The Wasted Bride

The Witness's

It has been two days Arsawijaya family is in Bandung accompanying the son-in-law who is suffering from the loss of his only parents.

Mr. Ahmad, Ms. Hayya, Attalaric, Hanna, and Uncle Jhonny, even Arrazi who should have returned to work at the hospital preferred to accompany Arwaa at her parents' house. But not with Aldair, for two days he also did not contact his wife even though just to ask the news or defend condolences. Even his phone was deliberately turned off so that no one contacted him.

Of course, it infuriated his father and his two brothers, while Bu Hayya felt guilty for Arwaa because of the behavior of his son. Moreover, uncle Jhonny who asked about his nephew's husband made the Arsawijaya family become increasingly feel bad and guilty because of it.

That afternoon the atmosphere was quite cool after the rain since morning, Mr. Ahmad asked Arrazi to accompany him in the backyard of Arwaa house. They both sat on the couch over there.

"What do you know about your brother Razi?" Tanya Pak Ahmad started a conversation with the son.

Arrazi was silent for a moment, should he tell his father?

He looked at the father, before sighing and deciding to tell him what he saw in the hospital.

At that time he accidentally saw his brother who looked panicked towards a hospital room. Arrazi, thinking that something might happen to her brother-in-law that Aldair looked so panicked, followed her.

But her steps came to a halt at a considerable distance when she saw her brother getting a loud slap from a middle-aged man she did not know, not to mention her brother repeatedly bowing, apologizing.

Arrazi pretended to check her phone when she saw the middle-aged man walking towards her and past her, and then she saw him enter the room.

Curious who was being treated, Arrazi headed there and stopped in front of the door of the slightly open room. He clenched his arms holding back angrily over the sight of men and women being captured by the blinds of his eyes.

'BRAK'

Mr. Ahmad kicked down the couch he was sitting on and immediately stood with his arms holding his chest, causing Arrazi to panic.

"Yeah... Ayaaa... Calm down dad. It's okay dad, it's okay, take a deep breath and breathe out slowly dad. Calm down, father, you!"

Arrazi embraced the father and stroked his chest, and gave instructions that his father's asthma not recur, although in fact, he was also very panicked, worried that something might happen to the father.

Slowly but surely, Mr. Ahmad's breathing went normal and did not look heavy anymore. But still the middle-aged man's heart held back the fury of what he had heard. Mr. Ahmad closed his eyes for a while before being surprised by the figure of Uncle Jhonny who had stood before him and Arrazi with a sharp gaze.

"What is true you say?"

The heavy baritone sound was so cold that anyone who heard it shuddered, and Arazzi, his face turned pale to hear the voice of his uncle-in-law. But not with Mr. Ahmad who looked flat at him, calmly Mr. Ahmad closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before walking towards uncle Jhonny.

"We talked inside with Arwaa because I think my daughter-in-law already knows about this."

Mr. Ahmad patted Uncle Jhonny on the shoulder before disappearing behind the door.

***

The tense atmosphere was so felt in the living room. There, it was seen that Mr. Ahmad and Uncle Jhonny looked sharply at Arwaa who was bowing her head with Bu Hayya who continued to hold her daughter-in-law's hand, strengthening. And Arrazi looked pityfully at his sister-in-law, while Attalaric accompanied Hanna in Arwaa's room.

"Sir I saw Al's sister with a pregnant woman while hospitalized. Does your sister know him?" Arrazi's question broke the silence.

Arwaa's body froze hearing that, cold sweat began to feel behind her hijab. If it had been like this, Arwaa could no longer lie about her household with Aldair.

Arwaa slowly raised her head and looked at everyone there.

"He's Genta's lover." Arwaa muttered a small smile.

Mr. Ahmad clenched his hands and teeth that grumbled in anger.

"You know that?" Granted Pak Ahmad.

Arwaa nodded in agreement.

"When did you know that?" Bu Hayya asked withstanding a cry.

"From our wedding day." Arwaa looked down not strong to see her in-laws sad.

"What do you mean?" Ask Mr. Ahmad.

"Mas Genta and his girlfriend have been in a relationship for 4 years, since before we got married."

Bu Hayya closed his mouth to hear the words of the son-in-law and Mr. Ahmad lowered his head to massage his forehead.

"Did your husband ever touch you during your marriage?"

Arwaa turned to look at Jhonny's uncle who looked at her expressionlessly. He was silent for a moment before then smiling incisively and shaking his head.

Everyone looked on in disbelief at Arwaa.

"So for these two years you guys..."

Ma Hayya could not continue her sentence, she cried as she pleased and Arrazi embraced her trying to calm her down.

"Why didn't you tell us Arwaa?" Ask Mr. Ahmad holding back anger.

"I'm sorry dad... I just don't want to make it difficult for Genta, after all, as long as Genta sometimes goes home, Genta doesn't treat me harshly, and still support me."

A lie! All lies! Her husband never came home, contacted her through a message placed on the maid at home, and once spoke in a cold tone as well as a look of resentment at her. Only the last few months had her husband been kind to her because they were currently living together.

Arwaa looked down to avoid seeing her father-in-law and uncle.

"Then why are you living together now?" Ask Arrazi.

Arwaa turned to her sister-in-law and stared blankly at her.

"Because we're getting divorced." Arwaa looked at the people who were there.

"You're going to get divorced but choose to live together? What kind of ridiculous thing is that, if you're going to get divorced, just get divorced, after all you've been living apart since the beginning!" Attalaric's words suddenly appeared and took a sharp look at his sister-in-law.

Arwaa looked at my father from her husband's niece, and smiled sadly.

"Since the beginning of time Genta has told me that he does not want this marriage but because of one thing or another Genta cannot refuse. Not to mention, my father who looked very happy over my marriage at that time. Making me accept the prenuptial agreement given by Genta which is the essence of the agreement is that our marriage is just for the happiness of our parents, which is why I hid this from you."

"But then Genta suddenly asked to meet and he asked for a divorce because his lover was pregnant with his child. I didn't agree to it right then because I was so scared..."

Arwaa lowered her head, her body trembling withstanding the cries. No one can calm down because Miss Hayya has been crying since.

"Because of me. I. toyed with my marriage vows to God by agreeing to the covenant given by the Genta and leaving my husband with his own life... though it is my duty as a teacher of my priest to always remind him when he is on the wrong path... that's why I asked Genta for time until his lover gave birth to live with me like a husband and wife in general... I fear that God has cursed me for my negligence on my husband..."

Arwaa's cry broke along with Bu Hayya who immediately hugged her. The heart-wrenching sobs of the two women of different ages filled the room.

Similarly, Mr. Ahmad, Uncle Jhonny, Attalaric and Arrazi also shed tears over what was revealed by Arwaa.

***

"I've decided to bring Arwaa to live with her mother's family in Canada." Said Uncle Jhonny when he saw Arwaa and Bu Hayya had calmer.

"Wait...!" Mr. Ahmad frowned upon hearing the unilateral decision of his uncle from his son-in-law.

"You can't decide that by yourself, however Arwaa is still the wife of my son, she can't leave without her husband's permission."

"There's nothing to talk about anymore, my decision was already unanimous when it came to knowing your son's treatment of my nephew. He has hurt Arwaa." Obviously Uncle Jhonny stared intently at Mr. Ahmad.

"I have apologized before, sir, but this is not a case of heartache or not because it is our religious provisions that forbid a wife to go without permission from her husband and they also bell..."

"Per*t*n with your religion. I can't accept my niece being treated like that by her husband!!" Refute Uncle Jhonny while waking up from his seat and looking angrily at Mr. Ahmad.

Arwaa immediately stood up and held the uncle's arm.

"Astaghfirullah uncle, don't be like that, don't blame our religion just for what happened to me. Arwaa please uncle, what my father said is true, I can't leave without my husband's permission."

Uncle Jhonny sighed in frustration and looked at his nephew.

"You go home tomorrow without Arwaa. She'll stay here until I can meet her husband and get an explanation from him!" Firm Uncle Jhonny.

"Eye..."

"No objection or uncle will take you forcibly away from here!" Clearly Uncle Jhonny was staring intently at his nephew.

"Uncle is in charge of you after your father died, so follow what uncle said." Further again.

Arwaa lowered her head and chose to go to her room, leaving the five people who were there with erratic thoughts.

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