COLORLESS LOVE
Anara is an orphan girl. Her father and mother died when Anara was 9 years old. Meanwhile, his twin brothers Afdhal Alif Fikrie and Akhtar Alfi Faizal are only 3 years old. At that time, Anara's parents would go to the market to sell. Anara's father is a chicken seller in the market, while Anara's mother is a vegetable trader. As usual, Anara's father and mother left the house early in the morning. They went around 2 am to get fresh vegetables from the wholesaler. And broiler chickens directly from breeders. That night it rained lightly, soaking the earth, causing the road to be slippery and Anara's father's eyesight to blur. Anara's father lost his balance, which caused the motorbike he was riding with his wife to roll over. Instantly, the motorbike hit the large truck in front of it, which caused Anara's father and mother to fall and get under the truck that was passing by. The bodies of Anara's father and mother were run over by a truck, so that their lives could no longer be saved and they died at the scene. Anara and her two younger twins Alif and Alfi are now orphans and live with their grandmother who loves them very much. Living in a shack house with her grandmother and her twin siblings does not make Anara feel humiliated and inferior. Anara grows into a beautiful girl who is smart, independent, smart, and also strong. In order to support her three grandchildren, Grandma Azizah sells yellow rice and various kinds of cheap fried foods in front of her house. Anara, who doesn't want to burden Grandma Azizah, sometimes helps Grandma Azizah by selling wet cakes that she makes herself. The knowledge that Anara got from her mother during her lifetime was really useful for her. Anara is good at making various cakes and various kinds of home cooking. Usually Anara will sell her cakes at school, offering them to her friends and teachers. After returning home from school, Anara returned with her wares to go around the village. After it's finished, then Anara will come home with the money from her merchandise.
Chapter 25.
Anara, Grandma Azizah, Alif, Alfi and Neo are having breakfast together. Grandmother Azizah watched Anara's face, her eyes looked swollen and red. Azizah's grandmother also watched Neo as if he was not in the mood to eat his words.
Whereas previously Neo really wanted to enjoy eating big grilled fish with Anara's mainstay seasoning. Seeing such a situation, Grandma Azizah just sighed.
"Brother, how about Sis Anara's grilled fish? Do you like it bro? The seasoning is delicious right?" asked Alif with an excited face enjoying Anara's grilled fish.
"This is so delicious! I just tasted this delicious grilled fish. Usually when brother buys grilled fish elsewhere, it doesn't taste good plus the fish still smells fishy and smells a little like river soil. But it's really really good! Delicious…" Neo licked his hand which had the spices from Anara's grilled fish.
"You like the grilled fish?" asked Grandma Azizah.
"Love it, Grandma! This makes me want to eat more. Until I don't want to stop chewing." Neo said with his mouth still full of grilled fish and warm rice.
"I want to deliver this fish to Grandpa." Anara got up and brought a plate of grilled fish.
Tok…
Tok…
Tok…
Before Anara had gone to Grandfather Badrun's house to deliver grilled fish, Grandma Azizah's back door had already been knocked on. Grandfather Badrun's voice was calling Alif and Alfi from outside.
"Let me open the door!" Alif immediately got up from his seat, while Anara returned to her seat.
"Where's the grilled fish for Grandpa?" asked Grandfather Badrun with a pitiful face after entering the kitchen and sitting down together to eat sahur.
"Here, Grandpa! Anara has prepared a special for Grandpa. Just now Anara wanted to take this to Grandfather's house. Anara didn't have time to go, Grandpa just came first!" Anara's chirping made Neo not blink when he saw Anara's facial expression that looked like he didn't care about her.
"Ouh, Thank Grandpa's favorite grandson!" Grandpa Badrun replied, accepting the grilled fish that Anara gave him.
"You're welcome, Grandpa." Answered Anara smiling sweetly.
A sight that Neo had never seen before. Anara was seen acting very sweet to Grandpa Badrun, very much different from the attitude that was always stiff and cold towards him.
"Anara, it's like being sweet to Badrun on purpose in front of Neo. What a pity, Neo!" thought Grandma Azizah.
"Eh? Why is Anara so sweet to Grandpa? Can you be sweet like that to me, Anara?" asked Neo in his heart.
The meal time is over. Grandpa Badrun invites Neo, Alif and Alfi to the mosque to get ready to perform the dawn prayer in congregation. Meanwhile, Anara and Grandma Azizah cleaned up the house first, then after that they took a shower and purified themselves and then rushed to fulfill the obligation of Muslims, the dawn prayer.
"Anara!" Azizah's grandmother met Anara in her room after the dawn prayer.
"Yes, Grandma?" Anara stared closely at Grandma Azizah.
"How do you feel about, Neo?" Grandma Azizah's question surprised Anara.
"You mean Grandma?" Anara frowned.
"Never hurt other people with your words and actions, Anara. Grandma knows that you and Neo are having a misunderstanding, but I hope you can resolve the misunderstanding between you soon." Azizah's grandmother stroked Anara's loose hair.
"Misunderstanding? What do you mean Grandma, what did Brother Neo and I misunderstood? I don't understand!" Anara stared into Grandma Azizah's eyes.
"You know that Neo loves you very much, Anara? You also know that Neo really expects you to open your heart to him. Grandma can't force anything on you, because Grandma doesn't know what's in your heart and mind. But, from the body language of the two of you, Grandma could tell that you really did love each other. But, why can't you be honest about your own feelings, Anara? Don't make Neo wait too long, nor do you hang him up like now. If you have a good reason to say no, then do it! Grandmother only hopes that you will never regret the decisions you will make, Anara." Grandma Azizah's words were enough to make Anara understand.
"I'm scared, Grandma!" That's all Anara said.
"What are you afraid of, Anara?" asked Grandma Azizah.
"What father and mother used to be afraid of happened to me too, Grandma! The difference between the two made father and mother suffer from the humiliation of the father's family before. I don't want my life to suffer like my father and mother who have to choose between love and family." Anara said.
"Are you very traumatized to see the suffering of your father and mother first, Anara?" asked Grandma Azizah.
"That's right, Grandma! I witnessed it myself, my father was abandoned by his family for marrying a poor mother. Even fathers were told to choose between love and the throne. Even if dad chooses love, that doesn't guarantee dad's happy life with mom. My father's family kept trying to separate my father and mother, even my mother was almost injured because of the actions of my father's family in the past." said Anara.
Without Anara and Granny Azizah knows, Neo secretly listens to the conversation between Anara and Grandma Azizah behind the wall of Anara's room.
Since returning from the mosque, Alif and Alfi have returned to their room to sleep again because school is still on holiday. Meanwhile, Neo was about to see Belia's baby, but when he was about to knock on Anara's door, Neo heard the conversation between the two of them.
"If that's your reason, Anara! I can't force my will on you, even though I love you so much and want you so badly." Neo squeezed his sore chest.
It's been a week since Neo gave Anara, today is the last day Anara is at Grandma Azizah's house.
Anara packed Belia's baby clothes into a big bag, then she also tidied her clothes into her own bag.
Anara didn't bring a lot of clothes, because Anara only had a few clothes that were pretty good to wear.
"Grandma, I'm saying goodbye!" Neo kissed the back of Grandma Azizah's hand.
"You guys be careful on the road! Neo, Grandma entrusts Anara. If he's wrong, just warn him, don't hesitate." Said Grandma Azizah.
"Yes, Grandma!" Neo replied.
Anara then approached and hugged Grandma Azizah, after Neo said goodbye to Grandpa Badrun as well as Alif and Alfi.
"Remember Grandma's message, Anara! Don't let your decision make you regret it for the rest of your life!" Grandma Azizah's advice to Anara.
"Yes, Grandma." Anara then immediately got into the car with Belia's baby in her arms.
After Anara entered and said goodbye to Grandma Azizah, Grandpa Badrun, Alif, and Alfi in the car, finally the car that Neo was driving drove slowly away from Grandma Azizah's house.
"Mamamamama… dadadadadada…" Belia's baby babble broke the silence in the car.
"Why, dear? Are you hungry?" Anara asked.
"We can take a break if you want to make some milk first for her, Belia." Said Neo, who had been silent all along.
Anara only nodded her head slowly, while preparing the baby's bottle and milk. Really, Anara did not want to say the wrong thing at this time. She prefers to be silent.
After making milk for the baby, Anara gave the milk to the baby. With gusto the tiny baby immediately drank the milk.
"I want to buy necessities for Belia, you can also buy things you need." Neo said without looking up.
Again, Anara just nodded her head slowly without answering. Neo's heart ached as he saw Anara's demeanor, which turned cold and spoke less.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Neo.
"Eh?" Anara looked at Neo who had already looked at her.
"We haven't spoken for days, Anara! Is there something wrong with me that you don't want to talk?" asked Neo while looking at Anara.
"There isn't any! I'm fasting. So it's better not to talk much so that my worship is not in vain." Said Anara reasoned.
"Does that mean when we break the fast we can talk later?" asked Neo.
"We will see later." Anara answered briefly.
"Hufffttt ..." Neo just took a deep breath and threw it away roughly.
Neo took his car into a big mall towards the city. Anara didn't ask or protest at all when Neo took her to the mall, even though Anara wanted to get to Neo's family as soon as possible.
"Let me carry Belia!" asked Neo while taking over the baby Belia in Anara's arms.
Holding the baby Belia in his arms, Neo also pushed the trolley that was already filled with groceries.
After all the needs he needed were sufficient, Neo did not immediately carry his groceries to the car he had parked.
Neo invites Anara to enter a boutique, where there are many beautiful and expensive Muslimah syar'i clothes.
Anara frowned when Neo asked her to choose the clothes she liked, but again Anara was silent while shaking her head.
"Just take the clothes you like, Anara!" Neo orders.
"No!" replied Anara.
"Fine if you refuse!" replied Neo who immediately called one of the boutique maids.
"Is there anything we can help you with, sir?" asked a boutique maid.
"Give some of the latest clothes that fit my future wife." whispered Neo to the maid. But the maid just smiled at him and frowned.
"Future wife? Then whose child is she carrying? Was he that young already a widower? And the girl who is the wife of the future stepmother of his child?" thought the boutique maid.
"Why are you looking at us like that? Quickly do what I just said!" Neo orders.
"Emm… well, sir!" replied the maid immediately went to find some of the latest clothes for Anara.
After getting some clothes that fit Anara, the maid brings them in front of Neo so he can choose for Anara in person.
"Try this one on!" Neo handed over the three clothes he had chosen for Anara.
"I don't want to!" Anara replied curtly.
"You make me angry like this! Do you want to get punishment from me, Anara? Remember when we were in the hospital, punishment what did I do to you?" Neo asked making Anara shudder.
Instantly Anara grabbed the three clothes that Neo chose for her to try on. Anara looks at herself in front of the mirror after wearing the clothes that Neo chose.
"What a beautiful dress! But, I don't deserve to wear clothes as expensive and as good as this!' muttered Anara.
"Anara! Hurry out! I want to see you in that dress! Show me!" Neo shouted from outside the fitting room where Anara was trying on her clothes.
Without hesitation, she stepped out slowly. Anara looked down when the door was opened, Neo immediately stared in amazement at Anara.
"Very beautiful my angel." Neo said spontaneously making Anara turn her face in another direction.
At this time, Anara's heartbeat was irregular, what's more, Neo kept looking at her like that, making Anara even more uncomfortable.