WHO'S BAHAR SAFAR??

Hello this is diary zaman!!

It feels like it’s been a long time since I last wrote on this blog. Today, I want to talk about a book by Bang Tere Liye called Janji. Some of you may have read it, some of you may not. But I think this story is worth sharing.

The main character in Janji is Bahar Safar. The story is told using a back-and-forth timeline, so we slowly get to know who Bahar really is. At first, he looks like a rebellious young man, someone people would easily judge and underestimate. And honestly, when we hear about a troublemaker, especially one accused of burning a religious school, our first reaction is usually negative.

Bahar was once a student in a religious boarding school. He did not like the rules and felt trapped there. He kept breaking them until one serious incident changed everything. After the fire, he was expelled from the pesantren. What looked like the end of his life became the moment that changed his direction.

Before Bahar left, Buya, his teacher, gave him a message that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

“Baik, dengarkan pusaka ini, Nak … Apa pun yang terjadi setelah hari ini, di mana pun kakimu akan pergi, pakailah pusaka ini.”

Ada lima pusaka tersebut.
Pertama, selalu hormati dan bantu tetanggamu.
Kedua, selalu lindungi yang lemah dan teraniaya.
Ketiga, senantiasa jujur dan tidak pernah mencuri.
Keempat, bersabarlah atas apa pun ujianmu.
Kelima, bersedekah, bersedekah, dan bersedekah.

Tunaikan janjimu atas lima pusaka tersebut. Aku tahu kau hari ini boleh jadi masih nakal, pemabuk, suka berjudi, suka berkelahi. Tapi ada sesuatu yang spesial di hatimu. Kau akan selalu berusaha menepati janji.”
-Buya, page 486

Buya knew Bahar was still wild. He drank, gambled, fought, and often lost control. But Buya also saw something deeper in him. He believed that even with a messy life, Bahar still had a good heart.

As the story continues, we see Bahar carry those words through his long journey. He moves from one place to another, never really settling down. At one point, Bahar even chose to go to prison to replace his neighbor. His neighbor had a family and children to take care of, while Bahar felt he had no one depending on him. So he took the punishment instead. It was a quiet sacrifice, but it showed how seriously Bahar lived by Buya’s words "protecting others", even when it cost him his own freedom.

Bahar’s life is also shaped by love. He loved a woman named Delima with full loyalty. He waited, stayed patient, and never turned away, even when life made things difficult. When he finally married her, happiness came but only for a short time. Delima passed away not long after. Her death crushed Bahar. He fell into deep sadness and anger. For a while, he blamed God, questioning why life kept taking things away from him after everything he had been through.

But Bahar did not stay there forever. Slowly, he stood up again. From his pain, he chose to keep going. He opened a small food stall and named it Rumah Makan Delima, using his wife’s name. The place became more than just a way to survive. Every Friday, he shared free food with people. He believed that whatever income he received, there was always someone else’s share inside it. For Bahar, giving was a way to stay grateful and faithful to his promise.

Quietly, Bahar tried to live by those values. He did not show off. He did not ask to be seen. He just tried to live better than before. Until the end of his life, Bahar Safar was remembered in many places he once passed through. Not as a rich man, but as someone who stayed kind, honest, patient, and generous.

That is what makes Janji feel like more than just a story. It talks about life, choices, and change. It reminds us that people who start from dark places can still become better, as long as they keep their promises. The story teaches us about patience, gratitude, forgiveness, and kindness, even when life feels unfair.

After finishing this book, I realized one thing. Bahar Safar is not an easy character to forget. Just like Sri Ningsih in Tentang Kamu, Bahar leaves a deep impression. Their lives are simple, but the way they live inspires the people around them. The stories are different, but the feeling they leave behind is surprisingly similar.

Another thing I really enjoyed is the presence of the three young men sent by Buya to trace Bahar’s life. Their conversations, their friendship, and especially Baso with his annoying but funny behavior make the story feel lighter. They balance the seriousness of Bahar’s journey and make the book more enjoyable to read.

In the end, Janji is not only about Bahar Safar. It is about promises, long journeys, and the quiet choice to stay kind, even when life is not kind to us.