Rania was happy this morning. The moment she woke up, the woman who would soon become a mother felt a gentle movement in her belly for the first time. Two kicks in a row. Her heart seemed to leap with joy at the presence of the baby she had longed for so deeply.
She was even more eager for Arya to come home so she could share the wonderful news. “Arya is going to be so happy when he hears this,” Rania murmured, her smile widening.
In the three years since they had built a life together, Rania had never once regretted choosing Arya. It was a choice that had once met with fierce opposition from both her parents. Rania’s love for the son of her loyal customer’s public minibus driver had flourished when she was completing her college assignment in this city. It was a love no one—not even her family—could contain.
Rania’s parents had been forced to surrender when their daughter chose marriage over continuing her studies. Since childhood, Rania had been an obedient child who never rebelled. But to avoid an arranged marriage and escape a life she did not want, Rania had dared to give up an education that was only a few semesters from completion. The decision enraged her parents, who felt they had lost their beloved daughter and hated Arya, whom they considered the mastermind behind it all.
At the height of it all, Rania had to give up every luxury she had once enjoyed and trade it for a life of barely getting by. Yet Rania kept smiling. Her love overcame everything. That was the main reason Arya loved his wife so deeply—a woman who never complained as she stayed by his side through good times and bad.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I still haven’t been able to make you happy,” Arya had often said regretfully at the beginning of their marriage.
“Being together with you is enough. That’s the greatest happiness for me. Don’t ever say that again. I don’t like it,” Rania had replied, giving the tip of her husband’s nose an affectionate pinch that made Arya grimace happily.
From that moment on, Arya had been determined to make Rania happy, no matter the cost. His wife’s smile was the best remedy for his exhaustion whenever he had to travel between cities to deliver goods or transport passengers, no matter the hour.
It was almost noon. Rania had finished preparing their favorite meal: grilled fish with dabu-dabu sambal, stir-fried water spinach, vegetable fritters, and stuffed tofu, all laid out on the dining table in their simple rented house.
Although they still did not own a home, Rania was already deeply grateful. Arya’s parents had passed away two years earlier, one after the other, from diabetes and heart disease—a terribly difficult year for them. The house his parents had left behind was now occupied by Ardi, Arya’s older brother. Arya had deliberately chosen to rent a house of their own so his small family, which would soon grow, could have comfort and privacy.
He did not want to repeat what had happened two years earlier, when Rania had miscarried at eight weeks because she had exhausted herself helping take care of the house. Arya knew his wife could not stand by while someone else struggled. If they lived with his brother’s family, who had a very active young child, Rania would surely push herself to work too hard. Their decision to live independently had proved to be the right one; the families remained close and harmonious, and their wives even became close friends.
As a driver who often heard passengers pour out their hearts about troubled marriages and conflicts with in-laws, Arya had become more sensitive to social dynamics. Unfortunately, that sensitivity had blinded him to another kind of danger. He was too naive to question Rama’s calm demeanor, which, without his realizing it, would bring great disaster into his life.
Rania’s stomach was beginning to growl, but she was determined to wait for Arya. “Be patient, sweetheart. Daddy will be home soon,” she whispered softly, stroking her belly, which was now five months along. As if he understood, the baby gave another small kick, making Rania beam.
In the midst of that small happiness, a familiar voice came from outside.
“Peace be upon you...”
Rania hurried to her feet. She quickened her steps, though she remained careful to protect her pregnancy. Her smile spread wider as her fingers turned the lock. The moment the door opened, the man she had missed terribly since yesterday stood before her—with a warm smile etched across his face, hiding an extraordinary weariness.