Closed Doors and a Guitar Pick - Sen Cal Kapimi

Some heroes do not wear capes (*ing Aydan, Seyfi & Serkan)

Serkan found his home empty, his life emptier. Yet his home was strewn over with Eda's hastily abandoned belongings, her thoughtful gifts, her weird, quirky cup, a hair clip here, a bandana there. Her absence showed how present she was in every aspect of his life. It was like she had simply taken over his being and he could no longer go back to his earlier life. For the past few days, he could find no peace either at home or work.

He was haunted by her eyes, filling with tears , trying very bravely to not show him how hurt she was. Desperately he walked the dark and empty garden to escape the memory of her eyes.

Walking aimlessly, he raised his burning face to the cool air, hoping the air would free his mind of the images of the past few days. It did not, if anything, it made it worse. He leaned against the fence burying his face in his hands, trying to find some relief from the turmoil in his head. He did not notice he was observed by Seyfi, who first watched him indignantly and angrily and then seeing his troubled state, with more kindness than he had felt towards Serkan since the past few days.

Seyfi silently came and stood next to Serkan, leaning against the fence and said- " Are you feeling sad your engagement broke down, Serkan bey?"

With a start Serkan realized he had company. But he was too dispirited to be his normal self with Seyfi.

He nodded yes, still not raising his head.

Seyfi- "but why Serkan Bey, wasn't this only a fake engagement? It was always meant to bring Selin back into your life. It looks like everything went as per your plan."

Serkan sighed –" I don't care about the plan anymore Seyfi. All I care about is messing up everything with Eda. She didn't deserve what I did to her. And I don't know how to undo this ." his voice trailed off...

Seyfi –" But why would you care so much about Eda? She has friends, her hala .. she is young and has plans. She will get over her disappointment and go on" deciding to turn the kinfe a bit more, continued... "Of course she will no longer hero worship you and probably think of you as the worst human being she knew..."

Serkan turned his head towards Seyfi , "Did she hero worship me? I don't think so. If anything she was always teasing me or contradicting me. She was always fighting or making fun of me", he finished morosely, longing for even a fraction of the days he had spent with her

Seyfi smiled, "Then why do you feel bad.?"... he waited as Serkan struggled to find an answer to the question.

Serkan- "Because I cant bear that she think badly of me. And I have hurt her so badly that I don't think I cant do anything anymore" He said morosely hanging his head in shame, "I have completely messed it up, Seyfi. "

Seyfi with a snort " Serve you right Serkan Bey. If you feel pained, think of how much the victim must be suffering".

Aydan Hanim who had been standing, unnoticed, listening to this conversation, now came forward, and leaned on the fence on the other side of Serkan, who appeared taken aback to now find his mother appear out of the blue, and join the conversation, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Aydan Hanim- "So Seyfi you think my son should go after a girl whose heart he broke? A girl he only had as a fake fiancée? It is a lost cause. Because she is not going to listen to him at all. It will be tough. She will be rude. It is a test, can he succeed?"

Serkan looked at both his sides perplexedly, flanked by two people, who were now having a conversation looking straight ahead into the darkness, discussing him as if he wasn't present.

Seyfi—"Personally,I don't think Serkan Bey has a chance. Eda is a very strong woman."

Aydan Hanim—"Seyfi you think my son is weak?" indignantly.

Seyfi said dismissively –" Oh Eda already said he is not her type... No I don't think he has any chance of success. "

Aydan Hanim—" No girl is good enough for my son Seyfi.......hmm but I think probably this girl is a little too much for my son to handle. Let it be. Serkan will go back to Selin, she is safe, organized, predictable and will always do what Serkan wants. Passion and excitement are not everything."

Seyfi –" Yes of course. That's good enough for Serkan Bey. He doesn't want an adventurous life, full of highs and lows and love and madness and laughter and tears."

Aydan Hanim –" Thank God he doesn't want it Seyfi.. What will he do with a big, beautiful love which is already causing him pain?"

Seyfi stole a glance at Serkan struck low by that last statement, head bent, hands thrust in his trouser pockets defensively, lost in thought. And decided to turn the knife a bit more.

Seyfi- "That's true Aydan Hanim. Its good it happened this way. Serkan Bey can go to his safe Selin. Eda will find some man who will appreciate her liveliness and fall in love with her. She is a beautiful girl, isn't she Hanim, she will find plenty of suitors".

Aydan Hanim- " Yes Seyfi, Eda is a beautiful girl, who knows how many boys are already happy she is free now. And maybe she will find a handsome young man who is her type very soon."

Both looked obliquely at Serkan who uttered a long defeated sigh and scrunched up his eyes in annoyance at the images of the various men who couldn't resist Eda.. and that was when she had his ring on her finger..Now... he quickly shook his head to clear out the morose thought. Seyfi and Aydan Hanim silently smirked at each other.

Seyfi- " I think Eda really hates Serkan Bey now," looking at Serkan out of the corners of his eyes, watching him grow still at the question that had been eating him.

Aydan Hanim, "Nonsense. She is angry with him only because she cares about him. If he wants, if he really wants, he can mend the situation. But only if he really wants..."

Serkan broke into their conversation "Stop, stop, stop both of you. What are you doing?" He turned his head this side and that, imploring them to stop echoing the thoughts that had been haunting since the past days.

Now, Aydan Hanim turned towards him and looked at him very hard for a few moments—      "What are we doing? We are deciding about your life, since you don't seem to be taking a decision. Look, son, you are standing at a crossroad—you can take the soft decision and stay home sighing about your life or you can take the hard decision and go after Eda to fix what you broke. Yes, son, you broke it, so you go and fix it. " She spoke firmly and with a  hard tone she never adopted with her son.

Seyfi sniffed in fake derision as if he didn't believe Serkan had the courage to do it. Serkan indignantly looked at him and then back to his mother.

Aydan- "I didn't give birth to a son who would sit crying in the garden over losing a girl. Go and fix the situation." She ordered him and without missing a beat, "Seyfi I was waiting for you to come and give me my medicine, Come lets go"

Seyfi- "Of course Madam", Seyfi reached for her arm and guided her carefully away, both never sparing a glance at Serkan.

Serkan briefly closed his eyes his head, flung up towards the sky. Into his head came the vision of Eda sitting on the steps on his birthday, shy, smiling, her eyes bowed, as he kissed her thanks. What an idiot he was.  He gave up before he made an attempt because he was so scared of failure. Instead of running away from rejection, he could have tried to show her what she meant to him.

Aydan Hanim and Seyfi heard the beep of the car lock as Serkan used the remote key to unlock the car on his way to Eda. They both looked at each other , smiled and exchanged a silent High Five exultantly.

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(Dear Readers, hope you all enjoyed it. As we look forward to the next Wednesday, it seems a hopeful day ( as of now). Seyfi, Ayfer Hanim and Aydan Hanim are my most favorite characters. They are such charmers, I find myself falling in love with them. I do have another angsty piece jotted down, which I will try and post in a while. )