Akad Shackle

Thanksgiving Event

Flasbacks...

The time that required Rahma to try harder to be strong and strong finally arrived. She was invited by Anggara to attend her honeymoon....

Friday afternoon Anggara was already in Garut, he said he deliberately entered work half a day to be able to pick up Rahma immediately and get to Bandung not too late.

Thanksgiving will be held Saturday morning, mama and aunt Anggara have arranged everything well. Rahma just needs to come to attend her show.

Several times Rahma pulled and exhaled deeply and slowly, she stood facing the window of the room facing directly to the view of the expanse of rice fields behind her housing complex.

"Are you ready, baby?" so that his henchman Rahma in daydreams, he was not aware of Anggara's arrival to the room and only realized when a sturdy hand hugged his stomach from behind.

Rahma slightly jumped, shocked when the hand touched her still flat stomach. Rahma immediately tried to break the hand in her stomach. He is not ready if he has to explain his current state of being two-bodied. Fortunately, in this first trimester Rahma does not experience cravings, nausea and vomiting it seems that the baby supports what is the decision of the Mother.

"Why?" Anggara frowned as Rahma refused her embrace.

"Sorry Mas" replied Rahma briefly, only that word was spoken from his lips.

"You still can't accept my marriage to Friska?" anggara asked, blocking the hand of Rahma who was about to come out of his room.

"Considered you? that easy I can take?" Rahma asked back, she looked at the face of her husband who suddenly turned sad.

"I'm sorry Rahma" Anggara replied, lowering his head, he could not stand having to face the wife who had been hurt for a long time.

Anggara is well aware that his act of marrying Friska will greatly hurt Rahma, but his mother does not accept rejection because she really expects offspring from him who is only an only child.

"Here you go, let's go. Let not be too late to reach Bandung" Rahma also pulled the hand that is still blocked Anggara with a little energy, a little,

While Anggara stared at the back of the woman who had entered his heart it was getting away.

"Until anytime I won't let go of you, you're my best wife Rahma" Anggara muttered softly, she followed Rahma's steps out of the room first.

Not much talk happened during the trip. Rahma who is usually the most enthusiastic about telling her daily routine while away from her husband is now no more. Several times heard sighing, Anggara glanced at the wife who was only silent a thousand languages and answered as necessary if he asked.

Anggara pulled his car over at the rest area, the sound of meandering adzan maghrib made him choose the place to rest for a while and perform the maghrib prayer.

"Honey.we rest first yes, after praying later all eat" Anggara said after the car was parked perfectly and the engine died.

"Yes" replied Rahma briefly, he immediately went out first with a bag containing a wallet, mobile phone and mukena.

Anggara exhaled, he was still unable to soften Rahma's heart. Even so Anggara would not stay silent, he would try even harder.

At around nine o'clock in the evening Anggara's car stopped in front of a house with a high gate. Security guards quickly opened the gate when they found out whose car was coming.

Some cars are parked in the yard, the garage is full of other cars. Almost all family members from Anggara's mother's side have been there since this afternoon.

Anggara held Rahma's hand as they got out of the car and entered the main door that was already open. Many people welcomed their arrival, everyone was friendly as usual to Rahma and was reciprocated with no less friendly by Rahma because they had met before.

Rahma also asked the whereabouts of her in-laws to one of Anggara's aunts who invited her to chat.

"Your mother-in-law is again in.." Aunt Anggara paused her speech, she seemed hesitant to continue answering Rahma's question, saying,

"Where's aunt?" Rahma also repeated her question, she also circulated her gaze looking for the figure of her husband who had been saying goodbye to the room when she chatted with one of Anggara's aunts in the middle room,

"Mak again at..."

Rahma was stunned, hearing her tantalizing answer as if she had regained consciousness that her current arrival to her in-laws' house was to attend Friska's four-monthly birthday, her husband's second wife.

The feeling of pain came back, if two weeks ago she felt pain after hearing the confession of her husband who married again, this time she felt pain that was very sick because she had to witness firsthand the truth of her husband's confession.

"Oh.." Rahma just said the word oh, she also circulated her gaze looking for the whereabouts of her husband who has not returned even though he had been chatting there long enough.

"The guest is also in Friska's room, now you should rest. Your room has been prepared on the second floor next to Friska's room" Aunt Anggara also advised Rahma to rest, and was called Rahma.

He paid his respects to the family members who were still there to the room his aunt mentioned on the second floor.

Rahma passed through the room occupied by Friska to go to her room, the door of the room was slightly open. For a moment she stopped right in front of the open door, clearly Rahma saw her husband hugging his second wife and rubbing her back.

Anggara who happened to face her towards the door saw Rahma was standing staring at her, almost Anggara would call Rahma but her mother who turned her back to the door quickly put her index finger to her lips, giving code to keep Anggara quiet for fear of reawakening Friska.

"Sstttt.." seeing the code from his mother Anggara just sighed, he saw Rahma pass from there and headed for his room.

While Rahma, arriving in the room reserved for her, immediately entered the bathroom and changed her clothes with the pajamas she carried in a tote bag. He does not want to continue to dissolve in sadness because of the circumstances he is facing. Let all pass by what it should be, now Rahma only needs to convince herself that God cannot give a test beyond the limits of the abilities of his creatures.

☘️☘️☘️

Rahma's body seemed to have been well adjusted when I heard the words I looked at the beginning of her Adzan had awoken from her sleep. Rahma confirmed the hijab she was wearing, she glanced sideways, there was no one. Rahma looked around, since last night the atmosphere of the room did not change meaning her husband did not come to the room. Rahma concluded that Anggara must have slept in the next room with his new wife, a room that used to be occupied by Rahma and Anggara if visiting his in-laws' house.

A strand of do'a uttered silently from her lips, Rahma got out of bed and entered the bathroom, ablaze and enjoying the silence of the last third of the night quietly on the prayer mat.

At exactly eight in the morning, guests arrived to meet the invitation of the Anggara extended family. Not only close family who come, distant family almost all come, neighbors and even business partners and social friends mama Anggara also present there.

Everyone is happy, congratulations and do'a they say with joy. How not, this family-so-coveted granddaughter will finally be present in their midst.

The core event began, the study led by an ustadz became an important part of the series of thanksgiving events. Until the time comes a joint do'a event will be offered for the safety of the mother and baby she is carrying

Anggara and Friska were asked to go ahead and sit side by side with the ustadz who would lead the do'a. Through his gaze, Anggara asked Rahma for permission to come forward and was replied with a smile by Rahma.

Several times Anggara glanced at Rahma who was fervently praying following Ustadz's direction, he slightly ignored Friska who was struggling spoiled in his arms. The guilt of ambushing her heart from the beginning should bring Rahma to that house and be in the situation she is in right now.

When the final event was held, Anggara and Friska were asked to occupy the seats that had been provided to receive congratulations directly from the invited guests.

Unexpectedly, mama Anggara pulled Rahma to help accompany Friska. Rahma was surprised because she was not ready, since then she just sat behind the main line with other Anggara families.

"Ma...." Rahma held her mother-in-law's hand which would carry Rahma,

"Rahma, you should be happy with Friska's pregnancy. Everyone knows that Friska is Anggara's second wife. Mama does not want to make Friska stress because she sees you who always avoid her. Since morning Friska continues to be moody because you seem to be unhappy with her presence and pregnancy" explained mama Anggara half whispered. Rahma nodded her head according to following her mother-in-law who led her to where Anggara and Friska were.

With a friendly smile Rahma received the guests' helping hand. Some look at him amazed to see the firmness of Rahma coupled with her husband and second wife. But there are also those who look at him pity because of his status as the first wife who has not been pregnant and unfortunately their gaze is dominated because of pity on Rahma.

Several times Friska complained and spoiled to her husband when the guests began to distance, it was like he deliberately did to make Rahma jealous. As an ordinary woman Rahma did not refuse if her heart ached to see the intimacy of her husband and honeymoon. The events when the woman once came to her house as her husband's lover are now reflected back.

The pain of Rahma felt at that time but she was able to ignore it because at that time she realized her marriage with Anggara was limited by agreement, but at this time the pain was very much felt multiplied by crashing Rahma's heart. Rahma was hardly strong in this situation.

"Hold on, at least until the guests have gone home" the whisper of the mother-in-law standing beside her sounded clearly in Rahma's ears, he took a quick glance and accidentally met his gaze with the gaze of his father-in-law who looked at him gently lovingly but also felt guilty.

"I just smile, it's the way I decorate my wounds and every once in a while I have to laugh it's the way I hide from this pain. Mas, if you knew that in my womb there was also your flesh and blood, would you still be able to do this to me?" inward Rahma, she opened her eyes to hold something back so as not to fall when some new guests came over.

She rubbed her belly behind her wide headscarf, hoping to gain strength from the fetus she was carrying.