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 44
Anara's hands were cold and her heart was racing fast, as the people around her stared in amazement. Some even looked at him with an indescribable look.
Knowing that Anara was nervous, Neo immediately took Anara's tiny hand which was wet with cold sweat. Neo linked his fingers between Anara's fingers, it made Anara feel a little calm.
"Calm down! Don't be nervous and keep smiling." Neo whispered.
"Hmm." Anara replied with a nod of the head.
In another corner, Sarah stares hatefully at Anara when Neo comes with the village girl she hates so much.
"Upik Abu dreams of becoming a queen, apparently!" Sarah clenched her hands into clenched jaws.
Anara gracefully stepped into the party arena with her hands still intertwined with Neo's fingers. Everyone was amazed to see the pair that looked so harmonious, some even envied Neo and Anara.
"Where did Neo get a beautiful angel from?" whispered someone who was still heard by Neo and Anara.
Feeling proud of the girl beside him, Neo kept on smiling until the dimples on the handsome 23 year old's face continued to appear.
"Neo! Anara! said hello Florencia.
"Hi, Flo!" replied Neo smiling, while Anara who was still nervous just nodded her head slowly.
"You look really nervous, Anara! Stay cool!" whispered Florencia.
"I'm really scared, sister." Reply Anara.
"Why are you afraid?" Florencia looked at Anara from head to toe, she thought nothing wrong. Everything looks perfect with a pretty face, flawless skin and clothes to match.
"I'm not used to being in the middle of a party like this." Anara's voice trembled softly.
"Neo is there for you! He can't possibly make you afraid and feel alone, me and Nathan are here too. As for Sarah, you don't have to care about her! Just leave it!" whispered Florencia.
Neo then took Anara around to find food and drink, after introducing Anara to some of her close friends from college. When Anara and Neo took the food, someone was about to accidentally spill the drink on the clothes Anara was wearing at that time.
Hap…
Tap…
A strong hand gripped and pulled Anara's slender waist, until the beautiful girl spun and entered a man's arms. This made Neo very angry and he was about to pull Anara back, but he realized when a cold drink spilled on the floor.
"What's this? Who told you to do this to Anara, hah?" Neo pulled the hand of a female servant in a black and white uniform.
"But… I'm sorry! I accidentally!" said the maid with a scared face.
Hearing the commotion, Sarah immediately approached and saw the incident which she thought was worthy of being an interesting spectacle that deserved to be used as a joke so that Anara would be humiliated.
"Anara! Are you ok?" Rayhan made sure that the maid didn't harm Anara.
"Brother?" Anara's eyes were almost out of place, while her mouth was wide open.
"Come here!" Neo immediately grabbed Anara's hand and took her in his arms, this was witnessed by Sarah and other Neo's friends.
"Thank you for helping my future wife." again those words that Neo said when he was in front of other people, while at Neo's house turned into very cold chunks of ice cubes and had just come down from the north pole for Anara.
"Who told you to do that to Anara? If you don't want to admit what you did or say who told you to, I'll make sure tonight is the last time you work as a maid in this hotel. After that your life will end in prison, I assure you of that!" Rayhan threatened the maid.
"So… sorry, brother! I… I was just ordered by someone." The maidservant's face sank deeply.
"Say! Who told you to do that?" Rayhan asked making the waiter scared.
"But if I tell you the truth, I'm afraid that he keeps threatening me and will disturb my family." Both of the maid's hands intertwined with each other because they were afraid of Rayhan's intimidation.
"I'll make sure that the person who ordered you won't bother you anymore, so just tell me." Rayhan said reassuring the waiter.
"She's the girl sitting near the bartender in the red dress." Reply the waiter.
"Okay! Now you may go!" Rayhan left the maid and looked for Anara's whereabouts.
His eyes flickered around to find Anara. When his eyes caught Anara's whereabouts, a sweet smile rose on his lips. Rayhan immediately walked towards Anara, saw Neo's hands which were still wrapped around Anara's slender waist, making Neo smile wryly.
"Anara! Do you have a problem with that girl sitting over there?" Rayhan pointed at Sarah who was still sitting near the bartender.
"She…" Anara turned to Neo.
"What is wrong with, Sarah?" asked Neo.
"That girl who asked the maid earlier to harm her, Anara. She deliberately wanted to embarrass Anara by spilling the drink earlier on Anara's clothes." Rayhan said surprising Neo as well as Anara.
"This can't be tolerated!" Neo was about to leave but Anara held him back.
"Just let it go! I'm fine too, Brother Rayhan came on time to help me." Anara's words disappointed Neo.
"Follow me!" Neo gripped Anara's hand.
Angrily, Neo grabbed Anara's hand and took her away from that place, leaving Rayhan alone who was stunned to stare at Anara's departure with Neo. Neo had misunderstood Anara's words and Rayhan's actions, who pretended to be a hero for Anara when he was with Anara.
"Slowly! My hand hurts!" Anara tried to free her hands from Neo, but Neo didn't let go of Anara that easily.
Neo took Anara to a quiet place, where people were still in the middle of a party while he and Anara left the party.
"This is our parting gift, Anara! I just want us to enjoy this party properly, no one else is involved with us. But why do you seem so flattering and praising other men in front of me, why Anara?" Neo asked in a jealous tone.
"What's wrong with you? I see you change often sometimes so sincere, kind, but sometimes so emotional and terrible like this, why?" Anara asked back.
"I'm jealous, Anara! I get really jealous every time another guy approaches you, or you compliment him like that. I am angry that you praised him in front of me!" Neo snapped making Anara take a step back.
"I'm surprised by your attitude! If I may be honest, I would have wanted to leave you a long time ago if only I was not bound by our cooperation contract agreement. I face your attitude! The more I know your true nature, the more I hate you! You are the hypocrite man I have ever known. How could I fall in love with a guy like you, who is so scary and so scary to me." Anara let out the contents of her heart that had been hidden for so long.
"Luckily this is my last night at your house, tomorrow I will return to the village and gather with my family. I did grow up from a poor family, but that doesn't mean you can treat me like this. Sometimes your words make me feel like I am the most special woman in your life, but sometimes I am also hurt by your attitude and actions. Now I want to go home! If you still want to be here, let me go home alone!" Anara lifted her dress which was a little too long and then turned around leaving Neo who was still frozen.
Neo stared at Anara's back which was getting further and further away until it finally disappeared behind the wall. When he just realized, Neo immediately followed Anara. How could Neo let Anara go home alone without him in the middle of the night like this.
"Anara, wait!" shouted Neo.
When Neo was already in the hotel courtyard, Anara was not there. Disappointed, Neo looked for Anara's whereabouts, but Neo did not find Anara there.
"Quickly Anara go! Did he get a taxi right away?" muttered Neo.
Neo finally returns to the hotel to enjoy the party until it's over. Neo joined his other friends, while tasting the food and drinks served.
Seeing Neo joining his friends alone, Nathan and Florencia were shocked. Because the two of them had just seen Anara walking with a man, and they thought it was Neo.
"If Neo is here, then who is going to take Anara?" Florencia asked.
"What Rayhan?" Nathan asked.
"Impossible!" replied Florencia.
"Why? Don't Anara and Rayhan seem to know each other?" Nathan asked.
"That's not the problem, Nathan! But Rayhan is there!" Florencia's point made Nathan suddenly turn his head.
"So…?" Nathan covered his mouth which gaped wide in surprise.
Nathan and Florencia immediately approached Neo and pulled his best friend's hand away from the crowd of friends.
"What is it? Why are you playing tugging at my hand?" Neo asked a little annoyed.
"Where, Anara?" Nathan asked.
"She had gone home!" replied Neo lazily.
"Who with?" Florencia asked.
"Alone! Why?" Neo asked back.
"Stupid!" Nathan hit Neo's head, making Neo shocked and pushed Nathan's body away and got angry.
"What are you doing, Nathan?" asked Neo with emotion.
"You're not going home, Neo! But she's got someone up there!" Nathan's words surprised Neo.
"What?" Neo's eyes were completely rounded, almost out of place with his mouth wide open. Neo stared in disbelief at his two best friends.
"This is your fault, Neo!" said Florencia.
Without waiting for a long time, Neo immediately looked for Anara, but Nathan quickly pulled Neo's shirt from behind so that the handsome young man could not leave.
"Don't get stupid Muhammad Borneo Abidin! How can we look for Anara in this hotel room one by one!" whispered Nathan who had managed to stop Neo by holding his hand while pulling Neo's clothes.
"We ask for help from the hotel to check the CCTV here." Florencia's suggestion was greeted with a snap of the hand by Nathan.
"Intelligent! I like a friend who has a smart brain like you, Flo! It's not like him, whose brain has suddenly shorted since breaking up with Anara." Nathan's sarcasm made Neo pout his lips, while Florencia and Nathan chuckled.
After looking for a way to ask permission from the hotel to check CCTV, with the excuse that he lost his best friend while in the yard. Finally Neo, Nathan, and Florencia were able to enter the CCTV room to see where Anara was taken by an unknown man.
"That's it" Neo pointed.
Immediately the officer zoomed in on the CCTV footage showing Anara being taken by a man to the backyard of the hotel, then in the CCTV footage it can be seen that the man gave Anara a drink.
What surprised Neo, Nathan, and Florencia was that shortly after drinking, Anara suddenly fainted in the man's arms. After the room the boy was heading to was identified, Neo and Florencia immediately left the CCTV room. Meanwhile Nathan persisted in asking for the CCTV footage as evidence to ensnare the person who had abused Anara.
"This is his room!" Neo sticks a card on the door of the hotel room where Anara was taken by a mysterious man, Neo himself gets the key with the permission of the hotel regarding reports of missing friends.
The atmosphere in the hotel room was quiet, only the sound of running water was heard from the bathroom. Neo enters slowly to find Anara's whereabouts. His eyes widened when he saw Anara lying on the bed unconscious.
"Anara!" Neo trotted over to Anara.
At the same time the bathroom door opened, making Neo and Florencia surprised when they saw a man Neo knew very well coming out of the bathroom wearing only a waist-length towel, bare-chested.
"Rudi…?" Neo's chest heaved and stared intently at the man in front of him.