Chapter 3 RAY 3

Riana carefully observed her appearance through the mirror once again. She meticulously checked whether the makeup she had just applied was perfect or needed a few more touches.

This evening, according to their schedule, Rayyen would pick up Riana and take her out for dinner together. Nervousness surged within her. Riana was a little afraid that Rayyen might actually propose to her tonight, just as he had hinted during their phone call a few days ago.

"Why are we having dinner, anyway?" Riana asked at that time.

"Dinner is for getting to know each other better, as a potential son-in-law," Rayyen replied, laughing lightly.

"Oh, come on! Can't you be serious for once?" Riana teased.

"Riana ... Lau jama'tu ayyaama umri min farohin maa tusaawie lahdzota min wakti ma'aki. I never play around with feelings," Rayyen said, suddenly becoming serious. "I genuinely want to marry you."

Because of that sentence, Riana had trouble sleeping. For the past two nights, she had performed the Istikhara prayer, seeking guidance. She still felt scared. The wounds from the past betrayal had not completely healed. She was still afraid of being betrayed again. No! She couldn't let history repeat itself. Healing was not an easy process, and even now, the pain from Daniz's betrayal still lingered.

Riana stood in front of the mirror, lost in her thoughts, her mind wandering aimlessly. Memories from the past, Rayyen's words from that night, and other thoughts all merged in her mind. Before long, a voice called her back to reality. She recognized whose voice it was.

"Riana! Daydreaming again," a woman behind her called out. "Your boyfriend is waiting outside."

Riana immediately turned around, responding with a small chuckle to her twin sister's playful comment. Alana was like that, always teasing and joking with her.

"Yeah ... yeah ... I'm done now," Riana replied. "Hey, sis. How do I look?" She stood up, turning around to showcase her outfit.

"It looks good, don't worry. You always look beautiful," Alana replied honestly.

"Typical Perez. You're praising me because you want something in return, aren't you?"

Alana burst into laughter. She couldn't understand why her twin sister found it so hard to believe. At least she complimented her instead of criticizing. Usually, Alana was too lazy to argue about appearances.

"Oh, stop being so skeptical. I mean it. You look great this evening."

"Thanks. In that case, I'll head out now."

Alana nodded, smiling sweetly as she followed her twin sister.

"I'll pray that Rayyen proposes to you tonight. And if it happens, I hope you make the best decision for yourself," Alana said.

Riana stopped in her tracks, looking at Alana before embracing her twin sister.

"I also hope that whatever I choose will be the best for me, Kak," Riana replied, feeling a moment of emotion. They continued their steps towards the living room. There, a casually dressed man was waiting, humming softly in his seat.

Handsome.

That was the impression Riana always got from Rayyen. Yes, she knew that all the Maliq descendants were exceptional. Being the partner of one of them would be an honor. Not to mention that Rayyen himself was a famous lawyer. He had successfully handled many significant cases.

"Kak Rayyen," Riana greeted. Rayyen immediately stood up.

"Ready to go?"

Riana nodded and followed Rayyen's steps towards the car. They hurried to reach their destination before Maghrib prayer.

Upon arriving, Raima welcomed them both. Rayyen's only older sister took Riana and introduced her to their parents who were already waiting.

"Mom, look. Your potential daughter-in-law has arrived," Raima teased, making Riana blush.

The entire Maliq family had always known about Riana's close relationship with Rayyen. They always attended gatherings, important events, or had dinner together. But strangely, they hadn't officially acknowledged their relationship. Raima had dropped hints at them many times, but they seemed to ignore them.

"Are you two friends but intimate or something?" Raima asked on one occasion when Riana and Rayyen attended a family event.

"What does friends but intimate mean?" Rayyen was confused.

"It means being close friends like a couple," Riana explained.

"Oh my. You're exaggerating," Rayyen chuckled. "Besides, we're not meant for casual dating. It's better to get married right away. It's so obvious that we like each other."

Realizing that Rayyen and Riana had a mutual attraction, Eliza immediately asked her youngest son to invite Riana to dinner at their house. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. If she was lucky, her good intentions would be fulfilled.

After performing Maghrib prayer together, all the family members gathered in the dining room. They chatted and engaged in conversations until Eliza began the main topic.

"Riana, I want to thank you for your time and willingness to attend this small dinner."

Riana nodded respectfully, a small smile forming on her lips. Actually, this wasn't the first time she had dinner at Rayyen's house. But for some reason, tonight felt different. There was a sense of nervousness creeping into her heart.

"Thank you, too, Mommy. I should be the one thanking you for inviting me to dinner."

"Mommy ... " Rayyen interrupted. "It's like having dinner with the president; so formal to speak." He then looked at his mother. "Let's get to the point. If we were in court, the judge would interrupt you if you spoke too much."

Eliza protested, not appreciating Rayyen's remark. He was always like that, speaking bluntly to anyone, especially to his mother. "Riana is a guest. You can't skip the pleasantries."

"Alright," Rayyen replied, rolling his eyes. "Riana, Lau jama'tu ayyaama umri min farohin maa tusaawie lahdzota min wakti ma'aki. I never play around with feelings," he said again, becoming serious. "I genuinely want to marry you."

That sentence had kept Riana up for the past two nights. She had performed prayer, seeking guidance. She was still scared. The wounds from her past betrayal had not completely healed. She was still afraid of being betrayed again. No! She couldn't bear to go through it again. Healing was not an easy process, and even now, the pain from Daniz's betrayal still lingered.

Riana stood there, lost in her thoughts, her mind wandering aimlessly. She wondered what tonight would bring. All her thoughts converged and filled her mind until she was abruptly snapped back to reality by someone calling her name.

"Riana! You're daydreaming again," a woman behind her chided. "Your boyfriend is waiting outside."

Riana turned around and gave a small chuckle in response to her twin sister's comment. Alana was always like that, teasing and teasing her.

"Yeah ... yeah ... I'm done now," she replied. "Hey, sis. How do I look?" Riana stood up, turning around to show off her outfit.

"It looks good, don't worry. You always look beautiful," Alana replied honestly.

"Typical Perez. You're praising me because you want something in return, aren't you?"

Alana burst into laughter. She couldn't understand why her twin sister found it so hard to believe. At least she complimented her instead of criticizing. Usually, Alana was too lazy to argue about appearances.

"Oh, stop being so skeptical. I mean it. You look great this evening."

"Thanks. In that case, I'll head out now."

Alana nodded, smiling sweetly as she followed her twin sister.

"I'll pray that Rayyen proposes to you tonight. And if it happens, I hope you make the best decision for yourself," Alana said.

Riana stopped in her tracks, looking at Alana before embracing her twin sister.

"I also hope that whatever I choose will be the best for me, Kak," Riana replied, feeling a moment of emotion. They continued their steps towards the living room. There, a casually dressed man was waiting, humming softly in his seat.

Handsome.

That was the impression Riana always got from Rayyen. Yes, she knew that all the Maliq descendants were exceptional. Being the partner of one of them would be an honor. Not to mention that Rayyen himself was a famous lawyer. He had successfully handled many significant cases.

"Kak Rayyen," Riana greeted. Rayyen immediately stood up.

"Ready to go?"

Riana nodded and followed Rayyen's steps towards the car. They hurried to reach their destination before Maghrib prayer.

Upon arriving, Raima welcomed them both. Rayyen's only older sister took Riana and introduced her to their parents who were already waiting.

"Mom, look. Your potential daughter-in-law has arrived," Raima teased, making Riana blush.

The entire Maliq family had always known about Riana's close relationship with Rayyen. They always attended gatherings, important events, or had dinner together. But strangely, they hadn't officially acknowledged their relationship. Raima had dropped hints at them many times, but they seemed to ignore them.

"Are you two friends but intimate or something?" Raima asked on one occasion when Riana and Rayyen attended a family event.

"What does friends but intimate mean?" Rayyen was confused.

"It means being close friends like a couple," Riana explained.

"Oh my. You're exaggerating," Rayyen chuckled. "Besides, we're not meant for casual dating. It's better to get married right away. It's so obvious that we like each other."

Realizing that Rayyen and Riana had a mutual attraction, Eliza immediately asked her youngest son to invite Riana to dinner at their house. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. If she was lucky, her good intentions would be fulfilled.

After performing Maghrib prayer together, all the family members gathered in the dining room. They chatted and engaged in conversations until Eliza began the main topic.

"Riana, I want to thank you for your time and willingness to attend this small dinner."

Riana nodded respectfully, a small smile forming on her lips. Actually, this wasn't the first time she had dinner at Rayyen's house. But for some reason, tonight felt different. There was a sense of nervousness creeping into her heart.

"Thank you, too, Mommy. I should be the one thanking you for inviting me to dinner."

"Mommy ... " Rayyen interrupted. "It's like having dinner with the president; so formal to speak." He then looked at his mother. "Let's get to the point. If we were in court, the judge would interrupt you if you spoke too much."

"Hushh!" Eliza scolded, not accepting Rayyen's behavior. He had always been like that, speaking candidly to anyone, especially his mother. "Riana is a guest. You can't just skip the pleasantries," the middle-aged woman protested.

"You're taking too long with pleasantries, Mommy. We might end up staying until late at night. It's not proper for me to bring a young lady home late at night. It's taboo," Rayyen replied playfully.

"Ehem!"

RMommy, who had been silently observing her wife and youngest son bickering, cleared her throat. Her gaze now shifted to Riana, who was sitting right beside Rayyen. She thought it was time to clarify the purpose of inviting the youngest daughter of the Alqardrie family.

"Riana," Mommy spoke up, "Abi wants to get straight to the point. The reason we invited you here is to ask if you're willing to become Rayyen's wife."

Riana's suspicions were confirmed. She had anticipated this question. Now, it was her turn to remain silent and ponder over her answer. What response should she give to Rayyen's parents, who were eagerly waiting?

"Riana ... " Rayyen began, turning slightly towards her. He looked into her eyes with a smile. "I'm sorry if Abi and Mommy's question caught you by surprise. But, as I mentioned before, I truly want to take our relationship to a more serious level. To make you my wife and the future mother of my children. After all, we know each other well."

Rayyen took a deep breath, maintaining eye contact with Riana as he spoke again.

"Will you accept my proposal, Riana?" he asked.

Riana was lost in thought. She had prepared her answer when she was at home, but now, she seemed to have run out of words to respond to this critical question.

"I-I ... "

"I-I, what?" Rayyen asked, trying to catch up. "I'm serious, Riana. But if you need more time to decide, I don't mind. You can take your time to think about it."

Riana continued to gaze deeply at Rayyen, trying to read the emotions in his brown eyes to steady her heart before giving a final answer.

"I have decided to accept your proposal, Rayyen."

"Thanks God."

Everyone around the dining table immediately expressed their gratitude after hearing Riana's answer. They were relieved that the beautiful hijab-wearing woman had accepted Rayyen's proposal. Especially Eliza. Happiness shone brightly on her lovely face.

"Then, next weekend, Abi and Mommy will visit to formally propose to Riana. Hopefully, our intentions will be well-received by the Alqardrie family," Eliza said.

Riana nodded, agreeing to Eliza's plan. Now, her task was to share this news with her extended family at home.

****

"Are you alone, Ray?" Yizam asked as he arrived at the restaurant.

Earlier, Rayyen had called both of his cousins out of the blue. He intentionally invited them to have lunch at a famous restaurant. Instead of calling, Rayyen believed that some information was better conveyed in person.

"No, there are three of us," he replied casually.

"With whom? I don't see anyone else here." Yizam and Ashraf looked around, searching for the person referred to by their cousin.

"I'm here with the guardian angels and the watchful spirit," Rayyen teased.

"Damn it!" Yizam immediately cursed. He had just arrived, and his cousin was already up to his usual antics.

"All right, all right," Ashraf intervened, taking over the conversation to prevent Yizam and Rayyen from arguing as usual. "What's the reason you invited us both for lunch?"

"Next weekend, God willing, I'm going to propose," Rayyen said casually. "I want you both to be there to accompany me."

Yizam and Ashraf were taken aback. They were both grateful that what Rayyen had wanted for a long time was finally coming true. They knew how much effort their youngest cousin had put into persuading and convincing Riana that he was worthy of marrying her.

"Is this not a joke, right?" Yizam confirmed, although his facial expression clearly showed that he was being sarcastic.

"It's true. There's no way I'm joking about something serious like this, Zam."

"Thank God," Ashraf chimed in, sitting beside Yizam. He offered a response to the news that Rayyen had just shared. "Finally, after a long wait, you got an answer."

Rayyen nodded. What Ashraf said was true. It hadn't been an easy task to convince Riana. He even had to face Marwa, persuading his cousin's wife that he was genuinely serious about making Riana his life partner.

"Yes, Thanks God, Ash. Destiny is like a bunch of tempeh. No one knows what it holds."

Yizam, sitting beside Ashraf, immediately snorted after hearing Rayyen's comment. He couldn't understand why his cousin was so difficult to take seriously during conversations. This was probably why they doubted how someone like Rayyen, who always acted like a jokester, could become a successful lawyer.

"Then, when do you plan to get married?" Yizam asked again.

"As for the exact date, Riana and I are still discussing it. Personally, I want it to happen as soon as possible. But if she and the Alqardrie family have their own calculations for the date, that's fine too," Rayyen replied.

Ashraf nodded in understanding. He also agreed with Rayyen's decision to give Riana and her family the freedom to choose the wedding date. The most important thing was that both parties had come to an agreement.

"If you need anything, just let us know. I'm ready to help with whatever it is," Ashraf offered.

"What Ashraf said is true, Ray," Yizam added. "If you need anything, just inform us."

"Thanks," Rayyen nodded. "In that case, how about you sponsor my wedding, Zam?"

Yizam burst into laughter at Rayyen's suggestion. "You wish! I'm not falling for that one. You're on your own for that."

The three cousins continued to enjoy their lunch, discussing other topics while anticipating the upcoming special event in Rayyen's life.