The Step Sister of Tiri

314. S2 - Family support

The two families have agreed, determining the day on which the two men unite to live a life full of twists and turns. Although in the planning a lot of crossbar barriers that crashing. However, everything passed with fortitude and spaciousness between the two families. Ustaz Ali and Aina, a very compatible couple, are now both waiting for that special day. A day that will be engraved only once in the history of both of their lives.

Both hearts are blossoming. Ustaz Ali, he was impatient to lead his small family with the teachings of Islam. He could imagine that one day he would become a role model for his children. In the depths of his heart, he hoped that everything would seem real, actually happening before his eyes when he saw the family he led was very harmonious.

Likewise with Aina, she is ready to be someone who will be called “ibu” by her children later. He will also be their first madrassa. However, his heart was currently becoming somewhat anxious. With her heart pounding, Aina fears she is failing to be a good mother to her family. Repeatedly exhaled a long breath with the intention of calming the heart. Thousands of words of basmalah were spoken in the heart, asking Allah SWT for help to guide him.

One week later, it was a pretty quick time for both of them. Both families decided to carry it out quickly to avoid unwanted sins. Ustaz Ali and Aina still do not believe that a new life is waiting for them. Aina felt that time was going by quickly. Just yesterday it was like Aina was still a little spoiled child, she always complained to her mother if something happened. However, now he must resolve to become a tough woman for the sake of his husband and his baby later.

The reception was held one month after the marriage contract, such was the conversation Aina had heard. He looked in the room. His mind wandered here and there, imagining some vivid images of the future before his eyes. For three days he could not sleep peacefully, like something was stuck in his brain. During the three days that Aina increased her worship, she never forgot to wake up at three o'clock in the morning to perform the worship of tahajud, always praying for everything to run smoothly.

One day, after the tahajud prayer, Aina decided not to return to her dreamland because she felt that her drowsiness had disappeared. Aina decided to clean her own room. I don't know what possessed his body, suddenly he became diligent. Hearing the noise coming from her son's room, Zayna, finally decided to look into Aina's room.

How surprised the woman when she saw her daughter who was cleaning some untidy things in her room. Zayna shook her head, looking at Aina's slightly strange behavior. Aware of her mother's presence, the girl stopped her activities for a moment, then greeted her mother with a clumsy smile engraved on her sweet lips. Her mother approached her.

“Tumben clean-up clock as soon as?” ask Zayna who feels alien to all this.

Aina was wrong. He didn't know what to answer his mother's question.

“Eh, i–iya, Ma. Aina no other activities, so rather than bored, Aina clean the room while waiting for the dawn adzan,” he explained.

Mama Zayna just nodded her head, looking at the smile of her daughter who would soon become the wife of a godly man.

“Ya already, her diligent cleaning. Mom stayed first, yeah. Don't forget to go straight to the mushola time already adzan dawn.” Zayna then left Aina who continued her activities.

After the dawn prayer, as usual Ustadz Ali became a teacher for children in the cottage. Despite getting a reward in the form of money that is far from abundant, Ustadz Ali still wants to teach the village children with a sincere heart. He believed that he would one day get a reward far greater than Allah SWT, defeating the beauty of the precious sheets that are often contested in this mortal world.

At six in the morning, the time is right for Ustaz Ali to take a leisurely stroll around the village which is around the boarding house. A few people who passed by in front of him greeted kindly, then replied by him with a smile that was no less friendly. In the midst of his journey, Ustadz Ali met a man younger than him, it turned out to be his former student named Ahmad. Realizing Ustadz Ali's whereabouts, the young man got off his Japanese bike and approached Ustaz Ali.

“Assalamualaikum, Ustaz,” Ahmad said as he shook the palm of Ustaz Ali.

Ustaz Ali answered the greetings of the young man. “Waalaikumsalam. Uh, Ahmad, where are you going?” he looked at the bicycle Hasan was using.

“Ahmad wants to market, Ustaz. As usual, my mother tipped the groceries today,” replied Ahmad while showing the bamboo woven bag he was carrying.

Ustadz Ali smiled, saying the phrase thayyibah. “Mashaallah! Good, filial piety to mom is the main thing. Ustaz is proud of you, Mad.” Ustaz Ali patted Ahmad on the shoulder, making the young man feel clumsy.

After a long conversation, Ahmad decided to say goodbye because he would continue his journey. They separated again, continuing their activities.

****

"Mas, yesterday Ayman's sister called me, she said Aina was getting married. I forgot last night didn't tell you" Kinan told Hanif as he prepared breakfast for her husband.

"Aina wants to get married? Same who? I don't know!" zea was there too. He did not know any news about the twins lately as he rarely met either.

"Mama also does not know what his name is, he said he was one of the teachers at the boarding school where besan Om Ayman taught."

"I wonder what it looks like," muttered Zea who could still be heard by everyone.

"Already, you should now spend your breakfast, then ask the same person when there is free time," said Adam. They also enjoy breakfast although inwardly still wondering.

Meanwhile, Ayman's family is discussing Aina's wedding which will be held soon. The family seemed so enthusiastic in discussing it, in contrast to the bride-to-be who became moody. Not the sadness he was currently thinking about, but a worry that lately haunted his life. For some reason, Aina seemed so hard to forget that feeling and trust herself.

Aina hurriedly returned her cheerful facial expression, then joined the family conversation with a feeling she was hiding.

Two days before the most anticipated event arrived, Aina shut herself in the room. From the morning, he did not interact much with the people who visited his house. Zayna, who is aware of her daughter's drastically changing nature, tries to meet and speak carefully.

However, Aina did not give a reason. He tried to cover up his true feelings, making Zayna worried for her daughter. Not short of reason, he asked Aini, his twin sister, and Arslan to calm him down.

That night, the three brothers gathered in the same place. Serious expressions plastered on each of their faces, looking at Aina who looked uninspired on this day.

“Na, are you okay?” arslan asked, trying to communicate with his sister. However, Aina replied gloomily while lowering her head

“I'm okay. I'm just not feeling well anymore, ” she replied. Of course that was not the original answer to what Aina was feeling right now. It was realized by Aini, her twin sister who understood very well the feeling of disturbing Aina's heart. From childhood, Aini did have an inner bond with her. That's why he's the only one who really understands this.

“Long. Na, please be honest with us, actually you are why?” ask Aini, repeating what Arslan said earlier.

Aina looked lethargicly at Aini, then her tears came out profusely. Aini immediately hugged her twin sister, giving her space to vent all her feelings through the flow of tears.

Half an hour passed, Aina's cries had already begun to subside. It made Arslan and Aini breathe a sigh of relief.

“Can you tell me now?” ask Aini to make sure. He was afraid that his brother was not ready to reveal his heart. However, Aina looked at the two brothers, then asked a question sentence that had been buried in her mind.

“According to you guys, can I be a good wife and mother?” That question left Aini and Arslan aghast. The two of them did not expect that Aina would ask them that.

After understanding the situation as well as the feelings that Aina had gone through through the question she was asking, Aini replied with a sincere smile engraved on her lips.

“Of course you will be a good wife and mother to your family, Na,” replied Aini.

However, that answer did not succeed in making the gloomy face on Aina's face collapse. He just said one other sentence.

“The man I am going to marry is an ustaz, a person who in his life always involves God in every affair. Surely such a person always applies the rules in life in accordance with the teachings of religion. But ...” Aina paused her sentence for a bit, giving her time to calm herself down. “Do people who rarely wear a hijab like Aina deserve to be next to her? What if it turns out that Aina is not the right woman for her?”

The series of questions raised made his two brothers stunned. However, Aini could still giggle amusedly. He answered the question casually. “Since when in a wedding there are two couples who must be equal? Marriage was created to complement each other's shortcomings and live life together regardless of those shortcomings, not about whether or not someone is suitable in choosing women, then dumping him when he feels that he does not fit in with him.”

Aini then raised Aina's chin, looked into her eyes fixedly, giving her the strength to deal with all of this.

“Aina, remember, everyone must have a chance to change for the better. Like you, you may not be a woman close to her God. However, one day you can change everything when you meet the right man, like Ustaz Ali. I'm sure Ustaz Ali will lead you to become a better woman. So, you don't have to worry anymore, yes.”

Again Aina's cry broke when she heard all Aini's words. However, the cry this time was not a cry of worry and fear, but rather a cry of relief that spread in his heart. Aina started to slowly feel calm now. What Aini said was the right thing that everyone could definitely change. Never curse yourself for not being as good as others.

“Now Aina does not have to worry anymore, yes. Everything will be fine, okay?” A sweet smile was re-engraved on Aina's lips. I don't know how many times he hugged his twin brother. Now they both seem so happy. It made Arslan sigh, relieved because in the end everything can be overcome. Shortly thereafter, he embraced his two sisters affectionately.

That night, the three brothers spent the night together with the discussion of the future they were planning. Not only that, Arslan and Aini also exchanged information that they knew about how to be their best partner. On the sidelines of the conversation, sometimes Aina said a lot of thanks to her twin brother for making her feel calm. He did not have to worry about the marriage problems that he would face later. Aina was confident that a tough woman like herself could get through everything easily.

Their conversation lasted for several hours until the three decided to take a break. Only tonight, Aina felt that the journey to her dreamland was so smooth without any obstacles caused by her own thoughts as usual. Sometimes she smiles at herself, imagining the future when she becomes a mother who is accompanying her children to play. Laughter breaks out here and there, making the atmosphere of the house never quiet.

In the silence of the night, his mind wandered back. However, this time the journey he was heading to was very pleasant, different from before which was filled with events that made him worried. The magic words that Aini made could make Aina stop all her worries. Magic tub, his twin brother was able to turn his heart that was chaotic at once.

Without Aina realizing it, Zayna was watching from the sidelines of the open room door. Her heart seemed to flowery, looking at her daughter who had returned to being a cheerful woman. Zayna then closed the door to Aina's room slowly, just in case her daughter was not disturbed by her arrival. Then, the mother of the three children returned to her room, meeting the husband who had been there before her.

That night, Zayna told him all the things that Aini had told her about the feelings that Aina had been feeling. Ayman seemed so enthusiastic to hear every story told by his wife. Several times he was surprised to hear the story that Aina was still not very confident in facing the very religious Ustadz Ali. Though this is his choice, while Aina is a woman who is still not interested in wearing a hijab. However, Ayman was also relieved when he found out that his daughter had recovered her feelings again and returned to being a confident woman. As a father, there is certainly excessive worry.