Chapter 16
Ardi continued to knock on his door. "Don't just stay silent, scream! How will the people inside come out if you don't scream? Just scream!" Niken demanded angrily because since then Ardi had only knocked on the door, without saying hello or calling his mother and father.
 The door never opened and Ardi was still reluctant to make a sound. Until finally the door opened and immediately revealed the figure of a man with a neat appearance and bulging eyes.
 Niken smiled gently, nodding her head as a sign of respect to the owner of the house.
 "Who came to visit, Abah?" Ati shouted from inside. He had not seen who had come to his house. If he knew, his expression would be the same as the one Kang Asep is showing now.
 "Who's coming?" Not getting a response from her husband, Ati approached her husband.
 When his gaze was fixed on an object straight to the person who had disappeared from his life for several days.
 "Ardi..." His lips trembled when he said the name of his son who was now standing again in front of him.
 ***
 Ati continued to hug Ardi. She cried endlessly in the arms of her beloved son who had now returned home.
 "Why are you going, son? Do you want to see mother die?" he said breathlessly.
 Ardi hurriedly wiped away the tears of the woman who had taken the trouble to give birth to him and cared for him until he was an adult.
 "Mother, don't say things like that. Ardi is really sorry for leaving and making mother and Abah sad. Ardi is embarrassed to return home. Ardi has embarrassed mother and Abah in front of many residents because of Ardi's actions," he regretted and immediately prostrated himself.
 Ati hugged her son with emotion. He broke down at that moment. "We are not angry or embarrassed about what has happened. We believe this is a trial that Allah has given you and us. It's just that we are worried because we don't know how you are, darling. Why did you leave at that time, why don't you just come back home ?"
 Kang Asep also said, "That's right, son. We're not angry with you. Your mother didn't even eat for two days because she kept thinking about you, who knows where?"
 Ardi looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "Is that true? So, while I was away, you didn't eat? Why, Mom? Why didn't you eat? Did you want to leave me?"
 Ati immediately hugged her son again. Really, he didn't want to lose his son a second time.
 "I'm sorry, son. I just really missed you, but now that you're here, I'll eat a lot more. Please don't go out anymore. I won't be able to live without you."
 Ati kissed Ardi's forehead with trembling lips. He was in tears and so was Ardi. Remembering, at that time he had to leave the house for a few days. During that time, Ati and Kang Asep did not know any news about Ardi's whereabouts.
 The emotional atmosphere made Niken shed tears. He sat only on a mat because there was no sofa or anything like that.
 Niken smiled softly when she saw the harmony of Ardi's family, who loved each other so much and reminded her of her life fifteen years ago.
 He also grew up from a poor family and an environment that was far from luxurious. Ardi's family house is exactly the same as the house they occupied fifteen years ago. Being here brings back happy memories with his mother and father.
 In the past, the time they spent was educating and raising them. However, now there are no more beautiful times like that.
 Gather together, while watching television shows in the living room. There are no sofas, everyone sits on the floor blending into one. Every time there is a school assignment, he will ask his mother and father to help him with the assignment.
 Niken continued to smile, when one by one the memories came back to her. Seeing Ardi together really made him nostalgic until Kang Asep's question brought Niken out of her reverie.
 "Who is this woman, Ardi?"
 Ardi only realized when his father asked. He immediately turned around and found his wife staring at him closely.
 Ardi immediately took a large sitting position. Ati only just realized Niken's presence because her focus had only been on Ardi.
"Who is he, kid?" Ati asked curiously.
 Ardi also wiped the tears that were still left on his cheeks, "She's Niken, ma'am. Ardi's legal wife, ma'am," he admitted without hiding it.
 Niken also showed her best smile. Now it's time for him to introduce his name to his mother and father-in-law.
 "Assalamualaikum, Mother. Abah. My name is Niken Angelista Atmaja. The daughter of Bambang Adi Atmaja. Maybe you and Abah know Bambang Adi Atmaja and I am the only daughter of the Atmaja family. Niken."
 Niken also straightforwardly introduced her name to Ati and Kang Asep. "We just got married a few days ago. Maybe mother and Abah have seen our wedding on television. This is why Ardi came here to meet mother and Abah and also introduce Ardi's wife, Niken," added Ardi.
 Ati and Kang Asep both swallowed hard, not expecting that the program they saw on television was actually true.
 Actually, this morning they wanted to go to town, the location where Ardi and Niken had their wedding because a few days ago, they saw Ardi on the television show. So they want to find out the truth. However, fate turned out to say otherwise. Ardi himself had come, bringing his beautiful wife with him.
 Niken tried to keep smiling, even though she actually felt tense because the situation was not as she had imagined.
 The atmosphere was clearly awkward there. However, that didn't last long. Ati immediately hugged Niken and poured out her tears on the woman who was now her daughter-in-law.
 "Thank you, son. I don't know how this old woman is thanking you? You are the angel that Allah has sent to look after Ardi," she cooed through sobs.
 Niken swallowed her saliva, "Mother... Mother, don't..." She kept pausing her sentences because she didn't know how to respond.
 Another moment of blue emotion occurred. Ati burst into tears when he found out that the woman he was hugging was now his son's legal wife.
 You can imagine how happy Ati was when she got a beautiful daughter-in-law, if she remembered how Ardi's marriage to Jasmine failed, which really broke her heart.
 Not only does it hurt, but it tells a story of deep trauma for them.
 Niken looked at Ardi, giving him a signal with a wink. Ardi nodded, responding to the gesture.
 Kang Asep hurriedly separated the two. "That's it. Don't make our daughter-in-law feel uncomfortable," said Kang Asep, as he pulled his wife's body to release her hug from Niken.
 Ati finally came to his senses, after a few moments he couldn't control his emotions.
 Niken smiled gently, "It doesn't matter. I actually feel happy because I was well received by you. I was really happy when my mother hugged me."
 Niken gently wiped away the remaining tears on her mother-in-law's cheeks, "When Ardi said he wanted to meet you, then at that moment I felt happy because soon I will meet my mother and father-in-law and now, everything has come true," he added, which never stop smiling.
 Ati felt touched when she received good treatment from her daughter-in-law. He immediately grabbed Niken's hand, then kissed it repeatedly, until Niken felt uncomfortable.
 "You are a human being with an angel's heart, darling. No matter how you met, whatever it is, this old woman is very grateful because you have accepted Ardi with all his shortcomings."
 Ardi smiled faintly. His gaze was deliberately diverted to another object. Niken could tell that her husband was trying hard not to cry.
 "Since Ardi is back, how about we eat together?" Ati also looked at the clock on the wall there, "Your journey must be quite long and tiring. It's almost half past eleven, so we should just have lunch together. Mom cooked a lot today, you have to finish all the food," she said without letting go of Niken's hand.
 The request was really simple, so Niken couldn't refuse it. He nodded enthusiastically. "Come on, husband! You've cooked a lot for us, right, Mom?" he said.
 Ati smiled, "That's right, darling. Come on, shall we eat or just bring the food here? So let's eat together here, how about it?" he suggested, while looking at Ardi and Niken alternately.
 "Ardi, just follow what mother says," replied Ardi in agreement.
 Niken did not reject the proposal, in fact she was enthusiastic about doing it immediately. Ati stroked the top of Niken's hair, then kissed her daughter-in-law's forehead. Only after that, Ati walked towards the kitchen. Niken followed behind.
 This was her first time coming to her in-laws' house, so there were many things she wanted to know.
 Ardi and Kang Asep exchanged stories while waiting for the food to be served. His father clearly wanted to know the chronology of his meeting with Niken and their eventual marriage.