Your Grace - Burak Çelik

CHAPTER 43

"No, Ozge. For the last time, I'm not going."

"Come on, Ayedah, it'll be fun!"

"It's right after my appointment," said Ayedah with a sigh, as she put her phone into her bag before heading to her dresser to do up her headscarf. "I doubt I'd get there in time. And you don't want my depressing arse at a party."

"First of all, you're not a depressing arse, and secondly I can drive you," begged Ozge. "I can drive now!" And indeed she could- Ozge had just gotten her driver's license as of recent, and was very excited about it. Ayedah's throat felt dry when Ozge said the words 'I can drive you', remembering the way a certain person once used to do so not long before. She cleared her throat; "I know you can drive me, but still, I don't want to go...I can't," Ayedah told Ozge. "I...I just don't feel like it." Ozge frowned at her, but her expression softened when she realized who she sounded like, and sighed as she sat down upon her friend's bed.

Ozge and the other actresses for Kurulus Osman had invited Ayedah to watch the Season Finale together at one of their houses, but she was reluctant, even though by then she was well-rested and back to 'normal'.

She had taken about a week in bed to rest her body that had been exhausted due to her episode and the adjusting to the lithium-based medication. Ayedah had finally gotten back up on her feet just the day before, and regained enough energy to face the days that came along; she had taken that previous day to go out to the hospital for a final follow-up on the injury to her skull, and it was after she was cleared and given some painkillers to assist with any potential headaches, that she went to see Mehmet and Asli Zeynep to speak to them about the event that had occurred regarding her episode, that led to her accident.

Ayedah decided that both of them deserved the truth about her, especially with how much they had done for her in terms of work and regular support. She had narrated her truth, her full story to them including details about her family as well as her disorder, and information about her recent Bipolar episodes, her mania and the depression that followed shortly after(though it was cut shorter than usual due to the fact that she had restarted her medicating schedule).

In reality, Ayedah was terrified to reveal the truth about her disorder, knowing that she had a possibility of losing her job- however, it was also true that she had not let it affect her work in a negative view. Mehmet and Asli Zeynep had made that clear, even though they did tell her that they were shocked, and wished that they had been informed sooner. But they also revealed that they were impressed with the way she had continued her life despite the obstacles that had come her way; and before Ayedah left, Mehmet was the one who told her specifically that he hoped to see the day where she herself would appreciate the effort she had put into simply living, and that her success came a long way even before she had gotten her job. Ayedah had thanked him and his wife and left in slightly higher spirits than she had been when she was going to see them.

And Asli Zeynep, who had also been invited to the scheduled gathering of the actresses by that time, had told Ayedah to go in her place as she could not make it. "It will be good for you, and perhaps might distract you a bit," she had told her. "Yani it may lift your spirits...and you already get along well with our girls, I know that the mutual respect and liking between all of you is strong even if you do work apart from them." It was true, Ayedah did very much like the company of the Kurulus actresses, Ozge's costars and both of their colleagues- but from then until the very day of the finale release she still did not feel drawn to attending the little festivity.

"Ayedah, it will be good for you," persisted Ozge. "Besides, didn't you tell Asli Zeynep that you would go?" "I told her that I'd think about it," corrected Ayedah. "And I have...I won't go."