Rewinds the Darkness

Could I ask for our story to last forever? Never crossed my mind, a day without you. I've tried every way to defend our love, always entrusting it in my prayers, but I couldn't fight against the blessing ...."

Clara kept repeating the same lyrics from the song "Melawan Restu" by Mahalini. It resonated deeply with her current feelings. She wasn't approved to marry her boyfriend of a different faith named Algo.

Yes ... they had been dating for two years. They met during the university orientation program. Algo was Clara's senior, known for his handsomeness and kindness as the head of the Student Executive Board (BEM).

Back then, Clara accidentally spilled a cold drink on Algo's alma mater. As a result, he got angry and asked her to clean it up. She complied, knowing she was at fault.

Eventually, they started meeting more often and grew closer. They decided to enter into a relationship. However, their relationship was fraught with challenges due to the lack of parental approval. Their different faiths stood in the way, yet they remained steadfast in their beliefs.

"If only Mom and Dad would give their blessing to Clara's relationship, maybe Clara wouldn't have run away from home," she muttered to herself.

She sighed deeply and began to close her eyes. Tonight, she was staying at her friend Caca's apartment.

"Ra, are you asleep?" Caca asked, fetching a blanket for her friend.

"Not yet," she replied, closing her eyes to calm herself. Her mind was exhausted and stressed.

"Hurry up and sleep, we have morning classes tomorrow. Pak Arya is teaching. Oh, I can't wait to go to class," said Caca. Her eyes sparkled like the moon at night, a perfect smile on her lips. She was one of the devoted fans of the handsome lecturer.

"Ra, why are you so quiet? I'm talking to you," Caca said, looking at Clara with a puzzled expression. She seemed completely unenthusiastic today, especially since she came to Caca's apartment so suddenly.

"I hear you, I'm just not in the mood to respond," she retorted.

"Are you having problems with your mom again?" Caca asked, curious. She knew Clara and Algo's relationship was opposed by their respective parents, yet they persisted.

"You probably know the answer yourself, don't you?" she scoffed. The words from her mother that morning had cut deep. She was called an ungrateful child. But she couldn't deny her feelings; she had fallen in love with Algo.

"That's why you should just end it with Algo. Besides, you two will never be together, Ra. Remember, you have different beliefs. Close, but not religious," warned Caca.

"No way, I can't do that. Algo and I have been dating for two years already. I'm willing to convert to his religion," Rara replied.

Caca looked at her friend with meaning. On one hand, she was touched by their enduring love story. On the other hand, she didn't want her friend to apostatize (leave Islam).

"Don't say that, Ra. You mustn't become an apostate. Aren't you afraid of the punishment of hellfire?" She shook her head at her friend's relaxed and confident statements.

"I don't know, better to sleep now. Tomorrow we have to go to university. Because tomorrow, Pak Arya will definitely ask me to come forward. Annoying indeed that lecturer," complained Clara.

"You should be happy though, it means Pak Arya cares about you. Or maybe ...,"

Before continuing her sentence, Clara's phone suddenly vibrated.

Drt ... drt ... drt ...

"Ra, your phone is vibrating there. There might be an important notification," Caca pointed to the pink object on the study table.

"Who is disturbing this early in the morning? I don't know what else to be sad about," she grunted.

She scowled because she was sure it was just a message from an unknown number offering a loan. Lately, she had been receiving such messages regularly. Despite not having any intention of becoming an entrepreneur, these notifications kept appearing on her phone screen.

"Just open it, Ra! What if it's from your devoted boyfriend? He'll be upset if you ignore him. What if someone else takes him away?" Caca teased.

"Yeah, if it's about Algo, I'll beat a leopard in speed," Caca joked, shaking her head at her friend's unchanged behavior.

When she unlocked her phone, she was stunned. She furrowed her brow in confusion. This was unusual for her. Very unfamiliar.

"Who is it, Ra?" Caca asked curiously.

Pak Arya

"PLEASE MEET ME IN THE CAMPUS WAREHOUSE TOMORROW. DON'T BE LATE. THIS CONCERNS YOUR GPA."

She kept reading the short message repeatedly to make sense of it.

"Clara! Who sent the message? Don't keep me in suspense, why?" Caca complained, getting up to see for herself.

"Oh my goodness, Clara. Why on earth would Pak Arya send a message this late at night? He's asking us to meet in the warehouse again. Probably to clean up, since you were absent yesterday," Caca guessed.

She laughed at her friend, who was still standing motionless. She was still digesting the meaning of her lecturer's message. It was the first time he had sent her a message.

"Clara, why are you just standing there?" Caca snapped irritably. She wasn't reacting at all. If it were anyone else, she'd be jumping for joy.

"I find this strange, Caca. He doesn't usually send messages like this. Especially using bold letters," Clara said suspiciously.

"Oh my, Ra. Think positive, why? Maybe you're going to be proposed to in the warehouse, maybe," Caca joked.

She couldn't help but laugh. Clara's expression showed that she was uncomfortable with the message from the handsome lecturer.

"Look on the bright side, Ra. You might get to meet the handsome lecturer privately. Even if it's just in the warehouse," she teased, grinning innocently. She wanted to punch her face, but she knew that Caca was the best friend.

"It seems like Mr. Arya has hidden intentions. Is there really a lecturer who asks their student to meet in a warehouse? Why not in the lecturer's office? Isn't that strange?"

The question kept swirling in her mind. She wasn't a naive girl who would consider it normal. Because only that lecturer behaved strangely towards her. It made her uncomfortable on campus.

"You're right, Ra. Usually, if a lecturer wants to call a student, it would be in the lecturer's office. But this is different. Or maybe Mr. Arya wants to be different from the others? He is the most handsome among all the lecturers. Maybe his policies are also different," thought Caca.

Not knowing whether she was right or wrong, she commented anyway. Because medical students are full of ambition and solidarity.

"Whatever. We'll see tomorrow. Now let's sleep, my eyes can't hold back the longing anymore," she said.

"Weird girl, no one feels longing with their eyes. Eyes are for seeing, Clara. I'm starting to wonder how you got into the medical faculty. You don't even know the function of eyes," Caca retorted.

However, Clara had already drifted off into her dream world. She fell asleep so quickly. They had only been chatting for five minutes.