Captain Qadrul Hafiz

Part 5 Wedding

Qadrul's fitting room

"Search under the sofa!"

"This is all your fault, Daniel!"

"Eh!Why me?!Isn't you that touch it last."

"Stop!Guys, search with your eyes not mouth."

The atmosphere in Qadrul's fitting room was in chaos. The engagement ring was missing! Members of the Bravo team were frantically searching for it. It was a mistake on Qadrul's behalf; he didn't know what possessed him to make his team the groomsmen. They are not helping at all!

Just then, Iman strolls into the room with an air of nonchalance. "Hey, what's all the fuss about, guys?" he asked, looking around curiously.

Qadrul couldn't believe his eyes when Iman pulled out the ring from his pocket. "You're searching for this?" Iman said with an innocent grin.

"Iman!" Qadrul exclaimed, trying to hide his exasperation behind a smile. "Why in the world didn't you speak up earlier?"

Iman shrugged casually, "I mean, it's not like anyone asked me about it. I found it in the bathroom and figured someone must have left it there."

The room erupts in a collective facepalm, and Ridhwan couldn't hold back the sarcasm. "Oh, of course! Because people always leave engagement rings lying around in bathrooms!"

Iman's smirk , "Oops, my bad. Sorry, guys.I just thought Qadrul could use some boast of adrenaline right now,"

Ridhwan chuckled and added with a hint of humour, "Seriously, I still can't figure out how you ended up as our sub-captain."

"Captain, promise us one thing after you get married - don't retire too early. We can't have Iman leading us; he might even guide us straight into a minefield just for fun!" Teased Daniel, putting on an exaggerated expression of horror.

"Ouch, that stings," Iman retorted, playfully pretending to be hurt.

Qadrul decided to interject and said, "Alright, alright, guys, let's cut him some slack. After all, he did save the day."

"Yeah, Qadrul. I'm very capable, you know," Iman said with a smug face.

Ridhwan and Daniel couldn't help but burst into laughter at Iman's confidence.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me. Qadrul, look at how you've taught your ducklings! They're disrespectful," Iman teased, pointing at Ridhwan and Daniel.

"We are not disrespectful, and who are you calling a duckling?" Ridhwan and Daniel protested.

Qadrul just shake his head at his team behavior, they never change. As the banter continues, something caught Qadrul's attention. In the shadows behind the wall, he sees a face he would never forget - Harith. His heart skipped a beat as he tried to process what he was seeing.

"Qadrul!" Iman's urgent voice brings him back to reality. "Are you okay? We've been calling your name for a while."

Qadrul tried to convey what he had seen to the others, but when he looked back at the wall, Harith had vanished. The moment had slipped away, leaving him bewildered and wondering if he had just imagined it all.

" Qadrul, let's go. Your bride is waiting for you."

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Aishah's fitting room

"Hey, Aishah. What's with the long face? My bestie here is going to get married. Smile a little bit, bestie," said Sarah, sitting beside Aishah, trying to lift her spirits.

Aishah sighed and said, "I don't know if this is the right choice, Sarah."

"Aishah, we leave everything to Allah, okay? Besides, Qadrul is a nice guy. I'm sure he can be a good husband and imam for you," Sarah tried to reassure Aishah.

"I know. But he is a soldier, Sarah," Aishah replied, her eyes filled with unmistakable sadness.

"Aishah...His work does not define who he is," Sarah said gently, trying to comfort her friend.

"I'm just afraid, Sarah. For soldiers like him, their lives belong to their country. I'm afraid that I will fall in love with him, and he will just disappear on me, just like...how my dad used to do," Aishah confided, her voice filled with vulnerability and fear.

*************************

"I, Muhammad Qadrul Hafiz bin Al Azam, take Siti Aishah binti Muhammad Usman as my wife, with 10 gold dinars in cash,as mahr."

With these words, the bond of husband and wife was sealed between Siti Aishah and Captain Qadrul Hafiz.

Aishah's eyes glanced at Qadrul, who was approaching her. He knelt before her and gently slid the ring onto her finger. Qadrul extended his hand to be greeted by his new wife.

Aishah held Qadrul's hand and kiss it.

Qadrul planted a warm kiss on his wife's forehead, offering her a sweet smile. He whispered into her ear, "Assalamualaikum, Siti Aishah,my wife. In the name of Allah, the Most Powerful, and with the expanse of this boundless sky as our witness, I vow to cherish you, protect you and I will stand beside you until Allah decrees otherwise. Allow me to hold your hands till Jannah."