Assalamu'Alaikum Love

Matchmaking

I thought I would be nervous to death because this morning is a qabul ijab event with abah and the ruler and the witnesses at Faza's house. But the thought was not proven because in fact I could still be calm despite a slight nervous feeling. Mama and Renata even had time to tease me who could act so calm instead of feeling nervous to experience butterfly syndrome flying in my stomach.

“Evenings have been happy with Faza yes until it can be as calm and confident as this?” ledek mama when she entered my room and helped me get ready before we and the family left for Faza. A question I only answered with a faint smile because I knew that my mother was only asking it as a joke. Mama knows that her prospective son-in-law is a typical boarding school girl who will not be that easy to find by men who are not mahramnya.

“If one day mom is unfair to you, Renata, and Faza, please remind mom son. Please remind mama that Faza is your wife and that means he is also your son. Please remind mama to love Faza like mama loves you and Renata.” Said mama who made me undo the intention to wear a suit in my hands that I was actually going to wear.

Look closely at the mother and observe the wrinkles that begin to appear on the woman's face. Ah, I just realized that mama's not as young as before. Maybe that's why my eyes started to heat up when my mom grabbed my coat and helped me put it on.

“Ma,”

“For she did not conceive and raise Faza, but she willingly left her family to devote the rest of her life to her son. So take good care of him, son. Please remind mama, papa or Renata that one day we did not do well to your wife.” continued mama while tidying up my suit and reaching for my glasses that had been lying on the table.

I can't deny that I thought about how you could love and understand Faza like you treat Renata. Because Faza and I are not dating and Mama has never even seen Faza even from a photo. I'm just saying that Faza is my student and we met in Blora four years ago. That's why I was worried that later mama would find it difficult to get along with Faza.

“Insyaa Allah, ma. Remind Gibran also that Gibran once began to be unfair to Faza. Please remind Gibran to honor Faza as Gibran respects mama.”

It felt like I had just found the calmness that I had been looking for since a few days when I grabbed my right hand and kissed the back of his hand with reverence. Letting my mom touch the top of my head and stroking it for a while before kissing it.

It was as if mom wanted to tell me that after this, someone's life would become my full responsibility and I was no longer allowed to behave as I please.

And the recitation of the verses of the Quran welcomed the arrival of my family in the house of Faza butapat one hour before the wedding ceremony began. The atmosphere of Faza's house was completely different from last night when Haris and I attended a lecture here. Last night there were no decorations and also a guarantee that although simple but somehow looks very beautiful to me.

The white shades are so dominating and some fresh flowers are laid out in various corners of the house even make Renata who is usually so critical - even admiring the decor of this house. Renata even whispered while giggling next to me as we just got out of the car and said that Faza is talented in choosing decorations that are as simple but look elegant.

“Sorry to disappoint you sweet lady, but not Faza who chose this decoration. She was too busy with her final semester exams to have no time to think about her own marriage.” whispered me right beside Renata's ears which made the girl squint. Well, in fact, Faza is still a young girl of 20 years who can not take care of a marriage alone when she had to take the final semester exam on campus. That's why Revelation is taking over everything that her little sister should be handling.

“Masa? Who would choose such a decoration? Not Gibran mas ‘kan?”

“That's taking care of all this. Even she also takes care of the wedding dress Faza.” I even squinted a week ago when Revelation sent me two pictures of wedding dresses and asked me to choose one of them. One picture of a white wedding dress and another picture of a toska color wedding dress.

“And who is Revelation, mas?”

“Do you see the man in a white cocoa shirt standing next to the white-robed, sacrificial man? Yes he is the Revelation that takes care of all this.” Clearly I was directing Renata to Revelation who stood beside my brother and began to greet the guests and welcome my family. Noticing papa who started talking about something with abah after a while earlier the two of them hugged each other. It was in stark contrast to seeing papa in his official suit hugging so familiarly with the abah that the day seemed authoritative with his head white peci and long white robe. All guests can easily recognize him as the father of the bride.

“Mas Wahyu it's E.O who takes care of your marriage huh, mas?” asked Renata again and still whispered beside me.

“Not. Revelation is his older brother Faza, and he's an exterior designer.” My answer is therefore because my brother, father and ruler walked up to me and distracted me from Renata.

“His brother Faza? Hah, I'm heartbroken mas.” But really, I could still hear it clearly when Renata said that sentence while passing by with my mom and the other group of women to be invited into the house. And does that mean Renata is fascinated by my own sister-in-law? Oh gosh.

“Dearly once would-be boys abah. Ready, son?” so kindly you embrace my shoulder and pat my shoulder before inviting me to walk to the place where the ijab qabul event will be held. And the name you gave me did not fail to warm my heart because instead of calling me ‘anak mantu’, you replace it with ‘boys’.

“Insyaa Allah ready, bah.”

But shouldn't it be like this? The two bride-to-be who have not become a husband and wife should not be juxtaposed and sit side by side in front of the ruler, because the presence of the bride-to-be is not a valid requirement of a qabul ijab. Well, I just found out about this a few weeks ago, but it was enough to make me understand that you are currently implementing a marriage that is in accordance with Islamic law for both of us.

And the tense face that was drawn on my face just rumbled as I said the words ijab qabul while shaking his hand with a single breath. Mengulum smiled faintly for me before leading do’a to everything in that place. Do’a chants that make the man shed tears and make my eyes heat up even though I actually do not really understand the meaning of do’a that adanjatkan. But it feels like a series of do’a that you said this morning entered so naturally into my heart and again makes me understand if at this time a Gibran Wibisana has been legally a husband.

“Alhamdulillah,” I whispered to myself while raising my face as the guests began to whisper and mumble that the bride was really pretty.

And for the umpteenth time my attention was stolen by a young girl named Faza Aulia. It's just that this time my attention was not stolen by a female student with a long robe and a wide headscarf. Also not by the name ‘Faza’ which at first I always associated with the name of an arab prince. Today my attention was completely stolen by a bride who walked out of the house accompanied by two women on both sides.

A girl in a white wedding dress whose length swept the floor with a wide headscarf complete with a white veil that is so beautiful. Her right hand seemed to have trouble arranging the end of her dress so as not to be stepped on while her left hand held a bouquet of fresh lilies. It made me unable to help but smile because the girl looked cute while being hassled by her own wedding dress. But really, today the girl is really beautiful in a wedding dress that is again designed to fit syari’at islam.

My bride. Halal lover.

“Don't be so nervous, nduk. You are legal to be husband and wife kok.” As Faza's hands seemed to tremble so the ruler asked him to sign his wedding book moments after the girl sat beside me.

I'll bet you, if only there was no veil covering Faza's face, it was certain that the girl's face was reddened by her own father's tearing which drew the laughter of everyone there.

“Change,” whispered Faza timidly while stealing glances at me as I also signed my marriage book. And I also didn't lie that I was nervous and awkward when I asked us to stand up and I guided Faza's hand to put a ring on the ring finger of his right hand. Not only I actually, but also Faza who looked hesitant as I grabbed his hand. Well, of course Faza will be awkward when I touch even though I have legally become her husband, because all this time Faza Aulia has never been touched by a man who is not his mahram.

“Berdo’alah for your wife, son.” It was Pinta abah who made me take a deep breath before putting my right hand on the top of Faza's head that closed my eyes. Reading a series of do’a that I have learned in the past few days because from the beginning, what I wanted to do after Faza became my rightful wife was to pray for her and worship her as my wife.

‘Yes Allah, I ask You for His goodness and the good You have created for him, and I take refuge in You from his ugliness and the evil You have created for him.’ (H.R Bukhari)

“Thank you, mas.” Whisper Faza as I pulled my right hand from the top of his head and kissed his forehead long ago.

Feeling the nervousness that had dominated the two of us just walked out and changed into warm happiness. It was as if the price paid paid off for everything we had been through over the past few months. About our inner upheaval. About our feelings. It's also about the things that we've put up with even though we know it's only going to hurt ourselves.

“Tabarakallah, darling.”

Again it still feels hard to believe that at this time, the girl in the bridal gown sitting next to me in the guarantee is a young girl who once confidently offered me an umbrella.

She's the young girl who saved me from Professor Himawan's rampage with her red umbrella four years ago. Blora and rain in December. It felt like two things were like fate that brought the two of us together and drove us both to arrive today. On the day we became husband and wife.

It also still feels unbelievable when remembering that last month, we even still back each other with all the turbulent feelings in us. I even turned to leave Faza when the girl confessed her feelings for me and when I found out that there was a man proposing to her.

It's hard to believe remembering that we've been breathless running from our own feelings because we both understood that feeling like that shouldn't be in our hearts. But again God with the most beautiful scenario proves that love is a feeling that flows in shahdu and warms our souls.

And all we have to do is one. Obey God's command to keep that love in a state of holiness in our hearts, until the moment we are united in a sacred bond. All we had to do was one, simple yet full of twists. Waiting.

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