Elara stood at the doorway of Ava's room, his brows furrowed in confusion as the masculine scent lingered in the air. He scanned the area, searching for the source of the mysterious scent. But the room appeared to be in its usual state, with Ava's belongings neatly arranged.
Ava, nervously biting her lower lip, watched her brother's reaction. Finally, Elara turned his attention back to Ava. "Ava, do you have a visitor?" he asked, "This perfume—it's not yours."
Her voice quivered slightly as she replied, "No, Elara, no one was here. Maybe it's just the neighbors or something." She prayed her brother would accept her words without delving deeper.
Elara studied her intently. He raised an eyebrow, but eventually decided to drop it for the time being. "Alright," he conceded, his tone indicating he wasn't entirely convinced. "It is strange, though. Be careful, okay? Lock your balcony doors if they're open. I'll go freshen up for dinner."
Ava exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as Elara left her room, leaving her alone in her room.
.....
The morning sun bathed Kuala Lumpur in its golden embrace. The city awoke to the hum of life, as people went about their daily routines.
The Rahman Mansion's architectural beauty was magnified by the morning light. The exterior of the mansion was adorned with pristine white marble. Around the mansion, there were big, well-kept gardens. The gardens had neatly trimmed green grass and colorful flowers that made the place look very beautiful. There was a nice stone path that went through the garden, perfect for taking relaxing walks. In the center of the garden, there was a lovely fountain. It had clear water that bubbled and danced while making a soothing sound.
As you approached the entrance of the mansion, you'd see tall columns that gave it a classic and timeless look. The front doors were made of dark, rich wood with intricate designs that showed a lot of effort and skill went into making them.
The sunbeam streamed through the grand windows of Ibrahim's Study room. The study room was adorned with rich wooden bookshelves that reached for the ceiling, housing countless leather-bound books of various sizes and colors. In the center of the room stood a magnificent mahogany desk. Its polished surface hosted an array of documents, a laptop, and a steaming cup of tea.
Aliya Rahman, a lady in her 50s, entered her son's study room. She was dressed in a deep maroon traditional Malay kebaya, adorned with intricate golden embroidery. Her face bore the marks of her age.
Wearing a simple white shirt and brown trousers, Ibrahim was seated on the chair near the large table. He was busy studying a file and sipping on a cup of tea. Ibrahim looked up from his files as his mother entered the room. He greeted her with a warm smile, "Mom! You're here?"
"I didn't see you at dinner last night, so I came to ask about you." she mentioned while taking a seat in a cushioned chair opposite of Ibrahim.
Ibrahim briefly closed the file he was reading and placed it on the table. "We faced a loss yesterday, so I had to stay late working on it."
Aliya nodded in understanding, her eyes filled with maternal pride. "I know you can handle everything this time too."
Ibrahim leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly. "I'm trying my best, Mom."
Aliya tried to change the topic. She asked, "When will you marry? I'm eagerly waiting to see my daughter-in-law."
Ibrahim's smile broadened as he heard her question. He took a sip of his tea and looked into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. "You will meet her soon."
Aliya was taken aback by her son's response. She leaned in closer and inquired, "Wait a minute son. Is there someone you like?"
Ibrahim nodded, confirming that there was indeed someone in his life, someone who had captured his heart.
...
Elara had a nagging feeling about the previous night when he had caught a whiff of men's cologne in Ava's room. Unable to shake off his suspicions, he decided to meet with Farah, Ava's best friend, to see if she knew anything about this matter.
Elara parked his motorcycle just outside Farah's apartment building. The midday sun was harsh. With a quick tug, he unstrapped his helmet and decided to give Farah a call.
Farah quickly answered her phone, "Hello, Mister."
Elara smiled, glad to hear her voice. "I'm standing outside your apartment. Can you come down?"
Farah replied, "Or, you know, you could be a little adventurous and come on up. I'm all alone in my apartment."
Elara hesitated for a moment. After all, it wasn't the most conventional choice. He questioned, "Why are you alone?"
Farah chuckled over the phone, her voice maintaining its playful edge. "Well, my roommates decided to ditch me and went off to some friend's birthday party.
Respecting the boundaries, Elara stated, "I'd rather we meet near the cafe, Farah. I'm not exactly comfortable visiting a girls' apartment."
Farah, sounding a little disappointed, countered, "There's really no problem, and it's so hot outside. I'm not in mood to go outside. Please, Elara?"
Elara let out an audible sigh, eventually relenting to her request, "Alright, I'll come up. What's your room number and floor?"
Farah provided her room number and floor. Elara and Farah have known each other for a while, but it's always been a friendly, sibling-like relationship. But in recent years Farah had developed a huge crush on Elara, despite Elara treating her more like a little sister due to her close friendship with Ava.
Elara entered the apartment building and made his way to her floor. Farah was waiting at her door when with a warm smile he arrived.
Farah smiled, "Elara, welcome. Sorry for the mess, my roommates aren't very tidy."
Elara smiled back, "No problem at all, Farah."
She then led Elara to her room, gesturing for him to take a seat on the chair as she sat on her bed.
Farah asked, "So, what do you want to know?"
Elara leaned forward, his expression serious, and replied, "Farah, have you noticed anything unusual with Ava these days?"
Farah pretended not to know anything and responded, "I can't say that I have. What do you mean?"
Elara continued, "Last night, I could smell men's cologne in Ava's room, as if someone had been there before I got home."
Farah was equally surprised but kept her expression neutral. Ava didn't share anything with her something like this. She inquired, "Did you ask Ava about it?"
Elara explained, "I did, but she brushed it off, saying maybe it's just the neighbor's cologne, so I didn't press further."
Farah suggested, "Maybe you're just imagining things. Ava hasn't mentioned anything like that to me."
Elara nodded and said, "Maybe you're right. I might be overthinking."
Farah steered the conversation in a different direction. "I haven't seen you in casual clothes recently, and you look quite handsome in this attire."
Elara, dressed in a light blue shirt and jeans, furrowed his brows, "I usually wear these kind of outfits when I'm off duty." What's new here?"
Farah playfully remarked, "Well, it's been a while since I've seen you like this. You even seem to have gained some muscle."
Elara was well aware of where this conversation was heading, and he quickly stood up. He stated, "I have to go now."
Farah was taken aback and asked, "Why now? It's a holiday, and you don't have to go to the police station today."
She rose from the bed and took slow steps closer to him. Elara took a few subtle steps backward, maintaining a respectful distance. Farah couldn't help but smile mischievously by his reaction. Elara knew how Farah liked to tease, and he didn't want to encourage further.
Elara leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "It's..." He started, but Farah interrupted, "Elara, you know how much I care about you. Why do you always try to run from me?"
Elara patted her on the head in a friendly, brotherly manner. "Farah, I've told you many times that I see you as a sister."
She had hoped for something more between them and wanted Elara to see that. She took a step closer to Elara. Though Farah is shorter tha Elara, they were too close.
"Enough, Elara," Farah said earnestly. "Don't treat me like a sister, and if you don't return my feelings, at least don't treat our relationship as merely brother and sister." Her brown eyes filled with longing, couldn't hide the frustration in her voice.
Elara slowly withdrew his hand from Farah's head. With a deep breath, he spoke to her, "Farah, you're at an age where you might not fully grasp what's best for you. I don't want you to rush into things. You mean a lot to me, and you need to understand the difference between infatuation and true love. What you might be experiencing could be a simple crush, and if you act on it too quickly, you might regret it later."
Her voice trembled with emotions. "I understand what you're saying, but my feelings are real. I don't want to hide them anymore. I can't just push my emotions aside as if they don't matter."
Elara sighed. He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to convey his sincerity. "Farah, Love is a complex thing, and I want you to experience it with someone who truly gives back those feelings to you."
Farah's expression softened as she gazed at Elara, "What if... what if that someone is you, Elara?"
Elara didn't stop a minute there. He slightly pushed and told, "It's getting late. Let's talk another time."
He patted on her head again and went towards the door. A tear escaped from Farah's eye.