To Mutia

Obsessions

His initial intention was to go home to get clothes, but when he was going to enter the family room, he actually heard the talk of Ghifar and Lamia about Mutia, that his sister-in-law already knew the existence of Mutia, and that she was aware of her, so that makes him undo the intention to enter and instead choose to stand behind the wall.

From the results of stealing, Azril learned where Mutia lives now, where she works, the situation of the woman who had given birth and got a boy. But from the many information that Azril got, he was most dismissive of the fact that soon Mutia will marry a man named Yudha, who is the superior of the woman.

Azril decided to undo his intention of taking clothes and left the house with a heart filled with anger. He would not let Mutia marry another man.

After that day of stealing, Azril started watching Mutia whenever the opportunity arose. Then when he found out Ghifar was going to visit Mutia, he followed his sister-in-law secretly. It turned out that day Ghifar visited Mutia's new residence and there the guard was quite tight, making Azril could not immediately take reckless action.

For days Azril only thought about how to get into the housing complex that Mutia lived in and took Joseph. Until finally the opportunity he got, when he went home and found Ghifar's wallet lying near the sofa. His sister-in-law must have accidentally dropped him.

Knowing that Ghifar keeps the visitor card given Mutia in the wallet, from the results of his surveillance, he also without wasting time immediately took the visitor's card. Luckily he came home when no one was home, so no one would know that he was the one who took the card.

And here Azril is now. Lying on the bed with Yusuf playing a rubber ball and muttering indistinctly, Azril smiled and kissed the baby's forehead. It felt so amazing and happy when what he had dreamed of became reality.

While gently rubbing Joseph's stomach, Azril spoke with a smile. "I will make your mother marry me, however, so that I will never lose you and your mother again. Then we'll live together forever. Doesn't that sound like fun, son?"

And Azril's smile grew wider as Yusuf responded to her words with an adorable innocent smile. Azril thought that Joseph agreed to his words.

...* * *...

Forced Yudha to stop her steps to pursue Mutia as the phone inside her pants pocket rang loudly. Standing on the terrace of the house with eyes looking straight at Mutia who was getting away, then took out the flat object and answered the call without seeing who called her.

"Yuddha,"

"Ghifar?" eyebrows linked. Then to make sure, Yudha glanced at the screen of his phone and found Ghifar's name on it. Since Ghifar visited his house where Mutia lived, he had exchanged numbers with his sister-in-law.

"Yes, it's me. Where's Mutia? I've been calling her repeatedly, but she's not picking up."

"I don't know where Mutia is, she just left. I was chasing him when you called. And what do you want to say to Mutia?"

"It's about Azril. I already know where he is."

"Azril?" Yudha turned her back as she recalled Ghifar's brother-in-law who had kidnapped Yusuf. "Is it possible that Azril has already contacted Mutia, so Mutia left without telling me?" Yudha muttered, which Ghifar could still hear.

"Looks like. I called Mutia as well to tell her that Tea Lamia said, Azril has a private house. When they moved to Bali, they occupied the house, but the office had prepared a house for Azril to occupy, so that Azril and Teh Lamia had been living in a house provided by the office. So it's very likely that Azril took Joseph there. I'll send you the address now."

"alright. We meet there."

Shortly after Yudha ended the call, she received a whatsapp message from Ghifar containing the location of Azril's current whereabouts, complete with a picture of her home. Without wasting time Yudha immediately ran to the garage, pulled out his motorbike.

He thought, riding a motorbike was more efficient on the crowded streets of Kuta, than he was carrying a car that would most likely take a lot of time because it was stuck in traffic. Then with a speed above the average Yudha drove his motorbike, winding in small inter-vehicle reproaches and occasionally passing through the rat road to cut the road.

...* * *...

"Finally you came also Mutia." was the welcome word that Azril gave after he opened the door and found the figure of Mutia standing before him.

Seeing the face of Mutia who was covered in sweat with the woman's breath that stung, instead of making Azril feel pity, he smiled broadly. Realizing that Joseph was the right bait to draw Mutia closer to him. As long as Joseph is with me, Mutia will definitely do whatever I tell her to do, her mind pleased.

"Where is Joseph, A'?" he said with a very worried tone. Her black bead stared over Azril's shoulder, hoping to find her tiny baby behind the man. "I want to see Joseph, A'. She must be starving now."

"Of course, Mutia. I will definitely meet you with Yusuf." slightly shifting his body, Azril allowed Mutia to enter. "Joseph is in the upper room."

Not caring about anything else, Mutia darted quickly up the stairs towards the second floor. Opening all the doors closed, he found Joseph lying comfortably on a large bed with light brown sheets and a blue blanket with a car covering his small body.

Feeling so relieved to find her little baby was fine and even now in a deep sleep, making Mutia's tears drip, as her lips extended a smile. Removing the tightness that had been squeezing his chest for a few hours.

Right in the middle of the room, when Mutia was about to approach Yusuf, Azril who had been standing next to her since when, holding his hand so that his steps were forced to stop and he looked at the man with a frowning forehead confused.

"I want to hug Yusuf, A'" he said, trying to remove Azril's grip on his wrist. He had to embrace Joseph to convince himself that his nightmare was over.

Yes, for Mutia to lose Joseph was a very bad dream for her.

"Wants? What wish?" mutia said impatiently. He wanted to embrace Joseph and kiss his little baby.

"Married to me."

"W-what?" Mutia turned her head, looking at Azril with a look of disbelief. "Aa is crazy. How could Aa talk like that, while Aa was still Teh Lamia's husband?"

"I'm going to divorce Lamia. There's no reason for me to stick with him anyway."

"Don't do it, A'!" hardik Mutia while throwing Azril's hand that gripped him. Mutia's black bead was now staring at Azril with a disappointed look.

"Your marriage is not just one or two days. There's been a lot of things you've been through together. Aa loves Lamia Tea very much and Aa has to remember all of Aa's struggles to get Teteh. I don't want Aa to regret it later when Aa loses the Lamia Tea and realizes that all Aa's doing now is selfishness to satisfy Aa's obsession."

Azril tightened his jaw, looking dislike of Mutia's words. "Obsession?!"

"Yes, obsession." Mutia said in a trembling tone as she held back tears. "He doesn't love me. All that Aa did was because Aa wanted a child. It just so happened that I had a child, so Aa felt that Aa loved me."

Mutia's words made Azril doubtful. In his heart he wondered, was it true that everything he did was simply because of his greatest desire to have children? Not because he loves, Mutia.

"Aa could think of Joseph as the son of Aa, without us having to marry and hurt many parties." Mutia persuaded, when she saw the indecision in Azril's eyes. The man started to shake.

But all the doubts instantly disappeared when Azril heard the sound of footsteps. Looking towards the door, he found Yudha standing there with a hunting breath. His lips tightened with teeth grinding as his black bead looked back at Mutia, raining down sharply.

"Don't I tell you to come alone, Mutia?!"

"I did come alone, A'. I didn't tell Mas Yudha at all."

"Lied!" azril snapped, his index finger pointing at Yudha without turning his gaze. "The evidence is that the man is here now."

In a blink of an eye Azril was already at the edge of the bed. Azril hastily lifted Joseph's body, making the little baby startled and crying loudly.

"A', give Joseph to me. She's scared."

"Don't come any closer, Mutia." stop Azril when she sees Mutia moving her legs. "If you stay close, I will not hesitate to take Joseph down from this window."

"No, A'. Please, don't do that." covered her mouth with both hands, Mutia tried to hold back her stuffing. The woman's face was moistened by tears.

When he felt a hug on his shoulder, Mutia turned her head. Mutia violently removed Yudha's hand from her body and threw a sharp glare at the man in her tears.

"Why did it come? A little more, but a little more I managed to persuade A' Azril." Mutia sobbing.

"I'm worried about you and Joseph, where I might just keep quiet." Yudha replied in a soft tone, while her black bead highlighted gently.

Mutia's cries broke. Seeing Yudha's gentle gaze as she yelled at the man, Mutia felt guilty. He should not have yelled at Yudha, but the man just wanted to help her.

"How could you possibly decide to marry that man, Mutia? I am the one who has the right to marry you and to be Joseph's Father, for I have looked after Joseph while he was still in the womb." the loud, emotional voice that Azril let out attracted the attention of Mutia and Yudha. "Cancel your marriage with him and marry me, or you will never see Joseph again forever."

"No. No, A'." Mutia was so panicked when she saw Azril sticking Joseph's body out the window. If Azril released his hold on Joseph, Mutia would lose her soul that very second.

"Don't. Please, A', Joseph is very small, he doesn't know anything. Please, don't hurt Joseph." Mutia's cry grew louder, accompanying Joseph's cry.

"Azril, I'm sure you're not a bad man. You won't kill Joseph, because you love him." Yudha managed to attract Azril's attention. "See Mutia. Look Joseph. Is this what you want? Torturing them? Make them cry?"

Azril looked at Mutia and Joseph. Azril was currently confused. On the one hand he did not want to hurt Mutia and Joseph, but on the other hand there was a whisper in him that continued to push him to get Mutia and Joseph, no matter how, including hurting anyone.

What's wrong with me? Why can't I control myself? Why am I like this? What the hell am I doing?

The sound of footsteps approached, again attracting the attention of Azril. Simultaneously he directed his gaze at the door of the room, a soft voice called out his name.