A Proposal Too Soon

“Are you really serious? Have you thought this through? We haven’t even been together that long.”

Aruna stared at Danar, who sat across the table, his hands clasped together. A ring he had just slipped onto her finger circled her ring finger—the proposal she had happily accepted. Yet now she found herself questioning it, if only to reassure herself that the handsome man sitting before her truly meant it.

In a distant corner of the room, a pianist played Please Be Careful with My Heart, an old song that seemed strangely fitting for Aruna’s mood tonight. She knew the song because her father often sang it while singing karaoke with her mother at home.

“A year isn’t exactly a short time, sweetheart. I don’t want to put this off any longer. I’m afraid I might end up guarding someone else’s future wife.”

Danar flashed a broad smile and gently pinched the tip of Aruna’s nose.

Aruna pouted. But a second later, she couldn’t stop a faint smile from appearing.

The smile brought a warmth that seemed to blend into the atmosphere of the restaurant where they were spending the evening—a place Danar had deliberately chosen because it was one of their favorite spots.

The restaurant grew even more intimate as a light rain began to fall outside the windows. The scent of wet earth mingled with the rich aroma of black coffee and the warmth of the chocolate lava cake they were enjoying.

“Una, sweetheart. When you get home, tell your parents about what we talked about earlier, okay? I want to come and formally ask for their blessing. I mean, I’ll be coming alone since I don’t have my parents anymore. But I still want to do things properly and ask your mother and father myself.”

There was a slight tremor in Danar’s voice when he mentioned his late parents. His expression hardened for a moment, his eyes suddenly sharp. But it was so fleeting that Aruna almost doubted she had seen it at all.

Aruna nodded.

She wanted to offer him some words of comfort, but the dimple-cheeked girl knew Danar would only assume she was pitying him. He always wanted to appear strong, although sometimes Aruna wondered if he was really as strong as he pretended to be.

Danar had only briefly told her that his mother had died in a fire that had completely destroyed his family home. His father had followed her in death only a few years ago, after spending years paralyzed as a result of injuries sustained in that same fire.

Danar’s phone, lying on the table, suddenly buzzed.

He read the message that had just come in, then quickly finished his coffee.

“I can’t take you home tonight, okay? I still have to go back to the office. There’s some work I can’t put off.”

Aruna nodded again, quickly wiping her lips with the napkin that was still folded on the table.

Danar’s sudden urgency made her hurry too. It was something that seemed to happen quite often whenever they met.

Danar waved to a waiter, who immediately came over with their bill. After settling the payment, Danar escorted Aruna to the sidewalk outside the restaurant.

The drizzle had stopped, leaving the pavement wet and the night air growing colder as the evening deepened.

“I’ve already booked you a ride. You’re really okay going home by yourself, right?”

Danar glanced at Aruna before turning his attention back to his phone, checking how close the driver was.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Aruna smiled, trying to reassure him, but her boyfriend was already absorbed in his screen again. His movements seemed restless.

“Sweetheart, if you’re really in a hurry, you don’t have to wait for the car. Let me see the driver’s name and license plate. He’ll know it’s me, right?”

“Yeah. I already messaged him and gave him your description. Pretty woman, dimpled smile, wearing a dusty-pink blouse. Oh, and apparently she makes little sighing noises whenever she gets all sweet and clingy.”

“What?! Why would you describe me like that?”

Aruna pinched Danar’s arm hard.

Danar burst out laughing as he rubbed his stinging left arm.

“Well, it’s true. You just sighed.”

“I did not!”

Aruna swung her fist at his arm, but Danar quickly dodged, leaving her punch to hit nothing but air.

Beep … beep!

“Oh, is that the car?”

Aruna stopped herself just before throwing another punch. She turned toward the black sedan pulling up beside the sidewalk.

Danar gave a brief nod. He had already checked the license plate.

He opened the car door for Aruna, gave the driver a few quick instructions, then turned to her.

“Take care.”

Aruna opened her mouth, about to say the same thing to him.

But Danar had already closed the door and turned away, heading quickly back through the restaurant toward the parking area.

Aruna could only let out a deep sigh before turning her attention to the road ahead.

***

Danar slowed down as he passed through the gates of Jati Elok Residence.

A security guard waved at him, recognizing Danar as one of the residents. He let the car pass without stopping to ask for identification.

When Danar reached Block J-2, his metallic black BMW X3 came to a stop in the carport.

He stepped out casually, the urgency he had shown Aruna earlier completely gone.

Without a smile, he entered the security code on the front door.

The house greeted him with a cold, empty silence.

He walked slowly upstairs to the second floor.

Danar switched on the light in his study, then dropped into a dark-brown premium leather office chair.

He opened the top drawer of his desk and took out an old photograph.

In the silence, he stared at it with a somber expression.

Then his phone suddenly rang.

Danar glanced at the name on the screen and answered on the second ring.

“Yeah?”

[Are you sure you want to marry Bram Maheswara’s daughter?]

The voice on the other end demanded an explanation without preamble.

Danar was silent for a moment.

His fingers tapped against the edge of the desk.

“I’m sure. I proposed to her tonight.”

[After twelve years?]

Danar’s eyes fell back to the old photograph in his hand.

The sadness in his gaze slowly hardened, replaced by a cold, sharp glint.

“I’ve waited long enough.”

[And what if it turns out … that you’ve been wrong all these twelve years?]