Behind the Veil (Aisha)

Glassware

Arriving at the apartment.

"This is your room." Zayn pointed at the door of the room in front of them.

"And that's my room" Zayn said, pointing to the other room.

Lela was shocked, she immediately saw her husband. Zayn was busy with his wife's suitcase.

Zayn pushed Lela's suitcase into the room in front of him, accompanied by his wife's astonished gaze.

"Go in and rest" Zayn said as he exited the room.

Lela fell silent. He looks confused. She wondered why Zayn would not share a room with her. But he chose to harbor his own sense of hers, not necessarily directly expressed to the husband.

Lela walked slowly to her room.

Now it was Zayn's turn to watch from behind him.

A few moments later.

After the Dzuhur prayer, Lela seemed to ponder in front of her bedroom window while looking at the hustle and bustle of the city in the middle of the day with a view of heavy traffic creeping in.

Being there is like a reminder of the time where he was at Aisha's house when he had just come from Egypt in a battered state.

Remembering that certainly makes him sad, but on the other hand he is grateful because at that time he was free from the entanglement of a devil-handed husband.

Ja. If not for ustadz Zaidan who would have thought now to be his sister-in-law, maybe until now he is still in the trap of torture her violent husband.

Thinking that Lela expressed gratitude many times because Allah SWT had sent someone to help her at that time.

***

Nightfall.

Anita helps store and tidy up Lela's clothes into the closet while chatting.

"What clothes are you carrying just like this?" asked Anita while busy folding the clothes that Lela had just pulled out of her suitcase.

Lela nodded. He saw a lot of space in the closet that was still empty.

Suddenly Lela sat on the bed, pensive for a while and saw Anita who kept busy cleaning her clothes.

Anita who felt noticed immediately stopped her activities.

"What's wrong?" Anita approaches Lela.

Lela was silent for a moment.

"I was confused, whether to feel sad or grateful because my husband chose not to room with me." Lela looked sad.

"Regardless of whatever happens to me. I realize that Ijab qobul is a great covenant and is the toughest commitment in the world that besides being done in the presence of guardians and witnesses is also witnessed directly by Allah SWT and the angels. After our ijab both bear a heavy burden, the husband is required to protect, guide and support a woman he may have just known. Likewise, we as wives are also required to serve the husband wholeheartedly, obediently and obediently to all his commands as long as it does not violate sharia."

Anita sat down next to her best friend.

"I know he's doing this just because he wants to make me comfortable, he's very understanding of the conditions I'm in, and I'm grateful for that, but I don't know why I feel sad and afraid and I feel so guilty." Lela was getting sad.

Anita rubbed Lela's back.

"I advised him not to room first."

Lela was shocked, she immediately saw Anita.

"Your current condition has not allowed you to share a room. We'll do it slowly. First we will make yourself comfortable first with his presence, although not roomy but you will still meet and interact with each other. That way you will get used to his presence then you will start to feel comfortable being around him."

Lela was silent thinking about Anita's words.

"Serving a husband is also not just a matter of staying one room and sleeping one mattress, then meeting his biological needs. But you can still serve all her needs, her food, her clothes and everything else. You can still do that." Anita smiles.

Lela kept silent.

"I knew in your previous marriage you were required to be the perfect wife, serve the husband and obey him otherwise you would be beaten and tortured. But now that the man you married was different, Zayn wasn't like that, now that he demands nothing from you, enough that you feel comfortable around him just once made him happy."

Lela immediately looked at Anita with some relief.

"Is it really like that?"

"Yes. Therefore, try hard to get well soon. There is a kind, patient and understanding husband waiting for you." Anita smiles.

Lela also smiled, in her heart she was determined to get well soon in order to make her husband happy.

***

But he looks confused to see there is nothing in the kitchen that he can cook, he was confused because there is no stock of food anywhere.

"Search what?"

Lela who was crouched looking for something under the stove table was shocked to hear Zayn's voice behind her.

"I'm looking for rice, nowhere. I'm going to cook." Lela stood up while then looking at Zayn at a glance.

Zayn was even stunned. He was silent looking at Lela without her veil. This was the first time he had seen his wife's face.

Realizing that Zayn was silent because she did not wear the niqob, Lela hurriedly turned her back to her husband due to misbehavior.

"No rice, I never cook, but later I will buy it," said Zayn stammered, actually because he was still amazed at the face of the wife who was very beautiful according to him.

"Then what will we have for breakfast?" lela asked slowly as she continued to turn her back on her husband.

Zayn didn't answer immediately.

"I'll buy you breakfast downstairs, wait." Zayn will turn around.

"Not to." Lela hurriedly turned her body in order to restrain her husband from leaving.

Now the two face each other, even with a distance that is not so close.

Zayn was more and more amazed to see the face of the wife this time it looks so clear. Until he unconsciously continued to look at Lela's face.

Feeling constantly looked at the husband, making Lela wrong. He lowered his head.

"There's bread. I'm going to make toast" said Lela slowly, turning her back to walk towards the refrigerator.

Zayn did not reply, he still seemed to be amazed.

A few moments later.

The two were eating toast together, at the small table they sat face to face. Zayn occasionally glanced at the wife with a small smile, in his heart he continued to admire the beauty of his wife, the beauty of wakefulness that is not spelled out to just any man, he said, in addition, he was also happy because Lela wanted to eat with him even though it was a little visible if his wife was still a little afraid and awkward to him

While Lela was eating with her head down slightly, she still felt disinclined to raise her head and look at the husband in front of her.

Lela had finished eating, she would take the glass in front of her to drink, but either because she was not focused on making the glass was instead nudged by her hand to make it fall to the floor.

Hearing the sound of broken glass, suddenly made Lela shocked, she immediately stood up in fear to make her body tremble.

"I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose." Lela suddenly cried in fear while picking up the glass in a hurry. Zayn who saw was certainly very surprised. He's crouching.

"It's okay." Zayn said it was time and again trying to appease his wife.

Seeing that Zayn was nearby further frightened Lela, she immediately picked up the broken glass quickly and injured her hand.

"I'm sorry. I beg you to forgive me." Lela looked more and more frightened to the point of ignoring her injured hand.

Zayn immediately stood up and took a few steps back and ran out of his apartment.

A few moments later.

Anita hugged Lela tightly to calm her down.

Lela, who was conscious, could only cry sobbing in the arms of her best friend.

Anita releases Lela's embrace.

"Look at your hand, I'll take care of it."

Lela showed her bleeding hand.

Meanwhile.

Zayn stood worriedly outside the door of his apartment, next to which was Zaidan who was watching his sister.

"What do you feel now? Do you regret marrying her?"

Zayn saw his brother.

"I fell in love with him. That's all I feel now."