My name is Nayla, I am 28 years old, and I live in the village of Jatimulyo. At the age of 7, I met a man named Davin in 2003 through a social network. At that time, I had just graduated from high school and was looking for a job in the city.
Luckily, I had previously gotten to know Davin, the person I always called "Abang" (big brother) since I was in 10th grade. Throughout school, I had never been close to any guy other than just being casual friends. However, for some reason, I felt very comfortable every time I communicated with Abang Davin, especially since he seemed to pay more attention to me than my other friends. Whenever I posted a status, Abang Davin would always comment on it. And when I complained to my friends about my problems, whether it was about school assignments or issues with my parents, my friends often ignored me.
It was different with Abang Davin, who always patiently read my rants. And he didn't just read them, Abang Davin would also give me wise advice and guidance.
Whenever I ask him something, Brother Davin always provides the best answer that satisfies my soul and mind.
During school, I also joined a group that helped me and my friends to become more religious. Besides Brother Davin's presence, my friends always reminded me not to date, as they believed dating is close to committing sin.
Being friends with righteous women who considered dating shameful, was the reason why I never dated. However, despite that, I feel very comfortable with Brother Davin. It feels like, if I don't communicate with him for a day, something is unsettling in my heart.
So even though we're not dating, I still communicate with him as appropriate as possible, but I can't help it because every time I communicate with him, my soul is stirred to meet and marry him. Especially after seeing his photo on Facebook, he has fair skin and is very handsome.
Without me realizing it, I often bring him up in my prayers, hoping that he will be my future spouse after I graduate from high school. Even though we've only known each other for a year, and we've only connected through social media, I am already very sure that Bang Davin is my soulmate.
In 2014, I graduated from high school, and my parents had a serious talk with me about my future plans. My father gave me several options: get married, go to college, or start working. At that time, I chose to work first for 1 or 2 years because I didn't feel ready to get married yet, and I was stressed after the final exams. Another consideration was financial issues because my parents were not wealthy.
Alhamdulillah, my father approved of my decision. I chose to work in a city not far from my hometown, at the counter owned by Bang Davin. We sold branded smartphones and phone credit. When I asked Bang Davin about job openings, he mentioned that he was the son of the owner of the phone counter. Knowing this honestly made me even more impressed.
Initially, my father was worried about letting me work in the city, but after I assured him that my job was good and introduced Bang Davin through the phone, finally my parents agreed.
"Will Nayla go to Bandung tomorrow?" Bang Davin asked through a text message to confirm.
"InshaAllah, Bang. I'm packing up right now. Have you found a place for Nayla to stay?" I asked Bang Davin.
"Yes, it's very close to the counter." Bang Davin explained.
"Hopefully you arrive safely, Dek. Abang can't wait to meet Nayla," Bang Davin's message.
"InshaAllah, Bang. Nayla also can't wait. It's surprising that our introduction led to meeting in real life," my reply.
"Yes, Dek, destiny will always bring us together," Bang Davin's response.
The next day, I had prepared all the things I would bring to the city of Bandung. I asked for permission from Papa and Mama before leaving. Before I left, Papa and Mama advised me to take care of myself and my honor there, to maintain good manners and politeness, and to be friendly to the visitors at the counter so that the boss would be fond of me.
I also departed by taking a travel service. About 3 hours later, after traveling along the long road at full speed, I finally arrived in the city of Bandung. I was dropped off right at the counter where I would start my new job. As I got off the travel vehicle, my heart was pounding hard because today was the first time I would meet someone I have admired for a long time at my new workplace.
(Nayla has arrived in front of Bang's counter!) I sent a message to Bang Davin. Shortly after, a man came to meet me at the front.
"Nayla, right?" he asked straight away.
"Yes, are you Bang Davin?" I asked hesitantly.
The man just smiled broadly. At first, I was hesitant when I saw him, because his face was slightly similar to a woman's, especially when I noticed his arms were covered in a lot of hair, but I quickly dismissed my doubts, as he could just be a man who was somewhat beautiful like typical Korean oppas.
"Don't just stand there! Come on, let me take you to the rented house! Is this all your luggage?" he asked while looking at my suitcase.
"Yes, Bang! Just a little," I said with a smile.
"A little of what? This is too much, Nayla. You shouldn't have brought a mattress like this, everything is already prepared by me, Nayla just needs to rest and bring clothes. Oh, I forgot to tell you last night. Well, let's have the male employees carry these items," Bang Davin said.
"Alright, Bang," I said as I picked up my bag, walking behind Bang Davin towards the rental place he was referring to.
Indeed, the rental place was not far from the counter where I worked. After showing me my room, I was invited inside, and Bang Davin followed in. When he entered, for some reason, I felt uneasy and nervous because in my eyes, Bang Davin was a man.
"Just wait a moment, I'll get a broom. The room was swept last night, but it seems like it needs to be swept again. It's a living space, there might be scorpions, centipedes, or spiders," he said.
Bang Davin walked to get a broom, and swiftly swept my room. In my eyes, he looked very cool. He also helped me tidy up my belongings and even bought me a drink, which was very sweet of him. After finishing tidying up, Bang Davin asked me to take a shower and then go directly to work at his shop.
After cleaning myself up, I went to Bang Davin's cellphone counter. I saw him closing his eyes at a desk that seemed to be reserved for the boss's child. Bang Davin opened his eyes and smiled at me, welcoming me. Fortunately, there weren't many customers that evening. One of the employees, who seemed like he would be my workmate, was casually playing on his phone.
"Welcome Nayla, welcome to your new job here, let's get to know Wiwin, she's also a new employee here!" Bang Davin instructed.
I introduced myself to Wiwin, but because I was still new, I was a bit shy. After that, Bang Davin invited me to sit close to him, and then he explained the work procedures to me. I practiced how to top up phone credit, cancel transactions, learn phone codes, and other tasks. It didn't take long for Bang Davin to teach me, and I quickly understood everything, and I started working right away.
The evening passed quickly, as per our agreement, we only worked until 6:00 PM. Wiwin and I then prepared to go back to our boarding house, Wiwin herself lived with her parents not far from the cellphone counter.
"Thank you, Bang Davin, for giving me this job and finding me a place to live," I said to Bang Davin.
"Thank you for coming all the way here, my curiosity to meet you Nayla has been satisfied," said Bang Davin.
"Oh, by the way, even though you only worked half a day today, I'll count it as a full day, here's your first salary!" Bang Davin said, handing me 60,000 rupiahs.
"Thank you, Bang," I said as I accepted the salary with a feeling of happiness for receiving my first payment.
"How about we have dinner outside after the Maghrib prayer?" Bang Davin suggested to me. I was really happy to be asked by Bang Davin, without thinking too much, I agreed to his invitation.
"Nay... you look so beautiful tonight, your long hair flowing down, your brown eyes, to be honest, Abang (older brother) has missed you and dreamed of you for the past year," Bang Davin said. He stood up and walked towards me, then he held my hand and said,"Nayla, would you be my girlfriend?" he said, looking into my eyes.
I felt a strange rush of emotions, as if I was floating on air when someone I loved was confessing to me. My tongue felt tied, but eventually, I nodded in agreement to his request to be his girlfriend.
"Thank you, dear!" Bang Davin said as he approached me slowly and gently kissed my forehead. Then his hand wrapped around my shoulders, and when he hugged me, I felt his chest against mine. I hesitated for a moment as his chest felt soft, but I quickly dismissed my suspicions.
Then Bang Davin took me out for dinner, riding his Satria FU motorcycle. That's how my introduction to Bang Syarif began before we got married, starting with falling in love, dating, and eventually reaching the stage of marriage unknowingly. Even until we got married, I still didn't know who Bang Davin really was.
Pov
That night, I had dinner with my new boyfriend whom I called Bang Davin. I called him Davin because I didn't know his real name was Davina, that night I had no suspicions about him at all.
Well, he had all the characteristics of a typical man. He wore jeans, a t-shirt, and a denim jacket. He was about 10 cm taller than me, standing at 165 cm, and when he spoke, he sounded cool with a slightly husky voice.
I even noticed that he had a small, faint mustache when he talked, and his haircut was very masculine, styled in a "Short and Spiky" look.
His chest was quite broad, and he may have been wearing a tight t-shirt that made his shirt look loose. At that moment, I didn't pay too much attention to his appearance.
I only focused on his almost perfect face and his cool way of speaking. It was only after I found out everything that I started to notice these details.
"Nayla must be tired after a day on the road, right?" Bang Davin asked as he fed me Nasi Kebuli.
"Yes, Bang. Nayla is tired. But I took a nap in the car earlier, so I'm still feeling energetic right now."
"Hopefully, you'll recover soon. Muach." Bang Davin kissed my forehead. "Oh, Bang, I'm shy..."
"Why are you shy? It's normal for a boyfriend to kiss his girlfriend," Bang Davin said to me.
"Are you still pure?"
"No," my heart raced when asked that, "of course, I have never dated!" I thought to myself. I responded to the question with a smile.
"Brother didn't expect that we would finally meet again, and be able to date," Bang Davin said at that time.
"You were the one who said that destiny will bring us together," I replied, feeling shy.
"Is Nayla hoping that Brother will be Nayla's destiny?" he asked me.
"Yes, for the past year, Nayla has always longed and hoped for Brother!" I said honestly while sipping juice.
"Hopefully we are destined, dear," he replied while stroking the top of my head.
"Where should we go after this?" Bang Davin asked after the meal.
"It's up to Brother!" I smiled at him.
"Let's go around the city of Bandung!" Bang Davin invited me.
"Okay, Nayla will finish her food first!" I said, hastening to finish my meal.
After our meal, Bang Davin and I got back on his Satria Fu motorbike and started exploring the city of Bandung. In the evening, Bandung looked so beautiful, unlike my village where it would be quiet and only the sound of crickets and the wind could be heard at night. The dim lights and colorful decorations adorned the streets of Bandung, and we noticed that we were not the only couple enjoying their time together. Many young couples were seen dating on motorcycles, cars, by the roadside, and even in the bushes. Some were enjoying roasted corn on the roadside, while others were dating by the bridge. As someone inexperienced in these things, I was amazed and felt less awkward and shy when dating Bang Davin.
"You're like a motorcycle taxi driver," Bang Davin joked as he drove through a quiet street. I didn't understand what he meant.
"Well, you're the one driving the Honda, right?" I replied briefly.
"Hug me! It's so cold tonight!" he said. At first, I hesitated to follow his request, but eventually, I hugged him. I rested my head on his back, feeling so comfortable. Bang Davin drove his motorbike slowly, enjoying my embrace. At that moment, I honestly felt very comfortable hugging him, especially when I rested my head on his back.
"Darling, can you ride a motorbike?" he asked me.
"If it's automatic, I can, but not this type of motorbike," I replied.
"Why not? It's easy to ride this one," said Bang Davin.
"Because I've never ridden this type of motorbike before," I answered innocently.
"Oh, it's easy, just need a little technique. How about tonight I teach you how to ride this motorbike!" Bang Davin suggested.
"Nayla is scared but Bang!" I said half-jokingly.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here, Abang is here, I'll teach you from behind," Bang Davin said reassuringly.
"Okay then," I replied. At a street intersection, Bang Davin steered his motorbike. "Where are we going, Bang?" I asked.
"To the field, there's a field up ahead," Bang Davin said.
"Get closer, my dear!" Bang wants to race," Bang Davin instructed. The motorbike sped up, making Bang Davin look even more masculine. I tightened my embrace before he accelerated, and nothing strange happened. Even as I hugged him, I didn't realize that his stomach also felt soft like his chest, which was also quite soft when he hugged me yesterday. That night, I was swayed by dreams and blind love.
"We've arrived, Nayla. We will learn to ride a Honda here, and when you master this, I'll teach you to drive a car," Bang Davin said.
I got off the motorbike as soon as we arrived. I adjusted my hijab that was tousled by the wind, and Bang Davin helped tidy my hair while looking at me romantically. Then he instructed me to sit in front while he sat behind me. Bang Davin then guided me and told me what I needed to do to ride his Satria Fu motorbike. I followed his instructions one by one, and with a shaky start, the motorbike could move immediately. I was grateful that my feet touched the ground, and I could easily control the motorbike.
"Go slow, my dear," Bang Davin said to me.
"I was scared at first, Bang, but it turns out it's not difficult," I said to him.
"Of course, dear, you're already skilled in riding a motorbike. It won't be difficult to handle any type of motorbike. The hardest thing for you would probably be handling a Moge," Bang Davin said as he taught me to ride.
"Why is that, Bang?" I asked.
"Because your body is small. It's hard to handle the weight of a Moge," he explained. I wobbled occasionally when I turned the handlebars, and Bang Davin would help control the motorbike by holding onto my hand with a firm grip. His hand felt quite sturdy at that moment, perhaps because he was wearing gloves specially designed for riding a motorbike. I found it very romantic.
The field, which was bustling with young couples, suddenly felt so quiet. Like people say, maybe because I was drunk in love at that moment, I felt like the world belonged only to the two of us.
As the night grew darker, Bang Davin invited me to go home, even though I wanted to spend more time with him. My parents, don't ask. Not a single thought of them crossed my mind when I was with Bang Davin.
Bang Davin escorted me back to my boarding house, cutting through the thick, foggy night. The streets were getting deserted unlike before we left. We arrived in front of my boarding house. I got off the motorbike, tidied my hijab, and then flashed a sweet smile.
"Come in! It's already late at night, you might catch a cold. Thank you for coming all the way here to meet Abang, and more than that, for agreeing to be my girlfriend," said Bang Davin. I responded with a nod and a sweet smile.
"Oh, by the way, starting tonight, let's call each other 'darling', okay! Say it, Abang wants to hear it," he requested.
"Yes, darling. Thank you too for making me your girlfriend!" I said to Bang Davin.
"Alright, come inside," he commanded, and I walked away, leaving him behind.