Chapter 30: Shadows Behind the Curtain
30.1 A Thrilling Moment
The Palace of Paintings Room
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder near the door of the Palace of Paintings Room. Inside, Liza sharpened her hearing, fully prepared. The door opened slowly after one of the King's guards entered a special code to unlock it. This time, the door remained open longer than usual.
Mutia walked in gracefully, followed by Cindy, who carried a transparent acrylic sheet measuring 50 cm wide and 150 cm long. The sheet was intended for one of the abstract paintings in the room.
As she stepped inside, Cindy glanced at Liza. With a barely noticeable gesture, Liza signaled that the situation was "safe." Unaware of this secret exchange, Mutia only observed the room with a calm gaze.
➤ "Kak, can I place this acrylic behind the curtain?" Cindy asked casually.
Mutia paused for a moment, considering. "Oh, yes, just put it there for now."
Cindy immediately moved toward the curtain. Carefully, she pulled it open slightly and slid the acrylic sheet between Rizky and Nabila, who were hiding. Now, they were completely separated by a transparent layer—unable to touch but still uncomfortably close.
Moments later, the King arrived with several guards carrying a large painting. The atmosphere in the room instantly became serious.
➤ "Cindy," the King commanded firmly, "move the table behind the curtain closer. It doesn't look good if it's too far away. And you," he said to the guards, "place that flower pot on the table."
With careful movements, Cindy pushed the cabinet table backward, bringing it closer—forcing Rizky and Nabila into an even tighter space. Their bodies were now only separated by the acrylic sheet, which reached just below their necks. As a result, while they still couldn't touch, they could see each other far too clearly.
Behind the curtain, Rizky and Nabila held their breath. Their hearts pounded rapidly—not just from the fear of getting caught, but also because their current position made it nearly impossible to stay composed.
Nabila turned her face to one side, afraid that even the slightest movement might cause her to touch Rizky. Her cheeks felt hot, and her heartbeat grew more erratic.
Meanwhile, sweat trickled down Rizky's forehead. His breath was shallow, his body frozen, but internally, he cursed himself, "Why does it have to be like this? Why this close?"
Outside, the guards swiftly placed the large flower pot on top of the cabinet table. But instead of providing relief, this only added to the tension for Rizky and Nabila.
Now, they had to be even more cautious. A single wrong move, and the table might shift—causing the flower pot to fall, which would mean disaster.
While Mutia busied herself giving instructions to the King about the new painting's placement, Cindy and Liza exchanged glances. There was something in their eyes—a silent conversation that only they understood.
Liza, fully aware that everything was unfolding just as she had planned, smirked subtly. She pretended to stay focused on the situation in the room, but her gaze never strayed far from the curtain—where the two trapped individuals struggled to maintain their composure.
Behind the curtain, Nabila felt her face growing even hotter. She concentrated on keeping her breathing steady, ensuring it remained inaudible. "Don't panic, Nabila… Don't panic…" she whispered to herself.
Rizky, usually so composed, now closed his eyes briefly, offering a silent prayer. "Ya Allah, please don't let anything happen."
But…
Would they truly escape without being discovered?
Or would an unexpected event reveal their secret?
30.2: Mischief in the Tension
The Palace of Paintings Room
The King was busy with his guards, adjusting the position of the large painting that had just arrived. After ensuring it was in the right place, he stepped back and admired it with deep appreciation.
The abstract painting had bold color compositions, its lines seemingly portraying chaos and harmony on a single canvas. It was different from the other paintings in this room, which mostly depicted nature—mountains, oceans, and vast green landscapes that exuded tranquility.
This room was indeed filled with two types of artwork: naturalist paintings that showcased the beauty of God's creations and abstract paintings that were more interpretative. A balance that often sparked debates—should art always imitate reality, or was it free to be an unbounded expression?
The King smirked slightly. To him, both had their rightful place.
Meanwhile, Mutia carefully observed every detail of the room's arrangement, ensuring that everything was perfect.
"What do you think? Does it look good?" Mutia asked Cindy in a quiet voice.
Cindy simply gave a small smile.
"Eh, I don't really understand what makes it good or bad, Kak," she replied lightly, though her eyes flickered toward the flower pot placed in the corner of the room.
She knew exactly what was behind that curtain. The narrow space, only 80 cm wide, wedged between two towering wall cabinets, had now become the hiding spot of two people who shouldn't be there—Rizky and Nabila.
A few moments later, the King finally left the Istana Lukis Room with his guards.
Now, only silence remained.
Behind the curtain, Rizky and Nabila stayed still.
The ticking of the clock was deafening, as if counting down the slow passage of time.
Rizky, who had been panicked at first, was now beginning to calm down. But that calmness only awakened his mischievous side.
With their bodies so close, he couldn't resist teasing her.
If Nabila's heart had been pounding earlier out of fear of being caught, now it raced uncontrollably for a completely different reason.
And Rizky knew it.
He held his breath, purposely trying to hear Nabila's heartbeat more clearly. In this silence, he could hear the rhythm accelerating, becoming more erratic.
A small smile formed on his lips.
Rizky leaned in slightly and whispered in Nabila's ear.
"Nabila…"
His gentle voice was so close.
"I never realized… but up close, you're incredibly beautiful."
Nabila instantly squeezed her eyes shut.
As if, by not looking, she could make his words disappear like a passing breeze.
But the voice remained. Warm. Near.
Rizky smirked, seeing how hard she was trying to restrain herself.
He whispered again, this time even softer, more teasing.
"I can smell your hijab."
Nabila bit her lip, gripping the acrylic in front of her even tighter.
But Rizky wasn't done yet.
"If I kiss your hijab, would that be a sin?"
Nabila's eyes widened.
She wanted to protest, wanted to say something, but her tongue was tied.
Her hands clenched the transparent acrylic more firmly, as if trying to signal Rizky not to push things further.
But Rizky only chuckled inwardly.
He was enjoying how easily she got caught up in situations like this.
Then, with a deeper voice, he whispered again:
"Without realizing it…"
"I think I've already fallen in love with you."
Those words shattered Nabila's defenses.
Her heart pounded even harder.
She had never imagined hearing a confession like this—in a place like this, in a situation like this.
"Nabila," Rizky continued, "do you feel the same way about me?"
Nabila remained silent.
Her heart was in turmoil.
Should she answer? Or should she remain silent?
Rizky gazed at her, not looking away.
"You know…" he went on, "right now, I really wish you were my destined one."
This time, Nabila slowly turned to look directly into Rizky's eyes.
But at that moment, Rizky instinctively leaned back slightly, ensuring that their skin didn't touch.
Their eyes met.
For the first time, at such a close distance, they could truly see each other without the distractions of the outside world.
Rizky looked at her with hope.
Nabila, on the other hand, appeared hesitant. There was uncertainty in her expression. Fear. But beneath all of it, there was a small flicker of happiness that she couldn't hide.
"I don't want to do anything inappropriate," Nabila finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "If you're serious, ask my father."
Rizky nodded slowly.
His smile remained, but this time, it was softer.
"Alright," he said with conviction. "But before that, I will wait for you."
He looked even deeper into her eyes.
"If you tell me that you love me…"
"I will propose to you immediately."
Nabila turned her face away again.
But this time, it wasn't to avoid Rizky.
It was to hide the storm of emotions raging in her heart.
She had never uttered the words I love you to any man before.
Throughout her life, she had never dated, never known what it felt like to fall in love, and never been in a situation like this.
And now, in this quiet room, it was just the two of them.
The silence behind the curtain felt electrifying, as if the outside world had disappeared, leaving only them and the emotions lingering between them.
Would Nabila dare to reveal her feelings?
Or would she choose to remain silent, hoping that time itself would provide the answer?
Only time would tell…