"Thank you, Naufal. For taking Raisa home," Chintya said, her voice sounding sweet, but to Naufal's ears, it felt like poison. He remained silent, his eyes fixed on Raisa, who stood beside Chintya, the little girl unaware of the burden her stepbrother carried. Naufal looked at Raisa, then at Chintya, the woman who had destroyed his family.
Chintya reached out, touching Naufal's arm. "You have a good heart, son," she said, her voice slightly trembling, but the tremor failed to touch Naufal's heart. "You inherited your mother's nature."
"Don't call me again, Auntie," Naufal interrupted, his voice flat, without emotion. "I feel like I'm betraying Mama."
Chintya withdrew her hand. She paused, looking at Naufal with an inscrutable gaze. Regret? Or just pretense? Naufal didn't care. He only knew that this woman had ruined his life and his family's.
After a moment of silence, Chintya finally spoke, her voice sounding slightly bitter, "Then who will Raisa turn to if not you, her own brother, while her father… well, you know his condition." Her last sentence was spoken softly, showing a hint of regret, but it wasn't enough to quell Naufal's anger.
The question hit Naufal like a slap in the face. He knew Chintya was right. After all, Raisa was his sister, and he was responsible for her well-being. However, the guilt and heartache caused by Chintya's actions still haunted him. He felt trapped between his duty as a brother and the unhealed wounds in his heart. He felt torn in two: part of him wanted to hate Chintya, another part felt responsible for Raisa.
"I'm going home," Naufal replied briefly. He started his car, leaving Chintya and Raisa in front of the simple rented house. His car sped away, leaving the house behind, leaving behind the shadows of a dark past.
The journey to his mother, Adelia's, house felt very long. Throughout the journey, Naufal only listened to music from his MP3 player, trying to ward off disturbing thoughts. However, the images of Chintya's and Raisa's faces, as well as his mother's face, continued to haunt him.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Razak's number was displayed on the screen.
"Yes…" Naufal answered, his voice sounding tired.
"Sir, it's Mr. Dimas's birthday, sir. We want to celebrate at Cafe Daun," Razak said from the other end, his voice sounding cheerful. "We wanted to discuss this earlier, but you said Aretha was out on business."
Naufal paused for a moment. He hesitated to go. He didn't feel enthusiastic about celebrating Mr. Dimas's birthday. However, he also didn't want to disappoint the man who had given him a lot of advice when he had problems, whether work-related or personal.
"Okay, I'll be there," Naufal finally replied. He decided to go, to forget his problems for a moment, to cheer himself up amidst the hustle and bustle of nightlife.
"Alright, sir," Razak replied.
Naufal put down his phone. He sighed deeply. He knew he couldn't keep running from his problems. He had to find a solution, he had to find a way to cope with his responsibility towards Raisa without having to sacrifice his own feelings and without betraying the memory of his mother.
Arriving at Cafe Daun, a lively atmosphere greeted Naufal. Dim lights, soft music, and the enticing aroma of food filled the room. Cafe Daun was not a luxurious place, but a comfortable and familiar place for Naufal's team. This place had become their regular gathering spot, a friendly and cheerful atmosphere had become a hallmark of their meetings here. Team members had gathered at two long tables that were joined together, waiting for their boss's arrival.
Naufal approached Dimas. He shook the man's hand and patted his shoulder briefly.
"Happy birthday, Aipda Dimas. Always be healthy," Naufal said, his voice sounding friendly but firm, showing his leadership. The tone of his voice showed sincere respect for Dimas, even though he was his superior.
"Thank you, Mr. Naufal," Dimas replied, a friendly smile spreading across his face. He looked happy surrounded by his friends and colleagues.
Naufal glanced around, looking for a seat. His eyes fell on an empty chair next to Aretha. He decided to sit there.
"Mr. Naufal has arrived. Let's eat," Dimas said, his voice loud, attracting everyone's attention. The team members immediately took the food that had been prepared on the table. The dinner atmosphere felt warm and full of familiarity. Laughter and jokes filled the room, but behind it all, Naufal still felt burdened by his problems. The image of his mother, Adelia, who always looked sad, and Raisa's innocent face, continued to haunt him. The burden of responsibility as a leader and brother still weighed on his mind.
Naufal rose from his chair. He remembered that he had taken the time to buy a gift for Dimas.
"I'll go to the parking lot to get the gift for Aipda Dimas, I left it in the car," he whispered to Aretha.
"Alright, Bang."
Naufal immediately left the table.
"Where did he go?" Dimas asked.
"Getting a gift for you in the car."
"Wow, he even had time," Dimas was amazed.
In the parking lot, Naufal had just finished taking the package for Dimas when someone called his name.
Naufal turned around. Clara, the beautiful doctor he had met that afternoon when he took Raisa for treatment, walked towards him.
"Doctor Clara?"
"Yes, what a coincidence to meet you here, Mr. Naufal, are you alone?"
"Don't call me Mr.," Naufal laughed.
"Why? Does it sound old?" Clara teased, laughing.
"We seem to be the same age. Shouldn't we just call each other by name if we meet outside?"
"But you also have to call me Clara. Ah yes. We haven't been introduced. I'm Clara Nadira."
Clara extended her hand.
"Naufal Hasbi," Naufal accepted Clara's handshake.
Clara's skin felt very smooth.
"Alone?" Clara asked.
"No, with the team. Celebrating the birthday of one of our members," Naufal explained. "You?"
"Alone. I'm new to this city. Only 2 weeks. Sometimes after work I try to walk around alone, looking for culinary spots that might suit my taste," Clara walked alongside Naufal.
"Come on, join us."
"How could I? I'm not part of your team."
"It's okay. So you have many people to ask about this city."
Clara smiled amidst the pounding of her heart, which suddenly beat fast as she walked with Naufal.
They arrived at Naufal's team's table, who were enjoying the meal.
"For you, Bang," Naufal handed over the package.
"Wow, you shouldn't have. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Dimas looked at Clara.
"This is?"
"Introduce her, this is Doctor Clara. She's only been here for 2 weeks. Is it okay if I invite Clara to eat with us? So Aretha also has someone to talk to."
"It's okay, Sir," Razak answered.
"Sit down."
Clara looked at Naufal's team before sitting down.
"Nice to meet you all," Clara said.
She sat next to Aretha while Naufal moved to Wisnu's side.
Clara smiled faintly. Not wanting anyone to realize that her heart was blooming.
"Is this unexpected meeting a sign of a soulmate? Ah, what am I thinking," Clara thought.