My mood was completely ruined because my brother had unfairly yelled at me and stormed off last night, and after he left, Zerrin came and gave me a nasty smirk. Today, I didn't feel like leaving my room at all, until my brother came, apologized, and practically dragged me downstairs for breakfast. I know he was worried about me; he just lost his temper for a moment, which is why he shouted. I didn't drag the issue out anyway. "Princess, are you sure you don't want to come to the company with us?" my brother asked as he put on his jacket. I answered immediately. "No, bro, I'd be bored there, and you know I don't understand business stuff. By the way, you look very handsome," I said. The navy blue suit looked great on his tall frame. "Thank you, princess, but you know this is just my usual look." He laughed and pinched my cheek. Just then, my dad and Zerrin came down the stairs. "Ceyda, you haven't changed. Aren't you coming with us?" "I'll come another time, Dad. I want to stay home today," I said. "Okay, my girl. Call me if you need anything," he said, hugging me and kissing my cheeks. Then my brother also kissed my cheeks, and they left the house together. I went out into the garden after them, avoiding Zerrin's cold face.
While they got in the car and left, I started wandering around the garden in my pink pajamas. I didn't recognize any of the men around except Cem. He wasn't around either. I felt like smoking. I wondered if I asked one of the men, would he get me one? I sat on the pergola and looked at the men one by one, wondering who to call, when something caught my attention. One of them was secretly watching me while talking to someone on a headset. Without thinking, I raised my hand and gestured for him to come. At first, he looked at me in surprise, then said something to the person he was talking to and started coming over. "Yes, Miss Ceyda? Did you need something?" "Can you get me some cigarettes?" I said. "Of course, ma'am. Which brand?" I told him the brand. Just as he was turning to leave, I said, "Wait a second." He immediately turned back to me. "If it's not too personal, can I ask who you were talking to?" I said. For some reason, this man's behavior made me suspicious. He hesitated at first, not knowing what to say, and looked into my eyes. Then he quickly pulled himself together and said, "With my girlfriend, ma'am." And his face suddenly turned red. I think the call was still connected. As I sent him away, I watched him go. "You've really become paranoid, Ceyda. He was talking to his girlfriend, that's all," I muttered to myself when I heard Cem's voice. "What are you talking to yourself about?" he said, sitting opposite me with a laugh. "One of the men caught my attention, but I think I misunderstood," I said. "Which man?" he asked. "You'll see when he comes," I said. After we chatted for a bit, the man came over to us with the cigarettes. As I took the pack from him, I said, "Thank you." As the man walked away, I said, "That's the man. Do you know his name?" "Erdem. What did he do to make you suspicious?" "He had a headset on, talking to someone. He was sneaking glances at me. When I signaled for him to come get me cigarettes, he was surprised and hesitated. When he came over, I asked who he was talking to, he hesitated again and then said 'my girlfriend'."
Laughing loudly, he said, "He was talking to his girlfriend, so what's there to be suspicious about?" While lighting a cigarette, I said, "You're right. I guess I've become completely paranoid." "What's up? You're still in your pajamas in the garden at this hour with a cigarette in your hand? Feeling down? Is there a problem?" Shrugging, I said, "Nah, what problem could there be? I just felt like it. Besides, I'm not going to let anything bother me anymore. Also, I'm going to my room now to listen to music at full volume." Laughing heartily, he said, "I think you should go up to your room, turn the music up full blast, and block out the world." I smiled. "I'm going then," I said. For some reason, he was in a good mood today. During our last conversation, he had suddenly gotten angry about my grandfather. When I got to my room, I first took a shower and bathed nicely for half an hour. Then I put on a black knee-length skirt and a white short-sleeved, lace bolero over it. I wasn't going to leave the house, but for some reason, I felt like dressing up. I combed and dried my hair, went to my vanity, and sat in front of the mirror. I did light makeup and put a small, white-stoned, comb-shaped clip in my hair from the side. I looked very beautiful. I put on my large pink headphones, turned the music up to full volume, and started dancing. I was listening to music while jumping and dancing around. It was a great feeling. I don't know how long I danced like that. Zerrin should have come and shouted at me by now. Why hadn't she come? Only I could hear the music, but they must have heard the sounds from me jumping. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the rhythm of the music. I was out of breath; I needed to stop. As soon as I opened my eyes, laughing, I saw the person in front of me and jumped in fear, screaming. My heart was pounding wildly as I tried to calm myself down with deep breaths. As I took off my headphones, I tried to speak. "What are you doing here?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady while still taking frequent breaths. "I told you I would come for you," he said. He looked very determined. "What nonsense are you talking? Get out of here! I'm not going anywhere with you!" As I said this, he started walking towards me slowly. As he came closer, I stepped back. "Don't come near me! I'll scream, I'm telling you, get out!"
He didn't listen to me and suddenly closed the distance between us, grabbing my arm. I tried to break free but couldn't. "Calm down. I don't want to hurt you," he said. "Let me go! What do you want from me?" I said, but he didn't listen, pulling me by the arm and taking me out of my room. In the hallway, two men looked at Sarp and spoke. "Bro, this floor is clear." Sarp nodded and dragged me down the stairs. When we got downstairs, I couldn't believe my eyes. A few men were aiming guns at Zerrin and the female staff. Seeing them, my fear intensified. You could tell from their faces that they were very scared too. An idea came to me. "Let go!" I shouted, managing with difficulty to break free from Sarp's grip and running into the living room. When I entered the living room, my grandfather and grandmother were also being held at gunpoint. As soon as I reached them, Sarp put his arm around my waist and held me. My grandfather frowned and shouted at Sarp. "You're making a mistake, son. Let my granddaughter go." I couldn't stand it either. "Let them go! What do you want from us? Get out of here!" I shouted. "Ceyda, if you come with me without causing trouble, no one will get hurt. Let's go," Sarp said, still holding me tightly. I couldn't hold back my tears. "I'm not going anywhere." "Your choice," he said to his men. "Shoot." I panicked instantly. "Stop! Okay, I'm coming! Just don't hurt them!" I said. My grandfather said, "Ceyda, don't go." I looked at him and my grandmother, whose face showed she was terrified, with sadness. There was nothing I could do. "Let Ceyda go. You can't harm her because of the past." "Let's go," I said quietly, averting my gaze from them.
Sarp let go of my waist, grabbed my hand tightly, and took me out of the house. The garden was very crowded. All the men who worked in the house had their hands on their heads, kneeling. Sarp's men were standing over them with guns. On the ground, two men who had been shot in the leg were writhing in pain. I looked at them with pity; this was savagery. How could they harm a living being? Outside, all hell had broken loose. Guns had been fired, and I had been in my room, dancing with music at full volume, oblivious to the world. As I passed through the men, I stopped at the two people I saw by the door. This couldn't be happening. For days, he had approached me like a friend and chatted with me. So it was all part of the plan. I frowned at Cem. Then I looked at Erdem, whom I had suspected because of his behavior, and kept walking. So both were Sarp's men. I just couldn't understand it. When we got in the car, Sarp sat next to me. When I raised my head, I made eye contact with Aytaç in the rearview mirror; he was the one driving. Without paying attention, I quickly looked away and stared outside. As the car moved, I couldn't hold back my tears again. Just when everything was falling into place and I was getting used to my new family, now I was heading into the unknown. Who knows, they would probably kill me just like they killed my mother. I couldn't help but be very scared. "Stop crying now." Sarp spoke, taking my hand and leaning towards me. I quickly pulled my hand from his and moved away. Looking into his eyes, I said, "Don't touch me! Stay away from me! Where are you taking me? Or are you going to kill me, just like my mother?" "Nothing like that. That's a lie made up by that dishonorable family." "Is it a lie?" I shouted. "Aren't you taking me to your father? So he can finish the job he started years ago?" He was looking at me with a frown. "Let me go! I want to get out!" "If you don't shut up and behave..." he said, moving even closer to me. He stared into my eyes but didn't finish his sentence. I was scared by his tone and furrowed brows, so I immediately turned forward. I didn't speak again for the rest of the journey.
We stopped in front of a large, ostentatious house facing the sea. When the large gate of the house opened, two more cars entered the garden with us. There were many guards here too. When Sarp got out of the car, he took my hand and helped me out. When we entered the house through the door, a woman was sitting on the sofa in the large entrance hall. As we walked towards her, she noticed us and stood up. She looked at me, then at Sarp. "Mom, is Dad upstairs?" Sarp said. So this was his mother. "Yes, son, in his study," she said, turning her surprised eyes to me. "Welcome, my girl," she said. While I didn't know what to say, Sarp answered. "Get acquainted with your future daughter-in-law," he said, letting go of my hand and quickly going upstairs. "Sit down, my girl, don't stand." The woman had spoken with a smile. "I don't want to sit. Sarp kidnapped me by force. He raided my house with a bunch of men. Please help me; let me go." The woman sighed. "You're right, my girl, but there's nothing I can do to stop my son," she said. I looked at her with pleading eyes. "Look, there's a long-standing enmity between our families from the past. I don't know exactly what happened. Your husband killed my mother when I was born. I lived all this time without knowing my real family, and your husband is the reason for that. Your son is going to finish the job your husband left unfinished years ago," I said, looking into her eyes with sadness. I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. "I don't want to die," I said. The woman looked at my face in shock. "Die?" she said. At that moment, the large glass door of the living room leading to the back garden opened. A girl about my age entered, holding a white cat in her arms. She looked at me curiously. "Who are you?" she said. I guess this must be Sarp's sister. She looked a lot like her mother. She had light brown hair and green eyes, just like her mother. Before I could answer, Sarp answered as he came down the stairs. "Your sister-in-law, Ceyda," he said. His sister looked at us in surprise. Sarp pointed to his sister and said,
"My sister, Sibel, and my mother, Aylin. Now that you've met, we can go," he said and, holding my shoulders, guided me towards the door. As we walked towards the door, Mrs. Aylin called out, "Son!" When Sarp turned, I turned with him and looked at Mrs. Aylin. There was a bittersweet smile on her face. "Take care of yourselves," she said. What did Mrs. Aylin mean by that? Was I wrong to think Sarp would kill me? As we left the house, I looked at his hand holding mine. This was absurd; I was holding hands with the son of my mother's killer. I quickly pulled my hand from his. "This is nonsense! What is your goal? I want to know right now!" I shouted. "Where are you taking me? Answer me!" I was shouting while hitting his chest and arms with my fists wherever they landed. "Talk! Are you going to kill me?" He stood silently, watching me. This made me even angrier. "My father will find us, and they will hold you accountable," I said. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me towards him. This movement made me fall silent. We were eye to eye. He looked into my eyes without speaking. I tried to break free from his arms, but I wasn't strong enough. I turned my head and looked at the men around us; none of them were looking at us. When I turned forward, I saw the person I assumed was Sarp's father on the balcony upstairs, watching us with his hands in his pockets. When I looked at Sarp, he was narrowing his eyes and grinning as he watched me. I tried to break free again but failed. "My future wife's nerves are quite frayed. Don't worry, it will all pass," he said, taking my hand again, putting me in the car, and sitting next to me. Aytaç was driving again. I didn't turn to Sarp or speak during the journey. Why hadn't my dad and brother found me yet? When the car stopped at the airport, I turned to Sarp in panic.
"Why are we here? Where are you taking me?" I said. "A little change of scenery will do us good," he said. "Let's get out." "No! This can't be right!" As I said this, he took my hand and pulled me, making me walk with him. He had planned and arranged everything in advance. He forced me onto a private plane, pulling me and making me sit in a seat. I wondered what else was going to happen to me. Right now, I was feeling excitement, panic, and fear all at once. Before the plane took off, Aytaç also boarded and sat opposite us. Then Cem and Erdem boarded, and I turned my eyes to them. They sat next to us. I was looking at them angrily. When the plane started moving, I felt even more panicked. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I felt Sarp's breath right by my ear. "If you're scared, you can hug me," he said. I frowned and looked at him; he was very close. I tried to move away from him as if it were possible. After a while, he said, "Are you hungry?" I shrugged and turned my back to him as much as possible. I didn't know if I was hungry. I, who loved to eat, hadn't felt hungry because of my situation. After two hours, the plane landed at an airport I didn't recognize. When I got off the plane, I looked around. Was I seeing things? It said Muş Airport. I opened my eyes wide and turned my astonished gaze to Sarp. "What business do we have here?" "I told you, we need a change of scenery," he said, smiling. He put his hand on my waist and made me walk with him. I walked without objecting; what good would it do? The guy had brought me all the way to Muş without any money. I didn't have my phone. I wondered if my dad was looking for me? How would he know we had come all the way here? When we left the airport, we got into two waiting black cars. This time, someone else was driving. Aytaç got in the front, and we got in the back. The others were in the other car. After a while, the sign said 'Welcome to Mutki'. "Where is this?" I asked. "Mutki, a district of Bitlis," Sarp said.
It was a very beautiful district, covered in greenery and trees. I looked around with great admiration. Among the greenery, there were apartments and one or two-story houses. There were even mud houses on the mountain slopes. "Do you like it?" I turned to him at Sarp's question. I wasn't going to answer. "I'll take you around; it's very beautiful here. It's my mother's hometown," he said. The cars stopped in the garden of a large three-story house built in the middle of a green area. As we walked towards the house, when I realized Sarp was going to hold my hand, I crossed my arms. When we entered the house, everything was very tidy and clean. When we went into the large living room, I immediately sat in the first place I found. Sarp first looked at me, scanning me from head to toe, then frowned and turned to the others. "Aytaç, order food for us, then secure the perimeter," he said. "Sarp, we can't secure it with this many men. Let me get a few more guys. If we get raided, our numbers are too low," he said. "It's enough for now. I don't want a crowd here. Now, get out," he said. As they left the living room, he turned to me again and scanned me. His eyebrows were still furrowed. "Don't you have a shorter skirt?" he said. I was taken aback at first, then lowered my head and looked at my skirt. It was knee-length; it wasn't short. Looking at his face, I said, "What's wrong with my skirt? And what business is it of yours? I'll dress however I want. You can't tell me what to do." My voice came out a bit loud. His eyebrows were still furrowed, and he started speaking with annoyance. Those eyebrows never relaxed. "You certainly have a mouth on you; when you want to, it never stops," he said, taking a few steps towards me, holding my chin, and lifting it. He leaned down and looked into my eyes. "Our wedding is soon. From now on, what I say goes," he said. Then he took my hand and said, "Come with me." 'Our wedding'? I don't understand why he wants to marry me. If he would just talk to me openly, if I knew what he felt for me... but it can't be like this. I can't marry him like this. Okay, I do have feelings for him, but I can't marry him under duress. We went upstairs and entered a large bedroom. Everything was in black and gray tones. He went to the large wardrobe, took out a t-shirt and sweatpants, and threw them on the bed.
"Put these on," he said. I picked up the clothes and looked at them. "How am I supposed to wear these? Can't you see? They're way too big for me!" I said. He looked at the clothes, then at me. "I don't care. You can't walk around among the men in that skirt. You'll wear my clothes until I get you some. Change your clothes and come down; we're going to eat," he said and left the room. I looked in the wardrobe, rummaged through his clothes, and found a black t-shirt and sweatpants that might fit me better. I put them on and looked in the mirror. The top was okay, but the bottom was a bit big. When I went down to the living room, they were setting the table. We all sat down and ate together. Sarp's eyes were constantly on me, but I wasn't looking at any of them. I was very hungry. After the meal, they all went outside except for Aytaç—Cem, Erdem, and the two people whose names I didn't know, the ones who had met us with the cars when we arrived. While Sarp and Aytaç were talking, I quietly got up and walked towards the living room door. "Where are you going?" I stopped at the sound of Sarp's harsh voice. Without turning to him, I said, "I'm going up to my room." If I had said I was going outside, he definitely wouldn't have allowed it. I opened the door and went outside. When the men saw me, they stared at me, wondering where I was going. Where could I go anyway? I pulled up one of the chairs in the garden and sat down. It was night; I didn't know what time it was. The air here was uniquely beautiful. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air as much as I could. Maybe it would clear my head a bit. I opened my eyes; I felt like smoking again. I used to smoke occasionally for fun, but now the events in my life had made me an addict. Cem, who was standing opposite me, started coming towards me. "Ceyda, are you still angry with me?" he said. Wrapping my arms around myself, I said, "You worked for my dad for three years. How could you do this to him? Have you ever seen any evil from him? You betrayed him." "I was doing my job, Ceyda. Sarp sent me there to find you." I looked at Cem's face in shock. "You've been looking for me for three years?" "Yes," he said.
"Because of your friendliness, I genuinely wanted to be friends with you. That wasn't part of my role," he said, turning his back. Just as he was about to leave, I said, "Do you have a cigarette?" He turned back with a laugh, holding out the pack and lighter from his pocket. I lit my cigarette and brought it to my lips, inhaling. If only I had my phone with me now, and a melancholic song to go with it, it would be good.