"Do you know what we should try out once?" Asli asked Gülsüm grinning.
"What?" Gülsüm asked wondering why Asli was looking at her like that. Like she was about to say something ridiculous but was wanting it anyway.
"I used to have those movie nights with my best friend Deniz" answered Asli. "We were trying out a lot of different movies but every now and then we would watch "Silver Lining" Deniz was getting fed up but I ended up convincing her anyways. It's been a long time since I watched this movie. If you would like, we can watch it and do our own "movie night" she suggested.
It's not like this house was feeling much like home anyway. Maybe she could brighten it up by doing something fun. This house was huge anyway. Soo many rooms where they could do that without getting interrupted by those maniac people that live inside. Everything should be possible here.
"That would be nice.
I don't remember when was the last time I did something fun in this house."
Asli supressed the urge to say, 'Probably never honey' because she didn't want to spoiler the good atmosphere that had settled between them.
"okay then, try to get corn the next time you go out with Abidin so that we can make Popcorn while watching and let me take care of the movie"
"Tamam" Gülsüm grinned. She was getting excited just about the thought of finally doing something new and exciting for a change. It was generally nice to have someone who doesn't always demand you to do something or explain something. She finally had a friend. Ferhat really couldn't have made a better choice. But that's something that she couldn't just say to Asli without making her uncomfortable, so she let her for the time being. She will come to know when the time is right.
"So, let's say tomorrow night?" Asli made sure. "Yes, that's alright, I'm leaving with Abidin Abi tomorrow anyway and when we return we can buy the corn as well."
"şahane" Asli replied. She also was getting excited. It has been ages since she last seen the film and she really missed doing something normal. She missed those movie nights with Deniz. Having someone to talk to. laugh with. Just to enjoy your time without the constant reminder that your life got flipped upside down. But she got some of her freedom back anyway and she knows how to use it right, she thought.
The next morning, she woke up, Ferhat was already awake and getting ready to leave.
"Ohoo you succeeded in waking up early once in your life" he spotted. Good morning to you too she thought dryly.
"Nereye sabah sabah? (=Where are you going this early?)" Asli wanted to know, wondering if he was getting himself in danger again or was spending his day like a normal human for once.
"since when do I explain myself or telling you where I'm going, hmm?"
"doğru, that was I expecting anyway?" Asli returned "Could I just know when you will be back?" She wanted to know so that she can plan when she could start her time with Gülsüm without getting interrupted. That would be a shame. And worse, if HE found out that he was right that first day they met where he told her that she was the type of girl who always watched the same movies and cried at the exact same scenes. Well, that was her thing and she would rather die than let him find out that he was right about his observation.
"Why do you want to know?" he was getting suspicious now. When she asked something like that then she must be up to something. Up to something that he wouldn't like probably, and she didn't want him to find out...
"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
"What do you mean "What do you want?"? What would I want? I am just asking. Isn't it allowed to ask. Can't I ask without wanting something. Allah Hallah."
Okay she definitely wanted something.
"Cok gunush sana" He looked at her as if to say he knew exactly when she wanted something and when she was only asking.
"neyse, I'm not interested anyways"
"good"
"Good!"
He looked at her one more time before he grabbed his jacket and went for the door.
Damn, she couldn't find out when he would be coming back, so she doesn't know when she should start the movie night with Gülsüm. Well she will cross that bridge when she comes to it then. First, she needs to buy the DVD of the movie. Oh, the DVD! How could she forget. She needed to tell Ferhat that she would go "shopping" today in order to be left outside and in order to buy the movie.
As fast as she could she slipped into her house shoes and put on a jacket.
"Ferhaaaaat!" she called, running down the stairs. She arrived downstairs and opened the door. Damn him and his long legs for walking this fast. She went up the few stairs that would lead to outside and to the cars.
"Ferhaat!" she called again. He was just about to open the door of the car when he heard her calling his name. He stopped and slowly turned around, waiting for her to approach him.
"What do you want doctor?"
"Oh, I, ehmm ... just wanted to ask you whether I could go shopping today." She asked him without looking at his eyes.
Okay he was seriously getting suspicious now. She definitely was up to no good today. He looked at her willing to get the answers out of her only by staring into her eyes.
"Shopping?" he asked slowly. "Weren't you the one who told me a few days ago that you had hell of a lot dresses and that you only needed to get them from the old house. We got them soo, what's up now?"
"well... that was few weeks ago and... what's it to you anyways? Can't a girl go shopping when she feels up to it?"
He didn't believe her. "Fine then. Let's see where this brings us. Take Dilsiz with you!"
Yees! She did it! "Of course, Ferhat bey, Dilsiz became my shadows anyways the last few days"
she said with a grin playing around her lips.
His eyes darted from her eyes to her lips for a few seconds and then looked up again. Well if you wouldn't get in so much trouble every time... he thought, but neyse.
She was still standing in front of him. "soo, is there something else you wanted?" he asked.
Suddenly she realised that she was still looking at him without having any purpose left. As she realised she stepped a few steps back. "No, that was all."
He turned around and opened the door of the car. As he stepped inside she tried one last time "So you really don't want to tell me when you will be back today?" she asked hopefully.
He doesn't know what she was up to, but he will definitely find out... he thought to himself while looking at her. She tried to look at him innocently, but he knew her good enough by now.
He closed the doors to his car, started the motor and drove away without giving her an answer.
"deep silence of course" she said to herself, rolling her eyes.
Well, anyways, she wouldn't let that stop her from enjoying this day!
She returned to their room and started to get ready herself.
Ferhat took out his phone while driving and dealed Dilsiz' number. "Alo, Dilsiz?" "Efendem Abi?"
"Asli wants to go "shopping" today. Something isn't right. Keep your eyes open while going with her!" "Of course, Ferhat Abi, don't worry." "Iy, keep me updated" Then he ended the call. Let's see what you have in mind Asli Hanim ...
Asli approached the car where she knew Dilsiz would be standing. "Hade Dilsiz, we are leaving."
"Tamam, Yenge" She looked at him funnily. That's something she would never get him to stop saying, will she? But she realised about herself, that she didn't mind as much as at the beginning. Funny, isn't it.
She held her hand out to him. "The keys please, I'm driving"
He handed her the keys and went to the passenger side, as she got behind the vehicle. She knew exactly where she would buy it. She would go to a shopping centre instead direct to the Filmothek so that it indeed looked like when went shopping.
She arrived at the mall and parked the car. She was about to get outside when she noticed Dilsiz doing the same. "ah ah, nereye?" "to go with you of course." "why?" "I'm just going shopping. If I wanted to escape I would have done that already, remember? We are past that." "Ferhat Abi said so" She rolled her eyes. Of course. Well she needed to form a plan then. She sighed and made her way to the entrance. She went to a shop that she actually likes and buys a lot of things from. She chose a few things, tried some on, and bought even something that she actually found beautiful.
Afterwards she entered multiple shops, well aware that Dilsiz was keeping an eye on her. By now he wasn't actually entering the shop with her but was standing outside. She wanted to when she gets to the DVD store that it looked like she was actually taking a look there. He doesn't know the story behind the movie anyways, so it's not that bad. Better than Ferhat anyways, she thought.
After she got there and bought the movie without Dilsiz noticing and put the DVD in the bag where also the clothes were. After that she said that she was bored and wanted to return home.
They returned home just as Gülsüm and Abidin went outside so that they can drive to the milkmother.
They greeted each other when they saw the others. Asli winked at Gülsüm and showed her with her eyes the bag that she was holding. Gülsüm understood and gave her a smile.
"I will wait for you and when you return we will start, tamam?" Asli asked her with a soft voice as she passed her. Gülsüm nodded and then went to get into the car.
It was actually a few hours until Gülsüm arrived, in the meantime Asli took the time to explore in which room they should actually watch. The Television wasn't actually a problem as rich as this family is. She would only need to call for a Hülya and she would help her. At first, she thought about doing it in her and Ferhats room because there they wouldn't get interrupted by anyone.
But at the same time, she didn't knew when Ferhat would return and she didn't want to risk being caught.
As she explored the house she saw rooms that she didn't know even existed! She was surprised to see that they even had something like a fitness room there. Of course, the pool wasn't hard to miss but she didn't know that just beside it was this Fitness centre. They even had a boxing bag. Immediately Ferhat entered her inner eye. She imagined him standing there sweating and punching the hell out of that bag. She caught where her mind was taking her and shacked her head at her absurdance.
Actually, she had to try that pool once. It looked so alluring. But another time maybe. Now she was on a mission.
Finally, she found a room where there was actually a couch and a television. şahane! That means she wouldn't even have to call Hülya to help her. Does no one in here actually watch television every occasionally? But the she imagined Yeter, Handan and Yidil sitting beside each other and watching a movie. She had to laugh at this thought. Right, that was ridiculous.
She prepared everything and set the DVD into the player so that they would only have to enter 'play'
Oh, how exited she was!
She returned to her room and proceeded to changer clothes into something more comfortable and read a book until Gülsüm returned.
Meanwhile...
Ferhat was pacing around the room in his office. What was she up to now, he kept asking himself.
Since there was no threat a few days now he decided to return to the "normal" work to see if everything is as it should be. When was the last time he was here anyway? His mind took him back to the second day of their marriage where she called him to beg him to let her out so that she can operate this kid named Esra.
How far they got since then. He couldn't supress a smirk as he thought about Asli.
But suddenly he frowned as he remembered what accrued that day. She was planning something, and he still didn't know what, but he was definitely going to find out...
He couldn't concentrate on his job, his mind kept popping out pictures about her. Ferhat concentrate! You are not a school boy for hell's sake!
Asli was just reading her book when she heard a soft knock on the door and then Gülsüm pooped her head around the door. "I am baaaaack" she sing-songed in a whisper.
"Welcome back kusum, come on in" Asli greeted her. "Did everything go well?" she asked.
Gülsüm looked as if she wanted to hell her something but then stopped. "Yeah it was alright"
"Of course, it's hard to see your son now with another woman but at least you are near him now. Gülsüm smiled tiredly. She wished she could tell Asli the truth, but she didn't want to break her word to Abidin. But Asli was right, she was now more than happy because she was nearer to her son than she could have ever wished for.
"Neyse, now look, I found the perfeeeeect place for our movie night" Asli changed the topic. "Well it's not exactly a "night" but it will have to do because we don't want anyone interrupting us... especially not Ferhat..."
"Come on, let's take Kamil, make popcorn and go the television room."
They did as they said and settled down on the couch. On the table in front of them were two bowls of popcorn and the cover of the DVD.
Both were giggling like school girls who were about to do something naughty out of excitement.
Asli pressed the button play and they started to watch....
Meanwhile back to...
Ferhat gave up. He couldn't concentrate. That was the fifth time he told himself to do so but he just couldn't. Asli was driving him mad. He found out from Dilsiz that she indeed went only shopping and then they returned home. But it couldn't have been only that could it?
The problem was: lack of knowledge lead to worry and worrying about Asli is never a good thing. Especially because she usually indeed gets herself into dangerous situations.
That's it he couldn't concentrate on his work anyway. Time to find out what she is up to.
He left his office, got into the car and sped up to get to the house. He didn't have a good feeling about this.
He parked in front of the house and saw Dilsiz standing there. "Where is she?" he asked him. "I don't know. Since we returned from the mall she entered the house and I didn't see her again"
Ferhat was getting a sense of dejavou out of this. Asli was a master in getting out anyway. He didn't fear that she would escape. He knew exactly that they were past that phase. He didn't know why exactly but something made it impossible for them to stay away from the other. He refused to call it love. It was more like ... entertainment? Inner peace maybe?
He entered the house and went up the stairs to their room, but he didn't find her there. Where was she?
He went downstairs again to look in the living room and kitchen. But she wasn't there too... He asked Hülya if she knew where Asli was, but she didn't know either so he procedure to go ask Gülsüm maybe she knew. But she wasn't in her room too. Slowly his acted indifference lead to annoyance and his annoyance quickly turned to worry (that he refused to admit)
If something happened to them he was going to kill Dilsiz!
With quick steps he made his way to check every room in the house before he left and searched somewhere else.
He had covered most part of the house already without finding Asli as he suddenly heard sniffling behind a door. His worry upfolded tenfold about the thought that she was in distress. Who dared to anyways? He didn't know who has responsible, but he did know that there was going to be hell to pay for whomever dared to bring tears in Asli's eyes! He banged the door open, ready to see any threat around his Asli.
But the sight froze him. Asli was sitting comfortably on the huge couch that was in the middle of the room, facing the television that was a few feet beside him. As she saw him her teary eyes widened, and she attempted to wipe the tears that was falling down her eyes. Gülsüm was sitting beside Asli on the couch but she was already asleep. Leaning her head against the other armchair.
He entered the room slowly and he smell of popcorn him. As he was a few steps away from Asli he looked at the television screen. It took him a few seconds but at once he understood what was going on here. Asli was trying desperately to find the remote below the 2-meter-long blanket in order to shut the television down but she just couldn't find it because she was wrapped around it. Ferhat saw on the table the DVD-Cover. It was the same that he, back to the day he first locked her up, got from her to entertain her while she was a capturer. Of course, he knew that a kidnapped person she wouldn't just watch a movie in her cell, but he couldn't help himself. She was too cute when she was angry. Especially when she thought that she could stand up against him. Back then she asked him how he found out about her love to this movie and he asked her if she thought it was that hard to figure her out? He had told her that she was the type who would watch a movie thousand times and still would cry at the same scene thousand times ...
He looked from the DVD-Cover to her in tears streaked and guilty looking face. He couldn't help but smirk. Oh, how right he was. And how cute she was. How could a 30 years old woman still behave like that and still be that cute? He couldn't believe how innocent she was, especially I a dark world like this.
He looked back at the screen to see which scene was playing. He was still smirking and scratched his nose in the usual way he does. That moment was just too priceless. Now he understood why she wanted to know when he will be returning today. She didn't want him to catch her having this movie night.
Well, he wasn't going to do her the favour. Slowly he made his way towards her. She was still glancing at him nervously and guilty. He made himself room beside her on the couch. On the other side of where Gülsüm was sleeping and stretched his arms out on the back seat of the couch, so that his right arm was behind her head.
She was too shy to look at him probably, which made her even cuter.
"Funny, isn't it?" he finally asked. "Shut up" Asli returned. His smirk turned into a grin. "Sooo, what is happening at that movie that has you crying every time?" "I wasn't crying. Something was in my eyes." "Mhmm" He let her a few moments before she finally spoke again and started to explain the movie to him.
He stared at her the whole time she was talking. He couldn't help but admire her innocence and beauty while talking about something she was passionate about.
When she finished speaking she dared a look at his face. He couldn't look away right away. But then he did and looked back to the screen.
"Let's have a look then" he replied casually. She stared at him in shock "What do you mean? Will you be watching it ?!"
He looked at her again with that smirk but didn't reply. She shook her head in disbelief and as if to say, "Okay let's see then"
He continued to watch with her the rest of the movie but mostly he was trying to watch her. Watch her reaction to every scene. Watch her sniff. Watch her smile. Watch her laugh. He was surprised that she was so comfortable around him. Maybe it's just in her nature.
Eventually her eyelids got too heavy and she fell asleep. In her sleep she moved and made herself even more comfortable by leaning against him and putting her head against his chest.
He loved those moments where she forgot about their not so nice past and still was comfortable enough around him. And, where he could look at her privately without having to look away.
He didn't deserve her. But he also can't let her go. He tried but it didn't work. And he doesn't want to, if he was honest with himself. She kept him on his toes. She excites him. She amuses him. She trusts him (even if she doesn't like to admit it) and most importantly she brings out the light inside of him.
The people were right...
He couldn't have found someone who suited him better than her.