CUTS

Rejected...

Anugrah closed her eyes in the room. Next to his arm he put it on his forehead. He is considering an offer of overseas duty as a peacekeeping officer to be placed with volunteers from various countries who are members of the UN special forces. Their presence is not for war but to help the victims of war in refugee camps.

He felt burdened when he saw his parents, especially his mother's face. After her divorce with Wulan, her mother's face looked sad and always forced herself to smile at her. Anugrah knows, his mother must be disappointed with their decision but this is the best. He did not want to continue the marriage because he was forced to do this even though in his little heart he felt comfortable in the last days of his marriage with Wulan.

He has also seen photos of baby Tiara and Doni and has congratulated both new parents through messages on their social media accounts. A smile full of bitterness adorned the face of Anugrah and he rose from his sleep.

His decision was unanimous, he went out and looked for his parents.

“Ma, Pa, I'm asking permission to join the UN humanitarian mission.” Cut and Rendra looked at his son in silence.

“Why sudden? Remember, your physical condition-“

“I don't fight, Ma. It's a humanitarian mission. Helping refugees victims of war. Can ya?” Tanya Anugrah looked expectantly at her parents.

“There is indeed such a task, Pa? Papa never got such a task?” Cut looked at the husband.

“Then, your area is still in conflict. All the soldiers were sent there. If now, many unemployed soldiers are sent abroad to join a peacekeeping force.” Rendra.

“When to leave?” ask Rendra back to her son.

“Next week, Pa. So can I come with you?” ask to make sure.

“If we say no, do you want to hear?” Sindir Cut made his son chuckle.

“Means you're not there to fight right?” Cut is still not willing to let go of Anugrah.

“No, Ma. My commander also couldn't possibly ask me to come if I wanted to fight. They'll know how I am.”

“Good then.”

The husband and wife could only sigh after the son's departure.

“Leave it, Ma. He definitely needs some time and a new atmosphere at the moment. Let's hope this is the best for our son.”

“Amin.”

Meanwhile at Tiara's residence, Doni was still curious about Anugrah's divorce until he tried to find information from one of the friends whose husband served in the same office as Anugrah. How surprised Doni was when he found out the truth of what his friend said about his divorce. Doni's grief does not stop there, he also gets information if Anugrah will follow a humanitarian mission with the United Nations. That means, Anugrah will long be abroad.

Doni was bowed in his room until Tiara's gentle strokes resuscitated him.

“What's up?” Doni looked at his wife, “I found out about Anugrah's divorce and it's true that even soon he will join a humanitarian mission with the United Nations.”

“You are indeed a good friend, Papa Doni but you should not interfere too much in his personal affairs. You know for yourself that paying too much attention to it can cause misunderstandings between you. Let him solve his personal problems, huh?” Doni nodded and hugged his wife. A friend who turned into a wife and gave her a cute little baby.

While in the living room, Shinta was having a serious conversation with Toni so that she did not realize that their son and daughter-in-law were stealing their hearing behind the wall.

The object that became the conversation was even fun to enjoy a vacation along with visiting various entertainment venues.

“I tag your name yes, Mas?” dita asked when she saw the pictures on her phone.

“Hem,”

“You mind? Why answer ‘Hem’?”

He looked at the girl in front of him. They are currently enjoying a cold drink at a cafe. “How can you find a lover if you keep uploading photos with me?”

“What is that question for yourself? You're afraid you won't find a lover because of your photos with me, Mas?”

“I'm not looking for a lover but you're looking for one, aren't you?”

“Why don't you look for it, Mas? Aren't you planning on getting married following my sister?”

“Entah. I just haven't found a girl who wants to marry me this rough.”

“If I want to be your wife, how?”

Glegs...

Dita swallowed her own saliva. Finally he dared to ask something that had bothered him for these few days. Moreover, Tiara and Doni openly supported her to approach Dika.

“I want to be with you, Mas.”

Dika stared at the girl in front of him. “Dita, this is not a joke you can play at will.”

“I know, Mas. And I'm not messing around.”

“Dita, you realize right?”

“Aware of it, Mas.”

“Healthy right?”

“Healthy born inner.”

Dika chuckles then, “How about your parents?”

“It's Mas's business. I leave this fight to the same. If Mas wants to marry me this rough then meet my parents then apply me to them manly.”

Dika patted his forehead for a moment, “Nona Dita who was as modest, if applying for you it is easy already long ago I applied. The problem is, did your parents give you permission to follow my beliefs? This belief issue is sensitive. Especially considering your sister's relationship with Anugrah alone can run aground because of different religions. Not that we will also experience something similar?”

“We're different cases!” answer Dita relax.

“Their relationship foundered because Tiara did not want to follow Anugrah. Different from our case. I with full awareness and earnestness and willingness to follow the beliefs of my future husband, you, Mas Dika.”

Dika was surprised when he heard the sound of applause from the cafe visitors around them.

“Thank you, thank you. Please pray.” Said Dita while standing and then bowed towards the cafe visitors who gave her a standing ovation.  Dika gawked at Dita's action. He could not believe that this girl had great courage for their relationship. There was a sense of awe emanated from the look in Dika's eyes when he saw this girl in front of him. The girl who he said was sober but always able to make him stunned by the small things he did spontaneously.

“How, Mas?” ask Dita as soon as she sits back down.

Dika sighed then looked at the girl fixedly. “This is no joke, Dita.”

“In any other way I have to convince Mas that this is not a joke? I've been thinking about everything from a few days ago and I also had a chance to talk to my sister. You know what, Mas? All our lives growing up together only this time I talked personal matters with him. When she teases me about you, she supports me too. He said, if I'm happy and want to move faith follow you. He fully supports. But baby, when I asked him why he didn't want to move to follow the Anugrah. He even shook his head slowly while saying if they are not a match.”

“Mas, I know that I'm not perfect like my sister's wife or the pious girls out there. But I want to learn, Mom. I want you to teach me to be a godly wife.” The eyes of both are staring.

“What made you choose me? You know for yourself that I'm not a pious man like your brother?”

“Entah. My heart chose you. Maybe because of your attitude and the way you treat me. I feel comfortable and safe when I'm with you.”

“Did I not meet the criteria of your future wife, Mas?” this time Dita's face looks sad. He began to prepare the heart if Dika would reject him after this. But at least he had tried even though the end result was not as expected. That spirit was given by Tiara and Doni until he dared to express his heart and mind. They also promised to help her talk to Mama Shinta if Dika actually proposed to her.

“No!”

Dita stared at the black bead in front of her, her heart suddenly sore and her eyes were like an influx of dust.

“Come home! I don't want your family to be mad for taking you away every day.” On the way home, Dita chose to quietly look out the window. He was rejected by Dika. Now he must try to look at his life again so that Dika no longer appears in his mind. Then, unbeknownst to Dika who was driving Doni's car, Dita deleted all the photos on her social media account. Photos of their memories during the wedding of Iskandar to photos while playing together at the entertainment venue.

A drop of water fell from Dita's eyes. In a hurry he wiped his tears so as not to be seen by Dika. But unfortunately, the tail of Dika's eyes had caught the incident first. As soon as the car stopped in front of the house, Dita went straight inside to her room without caring about Dika.

Shinta and Toni who were playing with her grandson were astonished by his daughter's behavior and looked at Dika who had just entered shortly after Dita.

“You fought?” ask Toni.

Dika sat in front of Dita's parents. The man is seen taking a deep breath and Tiara and Doni join in.

“Why is the atmosphere suddenly tense like this?” whispered Doni to his wife. Tiara just shook her head slowly.

“Tante, Om, I want to apply Dita.”

Degs....

Tiara and Doni immediately smiled as brightly as they were but different from their parents.

“Why sudden? What have you done to Dita? Is she pregnant?” Shinta scolded Dika with a question outside Dika's head. Tiara and Doni immediately looked at Dika with gazes asking for an explanation.

“Truely, Nak?” tanya Toni was surprised.

“No, Om. That's not true. We never did anything. Never mind it, a kiss never. Say don't want to tarnish a woman who is not halal for me, Om.”

“Then what was?” Ketus Shinta's.

“I fucked him, Auntie. I refused his invitation to marry. Looks like she's mad at me.” Toni, Tiara and Doni smiled faintly at Dika's explanation.

“So this means you received Kak Dita?” tanya Tiara made sure.

“Iya. Now the final decision is in the hands of Om and Aunt as Dita's parents. I don't want to get married without the blessing of my parents. My mother is dead and my father has a severe stroke. Only Om and Aunt where I ask for blessing.”

Tiara who can't wait to tell her brother and then record the conversation and send him to Dita's phone with a caption, “So sure you don't want to help Dika to fight for Brother in front of Mama? Here, Brother! Help your future husband in front of Mama!”

Dita who was crying bombai in the room was surprised to hear the contents of the conversation her sister sent. He went straight outside to his family and immediately hugged Dika while hitting the man's back. “How evil are you with me, Mom? I deleted our photos because I wanted to forget you, but what now? You want to prank me too like Brother Iskandar did?” Dita doesn't seem to care about her family. He still hugged Dika even though the man was embarrassed because he got various gazes from the Dita family who were looking at the girl's drama.

“Kak, I know Big Brother is in love with Sister Dika but look around the place too. We're still here, Brother.” Dika tries to untangle Dita's embrace until the girl wakes up to Tiara's voice. After wiping her snot and tears, she sat down next to Dika and smilingly looked at her sister who was mocking her through a smile.

“You are willing to follow Dita's beliefs?”

 

 

 

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Sorry gaess is up again. Happy reading...🙃