[Mid-term] Ajeng Ratna Sari - Love without Reason (Short Story)

Love without Reason

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            Aisyah was a beautiful charming girl, rather than showing her sadness, she preferred to be cheerful in front of her friends. She always started her days with smile of spirit that her days would be good. Besides having pretty face, she also had a beautiful heart which made all people amazed. Aisyah was not born in rich family, but her family always taught her to be a person with rich heart. All her friends adored her for the good behavior she had. Aisyah’s father was only an employee in a bank, and her mother was just a house wife. She had one little brother named Akbar. Akbar was 6 years old. One thing that always came into Aisyah’s mind: she always wanted to make her family happy.

One evening after Aisyah finished her college, her brother asked her not to forget to give him a birthday gift.

“The day after tomorrow is my birthday, I want a nice car toy, will you give me sister?” asked Akbar.

“Ohh you are so cute… ya sure I will give you a car toy in your birthday” answered Aisyah.

“Really?” asked Akbar.

“Yes my cute little bear” answered Aisyah, giving a sweet kiss to Akbar.

           

Akbar then came into his room while Aisyah was just looking at Akbar. Aisyah aksed herself how to give her little brother a gift. She got no money at all. She then saved her pocket money for two days and asked one of her friends to lend her money to pay for the rest of the new car toy.  Finally came the day of Akbar’s birthday, Akbar was so happy; he really expected the gift from his sister. Suddenly, Akbar heard a voice of his sister. He fell into a deep happiness. Aisyah came to Akbar and gave him the car toy she had promised before. Akbar was full of cute smile and happiness. It was like something amazing for Aisyah when she could see happiness from her beloved little brother.

            The next day was the time for Aisyah to pay for her college. She asked her father but her father did not have enough money to pay. Her father seemed disappointed with the condition that he could not pay his daughter’s college. Aisyah was really a nice daughter; she did not want to make her father worry. She then said that it would be okay if the payment would be payed late. She convinced her father that there was nothing to worry about. It had been two weeks after her campus gave her a reminder letter for the college. Aisyah was so confused to pay for her college. She thought hard to find ways to pay. One day she browsed a job on internet. She got one with high salary: it was written that “We need a keeper for our son, male or female with good personality and attitude, should be fluent in English, we need the keeper to stay with our son on Friday, Saturday and Sunday”. Aisyah then felt so happy after finding that job. She thought that it was the right job for her, and she also had no college schedule in weekend. She tried to send the e-mail to the family, the e-mail was khanfamily@gmail.com. She thought that the e-mail seemed like Indian name but actually she did not really care the name, she just wanted to pay her college and she did not want to make her father in difficulty. She sent a letter of the requirements of the job to the e-mail. One day later, she checked her e-mail and found that her e-mail had been replied. It stated that “Thank you for the complete requirements you sent, we appreciate and expect you to start working on this weekend”. Getting such reply made Aisyah felt so happy. She thought that at least she could pay the half of the payment from her father and the rest she would pay from her salary.

           

On Friday morning, Aisyah arrived in Khan Family’s house. The first time she saw the house, Bollywood came to her mind. She asked herself was it the house of Shah Rukh khan or Salman khan because the house was full of Indian decorations. Khan family was from India, they moved to Indonesia since 6 months before. Farooq Khan was the head of the family. Farooq then welcomed Aisyah cordially.

“So you are Aisyah?” asked Farooq.

“Oh yes sir. I am Aisyah. I am the one who sent the e-mail to you. I am interested in the job you offered and I hope that I could work well here” answered Aisyah with smile.

“You seem a nice girl. How old are you?” asked Farooq

“I’m just 19 years old sir” answered Aisyah

“19 years old… only 2 years younger than him” replied Farooq

“Pardon me sir?” said Aisyah

“Nothing, you may start working today. By the way do your parents know about your job here?” asked Farooq.

“ Yes sir, I already told them” replied Aisyah.

“That is good then. Well, your job here is to take care of our son, his name is Raj Khan. He is just 21 years old. He was a cheerful and energetic boy before that accident erased all his dreams” said Farooq

“What happened to him?” asked Aisyah.

“Two years ago when we lived in India, Raj was going to his campus by his car. He liked to drive in high speed, I always warned him but he never listened me until one day he got accident and it made him paralyzed” explained Farooq.

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that sir” said Aisyah.

“Well, you don’t need to. Do your job well because I will be out of Jakarta during the weekends with my wife, there are a lot of things to do. Imran, Raj’s older brother takes care of him in week days but in weekend there’ll be no one at home. I often ask Raj to go with me but he always denies. He says he wants to stay at home. The list of the things you need to do are written in this paper” said Farooq.

“Oh yes sir I will do all well” replied Aisyah.

“Well I need to go now, take care of our son. We trust you” Farooq said with smile.

           

Aisyah saw someone was sitting on a wheel chair. He had really black hair, thick eye lashes and eyebrows, his lips were pink as pink as cherry. Aisyah asked herself was it Raj Khan. She then came closer to the man. Aisyah introduced herself to the man. She explained that she would take care of him. The man gave no answer. He just folded his lips. He seemed so disturbed with the appearance of Aisyah. Aisyah had not gotten the answer whether the man was Raj Khan until the telephone in his house rang and the man said his name. Yes… it was really Raj, but he seemed so unfriendly. Aisyah looked at the list to do in the paper. First thing she saw she should give Raj a breakfast with the foods prepared in the refrigerator. Aisyah opened the refrigerator and found breads and chocolate jam. She prepared the bread and gave to Raj. Raj really did not like with Aisyah’s appearance that is why he was just silent and no conversation happened. Aisyah just gave the bread to Raj and left him alone. Finally it was the afternoon; time to give Raj vitamin and Aisyah prepared all.

“Excuse me Raj, this is your vitamin and here’s the water” Aisyah said to Raj and gave the vitamin.

“Okay. I actually do not need a keeper. I don’t like strangers to be in my house” replied Raj with unfriendly look.

“But your parents wrote on the internet they need a keeper for you” answered Aisyah.

“I am not a baby!” answered Raj with high tone.

“I’m sorry” replied Aisyah in low and soft voice.

           

Aisyah then did her college assignment while she had a break time of taking care Raj. She always used the chance well. She did all her assignments in her break time. Although she did not get a good response from Raj, she kept trying to be a good keeper. Day by day passed, but Raj’s behavior to Aisyah never changed. Aisyah was still patient because she really needed the job and she needed the money to pay for her college. The reason of her to be patient was she did not want to make her father in difficulty. It was the time for Aisyah to give Raj vitamin, as usual Raj did not give a good response.

“Raj here is your vitamin. I will help you to drink” said Aisyah to Raj and gave the vitamin.

“I told you. I don’t need a keeper. You don’t need to care me like this I don’t like it” Raj shouted.

“I’m sorry Raj, I just do my job. I’m sorry if I hurt you” answered Aisyah in low voice.

“No one can understand me even my parents. I don’t need such things you know. I need my legs back. I want to walk” said Raj with cry.

“Don’t say like that Raj, you parents love you. They asked for a keeper because they love you. All things happen with reasons, god gives you this situation because he loves you, he wants you to be near with him. Don’t think negatively” convinced Aisyah.

“I want my legs back” replied Raj

“You will get your legs back, be sure Allah will make your legs can walk again” said Aisyah, trying to support Raj.

“I don’t want this” Raj shouted and punched his legs.

“Hey Raj look, don’t punch your legs like that. Stop” said Aisyah.

“Why are you so nice to me?” asked Raj.

“I’m just trying to make others happy not sad. By the way Raj, it’s time for you to eat your lunch. I will prepare the food, wait a minute” replied Aisyah.

Raj was just silent

           

Aisyah prepared lunch for Raj: she cooked biryani for Raj. It was Raj’s favorite food. Not only that day, but every day Aisyah always tried to make Raj happy. Every refusal Raj gave to Aisyah was always replied by a thousand kindness. Aisyah was never angry with Raj’s behavior. She always thought that Raj just needed someone to care him. It had been a month Aisyah worked in Raj’s house. Aisyah then got her first salary. She felt so happy and directly paid for her college. She thought that if there is a strong will there will be a way for problems because god is not blind. Working in Khan Family’s house as a keeper not only made Aisyah realized that her life was precious but it also made her realized that she loved Raj for everything he had. She suddenly felt a deep feeling for Raj. She even did not care that Raj was paralyzed. She just understood that she had love for Raj. She felt worry in weekdays when she did not meet Raj. She felt anxious when it had not been her time to meet Raj. Raj was so close person. It seemed he built a high wall with the outside world after the accident. Aisyah was even not sure that her love for Raj would be replied. She just believed that she wanted to give the best for her beloved one.

           

Three months passed, the conversations and interactions Aisyah and Raj made when they met caused Raj to have a strange feeling that he never felt before. Raj felt no one could understand him better than Aisyah did. Raj really could not avoid from the strong heartbeat when he saw Aisyah, he could not avoid from missing Aisyah’s voice, Raj even always imagined Aisyah in his days. He thought it would be useless to love someone who was so perfect, beautiful, smart, polite and patient. He really thought that miracle would not happen for that. He tried to avoid his feeling for Aisyah, but the more he tried the more he remembered Aisyah, until in one morning Raj was so sure to say his love to Aisyah.

“Aisyah..there is something I want to say to you” said Raj in confusion.

“What is that? did I make a mistake?” replied Aisyah.

“Yes… you did so big mistake” answered Raj.

“What is that? I did not realize” asked Aisyah.

“Your mistake is making me always think about you, I often miss your appearance to be near me” said Raj.

“Pardon me?” asked Aisyah.

“I love you. I love you with all my heart but this thing I must realize that I don’t want to ruin your life. You are perfect. You can find another guy who is also perfect not like me I’m paralyzed” said Raj

“I------I love you Raj and don’t ask me to find another guy. It’s killing me. There is no other guy I can love except you” replied Aisyah.

           

After 3 years they decided to marry. Aisyah gave so much love to Raj and accepted him with his condition, and Raj also loved Aisyah perfectly. He felt that Aisyah was the miracle for his life after all the bad dreams he had.