Chapter 009: Accusation
A few minutes later.
Gavin glanced at the rearview mirror.
"Run."
"Hm?"
"What's wrong with your arm?"
Aruna instinctively tugged down her sleeve.
"What do you mean?"
"That."
"The bruise."
"Oh..."
"I fell."
"You're lying."
Aruna fell silent.
"I've seen it."
"Seen what?"
"You keep coming home looking like a mess."
"You're imagining things."
"Your school skirt was torn once."
"It got caught on the fence."
"You lost one of your shoes."
Aruna said nothing.
"Yesterday your backpack was ripped too."
"It was about time I replaced it."
"Run."
"Hm?"
"Are you being bullied?"
The motorcycle kept moving.
No answer came.
Only the sound of the wind slicing through the silence.
A few seconds passed.
"I'm asking you."
"No."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Gavin let out a quiet sigh.
He knew Aruna was lying.
But he also knew that forcing her to talk would get him nowhere.
"If something's wrong..."
Aruna cut him off immediately.
"Nothing's wrong."
"...tell me."
"You don't have to."
"I'm serious."
A faint smile appeared on Aruna's lips.
"Relax, Vin."
"Run."
"Hm?"
"I'm your big brother."
Those words made Aruna fall silent.
For some reason, warmth spread through her chest.
It had been a very long time since a man had said something like that to her.
She lowered her head so Gavin wouldn't see the tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
"Yes..."
she answered softly.
"...Sir."
Gavin chuckled.
"That's more like it."
The atmosphere lightened again.
But behind Aruna's small smile...
the same old wounds remained.
She still couldn't bring herself to tell him anything.
That afternoon.
Neither of them knew...
that back at home...
Aisyah was alone.
And little by little, her body was giving out.
When they arrived home, Gavin slowed the motorcycle.
In front of the gate, a girl their age was already standing there with her arms crossed, her face clearly showing her annoyance.
"Vin!"
Gavin turned off the engine.
"Oh... it's you, Tik."
Atikah snorted.
"No wonder you're impossible to find after school these days. Turns out you've been going back to pick up Aruna."
"Yeah."
"That's all you've got to say?"
"Well, yeah."
Atikah glanced at Aruna, who was still sitting on the back of the motorcycle.
"I thought you still remembered that I usually ride home with you."
Gavin shrugged casually.
"Runa goes home alone."
"So?"
"So I pick her up."
His short answer only irritated Atikah even more.
"Fine."
She looked away.
"I'll find my own way home from now on."
Gavin nodded.
"Alright."
Atikah stared at him for a few seconds, as if waiting for him to change his mind.
But Gavin remained calm.
Finally, she snorted softly and walked away without another word.
As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Aruna gently tapped Gavin's shoulder.
"Vin..."
"Hm?"
"I feel bad for Atikah."
"Why?"
"She usually rides home with you."
Gavin got off the motorcycle.
"Run."
"Yeah?"
"She's my cousin."
"Hm."
Aruna nodded.
"You're my little sister."
Aruna fell silent.
"The priority is different."
She let out a small sigh.
"Yeah... but it still feels bad."
Gavin smiled faintly.
"She's just sulking."
"She'll forget about it tomorrow."
Aruna climbed off the motorcycle and opened the front gate.
"Fine... whatever you say."
Gavin simply raised both eyebrows with a satisfied grin.
"That's more like it."
Aruna just shook her head with a faint smile at her stepbrother's antics.
"Assalamu alaikum..."
They greeted almost in unison as they opened the front door.
Before they could step inside—
Aruna froze.
"Mom...?"
Aisyah's body lay weakly on the living room floor.
"Oh God..."
Gavin immediately rushed over.
"Mom!"
Aruna dropped to her knees beside her mother. Her trembling hands gently lifted Aisyah's head into her lap.
"Mom... Mom... wake up..."
There was no response.
"Vin..."
Aruna's voice began to shake.
"Her body's cold..."
Gavin quickly pulled out his phone.
"Run, calm down."
"Vin... she's so cold..."
"I'm calling an ambulance."
Less than fifteen minutes later, an ambulance from the nearest hospital arrived.
As the paramedics lifted Aisyah onto the stretcher, Aruna noticed a faint stain of blood soaking the lower part of her mother's dress.
Her heart seemed to stop beating.
About thirty minutes later, Arga arrived in a hurry after receiving Gavin's phone call.
He immediately walked over to the two children, who were still wearing their school uniforms.
"Where's your mother?"
"They're examining her, Dad," Gavin answered.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Nothing yet. They said they were waiting for you."
Arga nodded.
"Then I'll go see the doctor first."
A short while later, Arga returned.
His expression was calm.
But the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Your mother had a miscarriage."
Aruna covered her mouth.
"Oh God..."
Tears streamed down her cheeks immediately.
"The doctor says her condition is stable."
"But she'll need to stay in the hospital for a few days."
Aruna stood up at once.
"I want to stay with Mom."
Arga shook his head.
"No."
"But Dad—"
"I'm here."
"Let me stay instead..."
Arga looked at Aruna gently.
"Do you trust me?"
Aruna fell silent.
"...I do."
"Then go home."
"But..."
"You both still have school tomorrow."
Arga took several bills from his wallet and handed them to Gavin.
"Buy something to eat."
"Then get some rest."
"Vin."
"Yes, Dad."
"Take care of your sister."
Gavin accepted the money with a joking salute.
"Yes, Commander."
Arga smiled faintly.
The tension that had filled the waiting room eased a little.
Gavin gently took Aruna by the arm.
"Come on."
Aruna kept looking back toward the emergency room.
With a heavy heart, she finally obeyed.
Before they left, Arga gently stroked Aruna's head.
"Your mother's going to be alright."
That simple sentence gave Aruna a little strength.
The next morning, just as Gavin and Aruna were about to leave for school, a middle-aged woman approached the house.
Karsih.
Gavin's aunt.
"Vin."
"Yes, Cing."
"I heard your mother was admitted to the hospital."
"Yeah."
"She had a miscarriage?"
Gavin nodded.
"Yeah."
Karsih was silent for a moment.
Then her gaze shifted toward Aruna.
The look made Aruna uncomfortable.
"So..."
"...I guess the rumors were true after all."
Gavin frowned immediately.
"What rumors, Cing?"
Karsih snorted.
"I heard this girl caused trouble at school."
Aruna shook her head.
"That's not true, Cing."
"Oh really?"
Karsih smiled sarcastically.
"Well, if it isn't, that's good."
"But watch your behavior."
"Don't bring shame to this family."
Those words drained the color from Aruna's face.
She bit her lip.
"Cing..."
Gavin's voice remained polite.
"Please don't believe rumors so easily."
"Besides, what rumors are we even talking about...?"
But Karsih simply shook her head.
"Your mother miscarried."
"Who do you think caused that?"
The words struck Aruna right in the heart.
She lowered her head immediately.
The guilt she had struggled to suppress since last night surged back.
"Aunt."
Gavin's tone became firmer.
"Why would you say something like that?"
"...It was an accident."
Karsih clicked her tongue.
"Whatever."
"I'm just warning you."
"Right now, it's just the two of you at home."
"Protect the family's reputation."
"Don't give the neighbors something new to gossip about."
After saying that, she turned around and left.
Gavin let out a long sigh.
He glanced at Aruna, who was still standing there motionless.
Her eyes were sharp.
Her jaw clenched tightly as she struggled to contain her emotions.
Gavin already understood his new little sister's personality.
Aruna wasn't the kind of girl who cried easily.
On the contrary.
The more unfairly she felt she was treated, the more stubbornly she would stand her ground.
And that morning, Gavin knew that if he let Aruna answer his aunt back, the argument wouldn't end at the front gate.
"Run."
Aruna looked at him.
"Come on."
"Let's go to school first."
"Cing Karsih's just upset because of Atikah."
Aruna nodded quietly.
Without another word, she climbed onto the back of Gavin's motorcycle.
Inside her heart, anger and guilt churned together.
But this time, she chose to trust her stepbrother's words.
For now... they would take one step back, so they could face everything later with cooler heads.
That afternoon.
Darman had just returned home from work.
Before he even had time to change clothes, Karsih approached him.
"Honey... I know why Aisyah had a miscarriage."
Darman, who had just changed out of his work clothes, looked at her in confusion.
"What is it now, Sih?"
"I'm serious. I heard it myself."
"Heard what?"
"A teacher came to Brother Arga's house that day. She was talking about Aruna..."
Darman sighed.
"And?"
"I accidentally overheard her saying... Aruna had been pregnant before... and then had an abortion.... After that, Aisyah went into shock. Not long later, they took her to the hospital."
For several seconds, Darman simply stared at his wife.
"And?"
"That's it."
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
Darman rubbed his face.
"So you didn't hear the whole conversation."
Karsih began to grow uneasy.
"...No."
"Then why did you go scold Aruna first thing this morning?"
"I was upset."
"Upset about what?"
"Gavin keeps taking Aruna home now. Atikah has to go home alone."
Darman let out a long sigh.
"Sih..."
"What?"
"Gavin has a little sister now."
"Atikah is family too."
"She is."
"But things are different now."
Karsih fell silent.
"Aruna's been taking public transportation home by herself all this time. Now Gavin picks up his little sister. I think that's exactly what he should be doing."
"But..."
"The wrong thing would be if Gavin abandoned his little sister."
Karsih bit her lip.
"You don't understand how Atikah feels."
"The one who doesn't understand is you."
Darman's voice became firmer.
"It's natural for Atikah to feel disappointed. But it's a parent's job to teach a child to accept reality—not to get carried away by the child's emotions."
Karsih lowered her head.
"Besides..."
Darman shook his head.
"You only heard part of the story."
"...Yeah."
"You don't even know what really happened."
"...Yeah."
"And yet you already judged someone else's child."
Karsih had no answer.
"What if Aruna didn't do anything wrong?"
That question left Karsih speechless.
Darman sighed.
"We'll apologize tomorrow."
That afternoon, Darman took his wife to visit Aisyah in the hospital.
As soon as they met, Darman lowered his head.
"Bang... please forgive Karsih."
Arga nodded quietly.
"I understand."
"But we were still wrong."
Arga turned to Karsih.
"Sih... did you really hear it yourself?"
Karsih nodded timidly.
"Yeah, Bang."
"Did you hear the whole conversation?"
"...No."
Arga smiled faintly.
"Then it really was just a misunderstanding."
Karsih felt even more guilty.
"I'm sorry, Bang..."
"Save your apology for Aruna."
Karsih nodded, unable to lift her head.
After Darman and Karsih left, the room became quiet again.
Arga sat beside his wife's bed.
"So?"
"Feeling better?"
Aisyah gave a small nod.
"I am..."
Arga took her hand.
"Still hurting?"
"Not too much."
"Thank God."
Aisyah smiled faintly.
"I'm sorry, Bang."
"What for?"
"Because of me... we lost the baby."
Arga's expression softened.
He squeezed her hand more firmly.
"Don't blame yourself."
"But..."
"If God gives us another one, then it'll be our blessing."
Then Arga smiled mischievously.
"We'll just try again later."
Aisyah lightly smacked his arm.
"Oh, you..."
"What?"
"You can still joke around at a time like this."
"So you won't keep crying."
At last, Aisyah laughed softly as well.
The grief hadn't completely disappeared.
But at least the weight on her chest felt a little lighter.
For a while, they simply sat together in silence.
Arga gently stroked the back of her hand again.
"Syah..."
"Yeah?"
"Do you love me?"
A shy smile spread across Aisyah's face.
"I do."
"Really?"
"Oh, come on..."
"If you do..."
Arga looked at her with deep affection.
"...then don't carry your burdens alone."
Aisyah finally understood where the conversation was heading.
"I don't want you trying to bear everything by yourself."
She lowered her head.
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm not blaming you."
Arga gently stroked her hair.
"I just want us to face everything together."
Aisyah nodded.
"InsyaAllah."
Arga smiled.
"In that case..."
He paused for a moment.
"Tell me everything..."
"...about Aruna."