A large and luxurious room was provided for the newlywed couple. After the wedding ceremony, Gus Azzam took Ning Azzahra to his residence. It seemed the man didn't want to be disturbed on their wedding night, so he returned to his house. Without saying much, Azzahra followed the man who had become her husband. Gus Zizan, Kiyai Ameer, and Nyai Camelia couldn't stop the girl from going with her husband.
"Sit down and rest, Ning. This room is connected to the room next to it, and you can sleep and rest there. I'll rest in the room next to it..." After they were in the room, Gus Azzam started the conversation.
Hearing the words of the man who had become her husband, Azzahra's brow furrowed. It was strange for him when a newlywed couple spent the night in different rooms.
"What does Gus Azzam mean? Zahra can't understand it." Feeling worried that she had misinterpreted, Azzahra dared ask the man.
"Hempphh... are my words unclear? Even though we are officially married and are husband and wife, we are both strangers. We don't know each other yet, and I'm not used to being friendly with strangers." In a flat tone, Gus Azzam responded to Azzahra's question.
"Foreigners... Wait a minute, Gus... is Gus Azzam forced into this marriage? If the answer is yes, why didn't Gus refuse when Abi asked Gus to preach Zahra? "If Zahra could do it, Gus... Zahra would do it right then and there." Disagreeing with her husband's words, Azzahra expressed her opinion as a student who usually debates on campus.
"Ha.. ha.. ha…, refuse. I don't think that any girl would refuse this match. "Moreover, the Karohmah Islamic boarding school has a high selling value, and by marrying me, you will have a candidate like Nyai in this Islamic boarding school." While laughing sarcastically, Gus Azzam's words seemed to speak with sarcasm.
Azzahra sighed at those words, which, in her heart, insulted her status as a woman. However, her body was very tired, and she didn't have enough energy to serve her husband. Finally, Azzahra thought about taking a break and ignoring the discordant voices.
"Okay, I agree with your statement this time. I'll rest first... and continue dreaming of being an arrogant Gus." Too lazy to argue, Azzahra has lost the respect she should have for Gus. The man's attitude benefited him, and he could focus again on his agenda of immediately going to Yogyakarta and continuing his studies in that city.
Without using the term Gus, Azzahra just spoke. The girl immediately walked towards the bed decorated as a bridal room.
"Just pretend you don't need it. One day, you will see what your true nature is..." Seeing Azzahra's response, Gus Azza looked at the girl's back as she walked away.
While muttering, the man stepped towards the connecting door. Gus Azzam slowly opened the door and then entered the room.
********
The next morning.
Azzahra opened the bedroom door slowly after a night's rest. The girl woke up early because she had a habit of performing the Tahajjud prayer, reciting the Koran, and continuing with the Fajr prayer. Feeling that her body was all right because she had not exercised for several days, Azzahra intended to go for a morning walk around the Islamic boarding school.
"Wow... it turns out the new bride is awake. How was your rest last night, Zahra... it must have been warm with Azzam beside you..." Zahra had just closed the door when the girl was startled by the voice of a middle-aged woman.
Azzahra turned to the side and saw Umi Hamidah inviting her to talk. Azzahra took a deep breath for a moment, then...
"Thank God Zahra can rest well, Umi. "This is Zahra. I want to go for a walk first thing in the morning... I'm getting used to the habits when I'm in Yogyakarta..." with a stammer, Azzahra gave a response. The girl did not reveal what happened to her husband last night.
"Thank goodness, son... if that's the case. Where is Azzam...? Azzam should accompany you for a morning walk because you are married. It's not good for a young woman to walk alone, especially so early in the morning like this." Hearing that he wanted to walk alone, his mother-in-law subtly reprimanded him.
Azzahra was shocked and remembered the rules for a married woman. Heaven for a married woman is with her husband's permission. Even though he had just come out of the room without telling Azzam.
"What's wrong, Umi... Don't be so aggressive with Azzam's wife. We wanted to go for a morning walk together; it's just that Azzam went to the bathroom first..." Unexpectedly, Azzahra suddenly heard Azzam's voice. The man suddenly was behind him.
"That's how it is... Umi thought, my son forgot that he already had a wife and left his wife alone." The middle-aged woman smiled.
"No, umi... Azzam will remain the proud son of the Karohmah Islamic boarding school. OK, umi... poor Zahra has been waiting. We're going for a morning walk, Mum..." Without hesitation, in front of his mum, Azzam took Azzahra's hand and held her.
Umi Hamidah smiled at the closeness of her son and daughter-in-law. In the woman's mind, her worries about being able to accept the wife she had arranged to marry turned out to be unfounded.
"Yes... yes, my son. Be careful on the road, OK?" Umi Hamidah responded without thinking.
Azzam kissed his mother's hand and was followed by Azzahra. The newlywed couple then left Umi Hamidah alone, who stared at their backs.
************
"Gus Azzam... amazingly, he left the hut early in the morning..." When Azzam and Azzahra had just left the main gate, a girl's voice was heard greeting Azzam.
Quickly, Azzam let go of his hand with Azzahra. Feeling that the holding of hands was only to trick Mother Hamidah, the girl happily let go. After that, Azzahra saw a young girl approaching her husband. Without hesitation, her husband accepted the girl's helping hand.
"Where is Syarifah also from? Why is he wandering out of the hut at this hour?" Azzam asked back instead of answering the girl's question. Azzahra was silent and just stood waiting for her husband to chat with a girl named Syarifah.
"From the mosque at dawn in the congregation, Ifah felt hungry, Gus... Finally, he went to the edge of the village to look for breakfast, but it wasn't open yet. But looking at Gus Azzam's face, Ifah's stomach feels full again now..." While grinning, the girl responded.
"You... are still naughty... Go back to your room... and do activities with the other students." Unexpectedly, Gus Azzam's hand rubbed the top of Syarifah's head. Seeing this, Azzahra held her breath and thought if her husband had done the wrong thing. But thinking about her relationship with that man, Azzahra finally just sighed.
"OK, Gus..., assalamu alaikum..." the girl said as she greeted Gus Azzam's hand. Without thinking that the man's wife was there, Syarifah kissed the back of Gus Azzam's hand again.
Azzahra pretended not to see, and to protect her gaze, Azzahra strolled, leaving Gus Azzam alone.