Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Shamill was greeted by a very calming smile as Elyssa open the door for him.

“Were you speeding here?” Elyssa ask Shamil a very obvious question. He arrives in approximately 40 minutes time despite of usual an hour drive. He just replies her with a smirk.

“I don’t know what would happened if I even a second late, and I can’t bear with that. So what other option that I have?” he asked her back a rhetorical question. Ellyssa just shook her head and lead him to the dining hall.

“Surprise!” Elyysa said as they both enter the hall.

“Shamill! Please have a seat.” Madam Khadijah greets him and smiles warmly.

“No wonder El prepares one extra set. She knows you are coming right? Don’t you suppose to work today?” she said again, asking him.

“Yes aunt. I took a leave to see you. Elyssa told me you were coming back yesterday.” Shamill answered her with concealed truth.

“Come, let’s eat. You must be hungry after a long drive. Oh, and this young gentleman here is Fateh. He’s my guest. We know each other during my recent Umrah trip. He will be staying here for a couple of days. How long your leave, Shamill?” She says while Elyssa scooping rice for everyone.

“I am taking 2 days leave. I thought I need to stay here overnight. I am Shamill, Elyssa’s bestfriend.” He asnwers Madam Khadijah and properly introduce himself to Fateh and shakes his hand.

“I am Fateh Nurruddin.” He introduces himself and shakes Shamill’s hand lightly.

In that short moment their eyes met and it’s like laser beam shooting from both pair of eyes, both trying to dominate the other. Thankfully it end with a calm atmosphere when both of them realize they can’t overcome the other.

They started to dig in after Shamill lead the prayer. They started to have small talks, about each other, works and family. Elyssa asks Shamil about one of the patient who she did operate a day prior to her leave, about his condition and others. Started from there they immersed in their conversation, and it can’t be helped for others to feel shut out.

Madam Khadijah just smiles and said to Fateh, “Don’t mind them. Let’s continue to finish these. They always like that. Complaining about their never ending work, but they will end up talking about their patients; each and every chance they get. Doctors, they are all like that.”

Fateh just smiles and nods his head. He never really had a doctor friend, so he never knew. He slowly eats his meals and deeper they both get into their conversation, the harder he felt to swallow his food. He can’t help feeling a little bit of jealousy. He silently hopes he has something he can talk to her, to have a nice, decent long conversation. She looks so adorable with her professional face, so y with her expression when she earnestly and being serious. He wonders how he can be this whipped by an ordinary girl. She’s obviously not a beauty queen, also not an innocent child, not really a woman he thought he would fall for but he had fall, and he fallen hard. So hard he thought it was worth it to leave behind his glamorous world just to be her star; her only star that will shine her day and night. But he forget that, star’s light was not so prominent that it was hidden by sun in the day. And maybe, just maybe that sun in Elyssa’s world is this guy. They look so good together. For a while, he almost give up to fight his right to get her; almost.

***

They were just resting at a gazebo at Elyssa’s front yard after their fulfilling lunch. It was an awkward silence since they were left by themselves, Shamill and Fateh while Madam Khadijah and Elyssa still performing their Zuhur prayer.

“So…” they both trying to start a conversation. They laugh awkwardly and say “You first..” both together one again.

“You first, since you are the guest” Shamill says then.

“Eh..? I thought you were a guest too?” Fateh asked back.

“Well, considering I am future son-in-law of the household, I think it is safe to say you’re the guest here.” He nonchalantly answer Fateh’s question.

Then there was a heavy silence. Fateh felt like his world will end. So this is the guy. The one her mother tried to set her up with. Even he will do the same thing if he was at Madam Khadijah position. Looking at how they care about each other, and their gaze that seems so lovingly look at each other. In fact now he thought that they really love each other and keep on thinking, should he or should he not proceed with his plan.

“Fateh..? Are you okay?” Shamill asks when his question was left unanswered.

Fateh seems to be out of his own world and just smiles.

“Yes, I am okay. Hurm, so how long has you know Ellysa?” he asked timidly, just a normal instead of hard and attacking question.

“Well I first met her in the university, first year. We were assigned in a same laboratory session. Being a minority community of Malaysian in a foreign country makes us closer real quick. I am comfortable with her cool attitude and she’s so easy to love you know. I think since you are here right now instead of your family’s house in your precious holiday you would understand.”

Fateh just nods his head listening to his story. Well, he’s not seems like a bad person was what he think. Then he laughed at himself, who he’s trying to judge now. A good person like Elyssa wouldn’t have a jerk as a bestfriend right?

“After we finished our study we separated for a while, completing our internship. I have my internship in west Malaysia while her at Pahang. And afterward we both tried to work in JB and who knows, it really our luck we both accepted. So we have been colleague, best friend shoulder to cry on and yada yada yada until now. How about you? “ Shamil summarizes their relationship and asks Fateh his side of story.

“Huh?” Fateh was startled as he didn’t really pay attention since he was a bit jealous of what they have; A good trusting relationship for so long.

“How you know her?” Shamill asks eventhough he knows everything, since Elysa always tells him things.

“Oh, us?” he stop for a while recollecting the very first memory of him meeting her. Shamill nods his head waiting for his answer, then Fateh smiles.

“We first met end of last year, at KLIA. I was on my world tour at that time and I think she was on the way to attend this what you all call that? Course..? Seminar? Something like that. It was embarrassing actually the first time we met. I don’t know should I tell this to you? This is embarrassing.” He answered tried to avoid to share his experience, smiling.

“Hey, that’s not fair. I just told you my side of story, now it’s your turn.” Shamill laugh, trying to appear a bit angry and cold but failed miserably. He was friendly and its not in his nature to be bad to those who done nothing to him.

“Well, I was not on my best condition that day, and she seems to want to hurry. We bumped with each other, and as she is she just apologizes and want to get away quickly. By that time I was half afraid half amused. In one side I was afraid of what rumors she would spread afterwards, on the other side, amused because she look like she was not affected. Not a bit affected like she didn’t recognize me.” Fathe laughs at his silly self back then.

“So, what you do after that?” Shamill asked back.

“Well, i am not trying to brag but I know our status in Malaysia. Although we’re not as popular as back then when we first debuted but I know women around her age must know us even if they are not our fan. So how come she didn’t recognized me.” He laughs a little before continue his story.

“So, I follow her, I saw her going into ladies room and into a musolla afterwards. I plan to confront her after she finish her prayer, but she spend a good time inside and I have to leave because we have to start going. I was a bit sad at that time, thinking that I was never to meet her again and walk away.”

“So, what happened? How you befriend her after the incidents?” Shamill asks, getting a little bit impatient.

He shrugged his shoulder and started to speak, “I guess it’s my destiny, I met her again at the hotel we were staying. I keep on bothering her until she gives up and give me her number. It was a pleasing memory considering how cold she was initially.” Fateh summarizes their couples of first encounter. Again and again, they were brought together until he keeps on thinking that Elyssa is his destiny. If not meant to be his other half, then the reason why he found the roght path in his life; answers that he has been seeking all this while.

Shamill just smiles while listening to his part of story attentively, nodding his head once in a while. Their conversation was interrupted by Elyssa, bringing along a tray of hot drinks with her.

“What are you two talking about, with serious gaze between you?” She said once she put down the tray she’s been holding.

“Nothing much, just slowly getting to know each other,” Shamill said, with a meaningful smile. And boy, ELyssa did felt uncomfortable with that smile Shamill gave. A very bad feeling.

“Really..? Why do my instinct told me not to believe you then?” Elyssa asked him back.

Meanwhile Fateh just sat there smiling; a very bitter smile. He sense a deep feeling between them, a sense of trust and somehow a bond; a strong one at that. He would really hate to admit this , but he just understands that Shamill did hold a special place in Elyssa’s heart. This realization breaks his heart even more.

“You see, I can’t even lie with you. You always know.” Shamill answers then with a dry laugh.

“We were just talking about how we both first met you.” Fateh then breaks the connection between Shamill and Elyssa, like he was trying to say, “Hello I am here if you both don’t realize”.

“Ah……..that one.” ELyssa laugh to herself for a moment before continues the story.

“You know what, he’s a stalker. He stalked me immediately after we first met.” Elyssa make a complaint to Shamill.

Shamill just raised his eyebrow looking at Elyssa, confused. Stalking was definitely not a vocabulary Elyssa used when she told him how they became friends a while back.

“Really? Stalking? Hey, why would I stalk you. You are not even famous!” Fateh was taken aback with her choice of words.

“Seriously? Then how would you explain popping up everywhere I go?” Elyssa asked back, with a very cheeky smile.

“Coincidence? Fate? Destiny? They are more likely to be than me stalking you. Please! Wake up a little.” Fateh answers then.

“HAHA HAH, destiny my . You expect me to believe that? Less than three times, yes it might be coincidence. Each and every time? I don’t think so.

This time around Shamill take a neutral pose, observing both of them. It was rare occurrence for Elyssa to be this comfortable with someone with opposing . He himself took almost a whole year to be this level of close and comfortable. Fateh just took several days. Shamill was impressed.

“Believe me, it really was all coincidence. We were staying at the same hotel, we were bound to bump into each other. That hotel was not so big you know.” He said then trying hard to clear his name from her accusations.

Elyssa just laugh, funny to see how hard he tries when she didn’t really mean a thing that she said just now. It was just a joke.

“Well then, how do you explain waiting at my level early in the morning when you are not even staying at that level huh? Exactly after knowing which level I stay at?” she asked then, decided to further due to his impressive response.

“Well, that one I must admit. I did wait for you deliberately.” Fateh answer after a moment of calming down from ultimate embarrassment.

Shamill then laughs out loud.

“Well dude, you will not win bickering with this crazy old lady. She always get what she wants, and she will always have the final say.”

Fateh joins him laugh and said then, “Well, I know. Been there, experienced it first hand”

“What have you done to him?” Shamill asks Elyssa.

What-did-I-do? Expression was given by Elyssa just before she recalls their staring contest and she laughs out loud.

Fateh just lowered his head, trying to hide his blushing cheeks. If he knows this girl was this cheeky, he wouldn’t even have courage to mutter those nonsenses. Now he was embarrassed to death. He did slowly pray to have be taken away from this awkward, embarrassing moment.

“What? Something I don’t know?” Shamill asks again, trying to gain more information.

“It just there’s somebody, threatened me that he could stay awake for 3 days straight, when we doctors do that on daily basis. It just cracks me up.” Elyssa answers then, after calming her laugh down.

“Funny is it?” Elyssa added then.

Shamill also joining the laughter fit.

“Don’t you know who she is before you said those words?” Shamill asks then.

Fateh just shook his head, full with regrets.

“Dude, seriously I pity you.” Shamill said then after his laughter dying down.

“Yeah, I have learnt my lesson, the hard way.” Fateh just acknowledge that embarrassment.

“Drink up, it’s getting colder.” Elyssa said. Their conversations drag longer and they almost forget about the drinks she brought out just now.

“Where’s your mom?” Fateh asks.

“She’s inside. She said there’s something she needs to do. Why?” she answered and asked back.

“Nothing, I don’t see her around that’s why I am asking.” He stated.

“When are you going back?” Elyssa asked.

“Why? Can’t wait to be free and not seeing my face is it?” he ask, his voice laced with some sadness, grief maybe. Thinking the one he longs to see and be together the most can’t wait to be apart from him.

“Nope, I just thought you being the super busy guy you are must have tons of works waiting for you aren’t you?” Elyssa explains further when she noted glint of sadness from his reply just now.

“Can I not go back?” suddenly he said, so softly they almost missed it.

“What? Why?” Shamill step in this time. Curious as to why he suddenly think like that.

Suddenly happy moments they had just now disappear with the weight of upcoming issue that will be discussed.

Elyssa just stare at his face, trying hard to decipher the meaning of his question and the seriousness of his statement just now.

Fateh just shrugged his shoulder and shook his head.

“I shouldn’t be thinking that now should I?” he said then, trying to cover his sadness with a smile.

“Now, now, one of my most hated things to do is doing or speaking half way. Spill the beans dude.” Shamill said then.

“Nothing serious, you know how the industry is. Newer group are debuting like mushroom grows after rainy days. I just thought, how long actually I, we will survive in this industry. Honestly we are strong because we have each other. I am not that good of a singer. I am not like MinJun hyung or Junho or Woo young. They can compose their own songs. Taec and Channie can switch to acting or going all the way with modeling. But what will happened to me once we are old enough to sing and dance on the stage? I am considering to retire seriously now.” He said.

“Hey, you are only what..? 28, 29 years old. Why are you thinking about retiring? Nonsense you know?” Elyssa said then.

Fateh just laugh slightly.

“You do realized idols usually only popular within their 5 years of debut right? Afterwards influx of new idols will take over. Those who able to stay famous are legendary like Shinhwa, SuJu, Big Bang.”

“So, what make you think your group is different from them?” Shamill asked back.

“In case you don’t realize, 2PM is sensational also. We all love you. Keep on producing good music and your fans will always be there rooting for you. Yes, I cannot deny we fans might sway towards newer idols, but 1 thing I sure I won’t leave you guys totally.” Elyssa add on afterwards.

“I kind of have another thing in my mind now, and I think the person involved might not like the life I have been living now.” He said then, exposing his secret, thoughts little by little.

“Well, if she loves you then she should accept you for who you are. If you have to left part of you to be part of her life, then it’s not love. It called compromising.” Shamill said then.

Fateh seemed to think, when he suddenly look at Shamill with wide eyes, as big as pingpong ball.

“When did I said love in my previous sentence?” he asked.

“There’s not much thing a guy would treasure so much that he will consider leaving everything behind just to appease to one person. Usually it will involve a person you love, be it family maybe mom or dad or someone you love and possible spouse, in view that you said you were planning and considering means you didn’t discuss with her yet. And looking through your career history I would say your family would understand since your brother also in the industry. If its not family, then your possible spouse it is.” Shamill explains his deduction just now.

Fateh just nods his head, Elyssa on the other side of bench just zip her lips and wait for next thing he will said. She don’t know why but she feels like this conversation will go toward the direction that she didn’t like.

***