Trapped in a Sacred Prison
CHAPTER 37

The atmosphere of the morning hall was very noisy, protest after protest was increasingly heard. Hasan's grandfather's hands clenched firmly under the table, especially when he heard the request of one of the santri's parents who asked his two grandchildren to be expelled.

"My grandson and granddaughter-in-law are innocent, they got married at my insistence, so they're not going out" Hasan's grandfather said.

"If you don't get them out, then we're going to attract our kids who go to school here, we don't want our kids to be affected by the early marriages that you create," shouted one of the old man santri.

Hasan's jaw tightened, he was about to stand up, but was soon prevented by Ghafur's father.

"Calm down, we find another way out, don't put your anger forward, it's just going to make the matter worse." Ghafur's father reminds Hasan's grandfather. As a friend, he certainly knew the character of Hasan who was firm and hard.

"Grandfather, let me solve this problem," proposed Ammar later, making the two men of old age turn to him who has now stood up.

"Ulfi doesn't need to get out of this pesantren, she's just a little girl who doesn't know anything, let her go to school here because the more days she's showing good changes. If anyone has to come out for this to be resolved, then I am willing to go out" Ammar said.

Now all eyes were on him, including Grandpa Hasan and Ghafur's father. The two men were even about to protest but were immediately prevented by Ammar's words in a soft voice.

"It's okay, grandfather, father, I still have to go back to Cairo. If God permits, I'll go back to teaching here if Ulli's done." Both Hasan's grandfather and Ghafur's father are now a little relieved, because according to them, what Ammar said was true as well.

"It doesn't seem like a bad idea, we agree" one resident said after the discussion.

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The break has now arrived, some students and students are shopping at the cooperative, and some choose to stay in the classroom, such as Ulli, Fira, Lisa and Firdaus.

Unlike the three women who looked serious about something, Firdaus actually chose to sleep while sitting with his arms on the table.

"Sir Daus!" call a girl instantly make the man raise his face.

Not only Firdaus, the three women in the class immediately turned to the source of the voice.

"Ruby?" firdaus said, making Balqis immediately approach him with enthusiasm.

"Balqis? Why are you here?" ask Firdaus.

"I came with Ammar yesterday, and I'm tired of living in my grandfather's house, so I'm here looking for Daus" Balqis said.

The two men now appear to be asking each other for news. While the three women who were spectators now looked at each other.

"Ulf, please explain who he is and what he has to do with Daus and ustadz Ammar" Lisa whispered.

"He's a nephew of ustadz Ammar, the son of his first brother, he's here because he's on holiday" explained Ulli. "If it's something to do with Daus, I'm sorry I don't know either" he whispered.

"But why do they look familiar, Daus is not cold at all when talking to him" asked Fira.

"Yes, just be curious" Lisa said.

"Hello 'Ammah, can I join you?" asked Balqis who was suddenly behind them and of course surprised the three women.

"Come here, I'd like to introduce you to my friend." Ulfi shifted her seat slightly for Balqis' place.

Ulli begins to introduce Lisa and Fira to Balqis. The girl was so friendly greeting her two best friends, even they started to look familiar.

"Balqis, can I? What's the connection between you and Daus?" ask Lisa.

"He's a one-time cousin of mine his nephew 'Ammu Ammar too, '" Balqis replied casually.

"What?" screeched the three girls together and immediately stared intently at Paradise, while the one who was stared at instead resumed his sleep as if nothing had happened.

"Why are you so surprised? You guys don't know yah?" ask Balqis plain.

"No" they answered simultaneously.

Not lost their surprise because of the fact about Paradise, they were again surprised by the sound of Ira who came to the class with Ika.

"What?" ask Ulfi curiously.

"Ustadz Ammar resigned from this pesantren, and tomorrow he will return to Cairo" Ira said.

"What's? Where is Ustadz Ammar now?" ask Ulfi.

"What's? Just arrived, want to come back?" tanya Balqia along with Ulli.

Ira and Ika who had just realized the presence of Balqis just silently looked at Balqis and turned to look at Uldi with a question mark.

"Let Lisa and Fira explain, have you seen ustadz Ammar?"

"So I saw him go to his house" Ira replied.

"OK, thank you" said Ulli and left while pulling Balqis' hand to follow him.

They are now walking fast to the house of Ustadz Ammar. When he arrived in front of Ammar's house whose door was slightly open, Balqis chose to enter the grandfather's house because he knew, there was a problem that they had to solve.

"Ustadz" called Ulli after arriving in front of Ammar's room. There, he sees Ammar cleaning up his things.

"Greetings first dong," said Ammar so gently staring at Uldi who was still standing in the doorway of his room.

"I'm sorry, assalamu 'alaikum, '" he said without moving a bit from his place.

"Wa'alaikum salam" replied Ammar gently, "will you still stand there?" continued.

Ulli who realized, immediately stepped foot into the room and sat on the edge of the bed and followed Ammar who was sitting next to him.

"Ustadz really resigned from the pesantren?" ask Ulfi.

"Yes, tomorrow I have to go back to Cairo with Balqis" Ammar replied lethargicly.

"Now that's it, it's coming too." Ulfi now appears to be singing her lips.

"Well, how else, it's been a mutual decision, and maybe I won't come back until I graduate from there and you graduate from here" Ammar replied.

"Old dong ustadz?"

"Why? Don't you want me to go long?" ammar asked a little teasingly, making Ulfi's heart start pounding.

Instead of answering, Uelfi was silent and lowered his face, inexplicably he felt his tongue was unable to answer that simple question.

"Ulfis? Ammar moved closer to Ulli.

"I don't know ustadz" replied Ulli then made Ammar frown.

"Kok Don't know?"

"Yes I am also confused by my feelings of ustadz" replied Ulli.

Hearing the words of Ulfi, Ammar smiled and then held both shoulders of Ulfi and directed his body to sit opposite him.

"I'm sorry for never saying it to the point of confusing you with your own feelings." Ammar was silent for a moment.

"Ulfi I like you, not as an ustadz to his santri, but as a husband to his wife" Ammar said without turning his gaze from the beautiful bead of Ulli's eyes.

"meaning?"

"I love you Ulli."

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