Dusk At the End Please
Extra Part 11: Travelling Ahead of Childbirth

Liani's arrival to Garut became a separate Miss treatment for Shanum. They decided to stay at Fatimah's house for a few days. Akhtar was willing to go back and forth from the mother's house to the furniture which took about thirty minutes to travel for the sake of his loved ones.

Shanum asked her husband for permission to stay there for longer, of course he was welcomed by Fatimah and Akhtar.

"It's all over Num, it's over with no one ending and it's over with no word done" Liani began her confiding session that morning, after last night coming up with a tired face he decided to tell Shanum everything he had experienced lately after Akhtar left for the furniture. Ms. Fatimah is being preoccupied with the preparation of her harvest, one of the activities undertaken by Fatimah ma'am at this time is managing the rice fields and gardens given by her parents.

"Are you sure Ahsan has made the final decision?" Shanum asked in a pity, the friend who was always there for him is currently in a dilemma. The man who is expected to be the port of his heart is in fact never give certainty.

"As a woman, I'm not brave enough to ask that question, Num. But from her attitude I concluded that she stopped by my life to treat her broken wings without intending to take me flying together" Liani sipped the warm tea that was served before her.

"Then what are you going to do?" Shanum asked with eyes still wailing.

"I've been wanting to give up all this time, but every time that thought comes I'm always asking my heart and mind if I'm tired. Need a break for that, isn't rest also part of the struggle?" Liani chuckled at the end of her speech, Shanum understood she was laughing at herself who had to get futility in her struggle.

"Since he was appointed chairman of the foundation, he was getting busy. I seemed invisible to him, even I saw him more often with Suraya. Especially now that Suraya is also trusted to return to hold the foundation clinic. The intensity of their meeting was getting incalculable by the fingers, I was embarrassed to say that I was jealous because from the beginning there was no commitment between me and Ahsan. He only came when he needed to be heard, and stupidly I've always been his loyal listener all this time with a speck of hope if we were destined to be together" Liani wiped away the tears that suddenly escaped from the corner of her eyes.

"This is why I don't want to hope anymore, Num. Let this feeling erode by an indefinable time until when. For the first time I fell in love and for the first time I felt heartbreak. Sick Num, it turns out that this sick person loves alone" tightness, that's what Liani is feeling right now. He spoke with a stifled sobbing. During this time Liani so keep her heart to not easily fall in love with men carelessly, she said, but it turns out that when the love grows in his heart he must feel broken at the same time because he fell in love with the person he did not think right.

"Sobbing Li, if it can make the tightness in your chest decrease" Shanum approached his best friend, he embraced Liani's increasingly vibrating shoulders.

"Sometimes humans forget how to appreciate and thank. I'm sure that one day Ahsan will realize it, right now maybe he hasn't realized the meaning of your presence in his life"

"I know you are a good woman, believe that if something is good for you God will certainly bring it closer together. But if it's not good for you, God will keep it away. Do what you want to do, as a friend I'll support you, Li"

"Remain assured, the tears that are wasted today will be replaced with a carefree laugh, perhaps the wounds are part of the twists and turns that must be passed to achieve happiness" Shanum tried to motivate his friend, who was not the only one, he didn't want his best friend to continue slumping under these circumstances.

The atmosphere of silence, the two friends were cool with their thoughts. As a person who had been close to Ahsan, Shanum was not completely thought out with the man. Actually what he was looking for, he thought Liani was a very good woman it was not appropriate for Ahsan to treat her best friend like this. But that's how the heart, we can't force a feeling to be present in someone's heart. But somehow in his heart Shanum could not deny if Ahsan would regret his current decision by ignoring Liani.

"There are two options that are before me at the moment, Num" Liani paused her words, she wiped away the remaining tears that were soaking her cheeks. That was how Liani was, she was a cheerful girl, it was not difficult for her to change the mood. Evidently at this time after crying sobbing she had started to come back cheerful.

"What, what is it?" tanya Shanum was no less enthusiastic.

"Mother gave me the option to marry the man of our family choice. He was a lecturer at one of the public universities in Surabaya, he said he already knew me but I didn't seem to"

"Then, second choice?" Shanum asked again.

"I will continue my S3 education, in recent months I fad to participate in scholarship selection and Alhamdulillah be accepted"

"Then your choice?"

"It looks like I will continue my studies of S3 Num first, I want to forge myself with science. Let it be better prepared to live life with all its dynamics, hehe.." again Liani ended her words with a rarity, as if nothing had happened before.

"Then what about your work at the foundation?"

"During the scholarship program I must not be tied to any institution, therefore I will resign from the foundation" Liani replied steadily.

"really?" shanum asked again to make sure.

"Yes, maybe this is also a way that I can forget about Kak Ahsan" a sad face again shown by Liani when saying Ahsan's name.

"Back from here I'll put in my resignation letter, I hope everything goes according to plan"

"Where are you going to continue your studies, Li?

"New York" Liani replied briefly.

"really? that far? how about I miss it?" Shanum pursed his lips, quite surprised by the choice of his best friend.

"I want to try something new, Num" Liani replied honestly, she wanted to get out of her current comfort zone. Trying something new is nothing wrong.

"Alright, whatever your decision I will support. One message, just stay with yourself. Don't let things change you, you're my best friend the one who's always there for you. If one day you need me, I hope I can be someone you can count on" Shanum gave his best friend his support again.

"When are you going?" ask Shanum

"If all the requirements are completed according to the specified time, one more month I leave. Maybe you have given birth, so I can meet my nephew first" Liani rubbed Shanum's stomach lovingly, she was among those who enthusiastically welcomed the birth of Shanum's baby.

Their conversation continued, and there were many things they talked about. Shanum even took Liani to walk around the boarding area around her mother-in-law's house.

Derrr....

Shaking the device in Shanum's pocket stopped their steps.

"What are you doing, baby? I miss" Akhtar scouted Shanum with a question shortly after answering a greeting from his wife.

"I'm on A's way with Liani, all of you healers who have just broken their hearts, hehe..." Shanum chuckled at the end of his speech which instantly got a pat on the shoulder from Liani.

Their conversation was not long over, Akhtar called just to make sure the wife was okay. Approaching the day of labor, Akhtar became a husband who became increasingly alert. All the things he will leave for the benefit of their wives and prospective children who will soon be present.

It did not feel like a week Liani spent her vacation in Garut. For a moment can shift his mind about his love that has no clarity. During that time Liani had never been in contact with Ahsan, according to information Shanum got from her husband's assistant Ahsan is currently overseas. Some contracts of cooperation with foreign companies require him to leave the foundation for a considerable period of time.

"A, it looks like Liani has come to terms with her plans to resign from the foundation and continue her education abroad. I guess this time Kak Ahsan will make Liani harbor her heart but it doesn't" Shanum leaned against Akhtar's chest, currently they were enjoying the night in the chair placed near their bedroom window. The view of Garut at night is very beautiful to enjoy.

"I thought so dear, but whose human heart knows" Akhtar replied as she stroked Shanum's beautiful hair that night.

"You are more beautiful dear" Akhtar showered Shanum's face with a kiss, the aura of the woman who was about to give birth did look different than usual.

"I just don't want Kak Ahsan to regret one day for ignoring a girl as good as Liani" Shanum tried to hold back the face of the husband who continued to shower her with kisses.

"A, I heard from Ghifar he said there was one of the foreign companies that proposed cooperation with our furniture, really?" Shanum switched the conversation, based on information he got from Ghifar there are several foreign companies interested in Akhtar furniture products.

"Yes dear" Akhtar replied not too excited.

"Lho why isn't Aa that excited? isn't going international one of the targets Aa wants to achieve in this business?" Shanum changed her position, she was surprised by her husband who seemed not eager to respond to this project.

"If I accept their proposal of cooperation I have to attend a meeting with them abroad and that means I have to leave you and our son, I don't want it let alone the estimated day of giving birth any minute" Akhtar kissed Shanum's loving stomach, as well as kissed his wife's forehead and hugged her tightly.

"Aa, if I think that opportunity does not necessarily come twice. I'm fine if I have to be left out. Estimates of giving birth are still two weeks away. How long has Aa been there?"

"Three days" Akhtar replied still tightly hugging Shanum.

"It's only three days, it's okay if Aa wants to go. Later I will stay at Mother's house if Aa leaves, there will be Fauzan also Father if there is nothing. But I assure God willing we will be fine, the baby will wait for his father to come home" Shanum still tried to convince the husband to accept this offer, however this was one of Akhtar's dreams, Shanum wanted to support whatever her husband wanted.

"But dear to me.." Akhtar's speech paused along with the sound of the device located on the nightstand.

"There's A's a phone, who knows it's important" Shanum said. Akhtar also moved from the seat they occupied, not forgetting he kissed Shanum's forehead before moving.

"Awhile" he said

"Yes, when?" Akhtar appeared to show a confused face after hearing the speech of the person who called him.

"...."

"What, tomorrow? not wrong? what time?" tanya Akhtar quite surprised Shanum.

"Okay, I can't make a decision yet. Tomorrow at nine I give you the decision"

"...."

"Yes, wa'alaikumsalam" Akhtar concluded at the end of his conversation on the phone.

"Who, A?" shanum asked after Akhtar sat down next to him again.

"Ghifar, he said the final decision is tomorrow at eleven. If we accept their cooperation proposal then they must go to Malaysia. The meeting will be held in Malaysia" Akhtar explained with his flat face.

"But I don't want to go, I've decided" Akhtar again said after a while he seemed to think.

"Aaa, go away I'm left behind. Only three days, right? and as long as Aa was there I was allowed to stay at Mother's house so I had Aa's friend calm there too" Akhtar just looked at Shanum with a gaze so deep, like that, without answering the wife's words.

"Here you go, we better get some sleep now. Poor dede baby kangen with Yanda he said. Isn't it said Doctor Ma'am in your gestational age now the more often seen the better?" Akhtar raised his eyebrows, he asked Shanum to move onto the bed, the window curtain was perfectly closed. Their long night begins, and it's up to them.....

*

*

Finally after a long discussion and plot between Akhtar, Shanum and the two families. All supported Akhtar to go to Malaysia on business. Ms. Fatimah guarantees that her son-in-law will be fine, as well as Ms. Hana, Mr. Imran and other family members they assure Akhtar will look after Shanum as best they can.

And with a heavy heart Akhtar finally decided to leave, with a series of conditions that Shanum had to fulfill. One of them must always be on.

Akhtar went with Ghifar to the airport to be escorted by Fauzan, where there was drama in the car before his departure. She asks Shanum to get into the car and hugs her tightly.

"You go, debay well Mother here yes, I love you more!" many times the expression of love is conveyed to the baby and his wife. Ghifar even to the head gurgles saw the behavior of the best friend and his boss.