"You're Jamila?"
"Zahir?"
Raka froze, utterly stunned as he watched the two of them greet each other with names that sounded completely foreign to him.
"Subhanallah! So you really exist in the real world," Ustaz Hamdan said, wiping his face with his palm in disbelief. The handsome man stared at Laras without blinking.
"Honey! That's Jin Zahir!" Laras screamed in terror and immediately ran inside.
The young woman sobbed as she fled into the bedroom and locked the door. Her heart was a chaotic mess of fear and confusion. Mrs. Restu quickly chased after her daughter-in-law. Meanwhile, Raka demanded an explanation from Ustaz Hamdan.
"Ustaz, have you met my wife before? Her name is Laras, not Jamila," Raka said, his face tense. Deep inside, he felt a turbulent mix of curiosity and jealousy.
"We met in dreams. As far as I knew, her name was Jamila," Ustaz Hamdan replied, his expression a mixture of shock and strange joy.
Raka shook his head in disbelief. How could two people who had never met before encounter each other in dreams? Especially since Laras had called the jinn by the name Zahir. His curiosity only grew stronger.
"How many times have you met her in your dreams?"
"Many times, for the past two months," Ustaz Hamdan answered.
That answer made Raka even more irritated. "That's exactly how long we've been married. How is it possible that you appeared as a jinn in my wife's dreams?"
The two men began discussing the strange phenomenon. They both agreed that only Kiai Jaffar could truly explain what was happening. Remembering Laras, Raka quickly headed to the bedroom. Mrs. Restu was standing outside the locked door, gently trying to coax her out.
"Darling, please open the door! I've already asked Ustaz Hamdan. He met you in his dreams, and he is not Zahir."
A few moments later, footsteps approached the door and the lock clicked. The door opened slightly, revealing Laras's tear-streaked face.
"Come out first. Let's talk about this together," Raka said softly, wiping away the tears from his wife's cheeks.
"Yes, sweetie. I just heard Ustaz Hamdan call Kiai Jaffar. Let's discuss this together, okay?" Mrs. Restu added gently.
Laras looked at her mother-in-law with sad eyes before finally stepping out. They walked toward the living room. Laras kept her head down, still afraid that the guest might actually be Zahir — the jinn she knew was extremely bold and persistent.
"I'm sorry for startling you. My name is Hamdan Fadil, not Zahir," Ustaz Hamdan said sincerely. "I saw you in my dreams as Jamila, and Subhanallah … today I finally meet you in person as Laras."
Hearing the genuine tone in Ustaz Hamdan's voice, Laras finally felt reassured that their guest was not the jinn. The beautiful young woman managed a small smile, and Raka's heart felt lighter. However, many questions still lingered in everyone's minds.
"Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh!" came a familiar voice from outside.
"Wa'alaikumsalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh," everyone inside replied.
"Alhamdulillah, Kiai has arrived," Raka said, welcoming Kiai Jaffar inside. Meanwhile, Laras and Mrs. Restu went to the kitchen to prepare drinks.
"What's going on, son?" Kiai Jaffar asked as Ustaz Hamdan kissed his hand respectfully.
"Abah must know something about Jin Zahir. Please explain! Why did Raka's wife call me Zahir?" Ustaz Hamdan asked, sitting beside his father.
Kiai Jaffar then explained everything. He revealed that the jinn, Zahir, had frequently appeared to Laras using a face that resembled Ustaz Hamdan to make her fall for his handsomeness. When appearing to others, he showed his true form.
As for why Laras introduced herself as Jamila in Ustaz Hamdan's dreams — it was simply because she was beautiful (Jamila means "beautiful" in Arabic). The rest, he said, was Allah's secret.
Kiai Jaffar chose not to reveal his son's true intention for suddenly returning to Indonesia outside of holiday season.
The old man acted wisely, leaving the final path to Allah. Though he already had some idea of where this was heading, he did not wish to interfere with destiny.
Not long after, Laras and Mrs. Restu returned with trays of drinks and snacks. As Laras was about to return the empty tray to the kitchen, Raka gently stopped her. He asked her to sit a little farther away with him and began explaining what Kiai Jaffar had just revealed.
Laras looked shocked as she listened to her husband.
"So Mustafa deliberately took on my son's appearance every time he met Laras. To us, he appeared in his true form," Kiai Jaffar explained as he approached the couple.
"Astaghfirullah! So that's what happened. I'm so sorry, Kiai. I almost had bad thoughts about Ustaz Hamdan."
"It's alright," Ustaz Hamdan said with a gentle smile. "That's why I panicked and called my father right away. I hope this explanation puts your heart at ease, Mbak Laras."
"Thank you, Kiai," Laras and Raka said together.
Mrs. Restu smiled with relief. The atmosphere in the room gradually became warmer and more familial. Soon, Raka and Ustaz Hamdan began sharing stories from their childhood and teenage years, until they were forced to part ways when Hamdan left to continue his studies and work in Turkey.
Kiai Jaffar's son rarely returned home. He only came back for important matters — including this one. After three years away, he made time to return because of a deep personal desire he needed to discuss with his father. Kiai Jaffar had been surprised when informed by phone.
But after performing special prayers for guidance, he finally told his son to come home. They needed to speak heart-to-heart. Ustaz Hamdan had performed Istikharah prayer many times before making this decision.
Kiai Jaffar had been conflicted about his son's wish, but after receiving clear signs from Allah, he ultimately surrendered. He was stunned to learn that his only son wished to marry Jamila — the woman who had appeared repeatedly in his dreams. Hamdan's heart had become certain after his Istikharah.
How did Kiai Jaffar know that the Jamila in his son's dreams was Laras? Because for the past month, he too had received signs through his own dreams. When his son finally confessed, the only word that came from the old man's mouth was acceptance.
"Abah, I've met her in person, and insyaAllah my heart is certain according to Allah's guidance. But there was a small misunderstanding," Ustaz Hamdan had said over the phone after meeting Laras.
He then sent a message explaining the situation.
"Alright. Abah will come over immediately to clear things up."
In the end, everything was resolved peacefully, though many questions still remained for Raka and his family. What exactly had happened between Ustaz Hamdan and Laras in those dreams that made them recur so often? However, both Kiai Jaffar and Ustaz Hamdan chose not to reveal everything, leaving the final truth in Allah's hands.
"Dear, do more istighfar. May Allah guide the path you walk," Kiai Jaffar whispered softly into his son's ear when he noticed Ustaz Hamdan stealing glances at Laras.