Airin went to the kitchen and helped her mother cook breakfast, which was often combined with lunch, unlike at Sakha's house where everything was more organized and orderly—because there were people to manage it.Airin's father, Fahrul Jamal, had just come out of the room and went straight to the kitchen, asking about Sakha's whereabouts."He already left, Dad. He just stopped by briefly to drop Ririn off and say goodbye. He sends his regards to you," Yuniarti answered her husband's question."Why didn't he stay?" Jamal asked again.Airin responded, "He's busy, Dad, with his work at the warehouse. Yesterday's harvest needs to be taken to the factory quickly.""Oh yes, that's true. It's a shame I was in the bathroom, so I couldn't greet him.""It's okay, Dad, Sakha will come here again to pick up Ririn. Right, Rin?" Yuniarti said.Airin didn't actually know if Sakha would come to pick her up or not because she didn't say when she would go home and Sakha didn't say anything about pickin
Sakha said that tonight was their last night together. Airin was completely unaware of this and thought that Sakha would be with her for quite some time. That’s why for a moment, she wanted to run away to her parents' house to clear her mind. But knowing this, Airin no longer needed to worry.She was happy.While the corners of Airin's lips curved upward, Sakha's did the opposite. The man hadn't said anything since they both left Airin's parents' house.And Airin liked the silence. She looked out the window, seeing the lights from the residents' houses. Because it was already past ten o'clock at night, the streets were very quiet, and there wasn't a single person loitering on the sides of the road. The only place that still seemed crowded was perhaps the security post they had passed earlier.When the car started to enter the road flanked by rice fields, Airin opened the window and rested her chin there, feeling the cold night breeze hit her face and blow her hair back. Unconsciously,
Morning arrived with the sounds of birds singing in the trees and roosters crowing in the distance, while the noise of insects in the undergrowth began to fade. But it wasn't these sounds that woke Airin from her sleep—sleep that she knew she had only gotten a little of. Instead, it was the man who had been incessantly stroking her back. To him, it might have been a comforting gesture to help Airin fall deeper into sleep, but for Airin, it had the opposite effect, and Sakha was unaware of this.Airin opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by the sight of her husband's broad chest. Was he asleep? she wondered. She then looked up to find that his eyes were wide open and staring down at her."Why did you wake up so quickly?" he whispered. "Go back to sleep!" He gently patted Airin's shoulder with one hand while stroking her head with the other.Airin pushed against Sakha's chest to move away and then gave him an annoyed look. "How can I sleep if you keep bothering me? Ugh!"Sakha re
The sun shone brightly in the sky, and the sound of cicadas clinging to the trees was very loud. A middle-aged man ran hurriedly towards the stilt house where a man dressed well was sitting on the porch with an open laptop in front of him. Hearing the hurried footsteps, the man's attention was diverted. “What is it?” the man asked, his voice sounding heavy and firm. “Sir ...!” the middle-aged man stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs, breathing heavily. “Mr. Sakha, someone has fainted in the field!” he exclaimed with difficulty. Contrary to the man's panic, Sakha's expression did not change. He carefully folded his laptop and then stood up and approached the workers. “Where is she?” he asked. The man quickly showed the way to the field he was referring to. Sakha followed behind him. When they arrived at the field, the heat from the sun felt even more intense. In the middle of the cornfield, several people, also farm workers working in his field, were gathered around something
Sakha returned to his main house in Waru Village. Some workers greeted him as soon as they saw Sakha enter through the gate in his shiny black car. Sakha returned their greetings with a nod and a brief smile. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky; he was drenched in sweat and really needed a shower to get rid of the stickiness all over his body. When Sakha entered the house, he was immediately welcomed by his wives who were sitting in the living room. Safitria Ferdinan Putri—whom Sakha often called Ria—was the first to greet him when she saw his arrival. Ria, Sakha's first wife, a beautiful woman, immediately pulled Sakha into the living room, and Sakha did not resist. “It's rare for you to come home early, Mas,” said Henia—the third wife—while kissing Sakha's hand. “I’m only home for a short while,” Sakha replied. Agistia, Sakha's second wife, was the last to greet Sakha. “What do you want to eat, Mas? It’s lunchtime,” she said. Sakha refused with a smile. “I’m just here
Sakha returned to the field feeling still annoyed. He regretted having gone home earlier, even if only for a moment. Because his third wife, Nia, never stopped teasing him even though she knew that day was not her schedule. Sakha does not really like aggressive women and is always willing to interfere in his affairs. Nia knows that, not to interfere in Sakha’s business, even though they are husband and wife. The three wives of Sakha know this, but sometimes they often forget because they are controlled by their own feelings.Earlier, Nia had mentioned Sakha’s plan, which Sakha had never told anyone other than the person concerned. Sakha was so irritated that his wives began to feel entitled to take control of his life.“Sir!” Galih, who was watching the workers transporting sacks of corn that had been harvested into the box car to be taken to the warehouse, greeted Sakha who had just arrived.“Tonight,” said Sakha after standi
“One hundred and fifty million rupiah,” replied Sakha.Tia who was lying beside him immediately got up and looked at her husband in surprise. “One hundred and fifty million?” she repeated.“Hmm.”“If it’s a poor person who borrows that much money, of course now he’s rich.”“He borrowed it gradually.”“Then why did you let him when you knew he couldn’t pay?” asked Tia not understanding.“I am indebted to him.”Sakha’s second wife was heard chuckling softly, but then she smiled sweetly at her husband. “You are a good person. I salute you. Just let go of those debts, Mas, if he can’t pay. With God’s permission, you will get a much better reward from God.”Sakha wasn’t stupid not to realize what Tia was trying to do from the very beginning she asked about Mr. Jamal, even though now it was time fo
That night, Galih comes to the house and talks to Jamal.Airin wanted to go outside and hear what the man had to say for herself, but Yuniarti forbade Airin instead that she would convey her greetings to Galih and Mr. Sakha.Airin didn’t want her mother to do that.Yuniarti also understands the feelings of her eldest daughter. Even though Airin agrees to marry Sakha, Yuniarti can see very clearly that Airin doesn’t like Sakha. Yuniarti’s guilt is getting bigger.So Airin calmed her mother by saying, “After a while, Ririn will definitely fall in love, Mother, with Mr. Sakha.” Airin actually wanted to throw up when she heard those words come out of her own mouth.For a long time, Airin had closed the door to her heart and often thought that her feelings for a man other than her father had died. Airin is biased towards that kind of feeling. Because the only thing on her mind from the start was her family, until now that i