Will There Be A Happy Ending?

As the group entered the lift, the officers looked at Hidayah. Her head-to-toe apparels cost more than their full-team month's salary. Due to this, some of the officers viewed her with disdain.

Noticing one of the officer's eyes on Hidayah's b.a.r.e shoulders, Nazreen removed his BOSS Regular-fit blouson jacket in Nappa lambskin and covered Hidayah's shoulder. Hidayah looked at the man on her right and silently thanked him with a smile.

The lift stopped at the bas.e.m.e.nt carpark and the officers escorted both Hidayah and Nazreen to their vehicle. Hidayah's movement was slow and calculated. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Nazreen slowed his steps and moved towards her back. "Do you need my help?" Hidayah looked at him and shook her head. However, the movement made her lose her centre and her world wobbled. Seeing that she was about to fall, Nazreen grabbed her shoulders. "Hey, are you okay?"

Hearing the man's loud panicking voice, the officers stopped in their track. The female officer who was already ahead turned and walked towards the couple. "Sorry, officer, could you help to hold on to her? She is not feeling well..." Nazreen asked the female officer for help in Malay.

The lady officer hurried towards Hidayah and assisted her from her other side. "Hold on… please…" Nazreen looked at the woman who was, by the second, getting weaker. They stopped moving and stood still. "Thanks… I just need to stop moving for a short while…" Hidayah said softly with her eyes closed and took a couple of deep breaths.

After she recovered her bearing, Hidayah opened her eyes again and thanked both the officer and Nazreen. Slowly, they moved to the vehicle.

On their way to the JAWI's office, Hidayah tried to analyse the situation. The circ.u.mstances were too much of a coincidence. Plus, a bottle of Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky was not strong enough for her to get drunk! If drugs were involved, how was it ingested? She did not leave her table the whole evening, nor was the bottle pre-opened before it was served…

Hypothesis after hypothesis ran through her mind. She needs to get a sample of her blood to test for drugs to find out what had happened to her.

The ride to the office was quiet. Neither Nazreen nor Hidayah initiated any conversation to assess the situation or discuss what they should say later.

Hidayah already knew that in this country, they are stricter on religious laws. But she had no idea what would happen to them after they arrived.

**********

"Let's just do it," Hidayah looked at Nazreen straight to his face. The man looked back at her in disbelief.

"Are you nuts?! I don't know you and…"

"Please… We can also have it annulled after this! I need to have this settled ASAP and I really mean now…" she looked at the man with a downcast face and pleading voice while cutting his words.

"This is not some certificate thing that you can just cancel at a later date, Miss Loh. This is an official marriage. A marriage sworn under God's law… not human law…" he turned his face away from the woman and closed his eyes. At the moment, he finds it very hard to say no if he continues looking at her with her wet eyes.

"Please… you don't understand. I cannot tell them the truth. It will affect my reputation and my family's reputation," she said in a small voice. "I know what this means, but… I have no choice, Mr Nazreen."

He turned back and looked at the woman. Unknown to her, tears seem to have flowed down her cheeks and wet her smooth face.