahma's head that was currently leaning next to her chest. They were sitting on the sofa in the middle of the house.

After dinner, the two of them filled the togetherness with watching television because the time was still showing less than nine o'clock at night.

Anggara knitted Rahma's waist tightly, he even directed his wife's head to lean against his chest.

"What's wrong?" Rahma still dropped her head on Anggara's chest, her hand held the remote and chose a television channel looking for the right show to watch.

"He's back" two words coming out of Anggara's mouth made Rahma stop her hand movements. Still in the same position, she was silent waiting for the continuation of her husband's speech.

"He came back and regretted his decision to leave that time" Anggara continued. From here Rahma began to understand the meaning of her husband's words. She lifted her head from the chest of the field and shifted her body to be able to see her husband's face.

"You mean, the ex-boyfriend?" asked Rahma, looking at Anggara

lowered his gaze.

"Heummh" Anggara nodded his head, at a glance he returned Rahma's gaze and turned his gaze back towards the television.

Seeing Anggara's expression, Rahma speculated negatively, but she hurriedly brushed him off. Rahma took a deep breath, she took out a glass that was still filled with water. Gulped it a few times, trying to neutralize his thoughts and mood.

"Thank God if he regrets his mistakes. That means he has been trying to make himself a better person again" said Rahma softly, her face adorned with a smile as usual.

Anggara again glanced at Rahma, there was doubt in his eyes to continue his words. For a moment, they face each other with different thoughts.

Anggara took a breath, filling his lungs that seemed to run out of oxygen. His throat was suffocating, it was hard to speak.

"Darling...." Anggara stroked Rahma's cheeks, now they sat face to face cross-legged on the sofa.

Rahma only replied with a smile, she was still waiting for the continuation of her husband's words.

"I love you and don't want to lose you" a romantic-sounding statement Anggara made to Rahma. Rahma's heart warmed to hear it.

"I'm sorry if I ignored you for months" Anggara rubbed Rahma's cheeks lovingly and with a smile on her face Rahma nodded her head.

"You love me, don't you?" anggara asked with her eyes, Rahma nodded her head again.

Rahma scrunched her forehead, she did not understand the direction of her husband's conversation.

"Why do you suddenly talk like that?" ask Rahma softly,

"I don't want to lose you, promise to stay by my side" Anggara replied, further confounding Rahma.

"Mas, we've been together long enough. I already know what I'm like. For me, the household is not just a worldly affair, but also a means to His heaven" said Rahma softly, his softness in speaking words is always able to provide comfort for Anggara.

"I don't want anything to hide from you anymore" Anggara clasped Rahma's hand, as if afraid that Rahma would leave her.

"What are you hiding?" asked Rahma calmly, she still smiled sweetly giving her calmness when she saw the look on her husband's face so tense.

"I want to admit something that you have not known" Anggara said with a weakening intonation,

"Tell me, I will listen" said Rahma softly,

"You know, he and I dated for a long time. During that time my parents did not approve of us. Many times I tried to bring her in front of my parents, trying to convince her, but her response was always not good. They still don't accept us. Whether for what reason mom and dad don't approve of kani, I don't know myself. Mama just said she wasn't good enough to be my side. Only aunt, papa's youngest brother accepts and is kind to her and supports our relationship." Anggara sighed pausing his words,

"We also felt like we had shelter, I was closer to my aunt and we spent a lot of time in my aunt's house. Until one day, something that should not have been the time to happen, finally happened between us" Anggara looked at Rahma, wanting to know his wife's reaction after she said it.

Rahma was still trying to calm down, as an adult she understood the meaning of her husband's words, their free courtship style. Rahma's chest rumbled, yet she could still hold it.

"Since that time, every meeting we had seemed to be a routine. Until one day I forgot not to use safety, and ....." Anggara came down from the sofa, he sat down on Rahma's lap.

"He was pregnant.." Anggara's hand grip was stronger felt Rahma, not without reason Anggara did, he could feel the hand he was holding was shaking and sweating.

Deg. But she was still trying to calm down, wanting to finish listening to her husband's confession.

"I was panicking, I was afraid, I couldn't possibly admit this in front of my father and mother, they would definitely be very disappointed in me, hyks.." sobs began to be heard in Rahma's ears,

"Tante is the only person we can count on. And we said everything to my aunt"

"Given that we were never approved by our parents, and aunt did not dare to face papa if this was known to them. He proposed that Friska drop her, and we agreed"

Deg.. the second fact that succeeded in making Rahma unable to hide her surprise.

"Astaghfirullah.." said Rahma slowly, she did not expect that her husband's past was this complicated,

"With the help of our aunt we were taken to an acquaintance who used to do just that and succeeded. Friska content was successfully removed, approximately one month Friska was treated there until completely recovered"

"A feeling of guilt always comes to my heart when I think of that event. I feel always pursued by sin for killing my own flesh and blood" Anggara bowed as he said all that, he had no power to hold back his tears, the shame of the woman in front of him also made him powerless to lift his head.

"Astaghfirullah.." sounds the word istighfar again said softly from Rahma's lips. Slowly, but clearly heard in the ears Anggara makes himself increasingly reluctant to lift his head.

"Since then I promised myself to try to convince my parents to accept Friska, but nothing. Until I met, they didn't give me their blessing"

Rahma looked at the head that was bowed right in front of her. She was still trying to digest everything her husband said. The beginning of their marriage was not good and Rahma managed to accept it. Anggara also turned into like a husband, their household was going well. But the new reality he knew today left him completely shocked.