CARA

Overnight

That night Sleman was hit by heavy rain, did not even stop, even though it had been an hour. Reksa was still lying on his bed with eyes that were staring madly at the ceiling of his room. Mutuals couldn't sleep that night. There were so many things running through his mind. He got up from his bed and walked to his study with a candle. Muta put the candle holder on the table, before dismantling the drawer and removing the pile of paper in the form of letters, as well as articles that he wrote himself.

Mutual pensive in place. He is married, which means his struggle can not be as fast as before. If Reksa caught his guard, Anjani could also be dragged into his problems with the government. Reksa actually did not intend to marry at all, even becoming the regent of Sleman he did not want. However, he was the only man in the family to succeed to the regent's throne. Releasing it will certainly make him face to face with his extended family, if necessary with Ngarsa Dalem himself who still has a strong blood relationship with him.

Reksa's struggle was continued by his best friend who used to go to school with him in STOVIA named Tirto Adhi Soerjo. Tirto has now become an editor at Pembrita Betawi, continuing the Mutual dream that he will never reach. Mutuals sometimes still often visit Tirto or even Tirto himself who visit Reksa in Sleman. The two exchanged quite regular letters, discussing strange things about politics.

Reksa also often sends his articles to Tirto for selection later. Reksa asked Tirto, if the article was successfully selected for publication, Reksa wanted the name of the author of the article is not himself, but was replaced with the name Tirto itself. Initially Tirto was quite opposed to it, considering that Mutual owned the copyright, but finally because of the request of his best friend, Tirto agreed.

Reksa grabbed the pen, as well as a new paper, and wrote a letter to his best friend. A letter containing his heartbreak and the desire to meet if there is another chance, to discuss some secret things. Reksa spent a long time writing, until he felt his body cold, because the temperature dropped dramatically since the heavy rain. Mutual put his letter in an envelope, then wrote down the address, as well as a special stamp there. Afterwards, he re-inserted all the equipment and the letter into his drawer.

Muta exits her study and intends to go back inside her own room. However, his steps came to a halt in the middle of that dark road. He turned to Anjani's room and felt a strong urge to go there. Being too carried away with her thoughts, Muta did not realize that her feet were taking her to the girl's room. He clasped the handle of the cold door, before pushing it. Mutual was quite shocked when he found out that the door was not locked at all.

Opened slowly and unexpectedly, Anjani still woke up in the middle of the night accompanied by a candle at his study table. The girl stood in front of the study table with a feeling of anxiety that was clearly smelled by Reksa.

"K-Kangmas." whispered Anjani in shock when she saw her husband standing at her door with a candle. At first Anjani thought he was bullied by demons in rainy nights like this. The one who visited her was her husband.

"Not sleeping, Ni?" asked Reksa gently as she stepped in and closed back the door of Anjani's room gently.

"No, yet" Anjani replied nervously, while covering the book she read with her own body

"Why?" asked Reksa again with his tone so calm, making Anjani more agitated in his place.

Anjani is getting excited to hear Reksa's question. If Anjani claims she read Max Havelaar's book, will her husband get angry and confiscate all of her smuggled books? Is her husband as conservative as his family? Can Kangmas Reksa accept the reality if Anjani is now following in the footsteps of Raden Ayu Kartini? Was her own act approved of her husband? Anjani can't think clearly. Various possibilities and worries milling about in his mind, making him squash in place.

"Anjani?" call Reksa again, making Anjani seem aware of his own mind.

"Anjani is guarding the candle, Kangmas," Anjani replied quickly and modestly.

Muta looked frowning cluelessly at his wife. "You're doing a ritual, Ni?" asked Reksa quietly, also a little surprised to hear Anjani's answer of a million meanings.

Hearing that, Anjani is getting worse. Unexpectedly, her husband even thought he was performing a forbidden ritual. Anjani smiled nervously, then replied, "Tonight the air feels cold, Kangmas. The candle is the only warmth Anjani has" Anjani explained, smiling politely at her husband.

Hearing Anjani's words, Reksa smiled calmly. The man blew his own candle gently, before walking up to Anjani who was still standing in front of the study table. Anjani's heart chases in her chest cavity as Reksa approaches her with her silent and quiet steps. Anjani reflexes backwards and crashes into her own study table. Anjani closed her eyes tightly, when she felt the body of Reksa so close to her body. Anjani's closed eyes activate his other senses to work better.

Anjani could feel the breath of Reksa on the side of her face. The fragrance of the man's body was also clearly smelled by him. Anjani's cheeks were immediately crimson, due to her present closeness with her husband. Anjani could feel it, even though he closed his eyes.

Anjani opened her eyes slowly, then looked up at Reksa, before lowering her head again in panic. He looked slightly back and only realized the intent of the 'careful' man. In fact, the man approached only to prevent the fall of the burning candle, as a result of his backward movement that hit the study table. Anjani was embarrassed, because she thought about the man before her

"Nuwun, Kangmas" Anjani said again, waiting for the man to move away from him. Long Anjani waited, but Reksa never moved away from his body, making Anjani increasingly trembling confusion in his place.

"Kangm-k"

"You want Kangmas to warm up, Ni?" cut off Reksa again, making Anjani raise her head with her shocked face. Seeing Anjani's shocked face, Reksa smiled and continued saying, "You said you were cold before."

"Now, Kangmas?" anjani asked in shock, when she heard the man's words. He hasn't prepared himself for a night like this.

Anjani is very worried in place, to the point that her body cools down. On the other hand, Reksa looked very relaxed in his place. The man moved away a little from Anjani's body, letting his wife breathe, because Muta knew clearly that Anjani had been holding her breath. Reksa sat on the edge of Anjani's wooden bed, then gently pulled Anjani's hand to come towards her. Anjani followed the pull of the man in a state of his life that seemed to float from his body so scared.

"Just sleep, Ni," said Reksa again, trying to calm Anjani.

Anjani looks very pretty tonight in Reksa's eyes. The girl's hair, which was usually rolled up, was now down to her back with her natural waves. Kebaya the girl was released, so stay back and just pull as her sleepwear. There is a natural physical attraction to Anjani, as a normal, healthy man. However, Muta still held himself back and waited for the time according to the agreement of the two.

"You sleep inside, Ni," said Reksa who was directly obeyed Anjani. Anjani shuffled to the inside of his wooden bed attached to the white wall. Anjani threw herself down, facing the wall, because she was ashamed to sleep face to face with her husband. This alone, Anjani was already stuffy in place, until his body heated up instantly.

Muta blew the candle slowly. Leave a dense darkness between the two with the sound of the rain getting heavier. Mutual enveloped Anjani gently, before going to bed while leaving a distance between the two. Anjani thinks he will be hugged by Muta or maybe Reksa will turn his body to face the man. However, in reality, the man fell asleep without touching him at all. Anjani's heart wasn't safe that night. He fell asleep when the rain stopped, at about dawn. The night was the first night, the two were naked as a legal married couple, although there was no intimate activity in them.

...****************...

A small drizzle starts to fall when morning comes. Muta awakens when he hears the sound of chicken cigarettes from the garden behind his house. It was then that he realized that the distance between himself and Anjani was not working. The girl was now asleep in her chest and hugging her body very tightly. Muta smiled faintly, then stroked Anjani's hair gently, enjoying his wife's own embrace in the morning. Suddenly, the door to Anjani's room opened very slowly, featuring Yu Isma who is usually in charge of waking up her new mistress and preparing all her needs in the morning.

The gaze of Yu Isma's eyes collided with Reksa, making Yu Isma misbehave herself in place and bow deeply. Yu Isma closed the door slowly with a feeling of great shame. Muta released Anjani's embrace as gently as possible from her body, then stood up from the wooden bed. He covered Anjani's body, before opening the high door slowly and exiting Anjani's room. Reksa found Yu Isma sitting on her knees next to the door of Anjani's room. The middle-aged woman clenched her hands together in front of her nose, then bowed her body deeply as an apology.

"Nyuwun pangapunten, Raden, I'm not-" Yu Isma's hustle defended herself with a feeling of panic, as well as condescension.

"No papa, Yu," cut the soft Mutual. "Today, let Ndoro Ayu sleep longer than usual. He could only sleep at dawn."

"Well, Raden," said Yu Isma, bowing deeply to Mutual.

"Titipkan also an apology, because it has left him awake alone this morning," said Reksa again who was greeted with the same answer and gesture from Yu Isma. After saying so, Reksa stepped quietly into her own room with an implied smile still on her lips.