Forced to Marry an Actor

Revealing the Heart of Arista

"Why Chicha? You are still sick! Is it because you heard me talking to Arya? Is that why you want to go home?" ask Arista.

Chicha hesitated to answer but eventually he nodded weakly. "I don't want to trouble you. I feel bad because I've made you guys fight like this,"

Arista grasped Chicha's arm. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean to, you didn't bother me at all. And we don't fight either. It's just that I didn't like the actions of Arya who made her own decision without asking me first. I even want you to be treated here to get well soon, so you don't ask to go home.."

"Yes Chicha. Sorry about me too. I didn't know that my attempt to get you into this room caused a misunderstanding, which Arista said was true. You must be treated here so that you can recover quickly" Arya said.

Arista turned to Arya and straightened his body. "Okay Aryan. I don't want our debate to get longer, especially to make Chicha misunderstand this. For now I accept you enter Chicha into this room. But for the bill still goes yes, I will definitely pay you but later can be paid! Okay?" Arista extended his hand to shake hands with Arya.

Arya was silent for a moment but welcomed Arista's hand, rather than the longer business because Arya understood with the stubbornness of Arista that is difficult to give understanding. If he really wants to pay, Arya will not prohibit because it is Arista's own desire. Finally they shook hands for a deal that was talked about by Arista.

"Chicha, the doctor said you should fill her stomach first and only eat softly. Now I want to go ahead first ya find porridge for you to eat. The patient's eating schedule is still long. You wait here by yourself is okay?" ask Arista to make sure Chicha is okay if she lives alone.

"Well, I'm here to wait for you to pause" said Arya.

"Relatedly? You're not gonna be looking for your wife?" asked Arista squinted his eyes.

"I told him before I got here,"

"What did you say to him?"

"I told you there was a friend who was sick and I wanted to see him,"

"Friends? You wouldn't be in trouble if he knew your friend was me? And you don't feel guilty coming here and your sick wife is lying weak in her room?" asked Arista squinted his eyes, again.

"Do you know where he's lying weak? I didn't say I was here because my wife was sick. How the hell do you know? You're a fortune teller, like?" arya asked jokingly.

"Yeee. If I'm a fortune teller I won't maybe I'll take Chicha to this hospital so I don't happen to meet you,"

"Well, what's the problem if you happen to meet me," Arya half whispered.

"Arya, just so you know that all the citizens of this country know that Marissa is being treated! Did you forget that the news about your wife Marissa went viral?" bright Arista reminded Arya until she regained consciousness.

"I don't want ya if your wife thinks macem-macem for your existence here. I told you, I don't want to be a part of the drama of life in your and your wife's troubles. The same goes for Chicha. I don't want to leave the two of you here, what will people say later! Pity he does not know anything but the end should instead be dragged into your household problems," said Arista.

"Ihh Arista is jealous if I'm with Arya both here.." chicha tease doesn't understand the situation.

Arya glanced at Arista. "Bu-not jealous!" arista replied surprised why Chicha suddenly said that when he had just explained the meaning of the talk but Chicha did not understand, "I just do not want there to be strange news involving us! Arya's getting married anyway, so why am I jealous,"

"So you were talking about Arya's wife? Arya is married? When?" chicha asked only to be aware and surprised because Arista had not told him at all the status of Arya now along with the news of the virality of his relationship with his wife.

"Oohh I'm sorry Arya, I was teasing you with Arista. Apparently you're married. I really don't know about it" Chicha said unpleasantly.

Arya smiled. "It's okay, Chicha. You don't have to apologize for everything. You do not know about me because we only know today," said Arya then he looked back at Arista.

"Wait for what else? Back home!" expel Arista jutek.

Arya rolled her eyeballs. "Geez, what a pussy. I'm going home, if there's anything you can call me! Get well soon, Chicha! And you also Arista take care of your health not to follow the pain!" arya's message was attentive.

"Thank you for your attention!" said Arista coldly.

Arya left them both. Shortly after that Arista also went to the front of the hospital to find Chicha's porridge.

"I won't be here long, will you be okay alone?"

"I'm fine Arista, don't worry about me. You also buy food for yourself yes,"

Arista agrees and leaves Chicha alone there.

Elsewhere, Arya walks back to Marissa's room. But in the middle of the road he remembered something.

He told Arista to call him if he needed anything. But how can they relate if the phone number does not have. Arya takes the initiative back to Chicha's room to ask for Arista's phone number. But without realizing it they were at loggerheads. Arya does not see Arista who has been heading to the lobby when she heads to Chicha's room.

Arriving at Chicha Arya's room becomes awkward because she does not find Arista there.

"Why are you back here? Is anyone missing?" ask Chicha.

"Ah, that's anu. I forgot to ask for Arista's number. I told you to call me if you need anything. But we didn't keep each other's numbers, so how could he call me, right?" arya.

"But Arista is gone, just got out. Didn't you guys meet each other?"

Arya shook her head. "Yes, I'll just leave my number with you. Please give it to Arista."

Chicha twisted her lips in wonder. "Wait a minute, I'm surprised. Why should he contact you? The sick one is me. And I have nothing to do with you. We don't even know each other, but why would you help me?"

"That's it. I just happened to see you guys having a hard time so I wanted to help," Arya replied as she was right about what Chicha said. He had no other reason to help her if it wasn't for Arista.

"That's because you care about Arista right? You don't know me who's sick anymore, but you know Arista who's helping me right now. And it makes you subconsciously want to help her because you care about her. Aye right?" ask Chicha full of probes.

"Of course I care about him.. We're friends."

"Hmmm so it turns out just for the reason of making friends. Too bad.." Chicha seemed to regret what he had just heard.

"Why so bad? Is there something wrong with our friendship?" tanya Arya felt strange.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that I think this is unfortunate. If Arista had been quicker to express her feelings when you weren't married, I thought maybe you'd be more than just friends unlike now.." kikik Chicha who even confused Arya where this conversation actually went.

Chicha who recognized this awkward situation then immediately explained his words earlier. And began to tell her what she knew about Arya from Arista's point of view.

"Arista used to talk about you a lot" Chicha started to open up the conversation.

"I mean, talking about me? About what?" Arya starts to get hooked and slowly enters Chicha's chatter.

"Say you used to go to school with him and be the only person who would be friends with Arista. At first he thought you were just feeling sorry for him, but the longer your closeness made him feel comfortable. Maybe because of the loneliness that no one wants to be friends with him, it makes him start to feel for you, but.. Arista is ashamed, she is also self-conscious that she may not like you Arya, because he does not want if you have a relationship later you will also be bullied from other friends who have bullied him. In addition to telling you, he also likes to tell his life at school and the situation when he was ostracized by his friends at that time. Then there is also another reason that because Arista is afraid that if it turns out that only he feels like, he is afraid that you do not have the same feeling as that. She's afraid you're just thinking of Arista as her best friend."

Arya is shocked to hear Chicha's story. So Arista used to harbor feelings of like as well? Arya who just admires and feels like being only one-sided to Arista turns out to be wrong? Arya simply did not dare to express her feelings. Arya even expressed those feelings to Mama and her Papa until she was often ridiculed and teased by her parents when they were telling her about Arista. Papa and Mama used to actually support Arya to say her feelings, especially before Arista went abroad.

But for the reason of his departure that makes Arya stop to not tell Arista, because Arya is afraid to even make Arista even hate him. Revealing her feelings is just a selfish behavior for Arya. He did not want Arista to consider himself as if he was holding back Arista's departure by expressing that feeling especially when he saw how happy Arista was when he knew his acceptance in one of the best universities in Singapore. Arya so heartless, she wants to always support Arista, so she decided to keep her own feelings alone. Whenever they are dating, Arya also does not want him to be a burden on Arista's mind if their relationship is done remotely later.

So Arista has always liked me? Why he never told me the truth. Will her life change when they date?

Will Arista not be tormented in Singapore for failing to attend college?! And could it be that Arya would not open her heart to Raya so she foolishly loved Raya who had deceived her! And is it possible that Arya would not marry Marissa and live a life full of theatrics like this? Where did all this mistake begin? Is it because Arya did not just express her heart to Arista at that time?

Then now, when their lives are already in their respective grooves miraculously they meet again by chance or maybe this is God's plan?

Then at this moment, did Arista still harbor those feelings?

Chicha read the complicated thoughts on Arya's face. "Sorry before if I talk like this. I just want to tell the story especially after seeing your attitude towards each other like that. I'm also sorry for telling you this when I found out you were married,"

"What did you mean by saying 'one another like that'?" ask Arya curious.

"Mmhh. My point is because I see you guys care about each other. Before I knew you were married, I thought you guys seemed to like each other. Though I shouldn't think like that, you're already married hahaha," Chicha laughed awkwardly.

Arya smiled faintly. But his head was filled with many questions and then asked Chicha again.

"But if he likes me, why doesn't he ever say his feelings? I mean if he's afraid I'm bullied, won't he be able to say it after graduation and before leaving for Singapore?"

Chicha put her index finger on her chin. "Looks, Arista once said that she felt unworthy of you. He knows you're the person he is, and he's the opposite. Especially when in Singapore he failed to go to college..." Chicha was jolted by his own talk. He realized he was lost, saying what he shouldn't have said.

"I-I mean it's Arista.."

"I already know, really. You don't have to panic that way. I already knew that he didn't go to college there,"

"Have you figured it out? But how do you know? Then why didn't you tell Arista that you knew he didn't go to college? It's a pity that he will have to pretend to continue like that, let alone have to defend a photo in front of the university where he should have studied at that time." Chicha put on a gloomy face.

"Actually I feel sorry for Arista, I also feel guilty for not being able to tell her. But wouldn't it be more pity if he didn't say it first? I'm just giving him time so he can tell himself one day, so he doesn't feel embarrassed,"

"But how do you know? And he never told anyone. And also he didn't have access to communication back then before social media,"

"Aku.. I secretly found out about him, I also know how he was at that time,"

"You know the condition of being enslaved by her aunt and not being able to return to Indonesia?" Chicha gaped in disbelief.

"Yes, I know that too but.."

"But you didn't help him? You just let it go? Are you happy to see him lying like this?" Chicha looks emotional hearing Arya's words.

"Already! I've been trying to help her. But my father and I were threatened by Aunt Arista. We were afraid that something bad would happen to Arista if we interfered more and more with her affairs, so we could do nothing more than follow Aunt Arista's wishes. But we didn't completely hands off because we asked people to keep an eye on Arista while there," Arya lowered her head weakly. "i'm not happy to see him lying like this, I'm not happy to see him lying like this, but I have no choice but to pretend."

Chicha was stunned to hear Arya's honesty and then let out a heavy breath. "Truly you said. If I were the one who helped her but even got the threat, I'd better keep my mouth shut and pretend. Besides I think Arista was wrong, why would he lie about him studying in Singapore? Wouldn't it be nice if he was just plain and willing to accept the situation, but he instead acted as if he was a student there, even taking photos around the university!"

Blam it! Hearing Chicha's words made Arya scrunch her forehead.

I don't know why Chicha talks like a person without empathy! He looks like a man with two sides.

What kind of person is Chicha?

***