Ning Azzahra has finished her morning activities. Memories of Gus Azzam, her husband, had been pushed far from her mind. Even Ning Azzahra thought her husband had forgotten that he already had a wife in Yogyakarta. While in the apartment, Azzahra was used to caring for her affairs, including cleaning her room every day. Seeing that everything was neatly arranged, the girl was ready to go to campus.
"Today I have an agenda to go to the library. Several pieces of literature don't have clear references, so I have to look for library sources directly." Because she is preparing a proposal for a student grant together with Zaidan and two other friends, Azzahra's days are busy.
The girl never felt tired, even though she had to return to the apartment late at night. When they were discussing programs and funding, without realizing it, it was already late at night. Luckily, Zaidan was always ready to accompany her, so Ning Azzahra felt there were no obstacles.
"Oops... I forgot my headphones. Friends often talk too loudly when discussing things. I often lose concentration, so..." Seeing the headphones on the table, Ning Azzahra immediately took them. So that the headphones weren't left behind, the girl put them in her backpack and then carried the bag.
"It looks like I don't need to wait for Zaidan... I'll just walk to campus while it's still early. "It's been a long time since I felt like walking alone, as well as exercising as recommended by health experts, where we have to take the time to walk at least 5000 steps every day." The girl decided to go to campus alone because there was still quite a long time.
Not wasting much time, Ning Azzahra grabbed flat shoes and put them on both feet. After finishing, the girl stood up again and immediately walked towards the door. She took the key or room access, then immediately opened the door and came out of her room.
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Surabaya
Inside the twelfth floor of a multi-story building, Gus Azzam was seen daydreaming. A small knife was in the man's hand, and several times, Gus Azzam threw it at a board attached to the wall. The man deliberately installed the game in his workroom to treat boredom or tiredness.
„Ning Zahra... how are you in Yogyakarta. I hope you get lost in your busy studies and remember me as your husband. Hemppphh... husband." The man muttered softly, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"H.. U.. S.. B... A.. N.. D. Ha.. ha.. ha..., clap." A small knife appears to slide quickly down the board and lands right in the middle of the circle. Without realizing it, Gus Azzam spelled the word husband, letter by letter, then laughed out loud.
Gus Azzam repeated throwing small knives several times until the small knife nearby was gone. After that, the man was seen rubbing his face, using the palms of his hands for a few moments.
"I hope Salsa will understand the decision I made and will not use it as an excuse to ask to break up with me. I love Salsa, and no girl can melt my heart other than her." Suddenly, the man mentioned Salsa.
"Abi… umi.., why do they decide without asking my opinion first. And I'm sure if I refused or refuted their orders at that time, Abi and Umi would definitely be angry with me. And it could be that I won't get any inheritance from them." Gus Azzam's thoughts were increasingly wandering everywhere.
The man was speechless when Abi and Umi conveyed their intention to make Ning Azzahra his wife. Salsa, his girlfriend, was not yet worthy of being introduced to the two of them, so with a forced heart, Gus Azzam accepted the marriage plan. And now, after several weeks of married life with Ning Azzahra, the man had the heart not to think the girl existed.
"I can't think about the future. I have to live with it first and find a way to resolve this cursed marriage. Salsa.. you have to wait, beautiful.." After sighing, Gus Azzam made a decision.
"Ring.. ring.." Suddenly, the cell phone on the table rang.
The man ignored him, and the calls eventually stopped by themselves.
"Ring... ring..." Gus Azzam's cell phone rang again. Lazily, the man finally took the cell phone. When the name appeared on the cellphone screen, Gus Azzam immediately scrolled it.
"Assalamu alaikum Gus Zizan..." Seeing that Ning Azzahra's older brother was calling him, the man immediately accepted the call.
"Wa alaikum salam Gus Azzam. Am I disturbing your work time, Gus..?" Gus Zizan carefully asked.
"No, Gus... Just say it if there's something you want to say." With a pounding heart, Gus Azzam tried to communicate with his brother-in-law.
"Okay, Gus... I just wanted to ask about my little brother. Is Ning Zahra okay? Please understand, Gus, even though we live in different places, we are very close." It turned out that Gus Zizan asked about his younger sister.
Gus Azzam needed clarification about how to answer that question. After taking his wife back to Yogyakarta to continue her studies, the man never once asked about the girl's news.
"Gus Azzam, did you hear my question?" Because there had been no answer for a while, Gus Zizan asked again.
"Oh yes, Gus... Thank God Ning Zahra is healthy and well. "It's just that because my work in Surabaya was busy, I haven't had the chance to see him back in Yogyakarta." Nervously, Gus Azzam responded. Gus Azzam has never communicated with his wife again since he returned from Yogyakarta.
"It's no problem, Gus... I'm sure my sister will be fine because Ning Zahra is a strong girl who never gives up..." Gus Zizan replied. The young man really recognized his younger brother.
Gus Azzam could only smile when he heard this, and this man heard more stories from his brother-in-law about his wife. Without being asked, his brother-in-law told him a lot about Ning Zahra. However, the story of his wife's kindness did not make him interested in getting to know the girl. In Gus Azzam's mind, there is only Salsa, the girl he has liked since high school and continued liking until Salsa finished his studies.
"Are you still listening to Gus Azzam's conversation? I didn't listen to your feedback." Suddenly, Gus Zizan was heard speaking in a sarcastic tone.
"I can still hear it, Gus." Lazily, Gus Azzam finally responded back.
"Okay... no problem. I meant to call you this afternoon, Gus... just to let you know. On Monday, I will return to Egypt to complete my studies there. Umi and Abi invited me to Yogyakarta this afternoon to see Ning Zahra's condition. Will you join us, Gus..?" Finally, Gus Zizan conveyed his meaning to his brother-in-law.
"I'm sorry, Gus... I can't leave my job in Surabaya. I have a lot of tenders to complete, so I can't go with all of you." Gus Zizan made an excuse. The man thought that if he went with his wife's family, he would be unable to talk about married life. For this reason, Gus Azzam sought safety by not getting involved with his in-laws' family.
"Okay, Gus... I can accept it. Good luck with your work, and we say goodbye to visiting your wife in Yogyakarta. Assalamu alaikum..." Not wanting to prolong the conversation, Gus Zizan ended the telephone call.
"Wa alaikum salam, thank you Gus Zizan." In a low voice, Gus Azzam answered his brother-in-law's greeting.
Gus Azzam still held his cell phone, and the man looked thoughtful.
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