The Pledge of Love Embroidered Heaven

CHAPTER 12. The mashita!

The sound of adzan maghrib was heard from the mouthpiece of the loudspeaker. A noble call that is heart-felt.

Black skullcap has been decorated on the head of the 27-year-old man. As usual he was well-groomed and prepared to perform the congregational maghrib prayer.

“Abang go first. Nisa, do not forget to pray at home,” the message is always so when going to the mosque.

I was still in front of the laptop staring at a series of writings lined up neatly on the monitor screen. Finally a little more, just the closing chapter.

The task of making a Citizenship Education paper must certainly be completed tonight. Actually, the job of this paper has long been given, but I just remember tonight, it was Fey who reminded me not to forget to make a paper that is deadline tonight. Ms. Asrina told her students to collect the task by sending it through the dropbox.

The clock has shown at 18.20 WIB, but I have not shifted from the front of the laptop that is on. If Abang Azzam was here, he would have scolded me for delaying prayer time.

I decided to close the laptop for a while and walk to the front to close the door that was still open. Tirei some house curtains that are still exposed also I pulled. The lights in the room one by one I turned on. Then, proceed to clean the body while taking ablution water to perform maghrib prayer.

The sky at night was slightly swept away by the mega. The street lights of the night seemed to be very struggling to help the moon and stars replace the sun so that the night still remains divided. However, the dark alleys of nightlife are still moving. It was very pronounced when hearing the noise of horns and the roar of vehicles passing from the big streets around the complex.

Curtains that had originally been closed tightly scattered into the air because of strong wind. Will the rain which is part of the mercy of Allah fall tonight? I have completed a series of prayers and at the end of do’aku, I ask that the people present in my life always be bestowed blessings and health.

I returned to the room where I was sitting when I was doing my paper work. While passing by the desk of Abang Azzam, my steps suddenly stopped when I found a book lying on the table. I vaguely saw the title of the book. The story of the Noble Ladies, I spelled it out slowly.

My hands interjected sheet by sheet, until I found a small fold in the corner of the paper. Maybe Abang Azzam just read it up to here. I read it carefully.

A man named Abu Talha was very sad when the woman refused his proposal. Though he had offered a fantastic dowry, but Umm Sulaim bint Mulhan was not interested in the slightest. Abu Talha could hardly believe that the woman could resist him. Not there, Abu Talha came again. The sincere love that you have does not break your spirit. It offers more fantastic dowry than ever before.

Umm Sulaim politely replied, "By Allah, a person like you should not be rejected. Only you are an infidel, and I am a Muslim. So it is not lawful for me to marry you. If you convert to Islam, then that is my dowry and I do not ask anything other than that,” Umm Sulaim told Abu Talha.

The phrase is able to touch the deepest feelings and fill the heart of Abu Talha. Abu Talha thought whether he would get a better woman than Umm Sulaim to be married and mother to his children.

So Abu Talha went to the Prophet. At that time, Muhammad was gathering with his friends. Abu Talha made his point.

Abu Talha pledged his Islam. “I am above what we believe, I testify that there is no God except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” So Umm Sulaim married Abu Talha with an Islamic dowry. A very grand dowry.

“It looks like this book is quite interesting,”.

Just a few paragraphs I read, but I was amazed by the figure of Umm Sulaim because of his glory. He is always honest with God also with himself, and with his fellow men. It is appropriate that Umm Sulaim be a noble example of the next generation of women, because the dowry proposed is the most expensive dowry in the world.

Very pandailah my brother if you choose a book, tomorrow-tomorrow if to the bookstore can I ask for help to find a good and interesting book to read. After a while I was immersed in the awe of the figure told in the book, I began to realize the existence of Abang Azzam who was standing on the doorstep. Either he had been standing there for a long time or he had just arrived.

I put the book back on his desk and continued my unfinished typing.

It feels so strange. Even though we were both, it was still quiet. Inside the spacious room, I felt like I was stuck together because there was no one other than Azzam in this house, whom I could chat with.

Outside the wind is still blowing loudly causing the sound of friction tree branches that squeak as well as the leaves on the twigs are ceaselessly fluttering by the wind. To eliminate the silence of the night, I opened Winamp play a collection of Korean songs. While typing sometimes I follow the lyrics of songs performed by Korean boy band or girl band.

Azzam's brother who saw me looked seriously at the laptop screen then came and sat with me.

“Make what?”

“Makalah”

“What's the paper?”

“Obsolutely her duty is Ms. Asrina," I said back and put my lips together.

Seeing my expression like that made Azzam laugh. I turned my head quickly when I found out that Azzam was laughing at me.

“Why laugh? Nisa's feelings aren't joking!" I'm thieving.

Azzam ruffled the tops of my head with anxiety, making my hair that was once neat become tangled.

“Ish bye! Brother nih,” I grumbled while tidying back my ruffled hair. "Udah! Don't bother Nisa!"

"Nisa's adorable when she's pouting." Azzam disturbed my composure, who was still busy thinking and stringing words.

If Azzam behaves that way I feel that he is back to being my old cousin. Who likes prank. From childhood I lived and grew up with him, we were separated for only a few years, when he wandered off to continue his studies. And now we are reunited but with a different status. We live together and live in one house. Not caught my mind before. In my heart I asked, Can I accept Azzam as a husband? Can I change my outlook for him. Changing the view from the figure of a cousin to the figure of a person who completes my religion.

For a few minutes after that, there was no more conversation. I tried to concentrate on re-reading my writing on the laptop screen before sending it to the dropbox.

Azzam Pov's.

Azzam seemed to be trying to steal a glance at Nisa, presumably Azzam realized that he liked the expression of the woman who became his wife when thinking hard. His bowed face made his eyelashes look longer when viewed from the side. His forehead wrinkled and his lower lip bitten slowly, making his lips slightly redder. Nisa's facial skin looks very clean and smooth.

Nisa Pov's.

I unintentionally glanced towards Brother Azzam, I saw his eyes continue to stare at me without blinking. Hmm I know by now he must have been busy watching me.

Uhhh.. base! my inner.

Seeing the gaze of Azzam like that made my heart beat irregularly. And now I'm being misbehaved, if he keeps looking at me like that.

“Abang!”

His face was shocked for a moment, as I called. Shortly after that he took a stand and rubbed his face, with the skull still attached to the head.

“Hmm... " Azzam blinked in surprise.

"You don't have to look at Nisa like that, you're in love!" I said without looking at his face.

I cringe. "Huh? What did you say?"

"Oh no, I mean like. Yeah likes to tease this one brother," he snorted.

Drrt...

📥Fayzulen

Night dear Nisa. Don't forget to eat dinner and pray. You usually forget to eat...

A WhatsApp message from Fey appears with my phone still locked. I was able to read the message because the distance of the phone was not far from me sitting at this moment.

The content of the WhatsApp message Fey sent was enough to make me smile myself. Seeing my expression thus, made Abang Azzam curious and tried to peek at the message. Yet failed.

“Do not kepo!” I said.

I see he's just putting on a resigned face.

📤Dhanisa

Oh, my dear you too.

📥Fayzulen

What again? How's paper? has he?

📤Dhanisa

Already, just send it again to Bu Asrina.

Azzam who felt neglected tried to harass his wife.

“Don't like to play mobile phone if it's raining like this sometimes lightning comes suddenly."

Brother Azzam, it seems awkward when I send messages to each other with my chatty friend.

Not long after Azzam said so, a flash like a camera shot came along with it the sound of lightning sounded clingy accompanied by thunder that roared violently, by reflex I threw the phone on the floor and hid my head in Azzam's chest.

For almost a few minutes I buried my head in his chest with both hands still stuck to my ears. Seeing my expression thus, Azzam looked resigned, his face stiffened. Azzam's hands began to hug my body, but he was held back.

“Hah! What did you lose! That's the result of ignoring the words of the husband.”

What was said just now instantly made me aware of what I was doing right now. I quickly got up again and confirmed my sitting position. Geez, how could I suddenly perform such reflex movements? My face turned red when I saw her eyes. The laptop I used to type the task was still playing some K-Pop music collection. Now, I feel like I'm playing a Korean drama here.

Shortly after, I only realized that the phone that was in my grasp had disappeared. I looked down at the floor, a rectangular object with a rear case depicting Byun Baekhyun, one of the EXO members had landed with a reclining position on the floor.

“Handphone!” I said a little screamed as I got down to reach the phone that still had the last chat with Fey.

After getting up and returning to the sofa chair, I found that Brother Azzam had risen from his seat and walked towards the kitchen. Outside of the occasional thunderbolt still occasionally blaring, I had to end my chatting with Fey and turn off the phone. Afraid that what Abang Azzam said was right.

I tried to follow Abang Azzam from behind to see what he was doing. Azzam's brother was processing food available in the kitchen. His hands seemed so capable and dexterous in cooking. Lose with me, this woman. Looks like he is good at cooking maybe because he has been trained to cook by himself when wandering. Unlike me, would set foot into the kitchen just lazily not play.

I'm mendehem. “Abang!”

Brother Azzam.

“What else to do?"

“Make breakfast to prop up the stomach," said while preparing chili pieces in the container.

"Oh!" my reply was short, then without saying again I went back out of the kitchen to send the paper report via dropbox to Ms. Nafiza.

Azzam cooks like a professional chef, from the inside he comes up with a few dishes.

"Let's eat, mumpung still warm, must be delicious," Azzam bargained. He invited me to eat with him at the dinner table. I just according.

The dish Azzam made so seductive and the fragrance burst out. I scooped up his sambal, which is a red chilli mixed with green chili and then grinded rough and blend with the oil that glistened. The smell of chilli peppers immediately pierced the nerves of my nose. Instantly the saliva melts in the mouth.

My hands are like non-stop bribing rice into my mouth. Spicy chili that I scooped earlier attacked until the tubun and enjoy making me float. It felt so terrible that it was the last lick.

“Hmm, mashita!” murmured slowly while touching the rice that has been mixed with the side dish and a little sambal then direct it back into the mouth.

Brother Azzam looked at me. “Hah! Mashita! Who's mashitah?”

“Hah!” I also became confused.

“That Nisa mentioned. Who's mashitah?”

I laughed out loud. Brother Azzam looked at me in astonishment. “Mashita. Not mashitah. The mashita in Korean means delicious, delicious!”

“Yeah! it seems like they speak Korean, right? After this it is possible if you give a question about interpreting the Korean language more clever than asked to interpret the verse Al-Qur’an!” insinuations.

I laughed hearing that. There are only words he can use to insinuate me.

Hmm.. steady also the cooking.