A month later, Ayedah found herself waiting to board a plane at Istanbul Airport; it was nighttime, but Ayedah and the rest of the travellers from set had to take a Virus Testing each earlier after dawn so they would be able to travel. Luckily, they all turned out to be tested negative for any virus, meaning there would be no extra complications. They had been quarantined separately whilst they waited for results, and when they were released they hung around the airport whilst they waited to board their flight that was scheduled to depart later on at night; it had to be later on due to travel restrictions, even though it was a private flight. They weren't all together at the same time, but made sure to keep in communication in case Mehmet called them to gather round.
Ayedah, who enjoyed looking at airplanes, spent a few hours by herself at the windows to watch them take off from the airport runways. She had her favorite leather notebook out, and jotted down anything she was inspired to write as she watched the large jumbo jets and streamlined planes take flight into the sky. Her eyes admired how they would grow smaller and smaller as they flew further and further away till they would look like mere birds; her brain thought up creative metaphors to use in the future for her books and projects as it processed what was in view. There were not many, of course, due to the travel restrictions- but Ayedah found that more comforting and discovered that it was easier to focus on them when there were not so many of them taking off and taxiing on the runway all at once.
Afterwards, she had stolen away to Melike Sultan Pharmacy to see if they had her mood-stabilizer pills, for she was running out- the last thing she needed was to have or start a Bipolar episode during the trip. She had kicked herself for forgetting to visit the pharmacy in town earlier, but thankfully the pharmacy at the airport did indeed have what she needed. She added a small bottle of Melatonin gummies to help her sleep throughout the flight and to control the jet-lag; she knew from past occurrences that if she allowed herself to succumb to the terrors of jet-lag, her mental health would be all over the place with the exhaustion her brain would experience.
Ayedah made sure no one saw her at the pharmacy again, remembering how Burak nearly caught her buying her pills the last time. She wasn't ready to share her disorder with him, or any of the acquaintances she'd made on set or cast members she was friendly with, not even her boss. She was afraid to be judged for it, and maybe be at risk for losing her job. So she continued to do what she had done for the past ten years; stick to her medication without slipping, and never let the truth out. She had been apprehensive at first, but was glad that neither Ozge nor her aunt had recommended sharing it; she was grateful that they were respectful of her values and privacy, knowing that she would be uncomfortable in doing so. Nevertheless, she did not have much to be worried about even if she was still insecure about it- she hadn't experienced symptoms in a long time, even if there was a spot of depression and anxiety here and there. Her original plan for it was going steady.
After Ayedah got bored of watching planes, she looked around to see if there were any shops in duty-free that sold books; she thought that perhaps she could start on something new on the flight and in her spare time when they arrived. It was a habit of hers, to read a new book whenever she would travel. She enjoyed the combined adrenaline of reading a new text and travelling, it would almost always take any extra stress or anxiety weighing on the back of her mind off as she journeyed.
She eventually found a small section for fiction books in one of the stores, and began to browse around. She looked at her watch; it was still a little under an hour before she had to return to the group's designated rendezvous point, a cafe near the boarding area, which was not far from where she was. She had time. "Okay now, which one of you shall I read today, eh?" she wondered aloud in a soft voice, her eyes narrowed as she scoured through the book spines, looking at their titles. She realized that many of them she had already read, and she was looking for something new. She continued searching, and before long, someone had joined her.
"Hey," said Burak, coming up from behind her. "Hi," said Ayedah, not looking at him as she continued to browse through the small shelves to choose a book. Burak watched her intently for a while, before asking, "What're you doing?" "What does it look like I'm doing?" muttered Ayedah in response, completely indifferent to Burak's presence. "Er...looking for a book?" guessed Burak. "Exactly, Mr. Stating-the-obvious," Ayedah quipped, giving him a quick cheeky glance before continuing to look through the shelves. Burak blinked at her for a while as she knelt down on the ground to search through the lower shelves. He knelt down beside her- though he didn't know exactly why he was- and began to search with her. Ayedah noticed his actions when his knee bumped against hers, and looked at him with an amused expression.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "Doing the same as you," said Burak defensively, though he didn't sound that confident. "Erh...what genres are these?" "What genres would you read?" asked Ayedah. "Horror," said Burak immediately, putting on a macho voice. Ayedah was very close to laughing, but kept her tone steady as she quipped, "Oh really? So you know Judith McNaught?" "Yes, of course," said Burak in a tired voice, though Ayedah could tell that he did not recognize the name at all. "I have some of her books, even if I haven't got around to reading all of them. But from what I've read, her writing is very descriptive and er- scary." "Yep, she's a great romance novelist isn't she?" said Ayedah, and laughed at the look on Burak's face. "Yes, Burak, she specializes in romance, not horror fiction." Burak went red and looked away, muttering incoherently. "You didn't have to mock me like that," he said, embarrassed. "Okay, so what if I don't know authors and book genres? You could tell me what they are. I'm still only halfway through with Heidi, and haven't started on anything else, you know that." "Okay yeah, I'll stop- once you stop pretending that you do know," giggled Ayedah.
At the ghostly look on Burak's face, she finally felt a twinge of remorse and said, "Alright. How about this, I'll choose a book for you to read." Burak glared at her; "How do I know if you're going to choose something that I can actually read and enjoy," he demanded. "What if you trick me into reading something I'll be scarred for life from?" "Aww, I wouldn't hurt you, Burak Celik, I promise," Ayedah promised mockingly, and Burak rolled his eyes as he remembered how he said the exact same thing to her barely a month ago. "Hilarious," he muttered, and Ayedah giggled. "But really though, I won't," said Ayedah. "I take these things seriously." Burak sighed, and relented. "Fine, but then I get to do the same for you," he said, wagging a finger at her. "Deal," said Ayedah, her body quivering from laughter, knowing that she had already read many of the titles found on the shelves.
Burak immediately drew a random book from the shelf; Crazy Rich Asians. "I've read that, and watched the movie- I bet you have too," said Ayedah, and Burak looked at the cover. "Oh, right," he said, recognizing it and putting it back hastily. He grabbed another one, and held it out; this time, it was The 100, by Kaz Morgan. "I have all the books from the series," said Ayedah, trying not to laugh. "And there's a show for that too. But do keep searching." Burak gave her a withering look before grumpily putting back the book, and began to search the shelves again, this time standing up to do so. Ayedah watched him as he did so intently, wanting very much to laugh at the focused expression on his face, his round, unusual blue eyes narrowed as he did so. After a good few minutes, he finally took out a book titled The Samurai's Daughter, by Lesley Downer. "Please tell me you haven't read this yet," he pleaded desperately. Luck was on his side; Ayedah hadn't.
"Nope," she said, surprised. "It looks interesting. Thank you." Burak sighed in relief, making Ayedah smile at him. "Okay, now you choose for me," said Burak. "Deal's a deal." Ayedah nodded, and knelt down just for a second before drawing out a book, and handing it to him; George's Marvellous Medicine. "Isn't this a child's book?" asked Burak in amazement, looking at the cover and the back to read the blurb. "It's a good laugh," said Ayedah. "The first Roald Dahl book I've ever read, bless him." Burak raised an eyebrow at her, evidently oblivious to who Roald Dahl was. Ayedah sighed, and took the book from him before leaving for the counter. "Anyways, I'm paying," she said firmly, before Burak immediately tried to stop her. "Um- no you're not," he said, making her groan. "Come on, Burak, you've already spent too much on me, God," she said, annoyed. "Let me do you this favor once." "Well, if it'll relieve you, I'll pay for your book and you pay for mine," said Burak. Ayedah glared at him; she had taken a sneak at both the price stickers, and knew that the book he chose for her was more expensive.
"Sorry, but no, Mr. Celik," she said in a sweetly dangerous voice, before poking his chest with her forefinger. "You owe me to pay you up at least once." She gave him such a look that he knew he had no choice but to relent. "Fine," he sighed. "But then I'm sitting with you on the plane and we read together." Ayedah blinked at him; she had planned on sitting alone if she could, and sleeping throughout the flight. She was quite tired, having stayed up the previous night to prepare, and wanted to get some rest. But she knew that Burak wouldn't let her go, so she relented as well. "Alright, but if I fall asleep, don't disturb me please," she said grudgingly, before going to the counter to pay. Burak grinned at her as he watched her pay for their books, before returning to him and giving him his. "Don't worry, I won't," he said. "It's only a three-hour flight anyway." Ayedah blinked. "Great," she said, relieved; there was less chance of jet-lag then, and she could rest easy.
Burak's phone rang suddenly, and he raised it to his ear to take the call. "Alright, we're coming," he said, and put it back in his pocket. "Come on, Yazar Hanim, we're leaving." "Oh, alright," said Ayedah, putting her book in her bag before the two of them walked toward the cafe where they were all supposed to meet up. "Ah, there you are," said Mehmet. "Ready?" Both of them responded with "Yes" before their tour guide took them off toward the private terminal, where their jet was.
Ayedah still had butterflies in her stomach at the idea of going on a private flight, especially with celebrities and a film producer. In the light of it all, she nearly kept forgetting that she too, was an important asset to the production of the show, but due to the fact that she had never been around such people before, she found herself quite nervous and out of place. Ozge reassured her before she left that everything would be alright, and they were just people she worked with- no one extravagantly special. But Ayedah was still feeling rather jittery, especially as she stood at the foot of the staircase that led into the jet. "Oh God," she whispered to herself as she climbed up carefully, as if afraid of tripping over. "Don't worry, my girl, you won't fall," said Ragip kindly behind her, noticing her wary climb; but his sudden speech made her jump. "S-sorry," she squeaked, before climbing a little more quickly until she actually got into the plane.
It was as fancy as she had pictured it, and looked nothing like economy class- in fact, she could hardly believe it was the inside of a jet at all. The seats were a lot bigger and looked more comfortable, and were spread apart a decent space from one another for convenience. There were a few rows, and the way they were organized reminded Ayedah of a cafe or restaurant; each set of seats would be facing each other with a small table in between, and at the very back and front they were in pairs against the walls. Ayedah immediately picked one at the back to hide herself at, and slipped into the chair next to the window. God, they even feel expensive! she thought. It's like being royalty...
"Are you comfortable, Ayedah?" asked Mehmet as he passed her whilst checking that everyone was alright. "Y-yes Sir, thank you," she said in a slight stammer. "Just...getting used to all of this." Mehmet smiled; "Well, you should," he said, before leaving to speak with the pilot. Ayedah let out a sigh of relief, sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. It wasn't going too bad.
"So, sitting here are we," said Burak as he slipped into the seat next to her. "I suppose," said Ayedah, opening her eyes to look at him. "I'm honestly surprised with how persistent you are in wanting to sit next to me. I'm no one special." "Oh, but you are," said Burak. "Besides- I wanted to get to sit beside you before anyone else took up the offer." "And who said I'd offered anyone else?" demanded Ayedah. "I recall you're only here because of a bargain between us." "Maybe," Burak said shrugging. "But I know deep down you do want to sit next to me, don't you?" He winked at her, making her roll her eyes. "Just let me sleep then, please," she said, stifling a yawn. "I'm exhausted."
"Okay, Yazar Hanim," said Burak, as he took out his book. "I'll be reading, just so you know. Ayedah hummed in response before leaning toward the window as the plane began to take off, her eyes drooping before she let herself drift off into a long-awaited slumber.
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Ayedah woke up in her hotel bed, hours later after they landed. After they left the airport and checked in at their hotel, the first thing she did when she got to her room was collapse on her bed after turning on around ten alarms on her phone to wake her up later. It took the third alarm to wake her, and she gave a great yawn as she sat up in bed. "My God, I'm tired," she chuckled to herself, rubbing her eyes as she grabbed her phone to check the time. It was 3:00PM, and the sky was already darkening. They were to leave after sunset for their first event of the week, a formal dinner and concert at a celebratory hall in the city. Ayedah made sure to wake up a little more than three hours before they were scheduled to leave so she would be able to prepare properly.
She took off her hijab- which she had forgotten to remove when she had fallen asleep- and began to unpack her suitcase. She looked through her clothes and other belongings to find a small, soft parcel, neatly wrapped in the packaging of her aunt's boutique. She smiled softly; her aunt knew that she was going to attend a formal event, and had made a dress specifically for her. She quickly took out the package, and began to carefully unwrap it.
"Oh my God-"
She took off the packaging to reveal a stunning evening gown- she held it out in front of her, at a loss for words. It was so regal to her, she was sure only royalty would wear such clothing. "Oh my God, oh my God," she repeated, slightly panicked as she put the dress in her lap and grabbed her phone. She immediately called her aunt, who picked up the phone nearly straight away.
"There you are, Ayedah, I was wondering when you'd call-"
"Aunty Gab!" hissed Ayedah. "I think you gave me the wrong dress." Her aunt's voice turned panicked as she asked, "What? Oh gosh- I didn't mix it up did I? Is it not a navy blue evening gown?" "Uh, yes!" whisper-yelled Ayedah. "Oh good God, Ayedah, you had me freaked," scolded her aunt. "How is that the wrong dress?" "Aunty Gab, only freaking princesses would wear something like this!" exclaimed Ayedah. "It's so...fancy!" "You'll be attending a fancy dinner with celebrities, Ayedah," said her aunt in a bored voice. "Of course it's going to be a fancy dress." "But it's...gorgeous," groaned Ayedah. "What if it's too much...I'll look like a clown wearing something so pretty. I'm not fit to-" "Oh please, cut off that talk," said her aunt tiredly. "Anyone could wear a pretty dress, Ayedah. And you're going to look amazing. I tailored it specifically to fit your body."
"But what if I trip or something?" asked Ayedah, still panicked. "I'd look like a huge fool, for crying out loud- not to mention I will be the only woman attending the dinner from our side." "Which is why you're going to blow them all away," said Gabriella. "And you will. I have faith in you." Ayedah sighed, pressing her fingers to her forehead.
"Are you really sure it's not too fancy?"
"It's a formal dinner, Ayedah, of course it's not too fancy."
Ayedah sighed and hung up on her aunt after they bickered a little while more then said their Salaams. She frowned slightly at the dress in her hands; it was a very pretty evening dress, it could even be called regal, in fact. The dark navy fabric was plain and unembroidered, but that only made it yet more regal; the material was soft, especially for chiffon, and it was neither too warm nor too airy. The cut of the sleeves, bodice and skirt too, looked creative yet neat. But Ayedah had never taken it to herself to wear anything that looked so fancy before- in fact, for the longest time, the closest thing to a dress that she would wear would either be one of her Abayas or a long shirt or hoodie. So to be expected to wear something like the evening gown her aunt had personally tailored for her was pretty nerve-wracking. Yet she knew she had to do it- she had nothing else proper enough to wear to a formal dinner, and besides, her aunt had taken the time to make it for her. She might as well wear it.
"Dear God, if only you could see me now, Stormy," mumbled Ayedah to herself as she took off her clothes and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower, thinking of her cat back in Istanbul. Stormy was prone to chasing any long fabric he'd lay his great bronze eyes on, from the curtains to one of Ayedah's longer shawls.
Ayedah left the bathroom with her towel wrapped around her body whilst using another to dry her hair, looking at the dress that she had spread out on the bed. "Oh Allah, have mercy," she whispered as she continued to dry her hair, before putting on a warm, long-sleeved undershirt and heated tights. She then took a deep breath and stepped into the dress, before pulling up the zipper at the back with no complications, and latching it properly so it wouldn't unzip on its own. After that she sat down to apply a very light layer of makeup- just a little eyeliner, blush and lipstick, nothing more. It was a characteristic of both her and Ozge's- neither of them liked to apply a lot of makeup, and would only put on a little more than usual for special occasions, or in Ozge's case, when acting.
Ayedah then took the time to carefully wrap around her head the beige scarf her aunt had chosen for her to wear along with her dress, and she was ready after inserting a few pins here and there. Okay, she thought to herself before stepping into the bathroom to look at the large body mirror. Maybe you won't look too bad-
Ayedah gulped slightly as she looked at herself in the mirror; she was stunned with how...alright she looked. More than okay, actually, she thought. I actually look...nice. The dress fit her perfectly, and was in perfect contrast with her skin tone; her hijab too, was wrapped in a way that added a touch of extravagance. She quickly broke her surprised gaze from the mirror when she realized that she had been staring for too long, before hastily grabbing her purse and phone, and left her room after locking the door.
She made her way to the lift and went down; she cleared her throat in embarrassment at the petrified look on her face in her reflection in the lift mirrors, realizing how nervous she was. "It's okay, everything's going to be alright," she said to herself under her breath. "You've taken your meds. You look fine, you smell fine, you'll be fine." The echo in the lift compartment made her notice that her voice was getting louder as she continued to reassure herself, and she blushed furiously with humiliation. She glared at the security camera, and said threateningly, "Not a word to anyone, not to be shared," as if it was alive and heard and understood everything she had said(though the guards behind the camera probably would). Dear God, she thought to herself. I'm making a fool out of myself already...
She left the lift when it reached the ground floor, and made her way through the extravagant halls of the hotel to the lobby, where Mehmet had said to meet up before departing.
"Wow."
Yigit smiled at Ayedah from where he was waiting with the other actors in the lounge of the hotel lobby, and stood up to greet her. "Masha Allah, you look nice," he said. "A nice change from the constant hoodies and sweaters and denim." "Ha-ha," Ayedah laughed sarcastically, but smiled genuinely all the same. "Thank you, Yigit." She looked around at the rest of them, and began to go a little red- it was clear that she was the one who looked most formal. "Is it too much?" she asked him in a panicked whisper. "I've never been to anything like this before- should I wear something less formal?"
"No, it's perfect," said Yigit reassuringly. "You'll make a good impression on them, especially when they interview you and ask if you've attended any event like this before." Ayedah nodded, pretending that she wasn't concerned about being interviewed- before she looked around again and realized that Burak and Mehmet were the only ones absent. "Who are we missing?" she asked, wondering if there was anyone else that she had not noticed. "Mehmet went to get our ride to the dinner," said Yigit. "Or rides, actually. There are quite a few of us." "True, true," nodded Ayedah in agreement. "Celik's still on his way down," said Ozcivit, walking up to them from behind Yigit. "He takes the longest to prepare out of all of us." Ayedah smiled, and Yigit chuckled at the famous actor's comment about their friend.
"Well, it pays off, though," he said truthfully. "He cleans up better than any of us." Ozcivit laughed, and nodded in agreement. "I bet he would clean up just as well as you would, Ayedah," he said. He gave Yigit a furtive look suddenly which Ayedah did not miss, and Yigit nudged him back. She furrowed her brow, confused; but before she could ask anything, Yigit's eyes fell upon someone coming from behind her and raised his arm, beaming as he announced, "Oh, here he comes now!"
Ayedah turned around to see Burak leaving the lift, straightening the ends of his sleeves with a light blue blazer hanging from his forearm. "Sorry I'm late," he said, panting slightly. "I couldn't find my-" He stopped mid-sentence when he looked up, and his eyes fell upon Ayedah in her deep navy dress and beige flats and hijab, the little rhinestones that decorated her waist sparkling above the flow of her skirt's pleats. She blushed slightly at the look on his face as he gazed at her, and looked down and away from him. "Selam," she said awkwardly in a soft tone, too shy to raise it so they could all hear her. "Selam Aleykum Celik," said Yigit and Ozcivit at the same time. Burak didn't respond; his eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly ajar as he stared at poor embarrassed Ayedah, who was pointedly looking away from him. But before she did, she had noticed that he too, looked very handsome- he was wearing a neat black shirt that was not too tight yet it wasn't so loose that his toned arms weren't attractively visible as they were.
Yigit looked in between the two of them and grinned mischievously, but before anyone could get another word out Mehmet's voice broke through the lobby. "Is everyone present?" he asked, as he walked through the hotel doors from outside, looking quite formal as well in his own outfit of a white shirt and blazer. "Yes, Mehmet Bey," said Burak Ozcivit. "Ayedah came down a few minutes ago, and Celik barely a minute ago." "Ah, good," said Bozdag, his eyes falling on the two of them and nodding in greeting. "Both of you clean up well." They both thanked him- Ayedah more quietly than Burak- before Mehmet clapped his hands together. "Alright then, everyone ready?" he asked, before they all responded with 'Yes's. "Let's go then! Haydi!"
As they headed toward the cars, Burak took Ayedah gently by the arm for a while, pulling her closer as they walked, and whispered,
"You look beautiful."
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(Ayedah's dress)
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A/N: Well, what do we have here now 👀 also, lower your gaze, Mr. Celik, you're embarrassing my girl 😒🤨
So she's in Chechnya with them! What do y'all think will happen in the coming chapters? I have a feeling it's about to get...interesting.
Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this weekends chapters!
Love you,
Ayesha <3
P.S: Recognize a familiar name?