Bab 31- Muka surat 215

Aduhai Kasih... Aduhai

Biar malam mentertawakan aku

Biar habis badanku dimamah rindu

Namun membiarkan ingatanku luput

Dari mengenangmu

Itu sama sekali tak kan ku lakukan

Habis apa lagi yang harusku hadapi

Untuk memiliki jiwa sepertimu kasih

Dalam seribu tak ada satu temu... sejuta hanya satu

Mimpikah aku kali ini

Bukan semudahnya ku berkata cinta

Jika hati tak tersentuh

Bukan semudahnya melepaskan dunia

Jika jiwa mencipta tembok kepalsuan

Aduhai kasih... aduhai

Sambutlah… sambut tanganku

Tak ingin hidup dalam kekosongan

Aduhai kasih… aduhai

Sambutlah… sambut cintaku

Tak ingin terlepas tak kesampaian

Sepanjang perjalanan iu, berulang kali Fariq menghayati lirik lagu yang sedang berkumandang. Itulah gambaran perasaannya pada saat hatinya benar-benar tidak keruan. Itulah melodi kasih yang berlagu di jiwa dan hatinya terhadap wanita bernama Zahara.

Sebenarnya, bukan saja 'Fariq' yg menghayati lirik lagu ini, saya turut mendengarnya lebih seratus kali! Semata-mata utk mendapatkan mood menjiwai watak Fariq… I guess that’s how a man would feel if ever being put in such situation!

Saje suka2 nak letak gambar ni kat sini...

The Making of Melodi Kasih...

Idea buat cerita ni, popped-up bila saya duduk makan dgn dua orang kawan sekolah yg dah lama tak berjumpa. We were catching up with each other’s stories. Seorang rakan saya single parent, seorang lagi masih single dan saya… a married woman. Dan semestinya, ceriter kitorg pun berbeza-beza dan pandangan serta perspective yg berlainan. Dari situ, tetiba saya rasa nak buat ceriter pasal tiga sahabat karib yg berlainan latar belakang, pengalaman and lifestyle.

Lama jugak saya simpan idea ni dlm kepala sebelum bersedia untuk menaip. Setelah saya puas hati dgn apa yg ada di fikiran, baru saya mula menulis. Bila sampai bab 15, saya rasa nak tukar jalan ceriter. I revamped the whole thing... shoot! I was actually writing crap! Tak bestnye ceriter saya ni, tak de arah tujuan… tak de substance! Syukur Alhamdulillah, then the idea just flow spontaneously and continuously.

Tapi ada masanya, saya stuck tengah2 jalan. Sampai seminggu dua tak bergerak-gerak. Writer’s block? That’s one thing. But on top of that, when I have to write about the corporate world. It took me quite some time to do it… to think deeply and to write accurately.

Sehinggalah akhirnya saya berjaya habiskan 62 bab dan berikan kpd kawan2 mintak komen. Masa tu… fuh, berdenyut-denyut kepala saya kerana radiation sbb bergayut berjam2 dgn kengkawan di handphone untuk discuss pasal klimaks dan pengakhiran ceriter ni. Ada yg suggest macam ni, ada yg suruh buat macam tu. Ada yg kurang berpuas hati dan tak kurang juga yg kata “stick to what you are writing… it’s your story!” Akhirnya, saya tukar jugak sikit. Saya terima idea yg baik dan cuba kekalkan originality ceriter ni. Akhirnya, habis jugak setelah bersengkang mata, memerah otak dan melenguhkan tangan selama 6 bulan.

Part yg saya enjoy bila menulis MK… setiap kali buat ceriter pasal my favourite couple; Zaha-Fariq. Kind of tiring at times, sbb diorg berdua ni selalu ada argument masing-masing. But one thing I enjoyed most, is writing about Fariq. Even though I’m the one who ‘created’ him but still, I can get amused and mesmerized by his character! I can imagine his cheeky smile whenever he teases Zaha; the lady with big ego. Not forgetting, his satisfaction laugh everytime he gets even with her. Dan muka Zaha yg selalu blush bila kantoi dengan Fariq tapi masih nak berlagak dan control ‘macho’ (bukan control ayu sbb Zaha sebenarnya bukan ayu sgt pun, mind you! haha).

Dan gambar ni, merely based on my imagination… ketika Zaha-Fariq berjoging. Terima kasih kpd Syukri Sharif… yg tolong visualised kan imaginasi saya ni!

Bila saya menulis tentang EJ-Taj, selalunya lebih dari sehari untuk siapkan satu chapter pasal diorg berdua ni. Saya kena transformed pemikiran utk jadi seorang yang berjiwa lembut tetapi ada masanya tegas spt EJ. Dan Taj yang arrogant, manipulator and not forgetting, pretender! Sbb Taj ni kaki putar belit sikit, jadi saya pun kenalah memutar belitkan setiap dialog dia… which is quite challenging at times, I must admit that (utk penulis baru spt saya!) When it comes to his argument with EJ…that will be a headache!

Iman-Huzir, I consider them as a normal couple. Took me just a few hours to do each chapter about them. Paling senang nak buat pasal diorg ni, sbb saya rasa most of us are like that, whether we realize it or not. Kesederhanaan diorg ni, spt kebanyakan pasangan lain. Sengaja saya potray lifestyle mereka yg serba serbinya sederhana but yet, they can live happily together. Of coz, semua org tak lari dari masalah. But they’ll get over it, somehow. Dan setiap kali saya menulis ttg Iman-Huzir, saya sering membayangkan couple yg tgh hot skrg ni… my best actress friend and her husband; Vee & Shidee!

Hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it (membaca MK utk enjoy jalan ceritanya. Coz MK is mainly not a sad story... bukan cerita yg akan buat anda meraung bila membacanya! hehe) Well, I wish I could satisfy everybody… but that’s quite impossible though. Maybe my novel is not up to your liking or expectation. Walau apa pun, sudi-sudilah memberi komen. So that I will improve in my next book (if there’s any!)

And Melodi Kasih is dedicated to all my friends; you know who you are! (esp those who consider me as their true friend, yg pernah mndengar keluh kesah saya, yg tergelak mengekek bersama saya, members of G21, suku sakat CBNers yg lainnya… yg masih menganggap saya kawan mereka!)

Down the memory lane...

Semasa proses perpindahan hari tu, saya terjumpa semula gambar2 lama. Mmg teringin nak letak kat sini tapi belum berkesempatan kerana sibuk. Ye la... namanya pun gambar2 lama, jadi nak kena scan dulu. Dan saya memerlukan khidmat kengkawan utk meng'scan'kannya gara2 saya yg tidak begitu IT savvy!

Before we tie the knot...
On the day we were tying the knot...

After we have tied the knot...
(take a look at the physical progress... 'perkembangan' yg sungguh menakjubkan! hahaha)

Me and my gal friends (the G21)

15 out of 21... way back in 1990
9 out of 21... in 1997, seven years later
8 out of 21... in 2007. That last gathering that I attended


Walaupun jumlah kedatangan ahli G21 makin susut setiap kali gathering, but we do hope to have it at least once in a blue moon...

After 18 years...

This is my first time blogging from home… I mean, my new home. Alhamdulillah, walaupun belum sampai sebulan kami tinggal di sini, tapi kami dah dikira fully settled down… rumah pun dah ada rupa rumah!

Other than the internet access as our home amusement and entertainment, we also have my husband’s antique home theatre set. Kitorg ni kadang2 boleh jadi se'cheap-skate' dan se'oldies' yg mungkin… home theatre husband saya ni dia beli masa dia bujang dan ketika masih belajar di UK… let just say, more than 10 years ago! Tapi kami berjaya jugak membuatkan ianya berfungsi setelah dimamah habuk kerana tersimpan dlm bilik stor bertahun-tahun lamanya. He almost forgot that he had it actually! Dan bila mengemas semula berkotak-kotak CD lama yg dia beli dari UK, kami pun terjumpa semula CD-CD favourite kami masa bercinta dulu, all those love songs dedication… i.e Babyface, Jodeci, KC Jojo, After 7, Boyz 2 Men, Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, etc... fuh, that brings back the old memories! Hahaha… jiwang karat la pulak!

Come to think of it, Goodness…I’ve known him that long, eh? Yup… we first met when I was only 17 years old. Bak kata dia… masa tu saya masih kurus kering dan hitam legam (well, wat do you expect? Asyik berjemur jer masa kat sekolah dulu… join cheerleading la, marching la. Tu tak termasuk lagi aktiviti berjalan kaki tengah hari buta dan menunggu bas uncle di dpn SJI’s cendol… CBNers hot spot! Hehehe)

We started as friends way back in 1990 and we became closer 3 years later. Even though it was a long-distance relationship but went thru it all without any difficulties. Then, he came back for good. Year in and year out... finally, we decided to get engaged. Six months later in the year 2000, we became husband and wife. And tomorrow 15th January, we will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.

So, what have I/ we learned for the past 8 years (or is it, for the past 18 years?)

Love is blind… but marriage is an eye-opener
No marriage is perfect, but we can always make it as perfect as we can
The best way to solve problems… is to meet half way
Accept challenges and critics from each other (that is why, we always race with each other along NKVE!)

Don’t expect too much… it will cause headache and broken-hearted
Be a risk-taker and take everything as it comes
Instead of having a lot of things in common, you should also have a lot of arguments
Do compromise… even if you have to go to workshop alone! (So that he can go to pasar tani all by himself without interrupting my Sunday morning sleep!)

To my husband… I only love you on Two Ocassions; that is Day and Night!

"I’d rather have bad times with you… than good times with someone else. I’d rather be beside you in a storm… than stay safe warm by myself." - Luther Vandross. I'd Rather Be...

Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru

Masih belum terlambat rasanya untuk mengucapkan selamat tahun baru 2008, setelah 9 hari meninggalkan 2007. Dan hari ni juga merupakan hari terkahir dlm calendar 1428 Hijrah. Selamat menyambut Awal Muharam kpd semua.

Received this email from a good friend... something worth to be shared.

Sunat membacanya sebyk 7 kali pada akhir waktu Asar atau sblm masuk waktu Maghrib pd akhir bulan Zulhijjah.

Dibaca selepas waktu Maghrib pada akhir bulan Zulhijjah kerana tahun baru bermula selepas waktu Maghrib.

My Best Friend's Wedding...

Hari Khamis 3hb January 2008 bersamaan 24 Zulhijjah 1428… saya bergegas dari sekolah anak saya (selepas sesi orientasi) semata-mata utk menghadirkan diri di Anjung C, Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan bagi menyaksikan pernikahan kawan karib saya.

We’ve been friends since we were 13 years old, in other words… for the past 22 years! We were classmates in CBN, she helped me in English and I used to assist her in BM. She’s been my advisor, I’ve been her listener. We share jokes, we laugh together a lot. Kalau dia merapu, saya akan lebih merepek. We have a lot of things in common… antaranya suka hafal plat number kereta! Sama ada saya atau dia yang mula berdating, satu kemestian untuk memperkenalkan teman kami tu… to get stamp of approval! Kami saling mengutuk dan dikutuk. Kami saling memahami dan difahami. She's full of surprises... dan saya kawan yg jarang sekali terkejut dgn 'surprises' dia tu. We are like families… husband saya merupakan kawan baik dia dan anak saya diiktiraf sebagai God Daughter dia. Sampaikan kami kenal mak saudara masing-masing. Kami berkongsi duka… abah/babah kami meninggal dlm tahun yg sama. Similarity kami, keduanya anak bongsu dari adik beradik seramai 3 org yg kesemuanya perempuan. Difference kami, taraf sosiologi keluarga masing2. Kadang2 bila saya baru nak buka mulut, dia dah tahu apa saya nak cakap. Dan bila dia belum habis bercerita, saya dah boleh agak apa cerita seterusnya. Bila dgr nada suara masing2, kami dah tahu mood apa yg sedang dialami.

Kami pernah terputus hubungan hampir dua tahun tanpa surat dan phone calls. Tapi hubungan itu bertaut semula akhirnya. Kami pernah berkecil hati tapi lama-kelamaan sejuk juga hati. Ada masanya nak berjumpa pun kena bagi one month notice, tapi bila bersua muka… sampai tak ingat nak balik rumah!

Masa saya bernikah, dia datang sebagai wakil drp pihak husband saya. Masa majlis resepsi di sebelah suami saya, dia jadi emcee majlis… siap jadi penglipurlara. Ikut sedap mulut dia aje menceritakan kisah percintaan saya dan husband sehingga sekalian tetamu tertawa (saya dan husband masa tu hanya mampu tersenyum geram di meja pengantin… knowing the fact that, she made up half of the love-story!) Dan bila meraikan hari yg bersejarah bagi dia… saya yg sebak dan hampir menitiskan air mata! That’s how close we are…

Congratulations to SS and Din… may your marriage lasts forever. I’m happy for both of you…


P/S: SS, and now we are sharing the same wedding anniversary month...