This whole time, Baris remained silent. He didn't say much of anything, and when he was asked a question, his responses were limited to a simple "yes," "no," or "I don't know." His reticence only added to the growing tension I felt, making the whole situation even more surreal.
After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant for dinner. It was around five in the evening, but since it was winter, darkness had already fallen, blanketing everything in an early night. This felt unusual to me, as I was used to the equatorial rhythms of Kenya, where day and night divide the twenty-four hours equally—twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night, nothing more, nothing less.
At the restaurant, Baris remained quiet, his silence creating a thick, uncomfortable atmosphere. His grandpa, on the other hand, was trying to engage me in conversation, which only added to my unease. I could feel his eyes on me, as if he was assessing my every reaction, weighing my words carefully. As I tried to focus on the meal in front of me, he suddenly said something that made my heart race.
"My daughter, I hope you know our family rule," he stated, his voice low but firm.
Hearing this made me break out in a cold sweat. My mind raced as I tried to anticipate what he was about to say. "Mmh, Grandpa, please, which rule?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
"We do not divorce here. Once you've entered, there is no exit," he said, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made me shiver.
I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my composure. "Yes, Grandpa, Baris has already told me that," I replied, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
Baris's grandpa continued to watch me closely, as if waiting for me to falter, to give some sign of weakness. I knew I had to stay strong, to play my part in this twisted act, but the pressure was suffocating. The thought of being bound to this family, to Baris, without any possibility of escape, filled me with dread. And yet, I had no choice but to nod and smile, pretending that everything was fine, even as my heart pounded in my chest.
Inside Baris's head, there was a meeting—no, in fact, a whole annual conference was taking place with the board members of every nerve in his body. He kept asking himself what was happening to him, struggling to make sense of the turmoil inside.
Earlier today, his plan had been simple: tease this girl a little and maybe scare her just enough to see her reaction. But the moment he held her hand and kissed her forehead, he realized he had made a grave mistake. Because the second he pinned her to that wall, his sanity deserted him, and burning desires took over. All his body wanted, no, demanded, was to kiss her. He had almost lost control. If only she hadn't slid down—if only she hadn't moved away—he might have gone too far. That single move had called him back to his senses, pulling him back from the edge.
Now, he doesn't know how to control himself anymore. There's something about her, something that draws him to her with an almost magnetic force, but he can't quite figure out what it is. It's as if she has some kind of power over him, and the realization both confounds and frightens him.
"It could be anything," he thought, his mind racing. "She could be another demon, like my mom."
The thought sent a shiver through him. He knew he needed to be careful, to keep his distance and protect himself from whatever spell she might be casting on him. He couldn't afford to fall for her, to let himself be vulnerable. But how? How could he resist when his body had already made up its mind? Every fiber of his being seemed to rebel against the idea of staying away from her.
"What will I do?" he wondered, feeling trapped in his own conflicting emotions. The pull toward her was undeniable, yet his mind screamed at him to be cautious. He was torn, standing at the precipice of desire and fear, unsure which way to turn.
He clenched his fists under the table, trying to suppress the urge to look at her, to reach out and touch her again. "I can't let this happen," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. "I won't let her control me."
But even as he made that vow, he knew it wouldn't be easy. This battle between his mind and his body was only just beginning, and he had no idea which side would win.