Arhan Hattar

Chapter 25

"Hah....Zahra. What are you doing here?"

"Hatt-"

"Don't. Just don't say my name."

Zahra mendengus kasar lalu menyambung kembali aktiviti tangannya bermain-main di atas lengan aku sebelum aku terus menepis tangannya tu.

Dan akhirnya dia give up jugak.

"I've said to you many times right Zahra? Don't. Ever. Meet. Me. Again."

"But-"

"There's no but. Is it not enough for you after all you have done before?"

"But that was your father's plan."

"Yeah and you just follow whatever he says. But that marriage, in the past, you're the one that gave the idea to my dad so stop! Just for this once stop meeting me."

Dan akhirnya Zahra terdiam. Aku terus berlalu pergi dari kafe ni lalu laju kaki menghala ke arah kereta.

Hah....After problem with Arfa, now I got another problem!

* * *

"Ar...fa...Please open the door. You know that this is my house too right?"

Dan akhirnya beberapa saat selepas tu, Arfa membuka juga pintu rumah aku ni.

But she still standing in front of this door without move an inch.

"Why....did you say those things to me before?"

"Just....because. You know what it means by love right?"

"Yeah I know. But love that I have known in my entire life is the 'torture love'. You know, everytime my dad said he loved me, pada masa tu jugaklah dia akan terus pukul aku. So tell me Hattar. Which 'love' that you meant to tell me before?"

"It's....."

Aku cuba untuk mencapai lengan Arfa tapi tidak berjaya bila dia menarik tangannya ke belakang.

Aku mengeluh panjang sebelum sebelah tangan menolak rambut aku ke belakang lalu aku berlutut dan terus mencapai kedua-dua belah tangan Arfa.

"I just love you. The love when I will worry about you when you're in danger. The love that I will carry your burden whatever it is. The love that I can't even imagine if I lose......you."

Aku boleh nampak kedua-dua belah mata Arfa mula berair semasa aku menamatkan ayat aku tadi dengan perkataan 'you' yang mana ditujukan kepadanya.

"Okay. Macam nilah. What if we take things slow and let me process.....all this love stuff first."

* * *

Arfa;

"Okay. Macam nilah. What if we take things slow and let me process.....all this love stuff first."

Yeah. I said that. Can't believe I said that.

But there's a reason why I can't accept his feeling yet. And he never show me some kind of affection before to show me maybe a single sign that he loves me.

And now just suddenly, out of nowhere, he confessed to me. Korang tak rasa macam....awkward ke?

But then maybe because Hattar and aku tak pernah receive any kind treatment from anyone before. You know.....

He with all those family problems and that....killing stuff.

Me with my family problems too yang mana aku dan Hattar lansung tak pernah selesaikan lagi masalah keluarga kami ni.

Yeah I know. We both already made a plan to stop this.....tradition inside his family.

But then kitorang pun masih belum tahu sama ada plan ni akan menjadi atau tidak and this plan.....it's involving....

Killing.

And I know he wants to stop this stupid job of his but this was his own idea so nak tak nak, aku terpaksa sokong je lah.

"Okay. I can accept that. But how about we just get marrie-"

Aku terus memotong kata-kata Hattar bila dia hampir melepasi batasan.

"Woah. Slow down romeo. I just learn about your love today and you want to get married?"

"I mean....why not? You know why my father has kept his eyes on you for a long time right?"

Aku mengangguk sekali. Yeah. I know the reason. It's just because I have this stupid connection with Hattar.

Shit. This old man of his.....really getting on my nerve sometimes.

"And if you're not gonna become the next Genovese in about 3 weeks, he said he will do whatever he can to kill you just because you already know much enough about our family."

F*ck. That far? Hah.....I wish that Hayden never told me about Hattar's family before. But....aku jugak yang selalu libatkan diri dalam semua masalah Hattar so....aku tak boleh nak salahkan sesiapa jugaklah.

"So. What did you say?"

"How about....you give me one week to think about it?"

Mendengarkan jawapan aku terus membuatkan lelaki yang masih berlutut di hadapan aku ni tersenyum lebar.

Dia segera bangun lalu berura-ura untuk memeluk aku sebelum badannya mengeras dan lelaki ni terus menjarakkan dirinya dari aku semula.

"So.....see you, tomorrow?"

Aku mengangguk sekali.

Hattar berjalan ke arah keretanya sebelum dia memusingkan badan lalu melambaikan tangannya kepada aku lalu aku membalasnya.

Aku terus menghembuskan nafas berat bila kereta Hattar dah takde di perkarangan rumah ni.

Baru je aku nak berura-ura untuk masuk ke dalam rumah semula, langkah aku terus terhenti.

Wait......Then Hattar datang sini just because he wanted to meet me? Not because he wanted to go home? So....

Hattar pergi mana malam-malam macam ni?

* * *

Arhan;

"What? Dad!! I've told you before that I want to marry Arfa. Not Zahra."

"Oh....so you have finally decided, huh? Okay then. Deal."

Eh? Senang macam tu je? Aku datang jumpa lelaki tua ni malam-malam sebab Zahra ada hantar mesej dekat aku yang ayah dah arrange kitorang berdua kahwin bulan depan sebelum aku pergi jumpa Arfa tadi.

Tapi kalau aku tau senang-senang je boleh batalkan perkahwinan tu dengan Zahra, dari semalam aku dah buat dah.

"So...Zahra kat mana sekarang?"

"You said you don't care about her anymore. So why-"

"Just answer the damn question."

"Hah....You just stubborn as usual. Zahra went meeting with her family. Throw tantrum and all sort of stuff because I already told her that I can't arrange your marriage anymore before you came to meet me."

"You- Wait what? So I don't need untuk susah-payah datang malam-malam just nak suruh kau batalkan perkahwinan kitorang?"

Lelaki tua ni mengangguk.

"Aku dah insaf kot? Lagipun....you're still my son right?"

Okay, ayat terakhir dia tu berjaya aku naikkan balik guard aku ni.

"And...Aiden?"

"You still care about that kid?"

"Yeah. Kind of. We've been distant enough after mom's death. And it's all because of you."

"It's not my fault, Arhan."

"Yeah right. As always. The same answer you gave me. Hah....doesn't matter anymore. I will ask Hayden about Aiden. So....thanks for the marriage and....bye. I guess?"

Ayah tersenyum kecil kepada aku bila mendengar ayat terakhir aku tu. Aku terus berjalan keluar dari rumah ni.