Done with the chronology, Arsia was annoyed to the bone with Yıldıray. That man deceived her! Worse than that, she was fooled. Perhaps it wasn't Yıldıray who was sly but it was her who was so dumb from the start.
"You--" Salim opened his mouth but immediately held himself back. Arsia without looking at him raised her right hand, asking him to wait.
"Sorry I have to drink first. I feel so thirsty," she said. After that, Arsia grabbed her drinking bottle which was on the table beside her. It was just how she was. She need to drink water whenever she was angry and needed something sweet whenever she was upset.
Arsia raised her bottle high. She drank the water quickly as she was in a drought this whole time. She, indeed, was completely unaware that Salim was reacting to her movements, the way how she drank her water.
Salim turned his face to the left side. He cleared his throat slowly while waiting for Arsia to finish her drink exotically. Yes, that was how Salim describe her. Hence, he felt something stuck in his throat and he needed to avert his gaze from Arsia. Salim had to 'cool' himself.
On the other hand, Behram who put his eyes on Salim felt awkward with his master's attitude. Again, Behram found Salim pointing his gaze to the back of the couch though this time he wasn't whistling like before.
'What is wrong with My Lord? Did My Lord just find dust on his couch? It looks like I have to clean it up soon', Behram spoke to himself.
"Sorry for that. We can continue our conversation now. What were you just trying to say?" Arsia asked as she put her drinking bottle back on the table. Inside it, the water was only three-quarters left.
Hearing her, Salim glanced at Arsia through the tail of his eyes just to check her. After he saw that Arsia had returned to her normal position, Salim turned his face straight towards her.
"Hmm... Where are you come from? I have never seen anyone like you before," Salim said. He asked her something that he was curious about from the beginning.
"Really? At the Grand Bazaar or Eminönü there are many," Arsia replied, paying attention to Salim.
'Seriously he never saw anyone from Asia in Istanbul?', Arsia thought. She was surprised by Salim's words. Of course, it was perfectly fine if Istanbul citizens never saw Indonesian like her. But judging from Salim's appearance, Arsia just thought that he shall.
His appearance told her that Salim must be someone from a rich family who can afford to travel the world or even rent a starship. His beautiful face was an aristocratic one and it made him look like an eternal student at the university of life. Therefore, Arsia became more and more fixed in her gaze on Salim.
'Is he joking?', Arsia questioned.
"I don't understand. What did you mean by many?" Salim asked.
"I mean tourists from Indonesia. They visit both places often," Arsia explained.
"Indonesia?" Salim repeated.
"Yes. An archipelago in the eastern part of the world where the majority of its population is Muslim. Commonly, Turks who had performed their Hajj know about us," Arsia explained.
'I never heard about this before', Salim recalled.
Then Salim focused his eyes on Arsia again. "Are You Muslim? Had you performed your Hajj?"
"Yes and no," Arsia answered. She was familiar with such questions from Turks anyway.
'Very interesting', Salim commented inwardly.
Salim turned to Behram then and asked, "Where Indonesia is?"
Behram took something from his pocket. A kind of small notebook whose cover seemed to be made of leather. "I, I, I..." he spelled to himself as he turned page after page of the book.
At first, Arsia didn't understand what they were doing. After seeing what Behram did, Arsia realized that they were looking for something in the dictionary. Yes, the book that Arsia thought was merely a notebook turned out to be a dictionary. They made Arsia amazed.
After living in Turkey for almost 4 years Arsia was familiar with such questions as 'where are you come from?' and 'where Indonesia is?' from Turks. But none of them who asked her opened a dictionary just like those men did. This was the first time Arsia saw that weirdness. It seems like Yıldıray, Salim, and Behram weren't normal.
"Sirs, have you got what you're looking for?" Arsia asked with her head slightly tilted.
Salim withdrew himself from Behram's dictionary. His face was straight towards Arsia but his pair of green eyes were looking at the ceiling. He had something in his head. "In 1617, what was the name of Indonesia?" he asked in his wondering voice.
"Excuse me?" Arsia didn't understand.
"In 1617, what was the name of Indonesia?" Salim repeated his question. This time with his eyes on Arsia.
"We became a republic in 1945. In 1617 we still consisted of traditional kingdoms. We weren't united as a country that year," although Salim's question sounded strange, Arsia still answered him.
Moment of silence. Salim and Behram seemed to be lost in their thought. Without Arsia knowing, they were trying to imagine Indonesia's location in their mind.
"You found it?" Salim asked Behram.
"No, My Lord," Behram replied.
"I never read about it. I think I'll have to check it back later," Salim said.
Couldn't stand for it anymore, Arsia finally voiced, "I'm sorry to interrupt your discussion. But why are you talking about this? Weren't we just talking about this house?"
"We're still talking about it," Salim replied. "It's just an intermezzo because you seem upset after explaining the chronology."
Salim's words made Arsia feel touched. She didn't expect that from him after all the weirdness shown by him. Salim turned out to care about her. Even small care she shall appreciate it.
'Hey, what did you just think, Arsia?!', Arsia reminded herself immediately.
"So? What do you think about it?" Arsia was waiting for Salim's decision.
"You can't stay here," Salim replied to her.
"W-what?" Arsia was stunned. For a moment she thought that Salim wouldn't be that cruel to her. She was the victim anyway. Once again, Yıldıray tricked her!
"I will give back your rent taken by Yıldıray," Salim continued.
"That's not the problem. Where else can I get a rental at such a low price? I'm just a student, anyway," Arsia said. Her voice sounded a little stifled. She still couldn't recover from her shock.
"I heard that every university has dormitories?"
"It's true. But the dorm must be full of new students right now," Arsia replied desperately.
Salim was silent. He thought while looking at Arsia. He didn't know why he was admiring Arsia's reaction.
Arsia's confused face seemed to arouse something inside him. That kind of feeling that he was able to help that girl out of her problems. Only this time Salim felt that way towards a woman. But Salim was so decided. Arsia couldn't stay in his house. She shouldn't. Perhaps he could help her a little by giving her some extra time to stay there.
"Well Arsia, you're welcome to stay here. But just for a week. Within a week you should be able to find a new flat. I can help you with it if you want."
A pair of Arsia's round eyes looked at Salim. Actually, she didn't agree with it. But it was better for her to compromise with Salim than to argue with him. Didn't Salim also offer her his help?
"How about two weeks?" Arsia bargained.
Salim firmly shook his head. "I'll stay here. If you don't mind living with a stranger man, that's your business. But I do mind about it."
Salim's statement for sure made Arsia frantic. Her intention to compromise with Salim was dashed. Soon Arsia regretted it because she had thought only good things about Salim.
"What a rude man! What do you think I am?!" she shouted at Salim.
After, Arsia took two keys that were given to her by Yıldıray. In anger, she put the keys on the table in front of them. A loud sound was heard as the keys clashed with the table under the pressure of Arsia's hand.
"Don't worry. I'll get out of here right now!" she exclaimed.
In rush, Arsia left the living room. Her anger towards Salim slowly turned into a very soul-piercing heartache. For her, Salim's words were no different than calling herself a prostitute.
Arsia didn't care if it was late at night now. She would pack her things right now. After that Arsia will return to the flat she lived in before. It was forbidden for her to stay there after what happened. Nadia and Alina would stay in Turkey for two weeks anyway.
It was her plan.
Until her steps were captive.
"You can't go anywhere," Salim said while gripping her arm.