The Bond of Our Love

CHAPTER 36 - My World Is Falling Back!!

"Sir for a minute. Did you see my wife" asked Rahul to one of the SAR team members passing by in front of him.

"Sorry, whose wife are you?"

"His name is Zahra, Azzahra Alfathunnisa. He's one of the villagers here"

"Is your wife also one of the victims of this disaster?"

"Mmmm.... I don't know Sir. The last clear permission he had with me, he wanted this village" Rahul increasingly agitated to answer the question.

He could not imagine if his wife really became one of the victims of the flash flood, in the midst of his condition that was two-bodied.

Zahra must have been in a lot of pain and fear when it happened. And he's not next to her.

"All the kobans who were rescued have been evacuated to the post, to get medical treatment Pak. Try to check there. Maybe your wife is there"

Said the man while pointing at the post that was located a little far from their current location.

"Thank you" Rahul immediately ran towards the post the man was referring to.

His older brother and both of his parents could only chase and watch him from behind. They kept calling out his name, but Rahul paid no heed to their call. All he had in mind was to search and find his wife.

Rahul searched and examined post after post, which contained the weakly lying victims. There are even those who are unconscious on tadu, and are in the treatment of medical team members.

Rahul examines and scans every victim of the young woman he meets lying weakly on a stretcher. They all looked at him in wonder.

Rahul felt weak helpless. He was sure Zahra was not among the young woman's victims. If there was, he would have already recognized and reprimanded her.

Where is his wife now? Is she okay? Arggh! If only he had never been blind. If he does not follow Zahra's desire to conduct operations in Jakarta. If only he had not allowed Zahra to go alone. Maybe things won't be like this.

He had completely failed to become a protector for his own wife. What kind of husband is she?

"How's Hul, have you found him?" Gala held Rahul's shoulder gently and an empathetic gaze.

"I don't know Brother. I've never even seen what his face looks like. And now I don't know where he is. It's all my fault. I should have never let him go. I was stupid. Arrogghhh!"

Lirih Rahul who can not control his emotions until he screams so frustration. To make everyone in the post shocked.

"Rahul, calm down, son. Hold emotions. The other victim. We need to be patient. Mama is sure your wife will be found" Lesti approaches Rahul and tries to calm him down.

Rahul glanced around him, at the people who were looking at him in wonder.

"First"

They heard the soft voice of a woman calling Rahul. Rahul turned his gaze to a middle-aged woman who was lying weakly on a stretcher, with a number of injuries all over her body, and was in the care of the medical team.

Rahul looked at the woman with a heart wondering, does the woman know him? Or does he know Zahra?

Curious, Rahul walks slowly closer to the woman.

"Sorry, does Mom know me?" Ask Rahul gently.

"Rahul, my son-in-law"

Rahul was stunned to hear the woman's words. Son-in-law, this woman called him a son-in-law? What don't-don't?

Rahul quickly groaned and looked at the middle-aged woman's legs. Both legs are stumped? So this he is....?

"Astagfirullah azim. S-mother Sakinah? My mother-in-law?" Rahul assures that the woman in front of him is really his mother-in-law.

"You've.... Bi-can see..... Son?" Said Mrs Sakinah with a weak voice and a loud breath. It was very obvious that the woman was dying.

"Yes ma'am, thank God the operation was successful. I can see now. Mom, what's going on? Why did everything become like this? Where's Zahra?" Rahul said with tears dripping from his eyes.

"I.bu ti..dak ta..u Nak. I...bu ti...dak ta...u di.mana Zah. Please ca..ri in.a child, she is pregnant. To..long ja..ga di..a"

Rahul holds and kisses Sakinah's hand. He tried to encourage his mother-in-law who had been very good to him.

"I..bu me..rasa, wak.tu Mother ti.dak will be la..ma again. I.bu ti..tip Zah..ra pa. Baha.gia please. Please ja.ngan ever sa..kiti pu.tri Mother" Pinta Bu Sakinah while enduring the pain.

"Mom, why are you talking like that? Mom's gonna be okay. I need Mom to find Zahra" Rahul keeps trying to give strength to the woman who gave birth to his wife.

But suddenly the breath of Sakinah like dashed. His body sank for a while, before he grew weaker and weaker, until his eyes closed.

"Mom, Mother" Seeing her unmoved mother-in-law made Rahul even more panicked. He patted Bu Sakinah's cheek gently. He was hoping that the middle-aged woman would just faint.

The doctor immediately approached them and asked Rahul to stay away for a while, so he could do an examination.

After examining Ms. Sakinah carefully, the doctor looked at Rahul and shook his head with an empathetic look.

Rahul breathed a tired sigh. He looked at his mother-in-law who was now a corpse. She did not expect that the woman who had been considered like her mother would leave so soon, even before she saw her granddaughter born.

******

Rahul continues down location after location that has been ravaged by rubble ruins, which blend with mud sand.

He joined and assisted the SAR team in the search and rescue of the victims. He hoped Zahra would become one of those survivors, and could regroup with him.

But hope is nil. He searched all night, but could not find his wife. Because he doesn't know exactly what his wife looks like?

I don't know, his heart was clearly unsure if Zahra was among them.

"Zahrah! Zahras! Where are you Belle? Please give me a hint to find you. I can't live without you my wife. Please don't leave me. I beg. I can see now. Isn't that what you want? We can still live happily as we have lived for five months. With our future children who are currently in your stomach.

"I promise I'll be a better husband. I will take care of you and make you happy with all my soul and body. Even if I never hurt you. But please come back to me. Please don't make me lose again for the umpteenth time"

Rahul was stirring with his wit. Unknowingly tears rolled down his face. He feels defeated by his life. Lost for the second time.

Even this time, it felt much more painful than before.

"Zahrah!!" Rahul shouted out his frustration.

"Rahul, please calm yourself" Gala held onto Rahul's shoulder gently. He looked at his sister with an empathetic look.

He understood his sister's feelings. He could see how Rahul loved Zahra so much. It seemed like the woman had really filled and colored Rahul's heart, so that his sister could be fine and live happily for these five months.

But now the woman doesn't know where the limb is. He disappeared and his loss left a deep wound for Rahul.

He only wished that the woman could be found soon. He doesn't want Rahul back to slump like he used to. As for her sister, she had found her happiness again. But now that happiness has left him.

"I just want to see my wife Brother" replied Rahul.

"I understand how you feel. But you can't keep going like this. We have to go back to Jakarta"

Gala's speech made Rahul inflamed. How could his brother bring him back to Jakarta, while his wife has not been found? Does Gala not feel concerned about what happened to his wife? How could he talk like that?

"Back to Jakarta? Do you realize what my brother said? My wife has not been found to date. Do you think I can go back to Jakarta quietly? While I don't know if my wife has been saved, or is still buried in the rubble and mud sand. She's pregnant with my son"

Rahul nagged his sister in a high voice and glared at the eyes full of anger.

"Please don't misunderstand me first. I'm also very worried about your wife. After all, she was my sister-in-law who was pregnant with my niece-in-law. But the thing is we have to bury your mother-in-law immediately. His father if his body is left alone. As his son-in-law, you don't want to participate in your own mother-in-law's funeral procession?"

Gala tried to explain in a soft voice. At times like this he must be good at maintaining his way of speaking so that Rahul does not misunderstand and become inflamed. Don't let Rahul get back away from them.

Gala's words made Rahul speechless and thought. What his brother said was right. She must not ignore her recently deceased mother-in-law. If Zahra were here, she would have done her duty as a child to her mother's body.

Zahra would definitely be very angry at him, if he were to ignore his mother who had just become a corpse.