Mahabbah Love Khalisa

58

The chanting of the holy verse of the Qur'an is heard echoing to the courtyard of the mosque of Ulil Albab. The reading of Al-Baqarah verse 185 sounds melodious touching to the heart, flowing coolness to the whole soul. The blowing wind shook sapodilla kecik trees, kepel trees, palms and dates planted along the main Boulevard road to the front of the mosque.

"The month of Ramadan is the (month) in which the Qur'an is revealed, as a guide for man and explanations of the guidance and the distinction (between the true and the false). Therefore, whosoever of you is in that month, then be content."

Khalisa, who was wearing a black robe, rubbed his cold arm, his hair bristles not because of the wind but because of the slow reading of the Qur'an that managed to penetrate into his sense of hearing to the heart. The sound was able to make his entire body tremble.

His feelings were mixed between not wanting the Qiro'ah to be over soon but at the same time he wanted to immediately meet the qari' who had made him fall in love. He was made comfortable by the reading as well as nervous because he wanted to express his feelings that had been held back.

What if he refuses me? what if she had another woman who had become her dream wife? what if ....

What if it turns out that Azfan secretly likes Syifa who is good at reading the Qur'an beautifully. But Khalisa convinced himself again after remembering Azfan's conversation with Kafa at that time. Khalisa clearly heard Azfan was fighting for him.

She argued with herself, despite thinking about it for a few days and gathering courage but still, she was a woman. Sometimes the other side of her said, should you as a woman express her feelings first and invite her to marry? are you crazy? But sometimes he said, is there no prohibition for women to propose to men first? like Mother Khadijah who fell in love with morality began the Prophet and wanted to make him a husband. But that Mother Khadijah certainly can not be compared with an ordinary girl Khalisa.

After finishing his reading, Azfan was silent for a moment and then moved from there. At first glance he saw the figure of Khalisa in front of the mosque, Azfan blinked his eyes to make sure his vision was not wrong. Why is Khalisa here? did Azfan's mother invite Khalisa to open together again like yesterday?

"Khalisa." Calling Azfan, he noticed Khalisa's tiny back, Khalisa's robe blown by a pretty cold afternoon breeze. Azfan could not see Khalisa cold because of the wind, he wanted to embrace him to give warmth. It was a prayer that Azfan prayed all night long hoping that his good fortune would penetrate the heavens and be heard by God.

That's it, come Khalisa you can do it, haven't you ever been embarrassed like this? you're not even shy about greeting everyone you just met? you've known him for a long time, why should you be ashamed? of course I'm ashamed—shame at once afraid of rejection. Daniel says women are always embellished with shame.

Khalisa again argued with himself, who else he could argue with, no one else here. It seems after this Khalisa had to join the debate organization because it turns out he is also proficient in it.

"Khalisa." Azfan repeated because Khalisa did not immediately turn around, whether he saw wrong because he thought too often about Khalisa. Athaghfirullah!

"Yes?" Khalisa put on the widest smile when turning around, he tried to hide his nervousness even though it was in vain. Khalisa's cheeks heat up to cause a reddish tinge there.

"How long have you been standing here?" Azfan asked, who could make Khalisa wait? Azfan will pin the head of the person who has done that to Khalisa let alone this cold afternoon. How brave of that guy.

"It should be." Khalisa gripped the robe he was wearing, his hands suddenly tingling so tense.

"It looks like you're waiting for someone." Azfan, but who? there's no one here. Was there someone hiding behind that lush sapodilla tree?

Khalisa nodded deeply. The confidence he used to have now disappeared somewhere, maybe carried away by the wind along with the fall of kepel leaves that began to turn yellow.

"Waiting me?" Ah confidently you are Fan, what if you are not the one Khalisa is waiting for, want to put where your face is? under the doormat of the mosque then trampled by the pilgrims who just finished ablution.

Khalisa spontaneously looked up surprised, how could Azfan know that Khalisa was waiting for him.

Azfan laughed, "there is no one else inside the mosque." He said as he rubbed his nape and then his other hand rubbed his ear which began to heat up. Surely now Azfan's ears have also been flushed. Though a moment ago Azfan said it was a cold afternoon but now suddenly the air around him feels hot.

"There's actually something I want to talk to you about." Khalisa took one step forward so that his voice could be heard clearly, it would not be funny if he had gathered the courage to reveal his feelings and his voice was blown in the wind and just hung in the air.

"What's wrong? why are you so nervous?" He smiled waiting patiently for what sentence Khalisa would say after this even though he was also nervous extraordinarily.

Khalisa swallowed his saliva, he said bismillah in his heart before issuing a sentence that he had prepared long ago.

"Marry me, Azfan, that way we can achieve God's love together."

The sentence was like an electric shock that paralyzed the entire body, the smile that was originally painted on Azfan's face slowly vanished. Azfan's bead is glittering, are my ears troubled? he nodded faintly closing his eyes.

O God, You have answered my prayer. The ring will be embedded in Khalisa's ring finger.

Azfan was holding on to the mosque pole because his body was limp, his ears were ringing. A drop of clear crystal forms a tributary on Azfan's cheek.

"No, Khalisa." Azfan's voice was slightly choked.

Khalisa turned his back, his gaze distrusting what he heard. Azfan refused? Oh my God, I was rejected. O Allah, I have prepared myself to receive whatever answer Azfan will give but it is very painful. Better Khalisa sliced the kitchen knife many times than to have to accept rejection. Ah it turns out that Azfan does not like Khalisa then did Khalisa misheard that Azfan is fighting for him?

"I'll come to your house with Mom and Mr. Dhe Tris to ask for your hand."

Khalisa raised his face, so Azfan didn't reject him?

"I'm going to see your Papa and Mama, Khalisa, I wanted to say this a long time ago but never had the courage, it turns out you preceded me."

Khalisa's lips smiled but he could not help his tears that had now flowed. It was the happy cry that Khalisa had felt before.

Khalisa looked up and rubbed his nose that was wet from crying.

Azfan did not know what to do now, finally he snapped his own head when Khalisa did not see. It turned out that the person who had made Khalisa wait was Azfan where he clocked his head several times for having made Khalisa cold in front of the mosque.

******

10 Days ago

"God willing, there are only 5 calligraphy left." Azfan never stopped saying hamdalah when he wanted to go back to the store after attending an art festival on Malioboro street. Azfan felt the help of God so close because he never got more sales than today.

When Azfan intends in his heart to fight for Khalisa, it feels like ease always comes to him.

"Thank you for helping me today." Azfan gave some money to Idris for being willing to help him today.

"Fan, this is a lot." Idris was about to return some of the sheets to Azfan.

"That's your reward, if there wasn't you, I wouldn't be able to attend this festival." Azfan pushed Idris' hand into receiving the reward.

Azfan also donated the money to a social care foundation. Although not how much but Azfan hopes the money is useful for those who are deficient.

After returning from the orphanage, Azfan confidently stepped into one of the gold shops not far from his shop area. Although never once entered the jewelry store but Azfan ventured to say his purpose.

"I want to find a ring." Azfan said when asked by one of the jewelry store employees.

"May I know for whom?"

"For a girl."

"Okay, please come here." The veiled employee directed Azfan to a storefront where various ring models were displayed there. Azfan glared with the neatly arranged sheen of the row of rings.

"Do you know the size of his finger?"

Azfan was silent, he did not know what the size of Khalisa's finger was. He thought that only clothes that had sizes turned out to be rings as well. Azfan tried to remember Khalisa's fingers, they were tapering and they seemed very small. Azfan also never really paid attention to Khalisa's fingers. So all this time what did he notice? I don't know, Azfan never dared to do that.

"It looks smaller than my pinky." Azfan showed his pinky, he was sure that Khalisa's ring finger was very thin but long. "Please choose a simple model." It's because Khalisa likes something simple. Azfan also never saw Khalisa wearing any jewelry in his hands.

"Is this for the fiancee?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"What about this?" The employee took out two rings with a white gem in the middle and three gems on the left right edge were smaller in size. "If the girl's finger is small, it's likely to be number 10."

"May this one." Azfan chose one because any model would look beautiful on Khalisa's finger.

The employee put it in a square shaped jewelry box. Azfan paid for the ring and the jewelry box and then came out of the store with a smile that he could not stand even though Khalisa did not necessarily accept his application. Is this what it feels like to fall in love? his lips can be stiff from smiling for too long.