Trapped by Pandora

Chapter 15: Cancel

For nearly three weeks, Beryl was confined to an apartment, her brain unable to think normally. This week he forced himself to check the reports of office activities sent by Eijaz. He was busy flipping through the files that were lined up on the table.

Lots of messages and calls go to the phone, but all of that is ignored. In fact, calls from parents and children, unless the thing they are talking about is very important. Only Eijaz paced his office and apartment.

From the report he read, the project in Japan is progressing even though it has not been as expected. But at least some good news was received. Beryl was not in the mood to receive any bad news.

Beryl's phone vibrated constantly. Actually he was lazy to lift the phone. However, when the glance Papa's name is plastered on the phone screen, inevitably Beryl also answered the call.

“Halo, Pa!” saith.

“Beryl, Papa ask you to come home now!” yelled his father who was close to paying his ears.

“What's up, Pa?”

“Go home now! If you don't come in an hour, Papa will tell people to burn down your apartment!”

TUT..TUT…

Beryl kept her ears away from the phone when she heard her papa's voice violently disconnecting the call. It was only this first time that Mr. Moazzam threatened only to force him to return home. He was sure that his papa would not burn this apartment, there was no way that Great Lord Monza would endanger the lives of others. There must be a big problem at home, Beryl tried to guess. Not wanting to buy time, Beryl rushed home.

Arriving at the Monza family home, there were tense faces of Mr. Moazzam and Mrs Aretha. They both sat with sharp eyes ready to hit their son.

“Pa, Mom!” beryl is relaxed but serious.

“Sit!” mr. Moazzam's orders.

Without much questioning, Beryl followed his papa's orders. It seems like Beryl's guess is right, there's a big problem in this house. It's just that he can't guess.

“What's up, Pa?” ask carefully.

“Say, what's the matter between you and Alin!”

“Hah?” Beryl gaped, shocked to hear her papa question.

“Ehmm, no problem whatsoever,” Beryl tried to answer as calmly as possible, even though it felt heavy on the lips.

“Do not lie, Beryl!” between mother.

“A-I'm not lying, Ma.”

“Beryl, your wedding is in less than a month. If there is a problem, you should be able to talk about it carefully. Not even hiding in the apartment!” continued Mother.

“I'm not hiding Ma, just looking for the atmosphere just now. After all, the apartment had not been lived in for a long time,” Beryl tried to cover the storm that was raging in his heart.

“No problems between me and Alin,”.

“If there is no problem, then why did Alin cancel your wedding?”

Beryl's head hit a wall in China when she heard Alin had cancelled their marriage. Beryl looked flabbergasted. He did not believe what his father had just said.

“Alin cancel wedding? But why, Pa?”

“That's what Papa wants to ask you! Don't pretend you don't know!”

“But I really don't know, Pa!”

“How could you not know Beryl?”

Beryl doesn't understand what's really going on with Alin. What was it because of her emotions that peaked at the time? Alin gets scared and finally cancels their wedding? Beryl was self-defeating because since that incident, she had indeed cut off communication with Alin.

“So Mama went to Alin's house to ask him for a wedding dress fitting. Mr. Vishaka said, Alin has gone and cancelled your marriage. When Mama asked why, Mr. Vishaka said that you know the reason and he also did not want to see your face again in his house.”

“Alin go, Ma?” Beryl carefully heard her mother's words.

“Go where?”

“Mana Mama knows! Mr. Vishaka did not say where Alin was going. He just said that his daughter left and would never come back! What really happened to you?” Madam Aretha stroked her chest, her sadness was growing.

“Daddy..., Daddy ..., Daddy ...!” beryl had not had time to examine the problem, Mallory suddenly came in throngs while shouting to call him.

“Rory, you why?” ask Lady Aretha worried.

“Daddy, what’s going on between you and Mommy Alin?” cecar Mallory who made Beryl's head almost broke.

“What do you mean?”

“Dad, I met Sister Penny and she said that Mommy Alin has resigned from Jenaka Dental Clinic. Sister Penny also said that Mommy Alin went abroad and will not come back here!” cerocos Mallory with a breath of breath.

“Resign? Overseas?” beryl's eyeballs almost fell to his knees in shock. Mallory nods her head while breathing hard.

Without a second thought, Beryl quickly grabbed the keys to the car lying on the table and immediately left Mama, Papa and his eldest son who were still filled with question marks.

Beryl drove the car as fast as she could to Hamra's house. Guilt silently enveloped his heart. If only he could control his emotions that day. If only that day he could face it calmly. It was not Alin's fault.

In front of the Hamra family home, Beryl parked the car carelessly. Half-run he entered the courtyard of his future wife's house. Beryl knocked on the door continuously without pause, as if she wanted to break down the brown wooden door.

Finally the door opened, a very familiar figure stood in the doorway. Madam Naima looked at him with nimble eyes. It was clearly his dislike.

“For what did you come here?” tanyanya.

“Alin, where is he?” Beryl had forgotten her formal attitude.

“For more than looking for it?!”

“Please, tell me where he is?” beryl's voice weakened like a desperate chick.

“No need to look for it again.”

“Why did he cancel our wedding? What does it mean?”

“Does she have to wait until you cancel your wedding?!”

Beryl. Madam Naima's question made her bow. I want to throw a fist at the door. The question returned him to the pandora's box that had been shackled for three weeks. Doubts about his feelings, emotions, self-made chaos.

“For what is he waiting for a man who is not even clear with his own feelings? A man who can't make a firm decision? A man who is unfinished with the past and blames for a destiny he does not know? For what?!”

“I never blame him! And I also never said I would cancel our wedding!”

“Oh yes? Then?”

“I didn't tell him anything! I never had the heart to break!”

“Lantas why did she cancel this wedding plan?”

Madam Naima sighed heavily. The departure of Alin who had just been heard was quite miserable for him. He could not imagine the inner burden Alin felt this time around. Painful for sure, maybe the tightness exceeds the old pain.

“Alin heard it all. He was there when you questioned about Zivaa. He's been waiting for two weeks, hoping you'll come up with an explanation. But the truth is, you ignore it, and don't care about her feelings.”

“Oh, ****!” Beryl could not even put her clenched hand against the wall. He wanted to kick whatever was around him. Regret really comes too late.

“You shouldn't be angry. You should be happier because Alin's departure has freed you from a difficult choice.”

“Please, tell me where Alin?”

“It's enough!” suddenly Mr. Vishaka appears.

“Forget my daughter! Don't ever bother him again! If you don't really love her, you better let her go as far as she wants! You have no right to ruin his life!”

“I can't forget it. Please tell me where he is!” Beryl.

“You can't forget it? Because he reminds you of Zivaa, doesn't he?”

“No! Not so!” Beryl was desperate.

“Then what?” lord Vishaka's shout was terrifying, the walls were shaking at the echo of his voice.

“I love him,” Beryl kneels in front of Mr. Vishaka.

Over the course of three weeks putting herself aside in the apartment, Beryl begins to realize that Zivaa is a past that must be forgotten. Alin's presence had erased Zivaa's shadow. Alin is not Zivaa. Their smiles are almost similar. However, there were too many differences between the two of them.

Every night Beryl wakes up from her sleep by mentioning Alin by name. The little girl filled every space in her dreams. Beryl longed for the scent of lavender coming out of Alin's body. Actually Beryl's heart has made a choice, only she is still confused how to tell all to Alin. Her erratic fear of imagining Alin's response if she knew of his relationship with Zivaa in the past.

“I love her so much, really love her. I knew I was wrong because my emotions were blinding. But I have realized that my heart has chosen Alin, not because he reminds me of Zivaa. Alin is Alin, not the other. So please, tell me where he is. I will make amends for my mistakes. I can't lose his love, I can't live without him.”

“Do you think my daughter is an impingement of your past love failures?” said Mr. Vishaka.

“From the first time I met him, never once did I consider it an impingement. She means more than that.”

“Do you think I believe in your words? I've told you about her depression history, and you promised to take care of her and make her happy. But what happened, huh? He came home with a puffy face, locked himself in the room for days, re-swallowed anti-depressant drugs just to maintain his sanity. Now you're saying he meant something to you? Bullshit!”

Beryl lowered her fists even deeper, her hands tightly holding the feet of Lord Vishaka. Losing Alin was the equivalent of losing half his life for the umpteenth time. Beryl could not bear the pain of her heart.

“I know, I don't deserve an apology from you. Even if I told you that I was just as devastated when I found out that fact, you would not believe it either. But please, give me one chance to prove the earnestness of my love to your daughter,” Beryl said. A Beryliano Monza who had always stood tall, strong as a rock, now looked helpless like a stamp cracker.

Mr. Vishaka observed Beryl closely. There is little empathy for the man who is two years younger than him. However, there was no denying how disappointed he was, expectations were too great on the figure before him.

Seeing his daughter being wracked for the second time really torments the mind. Alin is afraid of falling back into a prolonged depression like four years ago. The fear grew because this time there was no wife accompanying him.

“Please, give me one more chance!” Beryl pleaded again.

“Come in!” Mr. Vishaka turned the wheelchair, and moved it into the house.

Beryl raised her head, the words of Mr. Vishaka she had just heard felt like a gentle gust of wind in the desert. He tried to get up, stand up, even though his legs were a little tingling from kneeling for too long. Then he entered the house following Mr. Vishaka.

“Sit!” Mr. Vishaka invited Beryl, her tone began to decline.

“I'll give you one more chance. But, with one condition.”

“I will agree whatever the terms,” Beryl no matter what conditions Mr. Vishaka wants to submit, for him the chance to get Alin's love alone is already quite extraordinary.

“If my daughter doesn't want to come back to you, then don't even force her. Let him choose his own life. Do you understand?”

“Sure, I will give her freedom.”

Mr. Vishaka took a deep breath before continuing his sentence.

“Alin is in London. Don't expect me to tell you exactly where he is. If you want to prove your true love, then fight to find it.”

Shown in Beryl's mind, scouring all over London to find Alin. Something that looks very heavy, but Beryl will. Whatever risk.

“I will definitely do it.”

“One thing you should know. Alin doesn't live there alone. He lives with his biological parents. And his real father was not an approachable person. Remember that!”

“His biological parents?” Beryl and Lady Naima were flabbergasted in disbelief.

“What do you mean, Vish? Alin, not ..., he ..?” Madam Naima was confused.

“Alin is the son of her brother Zivaa, whom we raised.”

“Zivaa has a sister?” the confusion of Madam Naima became more and more.

“Zivaa has a sister, one father with another mother. When Zivaa had a miscarriage, his brother came looking with his pregnant wife. Some days they stayed with us, suddenly there was news of an accident that befell his wife's family and their two sons. His wife was in shock and had to give birth earlier,” Mr. Vishaka stopped for a moment, looking away to the times twenty-six years ago.

“Anyone should return to London immediately, but Alin's condition is not possible to carry. They finally allowed us to take care of Alin. We have never covered this up from him since childhood. Alin also prefers to stay with Zivaa and me until now.”

“Where were they when Alin experienced the toughest time of his life? Do they know everything that happened to Alin?”

Mrs Naima still doesn't believe what Mr. Vishaka says. She is Zivaa's closest friend, they both even grew up in the same orphanage. But Zivaa never once said about her brother's whereabouts.

“They know, we can't possibly hide it. They were even about to pick Alin up, but Zivaa refused. She wants to take care of Alin, she can't let go of Alin in such conditions.”

The three of them were silent, preoccupied with their respective thoughts. Mr. Vishaka is busy recalling the past, Mrs Naima is busy questioning the secrets kept tight by her best friend, and Beryl is busy pondering all sorts of plans to explore the city of London to find the girl she loves.

“I will look for him, no matter where he is. I will definitely find him,” Beryl is so sure of his words.

“Thank you for giving me a chance once again. I promise you, I will not waste this opportunity. I'm not going to disappoint you.”

“I hope you really keep your promise!” Lord Vishaka saw solemnity in Beryl's eyes.

Beryl immediately left the Hamra family residence. On the way back home, Beryl called her assistant.

“Halo Eijaz, I have a task for you!”

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