The emotions I felt were so intense that my heart was burning. It was as if I couldn't breathe. I needed oxygen. "Sarp, what condition are you in? Please don't die," I said to myself. He couldn't leave me after making me get used to him like this. When we got home, my brother pulled me by the arm, dragging me. When we entered, the staff looked at us in surprise. Everyone was waiting for us in the living room. My brother threw me in front of my father as if flinging me. My father stood up in surprise from where he was sitting, first looked at me, then turned to my brother. "What are you doing?" he shouted, frowning. I was still sitting on the floor, crying. "Ask your daughter, father. Let her tell you what the hell she's done." I lifted my head and looked at my brother; he was furious. My grandmother bent down, held my arms, and helped me up. First, she hugged me affectionately, then had me sit on the couch and sat next to me. "Are you okay?" she said. I looked into her compassionate eyes as she held my cheeks and wiped my tears. I wanted to say I'm not okay, I'm not okay at all. "No matter what, you have no right to treat your sister like this. Apologize to Ceyda." When my father shouted angrily, my brother, unable to control his nerves, was also shouting. "Your daughter married that scoundrel, and she even says, 'We're in love with each other.' Do you hear that, father? Your daughter got married." My father turned to me with astonished eyes. Maybe my father would understand me, I tried to speak, pleading. "Dad, I love Sarp. They shot him, Dad, please save him. I don't know what condition he's in. My brother's men shot him. Dad, please." Suddenly, his surprised expression vanished, his eyebrows furrowed, and he shouted with great anger.
"Is it true?" he said. I jumped in my place at my father's shout. "Did you marry that man?" I was afraid of my father, but I answered him immediately. "Yes," I said in a low voice. In his angry state, he took two steps towards me. Suddenly, my grandfather stood up from his chair and became a shield in front of me against my father. "Don't go near my granddaughter; she looks very tired. You can talk tomorrow with a calm head." "We'll talk first, father." I was trembling behind my grandfather. My grandmother was also holding me tightly. "My daughter, now answer me honestly. I'm asking you again, did you marry the man named Sarp?" I lifted my head and looked at his face. His voice sounded calmer. My grandfather moved slightly to my side but didn't leave me. Against any possible danger from my father or brother. Would they really harm me? "Yes, I married Sarp," I said. Clenching his teeth, he said, "Did he force you to marry him?" "I married him of my own free will," I said. I wouldn't say otherwise. "And she says 'I married him of my own free will'!" my father said angrily, coming towards me. He raised his hand and was about to slap my face when my grandfather grabbed his arm and stepped in front of me. "Son, don't do it. You're too angry now; don't do something you'll regret later," said my grandfather. I, out of fear, was holding onto my grandmother tightly. "Father, don't you hear? She says 'I married him of my own free will,' and without any shame," he said, pointing his index finger at me and shaking it. "You will divorce him as soon as possible. Weren't you ashamed to marry the son of the man who killed your mother? Did I search for you for years soyou could marry that scoundrel?" He was shouting, shaking his finger at me, breathing heavily with anger. "They shot Sarp; I'm very worried about him," I said, crying. "Take her away from my sight. I might do something I'll regret now," he roared. My brother grabbed my arm and lifted me up. Although my grandmother said, "Son, don't, stop," my brother paid no attention and dragged me, making me walk behind him. Just as we were about to leave the living room, I made eye contact with Zerrin, who was standing with her arms crossed, leaning against the door. As if my suffering gave her pleasure, she was watching me with a mocking smile. When we got to my room, I looked at my brother and said, "Please, brother, you can't be this cruel. Understand me, please." "Ceyda, be quiet before I do something I'll regret. You won't set foot outside this room until you come to your senses. And you will divorce that scoundrel as soon as possible." His anger hadn't decreased one bit; he couldn't understand me in this state. He slammed the door and left my room. I was in a miserable state; my clothes were covered in dust. But I didn't even have the strength to change my clothes, let alone move. I lay on my bed, constantly thinking about Sarp and crying. Finally, I remembered my phone. I got up and looked around; it wasn't visible. I didn't remember where I had put it last. I emptied all the drawers, dumping them out. I took everything out of my wardrobe and threw them on the floor; nothing. "I need to reach Sarp," I muttered, searching everywhere. I didn't know when she had entered my room, but I heard my grandmother's voice. "Ceyda, my daughter, what are you doing? What's the state of this room?" she said, hugging me. "My dear, you're not well, are you?" "Grandma, my phone is missing, have you seen it? I need to call Sarp," I said. I looked at her helplessly. "Help me, Grandma, help me," I said.
"Calm down, my daughter. First, come lie down here," she said, laying me down on my bed. She stroked my hair, trying to comfort me. "Look, my daughter, your phone is with your father. He's very angry today. Now rest; tomorrow, when their anger subsides, they will understand you better, my dear. For now, whatever we do is useless." She tried to calm me down. *********** I hadn't been able to leave my room for days. No one entered my room except for my grandmother and Kader, who worked in the house. Neither my mother Sevil, my father Yusuf, nor my friends could come to see me. I hadn't heard any news from Sarp at all. As I always did, I went out to the balcony and looked around, hoping that Sarp might appear from somewhere. I knew that whether he was well or not, he would come to get me. I didn't know my father could be so heartless, and I especially thought my brother would understand me. They hadn't come to my room since that day. But how well did I really know them? It hadn't been long since I met them. I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of the door lock opening. I looked into the room; it was Kader. She had brought food again, as if I could eat anything. She put the tray on the coffee table and turned to me. "Ceyda, I brought food. You need to eat something, or you'll get sick, my dear." She was worried about me, but I couldn't swallow a single bite. "I won't eat, Kader, take it away," I said. She approached me with a sad expression. "I know you're very upset, but you need to pull yourself together now, Ceyda. Everything will be fine, my beautiful." "Kader, how old are you?" I asked. She answered me in surprise. "Twenty-eight."
"Is there someone you love?" "Yes, we're getting engaged soon," she said with a smile. "Then you understand my situation well," I said. She looked at me as if questioning what I meant. "I want you to help me, Kader. I need to find my phone and reach Sarp. Until I know he's okay, I can't swallow a single bite." "But if your father finds out, it won't be good at all." "Please, Kader. I need your help. I need to check my father's room; it's probably there. Will you help me?" She thought for a bit, then smiled and nodded. "Okay, my Ceyda, as long as you're happy, I'll do whatever I can," she said. For the first time in days, I was smiling. I immediately stood up. "Who's home?" I asked. "Everyone is out except your grandmother." "Where is that witch Zerrin?" "She left the house an hour ago. I don't know where she went." "Then while I search their room, you keep Grandma occupied so she doesn't come to my room," I said. Kader and I left my room together. While Kader went downstairs, I quietly entered my father's room. I looked around; everything was in order. It was just as big as my room. I had to leave it exactly as I found it. Otherwise, that witch Zerrin would realize someone had been searching the room.
I opened the nightstand drawers and looked; it wasn't there. I moved towards the dressing table. "God, please let it be here," I said, opening the first drawer, but it wasn't there. When I opened the second one, I saw my phone. It was as if I had won the world. I walked quickly towards the door with it. Just as I reached the door, I stopped because I remembered my conversation with Sarp. "If your father didn't kill her, as you said, then who killed my mother? Who took her life?" "My father didn't kill her, Ceyda, you can be sure of that. In my opinion, the one who killed your mother is someone from inside the house. They poisoned her while you were in her womb." Who could it be? I had been suspicious of that witch Zerrin since the day I arrived. She couldn't stand me. I turned back, put my phone in my pocket, and decided to search the house a little more. Maybe I was wrong in my thoughts, maybe I wouldn't find anything about her, but at least I would be free of my suspicions. I searched around, not knowing what I was looking for. I opened the wardrobe and looked at the section with Zerrin's clothes. She had various fancy clothes and bags. Under the clothes, there was a two-tiered drawer. I tried to open it, but it was locked and wouldn't open. I noticed a key in one of the drawers, but which one was it? I opened the drawer of the nightstand that I assumed was Zerrin's. Yes, it was there. I took it and opened the top part of the drawer in the wardrobe. Inside were documents and bills whose contents I didn't know. I didn't have time to examine them. I took them all out and put them aside. I opened the bottom part of the drawer. There were more bills. I would examine them all in my room. When I took the bills, I froze at what I saw underneath. "These..." I said, unable to believe my eyes. At that moment, Zerrin's voice came from outside the room. Panicking, I didn't know what to do. I took what I had taken from the drawer, closed the wardrobe, and looked around. I had to hide quickly. But where? In that panic, I threw myself behind the two-seater couch in the room. My knees hurt when I fell, and I had made some noise; I hoped she hadn't heard me. Zerrin continued talking as she opened the door. "Kader, since when do you consult me about kitchen supplies?"
So the person she was talking to was Kader. She was trying to prevent Zerrin from entering the room to protect me. First, there was silence; I think Kader was surprised when she couldn't see me in the room. "But, ma'am, I thought you might want something extra, that's why I asked you to come to the kitchen and take a look." "Kader, I'm already very upset, so I won't take it out on you. Now get out of my room; I want to rest." Zerrin's irritability was evident again. "Okay, ma'am," said Kader, leaving the room. I was pressed tightly against the couch and very tense. If that witch Zerrin saw me here, she would kill me. Zerrin was talking to herself and moving around the room. "Damn it, this can't go on. I need to find a solution for this job." I bent down and tried to look from the edge of the couch. She was standing thoughtfully. Then she started to undress. What was she doing? Was I going to watch her while she undressed? She took off her shirt, and just as she turned towards me, I pulled my head back behind the couch. Had she seen me? My heart was pounding with excitement. The sound of her high-heeled shoes approached; I closed my eyes. While waiting for her to notice me, I flinched when her clothes hit my head. I covered my mouth with my hand so no sound would escape. Then a door opened and closed; I think she had gone into the bathroom. I slowly got up and looked around; as I had guessed, she was in the bathroom. I quickly left the room with the things in my hand. When I went out, I was surprised to see Kader at the door. I pointed to my room, and we walked quickly. "Ceyda, I was scared to death that you got caught." "Thanks to you, my dear Kader. I heard your voices when you came to the room and hid behind the couch. Thank you so much." "Thank goodness. Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I found it," I said. "Okay, then I'll go before anyone gets suspicious," she said. After Kader left, I immediately tried to turn on the phone, but its battery was dead. I plugged it in right away, and when it turned on, I called Sarp. When it started ringing, my heart almost stopped with excitement. It rang once, twice, three times... Just as it was about to go to voicemail, it was answered. "Hello?" said a woman's voice. Who was this now? Why didn't Sarp answer the phone? What if something had happened to Sarp? Or... the thought that came to my mind made me anxious. Could it be his girlfriend? Gathering all my courage, I responded. "I was calling for Sarp," I said. "Is this Ceyda?" "Yes, who am I speaking with?" "It's me, Sibel. My brother is sleeping, Ceyda." "Is he okay? I'm so worried about Sarp. I haven't heard from him for days," I said with a sigh. "Can I talk to him?" "Look, Ceyda, your family shot my brother. He's very lucky the bullet didn't hit a vital spot. It could have been worse. His being with you was very wrong. But we couldn't talk him out of it." Sibel's words hurt me. She was right, but I didn't want things to be like this. Everything had happened against my will. "I think this nightmare should end now. Don't call my brother; he'll give up hope on you in time." My eyes filled with tears; a lump formed in my throat. I couldn't speak. She was right; I didn't want anyone to get hurt anymore.
After Sibel hung up, I lay on my bed and cried for a long time. Crying was all I ever did anymore. ****** Three days had passed since Sarp was shot, but he still hadn't recovered. His surgery was successful, and he was no longer in critical condition. The Aslan family and their men were staying at the private hospital where they had brought Sarp. Everyone was waiting anxiously for Sarp to wake up. Sarp's mother, Aylin Hanım, couldn't control her tears. She constantly cried and prayed. "Aylin, that's enough. I don't want you to cry anymore. Sarp will be fine. You're a strong woman; pull yourself together a bit," said Aslan Bey. "When it comes to my children, I can't be strong, Aslan." "Father, why aren't we doing anything yet? Will what they did to my brother go unpunished?" said Sibel. "Let your brother wake up first, my daughter, then we'll take care of it." Sibel sometimes didn't understand her father at all. The men had harmed her brother, but her father was still sitting and waiting calmly. This situation was really bothering her. She got up and went to Aytaç, who was waiting standing in the hospital corridor. When Aytaç saw Sibel approaching, he straightened up from the wall he was leaning against. "Aytaç, are we just going to stand here with our hands tied? I tell my father, but he doesn't seem to care." Aytaç furrowed his eyebrows. "If it were up to me, I'd go and shoot them all, but your father is stopping me. They all deserve to die. I'm going crazy with anger."
"He's waiting for my brother to wake up. What if something had happened to my brother?" At that moment, the intensive care unit door opened. The doctor coming out had a smiling face. "Congratulations, Aslan Bey, Sarp has regained consciousness. His condition is very good," he said. Everyone was smiling, relieved now. "Can we see my son?" said Aylin Hanım. "Of course, you can go in one by one to see him. However, Sarp muttered Ceyda Hanım's name as soon as he woke up. Let her go in first," he said, and everyone looked at each other. "Ceyda isn't here; take his mother in," said Aslan Bey. They entered the intensive care unit one by one to see Sarp. When it was Aslan Bey's turn, he sat in the chair next to his son. "How are you, son?" he said, looking into Sarp's eyes and smiling. "You look good." "I'm fine," Sarp said, letting out a troubled breath. He tried to sit up in bed. "Son, rest. What are you doing?" "I can't stay here any longer, Father. I need to get out and get my wife as soon as possible." "Wait, son, recover a bit first. We'll go together and get your wife from there," he said, holding Sarp's arm. "Rest tonight; we'll go home in the morning. We'll decide together what to do." "Is there any news from Ceyda?" Sarp was grimacing in pain as he spoke.
"Yes, they've locked the poor girl in her room." "It's all my fault. We should have left at night and returned. I will make Atlas pay for this. I will destroy that house." He was frowning, unable to control his anger. "Be patient, son, be patient." *********** The next day, they had moved back home. Since Sarp had recovered, he had been trying to call Ceyda but couldn't reach her. "Ah, my beautiful-eyed one, what condition are you in now?" he said, sighing deeply. "Everything is because of my negligence," he thought to himself. Just then, there was a knock on the door; it was his sister Sibel. "Brother, how are you feeling?" she said, suddenly hugging Sarp. "Gently, my beautiful," Sarp said, smiling. "Did you forget I'm injured?" "Oh, I'm sorry, brother," she said, pulling back and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You scared us so much; I was so worried about you. If you hadn't kidnapped that girl, none of this would have happened, brother." "Sibel... She is my wife, your sister-in-law. I don't want to hear you talk like that again," he said, frowning. "I know, brother, you love Ceyda, but our families are unfortunately enemies." "Don't trouble your pretty head too much, sister."
A little later, just as she was about to leave the room because her brother had fallen asleep, she paused at the sound of the phone. She turned and looked at her brother; he was in a deep sleep. She took her brother's phone and answered it. "Hello?" she said. Whoever was calling wasn't responding. Just as she was about to hang up, the person on the other end spoke. "I was calling for Sarp," they said. Sibel immediately recognized the voice. "Is this Ceyda?" "Yes, who am I speaking with?" "It's me, Sibel. My brother is sleeping, Ceyda." "Is he okay? I'm so worried about Sarp. I haven't heard from him for days. Can I talk to your brother?" Sibel didn't want to upset Ceyda, but she also couldn't accept that her family had shot her brother. "Look, Ceyda, your family shot my brother. He's very lucky the bullet didn't hit a vital spot. It could have been worse. His being with you was very wrong. But we couldn't talk him out of it." "I think this nightmare should end now. Don't call my brother; he'll give up hope on you in time," she said to Ceyda. She hung up the phone, left it next to her brother, and left the room. ****** When Sarp opened his eyes, it was midnight. He got up with difficulty from the bed. He took the cigarette pack and his phone from the nightstand and went out to the balcony. He sat in the balcony chair and lit a cigarette. His eyes gazed into the distance as he inhaled from his cigarette. He thought about Ceyda, thought about the mistake he had made. He sighed deeply. "Let me try one more time;
maybe there's hope she'll answer the phone," he thought. When he made the call, the phone was ringing. He couldn't believe it; he got excited and waited impatiently for Ceyda to answer. "Sarp," said Ceyda's sleepy and excited voice. "My dear wife," said Sarp, smiling joyfully. Ceyda started crying, sobbing. "My beauty, don't cry." "Sarp, you're okay. I was going out of my mind thinking something had happened to you." Ceyda's crying wouldn't stop. "I'm fine, my beauty, don't cry anymore. I would burn the world for a single one of your tears," Sarp said with a sigh. "I know about your situation at home. Don't upset yourself, my dear wife. I will recover and come to get you." "Sarp, my family is very angry. I'm afraid everything will get worse. I don't want anyone to get hurt anymore. I've been feeling terrible for days. Sarp, I was going crazy thinking something had happened to you." "I would die for you, my beautiful-eyed one. If it weren't for your family, I would make them pay heavily for separating us like this. Don't upset yourself anymore; I will come to you soon, my love. I love you, my beautiful wife. I want to hear you say you love me too." Ceyda was hesitant with Sarp, but she had missed him so much. This was the first time she would say this to him. "I love you too, my husband," she said, smiling.