[•Nuri's POV•]
I woke up late as I didn't have to go to work. Last night, I booked a flight to go back to Kerala. I didn't have school, nor did I have to go to work, and thankfully cause of New Year, there were many cheap flights and I booked mine at the earliest.
My flight was for today evening and the girls wanted to spend the whole day with me. They came and sat on my bed while I packed my bags, "When will you be back?" Asked Deren, "When school opens again" I said and sighed, "Do you really have to go?" "Of course, it's been more than four months since I left home, I miss my family dearly, don't worry I will be back soon" I said.
"Why are you going now?" Asked Deren. I didn't really tell her anything, but Yeşim knew it all because of Özgür. I wish she never started dating him. "I am on vacation right, also since I resigned, I have more time now" I lied, and Yeşim stared at me in disbelief.
"What I can't understand is how you got a flight this quickly" said Yeşim frowning, "Dear, there were so many promotional flights because of New Year, and I just booked one" I said zipping my suitcase. "Okay then, now let me go and take a shower, go on out" I asked the both of them.
I took a shower, sorted my clothes, made my bags ready and called my mother. She said my father is very excited for my arrival, so is Ankita, even my neighbours! I was glad to go back home. I also called Fatoş, she gave me all sorts of instructions to board a plane and I knew they would come in handy.
It was finally evening and all was set, I hugged Deren and Yeşim tightly. "Don't forget to come back, okay?" Said Yeşim, I laughed and kissed their cheeks, something I was very disgusted of doing while I came here, but the both of them became my sisters and were like my family now, and I would miss them dearly.
I gave them a final glance and got in the waiting taxi. The driver drove off and I waved at the both of them and they returned my gesture. In the cab I did think about Ferit bey, I knew he was wrong, I was sure of it, but I wonder what might have happened between him and his mother.
He hates her so much, he doesn't realise her value, his cold eyes were flashing in my head repeatedly and in between Idris' scared eyes also interrupted. I left them without even saying goodbye but Ferit bey didn't deserve, still I would miss Idris a lot.
[•Ferit's POV•]
(from morning - same day)
I was having breakfast with Çihan, and he interrupted me "We have to go to her house after this" he said. Özgür narrated the whole tale to him and he has been telling me the same thing since we began eating. I wanted to apologise but also I felt I was too high to do it, moreover I have never had to apologise to any of my workers, so why should I start now?
"You listening?" He asked, I just nodded. "I need to drop Idris at his drawing class and then go meet my father, we'll see then" I said, and signalled the waiter to bring the bill. "Ferit please don't postpone it" he said. I kept the money with the tip and got up.
"I am going home to take Idris, then I will come to the meeting, see you then. I have to meet my father too" I said. "Ferit..." He was about to speak, but I walked away, "Come to the meeting" I said and walked away.
I reached home and the new nanny was at her job. "Go on Idris dear, drink your milk" I heard her say, I appeared at the kitchen to find Miss Funda trying to make Idris drink his milk. "I don't want milk! I want Nuri back!" He shouted at her, then they saw me.
"Ferit bey..." She said and looked at me, "Idris buddy, you love milk right? Why aren't you drinking it?" I asked him, hoping he would talk to me, He didn't even glance at me, "I want Nuri back..." He mumbled staring at the table. I sighed and said, "Miss Funda, can I have a word" and went out to the lawn, she followed me.
"Didn't he eat his breakfast?" I asked her, "Ferit bey, he ate the remaining cookies made by the previous chef, he didn't eat anything made by the new lady" she said, I sighed, "Hmm... Okay, then you can leave now, Good day Miss Funda" "You too Ferit bey" she said and went back to the kitchen to take her bag.
I walked back to the kitchen, "Come on get ready, we are going to the drawing class" I said smiling, but he silently got up and went to his room and was down after half an hour. I felt kinda sad as he wasn't talking to me, but I didn't show much. He got in the car and wore his seat belt. I began driving and he would glance at me occassionally, it was clear from his eyes that he wanted to talk to me badly.
×××
"Are you hungry?" I asked him, he opened his mouth to speak but then remembered he was upset with me and shut his mouth again. "Won't you talk to me?" "You have to bring back Nuri, then I will talk to you. I don't like you now" he said, I knew he was saying that to hurt me, "So if I agree to bring her back, you will talk to me, is that so?" I asked, he nodded.
Idris inherited this stubborn nature from my uncle, his real grandfather. It ran in the family but sometimes you have to bow low in front of certain people especially children. "Alright I will talk to her" I said, his face lit up immediately, "Today? Will you do it today?" He asked.
"Uh... After I go to the hospital, okay?" "Yes! Yes! Yippee!" He howled and removed his seatbelt and leaned towards me and kissed my cheek. "You are the best brother in the whole world! and I am so sorry I said I hate you. I never meant it Abi, I love you so much also I love Nuri so much, and grandpa and uncle" "I know you do" I said laughing at the excited boy. He was so happy and I was happy, we made peace, but I now I had two problems to solve- Nuri and my mother.
We went to a restaurant first as Idris confessed he was hungry, then I dropped him at his drawing class and went to the Company. After the meeting, I went to the hospital. When I entered the room, I saw my father reading a magazine about Cars.
I don't remember buying it. "Come in son" he said, "Thanks... Did the doctor give it to you?" I asked closing the door behind me. "No, your mother brought it" he said and turned to his book, what the heck was that lady doing here?
"Why did she come here?" I asked coldly. "She came to meet me... and she remembered my fondness for cars" he said smiling at me warmly and then at his magazine. I couldn't understand how he could be so calm, she was his wife till she divorced him and married Umur, doesn't he remember any of this?
I went and sat near him. "Dad are you not angry?" I asked him, "No... I don't understand why you are this angry" "Dad, that woman ruined our lives!" I said looking at his eyes directly. "Ferit, she is your mother. Don't talk like that" he said. "What else can I say. I thought I got rid of her!"
"You can never get rid of your parents, they are a part of you, heart and soul" he said looking at me deeply. I didn't reply, "Umur and Aygün divorced last week and she heard about my condition from someone" Aha! No wonder why she came here. She is divorced, again, and now wants to make up! What will I do with this woman?
"We have to give her a second chance, well you have to give her a second chance" "Never." I said, "Son, listen, I know she has hurt us but she was too young then. She never wanted to marry me but had to for the sake of our families, she didn't want to make Resul upset, and when he died, she was too heartbroken to stay. You know it better" ended my father.
But I wasn't ready to forgive her, all these years she didn't care, she suddenly popped up now and wants a second chance? "Moreover she told me you fired Nuri, you do know that she has nothing to blame, then why did you do it?" "I was angry..." I mumbled.
Before Uncle's death, my life was perfect like any ordinary child's. My parents were there and my brothers. But after that, my mother, the woman I was most close to, more than dad, the person I trusted the most, the only woman who has seen me cry, left... Forever, and I never expect to let her back in.
From that day, I grew closer to dad. The person who understood me better than anyone, the person with whom I shared every incident in my life, now, the fading person on the bed.
He broke the silence, "Not at the girl I suppose?" He asked, I looked down, "At my mother" I said, "...and you spent all that anger on the innocent girl, what you couldn't spend on Aygün" he said, I nodded. "Now you are too stubborn to apologise, isn't it?" He asked, I looked up at him, I knew he would understand but I didn't think, this perfectly.
"Ferit, pride makes you regret in the future, but a single apology can make your life better" he advised, "Moreover, she is not a regular girl. I have never seen you look at any girl like you look at Nuri. Catch her when you have the chance!" He said and laughed. "That isn't the topic here" I said.
"Don't worry you can't prove me wrong" he said, smirking, I rolled my eyes, since when was my father so interested in matchmaking? "Go on then, say you are sorry" he said, "I won't apologise, I will merely ask her to come back to work, if she doesn't then she has officially left" I said getting up.
"Alright fine, go to her atleast, it's already evening" he said, "...and Ferit, promise me you'll give Aygün a last chance, it's my last wish" he said, I sighed, "Dad, don'stay that... We'll seee about mom later. I am going now, bye" I said and left.
×××
I parked my car outside and went up the stairs. I was sure about not apologising and I ringed the door bell. I waited a few seconds and a girl opened the door, she was familiar, "Uh... Is Nuri home?" I asked the girl, "Who is it Deren?" I heard Yeşim ask from inside. She came near the door, "Uh... Ferit?" She seemed surprised.
"Good evening Yeşim" I said, remembering her face from the photos shown by Özgür, "Thank you, but what are you doing here?" She asked, "I came to talk to Nuri, isn't she here?" I asked, "Nuri left a few hours ago" said the other girl.
I stared at her in an unfamiliar way, "Yeah sorry... Umm... I am Deren" she said and held out her hand, I shook it, "Ferit Aras" I said and turned to Yeşim, "She left?" "Evet, a few hours ago" I was confused, "Where did she go?" "Back to Kerala" said Deren.
You have got to be kidding me!