"Honey, aren't you angry? I've been defiled. Please forgive me!"
"InsyaAllah, I'm not angry. You didn't know any better. Later, we'll pray and ask for forgiveness from Allah."
"Thank you, honey."
Raka nodded and pulled his wife into a tight embrace. What he had feared had finally happened to his wife. He realized it was also partly his own fault. He had left her alone at home while working the night shift.
"I'm sorry too, darling. I should have asked one of my siblings to stay with you."
Raka gently stroked his wife's hair. Without realizing it, tears began to fall from his eyes. There was anger in his heart toward the being that had dared to impersonate him just to sleep with Laras. But he quickly sought forgiveness from Allah, asking for strength to accept it with an open heart.
"After shopping, we'll go straight to Kyai. So you won't be disturbed anymore."
"Okey, honey."
"We'll also see the doctor. We need to know exactly what's causing your illness. Come on, I've already arranged to pick up the herbal tonic," Raka said, kissing Laras's forehead softly.
Raka helped Laras stand up and held her hand as they walked toward the parked motorcycle. He got on first, followed by Laras. The young woman hugged her husband tightly from behind. She felt grateful to have been blessed with such a patient and loving husband.
Just a few minutes later, they arrived at the market. Raka steered the motorcycle toward a herbal stall and parked right in front of it. Laras got off first, followed by her husband.
"You should drink the tonic too, so you'll feel refreshed."
"Okey, honey."
They stepped into the stall and ordered two glasses of herbal tonic. The couple found seats near the window. Not long after, their orders were served.
"This is pasak bumi mixed with men's vitality tonic for your husband," the seller said, placing the glass and a chaser drink along with two candies in front of Raka.
*Pasak bumi: best known as an aphrodisiac to boost testosterone, improve sexual health, and increase libido for men.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Raka replied. He took a sip and grimaced slightly at the bitter taste.
"And this is blood-cleansing and women's health tonic for you, Ma'am."
The seller placed another glass along with a chaser and two candies in front of Laras. However, there was something different. A small capsule wrapped in plastic had been placed on the saucer of the chaser drink.
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"You're welcome. Please drink it while it's warm."
The seller then left them alone. Laras pinched her nose and drank the bitter tonic, followed by the chaser. After that, she swallowed the capsule with the help of the chaser until it was all gone.
"What was that capsule, darling?" Raka asked, looking puzzled.
"It's a postpartum blood-cleansing capsule," Laras replied hesitantly.
"What for? How did you know about something like that? Don't do anything strange. It could be dangerous for your womb."
"I know about it from my older sister when she gave birth. She said it helps clean out the remaining blood so there are no clots left in the uterus."
"But you haven't given birth. Don't do anything weird!"
Raka immediately took his wife's hand and stroked it gently.
"I know, you're scared of getting pregnant, right?"
Laras nodded immediately, and tears began streaming down her face. She sobbed with her head bowed.
"I don't want … there to be some strange fetus in my belly," she said between sobs. The regret she felt was incredibly deep. Her crying grew louder, and Raka quickly stood up to embrace her.
"Enough, darling. It's embarrassing to cry like this in public. Let's leave quickly. I'll tell you something later."
Laras nodded and wiped her tears with a tissue. The herbal seller watched them with curiosity. When the young couple approached to pay, the middle-aged woman asked, "Ma'am, sorry to ask, how many months along are you? You're still young. It's okay to be pregnant. After giving birth, you can use birth control."
Hearing the seller's words, Laras burst into tears again. Raka quickly intervened before the woman could ask more questions.
"She can't possibly be pregnant. She just had her period a week ago."
"Then why did she take the postpartum capsule?"
"To prevent blood clots from her period. She's afraid of cancer. Excuse us, Ma'am," Raka said, putting his arm around his wife and leading her toward the motorcycle.
The herbal seller watched them leave with a puzzled expression. *Didn't his wife say she was afraid of getting pregnant? But now he says she just had her period? Did I mishear?*
***
In the Market
Laras deliberately went into the market alone. Earlier, Raka had wanted to accompany his wife while she shopped, but she refused. Laras knew very well that Raka was impatient inside a market. He would definitely tell her to buy everything without bargaining and then quickly drag her out.
In the end, she regretted it. She hadn't been careful with the items. She bought things at prices far above the market rate. Often the fruits or vegetables were mixed with rotten ones, even though she had paid a high price without negotiating. The woman with wide hips and large breasts walked through the crowded market with swaying steps. After a while, the atmosphere in the market began to feel quieter.
The market visitors were no longer as crowded as before. Laras's steps felt lighter. The stalls inside the market now appeared clearly before her eyes. Earlier, those same stalls had been packed with buyers. This woman walked without any obstruction; all the market visitors seemed to part automatically as she passed.
What is this? Why does it feel so strange?
Before Laras could finish wondering about what had just happened, suddenly someone pulled her shopping bag from behind.
"Let me carry the bags, honey."
Laras stopped and quickly turned toward the source of the voice. Right behind her stood Raka, a sweet smile adorning both his cheeks. The scent of musk filled her nostrils, entering her respiratory tract and reaching her throat. The distinctive Middle Eastern fragrance spread throughout the body of the curvaceous woman. Laras pulled her shopping bag back.
"Stop pretending to be my husband!"
"Darling, what's wrong with you? It's me, your husband. Look carefully!"
The man stood facing Laras and then turned around. From the tips of his toes to the top of his head, even his thick black hair — it was indeed Raka's body. But Laras knew very well the citrus aroma of the perfume Raka usually wore, as well as the smell of his body and even his armpits.
Raka stepped closer, trying to reach for the hand of the woman who kept stepping backward, afraid of bumping into the traders' stalls. He was surprised that the people around them were indifferent. They were busy with their transactions, as if they couldn't hear her screams at all.
"Don't come near me! Heeeelp!" Laras screamed hysterically.
"Darling, have you forgotten everything we've been through together? Come here, honey!"
"Go away! Don't bother me anymore!"
"Darling, I know you love me. We love each other."
The man who smelled of musk came closer and closer to Laras. The woman ran toward the crowd, then slipped into one of the stalls and hid under a trader's table. The people filling the market paid no attention to Laras's presence.
What's wrong with them? Can't they see I'm running in fear? They can't see me?
Laras thought hard while covering her face with a newspaper scattered on the floor. She crouched under the table of a chicken seller. The fishy smell of cut meat and fresh chicken blood made her stomach churn, but she held it back with all her strength.
She saw a pair of strong legs approaching the table where she was hiding.
"Darling, there's no need to hide. This market belongs to us now. They won't disturb us. Come on, let's have some fun together."
A deep, resonant voice sounded above the table, while the pair of feet wearing Madas Sharqi sandals stood right in front of Laras's eyes.
(*Madas Sharqi = traditional Arab sandals).
"Darling, come out."