Apparently, my best friend My in-laws

Chapter 3

Qhinsha:

Sleep Madam! It's already night.

Sheriff:

Sleep first! I'm waiting for you, sir.

Quinsha:

At this hour he hasn't come home yet? Habits.

Sherin stared at the last chat with Quinsha with a smile, just like the emoji she sent to her best friend. Smilingly.

That smile was chosen by Sherin to loosen the tightness that often squeezes and throws him into pain. For him, if everything was faced with a smile, then the pain would be lessened. Because if the wound is faced with tears, the pain is even more pronounced. But if the wound is faced with a smile, at least it is a hope, that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, the pain will turn into happiness.

Hopefully.

To this day, that hope has not happened. Two years have changed. And there's no meaningful change. But one belief is always ingrained in Sherin, if nothing is in vain. Every prayer and effort must be answered by God. Although later His answer form is as it happened to his best friend Quinsha Daneen. Sherin has resigned and insha’Allah ridho with His Decision

His pair of eyes were almost closed, when the roar of the car engine stopped in the yard. Sherin immediately sat down from sleeping beside him on the front room sofa. The tip of his eyes glanced at the clockwork that had almost reached the point of 23 nights. While fixing the hijab, the beautiful woman immediately stepped into the front door.

Her husband's handsome face was immediately plastered in front of his eyes, as soon as the door opened. Sherin immediately smiles to welcome her— - sometimes her smile does not get a reply or appreciation— - but Sherin does not forget two special rituals every time she welcomes her husband, namely smiling and kissing hands.

“Not sleeping?” thus the question Alarick which is a question routine— in pronunciation and kata— every time home, and greeted by Sherin in front of the door of his magnificent home.

Sherin just shook her head slowly, not to forget also with a smile. And Alarick will pass him by, after letting the back of his hand kissed by Sherin as usual.

“I'm ready to eat yes, Mas?” it was also a question Sherin used to ask as she stepped behind her husband and stared at the sturdy back of the man over forty.

“No! Had eaten outside,” rejected Alarick without stopping steps or just looking at his wife's face.

“Tea warm?”

“Bby. But not too much.” And Alarick's body was further removed because Sherin was no longer following him. The woman changed her steps towards the kitchen. While Alarick continued to step up the stairs to the second floor, where their room was located.

Alarick was unbuttoning his dressy shirt when Sherin walked into the room with a cup of tea in hand. “I help ya, Mas,” pinta Sherin.

Alarick just nodded. Sherin immediately put the drink he was carrying on the nightstand. Then her hands nimbly unbutton her husband's clothes, which sometimes her legs have to tiptoe every time unbuttoned on the crew, because of the difference in the size of the height of both of them.

In such a position, Sherin would stare at Alarick's face hoping that her husband was also staring at his face with a fixed and alluring smile. But again Sherin had to swallow disappointment, because Alarick turned out to be anchoring his gaze outside the window that was still left open. As usual.

Sherin smiled at herself. As he had decided before - he would always respond with a smile - everything that approached him was a disappointment. Because it is his prayer and his hope. That one day his life will be studded with smiles and happiness.

Alarick immediately disappeared behind the bathroom door. While Sherin hangs the clothes used by Alarick in the place that has been provided. Next, Sherin will sit on the sofa by the window, waiting for the husband to finish with his bathing ritual. This series of events, Sherin's routine every night, welcomes Alarick who just came home.

Saturated? Sure either. Undergoing a monotonous routine for more than two years, without any significant changes, which woman will not feel bored. The same with Sherin Mumtaza. But everyone tried to do it patiently. As hard as he can. In the name of a sacred bond a marriage has built.

Alarick and Sherin's wedding was unplanned from the start. In the meantime, Sherin will marry a future husband who has been betrothed by their parents for two years. Ridwan. He worked at Alarick's tea factory.

A week before the wedding, Ridwan bailed out of the island to control the distribution of goods. This was opposed by the Ridwan family or the Sherin— family whose house was close together. They believe in the term, if the bride and groom at the time of approaching the wedding day should not go anywhere to avoid harm.

But Ridwan insisted that he would be fine. And after all this is the direct duty of Mr. Alarick who trusts him so much. The family even asked Mr. Alarick directly to assign Ridwan duties to others. It turned out that on that day, all the people who might replace Ridwan's duties had their respective duties. Be Ridwan still depart with a release of prayers and a pinch of concern from all families.

It turns out that all their fears happened. Ridwan never came back. Four days after he left, the one who returned to his parents' lap was a corpse wrapped in white cloth.

Ridwan has an accident on his way home, which leads him to a long sleep. Leaving all families and prospective wives who are ready to go up to the pelaminan.

It was then that Alarick willingly replaced Ridwan, marrying Sherin. And from then on, Sherin's struggle to get her husband's love begins. For Sherin, whatever is the reason they marry, marriage is still a sacred and sacred bond that must be fought for.

“Sherin.” It felt as if one hand was patting her shoulder slowly. Sherin immediately gasped from her long daydream.

“Sleep first! I still want to do something!” Tell Alarick to grab a warm tea on the nightstand and sip it for a moment.

“Iya, Mas. Don't sleep too late huh,” Sherin said as she stepped closer to her husband.

Alarick nodded and then landed a short kiss on his wife's forehead, before bringing her body out of the room.

Their marriage story is not like most of the stories written in romance novels. From running a marriage because of forced, not accepting each other and then ending up being slaves of love. But here, Alarick continues to carry out his duties as a husband to Sherin, who provides a born and inner living.

Sherin's position is also not like the story of a secret wife who hidden her existence, and only recognized when alone in the room. Alarick recognizes Sherin in front of everyone as his wife. She gave Sherin full rights as a wife in her home, in the presence of the workers, and in all spheres of her association.

And their story is also not like the story of forced marriage between a simple girl and the son of the ruler, who lives in tears and covered in pain. Alarick never whacked Sherin with hurtful words, in the form of insults, insults, especially the form of pisical rudeness. He said well, and behaved politely, like a responsible husband.

For an Alarick, Sherin is not a second or third woman. Sherin was the first woman to be his wife. Only, there was no Sherin in Alarick's eyes, and there was no Sherin's name in his heart.

Alarick's love has run out for someone in his past, and he's left with nothing but one small spot for his wife. He was to carry on the status of Sherin's husband based only on duty, not in the name of love.

Early in marriage. Alarick had honestly told her everything, not wanting Sherin to suffer birth and inner life with her. He is also ready to release Sherin, if that is the way that his wife will marry him later after knowing the truth about the man.

But Sherin's determined to keep running her household. Leaning on the belief that nothing will be impossible if God has Decided.

For Sherin, her marriage to Alarick was God's Destiny. And Allah must have a secret behind every provision.

Then Sherin's current position deserves to be called as what? Secret wife? Wife not considered? Or an invisible wife?

Uh. It doesn't feel like everything.