The Wedding Night...

Challenging the leader...

Baran could not contain his anger. That text message. How dare he? "Baran!" Dilan held his arm. "You are staying here, Dilan." She shook her head. "This also concerns me. What is that text about?" He ignored her when he heard Ms. Azade call his name. "Dilan, stay here." He went out the door and heard someone's steps behind him. He cursed to himself. His wife did not listen. Once they reached the down floor. Ms. Azade was waiting for them in the middle of the living room, standing tall, both hands on her cane. Before going further down to meet her. And with his voice raised, he spoke. "What is all these screaming about?" He took a look at his uncle. He was enjoying the moment. Baran closed his eyes and told himself to focus on his grandmother. "Is what your uncle told me true, Baran?" It was better to get it over with fast. "I don't know exactly what he told you, but if you are asking about Dilan, yes, It is true." She was face to face with him. "How could you hide this from the family? How?" Baran didn't back down. "I did what I saw fit. My decisions will not be questioned." She hit her cane on the floor. "This is completely different. That Seyit dared to fool the Karabey family. He has made a mockery of our name. We have traditions. This action needs to be punished." Baran was already done with this conversation. "There is nothing to punish. Dilan is their child, blood or not. She paid the price, a high price. Or did you forget what you did to her, Ms. Azade?"

His grandmother looked conflicted. "How are you going to pay for what you did to my wife? How will we all pay for what she experienced living here?" Baran heard the sound of the door but kept his eyes on Ms. Azade. Before he knew it, Cihan was standing next to him. Both made a wall of protection around Dilan. His grandmother's eyes landed on his wife. He saw shame on them. She could not hold the stare for long, so she returned her gaze to him. "That is different. That would not have happened if that man had not fooled us. He is to blame for what she experienced, not us." Baran's head turned in desperation. "So Dilan was to blame for her father's actions, but you are blameless in yours? I think you would find your words hypocritical, Ms. Azade." She dismissed his words and raised her voice even more. "You had no right to keep that a secret, leader of the clan or not. This goes beyond you. Everyone in this family should have a say in our next step." His father finally intervened. "I was the husband of the woman that was killed, mother. I have forgiven Seyit, and that Dilan is not their biological daughter changes nothing. I gave him my word, and a true man, especially Karabey, never returns on it..." Cihan placed his hand on Baran's shoulder. "The blood feud is over. We support my brother. And we will protect Dilan and her family if need be." Baran's dad directed a look of contempt towards his brother. "I stand here with my two sons. No one but us has a say in this. No one has a right over my wife like we do. And we say this matter is close."

Dilan saw Ms. Azade's anger through the shoulders of Baran, Cihan, and Mr. Kudret. They were all trying to protect her. She felt angry with her father, but at the same time, she feared for him and her brother. She was a mix of emotions. What her father did to him, Mr. Kudret, was unforgivable to begin with. And giving her to the Karabeys, when she wasn't even related to him, was a sin towards her and an offense towards this family. Still, she didn't want everything she experienced to be for nothing. Daughter or not, she paid the debt. And she wanted to leave all that behind and live peacefully with Baran. "Not so fast, brother." Mr. Hassan spoke. "This matter is far for closing. Your son lied to his tribe and tarnished the Karabey name. He is unfit to be our leader. His love for this girl clouds his decisions; he has put her before us, and nothing comes before the tribe." His father lunched to his brother's throat. "What kind of man are you? You are having fun with all of this, aren't you?" Baran and Cihan held their dad as Ms. Azade screamed for her son. "I take no pleasure in this brother." Mr. Hassan struggled to get those words out. "Now it is out of my hands. The tribe council will decide Baran's fate." What did she just hear? 'Baran's fate' What did that mean? Dilan started to panic. Mr. Kudret let his brother go with a push as Ms. Azade asked. "What do you mean the tribe council, Hassan? What did you do?" Ms. Azade was panicking as well. The man fixed his shirt before he spoke. "What needed to be done? I asked for a hearing with the council. I'm challenging Baran's position as the leader."