Nyaso finally lost his patience.
In one swift movement, he grabbed Ibrat by the throat and pulled her closer.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me."
Tears rolled down Ibrat's cheeks.
Yet she didn't look away.
Staring straight into his eyes, she said softly,
"Can't you love me... just a little?"
Slowly, Nyaso's expression changed.
Restlessness appeared across his face.
He almost shouted,
"I'm a killer! You want to tie your life to a murderer?"
Without hesitation, Ibrat replied,
"Murder is a sin. Love isn't."
Nyaso ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I'm in danger. My life is a mess. I don't even know where I'm heading anymore. Enemies could put a bullet through my chest at any moment. There's no future in a relationship with me."
Still, Ibrat asked only one thing:
"Do you love me?"
"Stop acting so immature. You don't want a life with me, and honestly, no one does. Your whole life is ahead of you. Please stop hurting me like this."
Ignoring everything else, she repeated,
"I want to stay beside you. I don't care about anything else. Just answer me. Do you love me?"
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then came three words.
"I love you."
The entire basement seemed to tremble.
Three simple words.
Only three words.
Yet they froze Ibrat completely.
Her breathing stopped.
Her heart forgot how to beat.
She stared into Nyaso's brown eyes in disbelief.
Nyaso shouted as if releasing years of emotions at once.
"Yes! I love you! Since the very beginning! You've melted my stone heart. You forced your way into my life. If you regret this later, don't blame me."
Ibrat still couldn't believe what she had heard.
It felt like a dream.
In a dazed voice, she whispered,
"I won't regret it."
The next second, an electric current seemed to rush through her entire body.
Before she could react, she found herself wrapped in Nyaso's strong embrace.
His lips were pressed against hers.
She trembled.
Only then did she realize that this was real.
Not a dream.
Not imagination.
Accepting his confession, she grabbed his jacket tightly.
A powerful emotion consumed both body and soul.
The darkness of the present seemed to disappear.
A pure light appeared in the silent sky.
Spring blossomed within her heart, carrying the sweet promise of a new beginning.
After a while, she looked up at him.
"You won't leave me incomplete after making me dream of happiness... right?"
Nyaso gently touched her forehead.
"I'm going to Italy tomorrow. I'll speak with Boss about us."
Ibrat immediately tightened her hold on him.
"You're leaving me again?"
A soft smile appeared on Nyaso's face.
"Sometimes you have to go a little far away to bring someone even closer."
Ibrat smiled brightly.
Then she rested her head against his chest again.
Like an excited child, she spoke cheerfully,
"Please leave my mother with me. I get scared when I'm alone."
"Alright."
Absentmindedly, she began drawing circles on his chest with her finger.
Then she sighed dramatically.
"You know, this was supposed to be the age where my husband would return from Friday prayers and say, 'Honey, I brought jalebi for you.' Instead, I'm trapped here."
Nyaso suddenly replied,
"I'm Christian, Ibrat."
Everything changed instantly.
Ibrat pulled away from him.
The color drained from her face.
The warmth in her eyes vanished.
The happiness she had been feeling shattered into pieces.
She turned her face away from him.
"Please leave."
Nyaso's chest tightened painfully.
"Why?"
Ibrat was crying again.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
Through broken sobs, she answered,
"Because the wall between our religions will never let us become one."
She paused.
Then continued in a trembling voice,
"Because I love my Lord even more than I could ever love you."
For several moments, Nyaso remained silent.
Then he stood up slowly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Looking at the crying girl before him, he said without hesitation,
"Love is very powerful, Ibrat Jan."
With that, he turned around and left.
The moment he disappeared, Ibrat collapsed onto the floor.
Her cries echoed throughout the basement.
The entire room seemed to shake beneath the weight of her sorrow.