Suddenly and shockingly, right in front of Laras — who was still covered by the newspaper — the deep voice spoke again. A large, hairy hand lifted the newspaper covering her face. The woman was instantly shocked. Right before her eyes, in the same crouching position, was the handsome face of a Middle Eastern man.
Thick eyebrows, a sharp nose, and a thick beard. His greenish-brown eyes gazed gently at the young woman. Laras was startled when she saw him. She became even more hysterical.
"Come out, darling. Here!" the man said, extending his hand. Laras didn't want to let her guard down again. Her heart had almost been swayed by that handsome face and melodious voice.
"Astaghfirullah hal adzim! Audzubillah Himinas SyaitonNirojim!" she recited three times.
Miraculously! In an instant, the market returned to normal. It was bustling again with the noise of people bargaining. The steps of market visitors could be seen walking back and forth around where Laras was hiding. The young woman slowly crawled out from under the table.
"Astaghfirullah! Ma'am, what are you doing? Hiding under there — doesn't it smell bad?" the chicken seller exclaimed in surprise while helping Laras out from under the table.
Laras, who had finally gotten out, had her head and entire body covered in blood and chicken fluids. It smelled terrible. She was then invited to sit by the female chicken seller and given a bottle of water. The incident naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the market. They crowded around the scene.
"What happened just now, ma'am?" asked the chicken seller after Laras drank the water.
"I was shopping, then suddenly everything stopped. Someone approached me and I screamed for help, but no one heard. That's why I hid."
"I didn't notice at all. How long have you been hiding under there?"
"It felt like a long time. I was so scared. No one could see me."
"Ah, it must have been the jinn that guards this market," said an older man who had joined the crowd.
"Yeah, that makes sense," the others chimed in.
Soon, the market was filled with whispers and chatter. All the visitors gathered around the chicken stall.
"Ma'am, did you manage to escape the jinn by reciting a prayer?" asked the chicken seller.
Laras only nodded. Her face was deathly pale, white as cotton, showing how terrified she had been.
"Excuse me, sir, ma'am. Is there a woman wearing a dress with a rose pattern?" A man's voice tried to push through the crowd.
"Yes, there is. You must be her husband. Poor lady, she was disturbed by the market jinn. Come in, sir," said a trader whose stall was opposite the chicken seller.
The middle-aged man helped clear the crowd so Raka could pass. After much effort because of the large number of people, Raka finally managed to get through.
"Darling, what happened?" he asked, full of concern for his wife.
The man with short-cropped hair immediately hugged his wife. Laras spontaneously burst into sobs in Raka's arms.
"Your wife was just hiding under this table after being chased by the market jinn. Be careful, sir! Your wife is liked by the jinn. Don't let her be alone. Poor thing," said the chicken seller.
"Thank you, ma'am. I was waiting a long time in the parking area. Suddenly a parking attendant told me a woman was about to be kidnapped by a jinn. I immediately thought of my wife. Alhamdulillah."
"Next time, accompany her, sir. Don't let her go alone! Luckily, as soon as she recited the prayer, the jinn ran away."
"Yes, ma'am. We'll go home now. Thank you for all your help," said Raka while helping Laras stand up.
They shook hands with the chicken seller and the others, then walked out of the market.
"Laras, my darling, you must not leave my side." A whispering voice sounded in Laras's ear. The scent of musk wafted around the couple.
Hmm, the same smell, Raka thought to himself while silently reciting a prayer.
Raka hurriedly held his wife's hand as they rushed toward the parking area. Just as they got on the motorcycle and were about to leave the parking lot, a child suddenly approached them.
The boy was about twelve years old, dressed in ragged clothes with a thin, skinny body, carrying two plastic bags containing plants with round leaves. He smiled at them.
"Assalammu'alaikum!"
"Wa'alaikumussalam."
"Please buy these for whatever price you can afford. God willing, they're for repelling jinn. The leaves can be boiled for a ritual bath or drunk after reciting ruqyah verses."
"Moringa, right?" Laras asked, picking one of the leaves.
"No, ma'am. This is Arabian bidara."
"Are they really for repelling jinn?" Raka asked, growing more curious.
"God willing, sir."
"I'll take them all, dear. Here's the money," Raka said, holding out one hundred thousand rupiah.
"All of them for me?"
Raka nodded and gently patted the boy's head. He placed the two plastic bags down near his feet. Then the child suddenly disappeared.
"Where did that boy go, honey?" Laras asked, looking around in confusion.
"I don't know. I was fixing these. Didn't you see him leave?"
Raka, busy arranging the two bags, suddenly looked up, searching for the boy.
"He left really fast, darling. There are no buildings here. Where could he have gone?"
"I only looked down for a moment to find the house keys in my bag. Next thing I knew, he was gone."
"Maybe he was an angel sent by God to help us, darling."
Raka then drove the motorcycle toward home. Several times, he checked on his wife through the rearview mirror, making sure she was safe. The trip home took twenty minutes.
"Darling, I'll come pick you up soon. I'll make you happy."
A whisper reached Laras's ear along with a gust of wind. The scent of musk enchanted the senses of the curvy woman. Instantly, her mind drifted back to the moment she was caressed by the passion of a handsome figure who could satisfy her desires.
"I'll wait for you, darling," Laras whispered without realizing it.
"What did you say, honey?" Raka asked in surprise, glancing at the rearview mirror.
Laras, startled back to reality, stammered, "N-nothing, honey."
"Oh, okay. Hold on tight. My eyes are getting heavy. I want to get home quickly."
Laras immediately hugged her husband tightly. Her heart was torn again. Her love was losing to the desire fulfilled by that Middle Eastern figure.
Can I have both? she asked herself.
"Yes, darling. I'll always be here for you. Trust me!"
The musk-scented whisper returned to the curvy woman's ears. Again, her desire was stirred, and without realizing it, her lips let out a soft sigh. A cold kiss touched Laras's full lips. She savored the sensation of pleasure carried by the musky breeze.
"Honey, do you want to buy anything else?" Raka asked, looking at his wife through the rearview mirror.
The cold, musky kiss ended, and Laras snapped back to reality.
"Honey? Still feeling traumatized?"
"W-what, honey?"
"Don't you want to buy anything else? Before we get home."
"No, honey. I just want to sleep. My body is so tired."
"Alright. My eyes are really heavy too. Let's go straight home."
Raka immediately drove toward home, which was only a few minutes away. They had spent the whole day driving around, only to end in failure. The man felt lucky to have met a boy selling bidara plants. He considered that child an angel sent by God to help them.
Finally, they arrived in front of the house. Raka put the motorcycle on its stand and waited for his wife to get off first.
"You open the door! Let me carry the groceries and the bidara."
Laras walked to the porch, took the keys from her bag, and turned the lock. The door opened. Meanwhile, Raka arranged the two plastic bags on the porch before following his wife inside.
"Thank God. You still managed to shop earlier," Raka said as he placed the grocery bags on the dining table.
"I only managed to buy tofu, tempeh, and spinach. I didn't buy chicken. Sorry, honey."