Upside Down

Chapter 18

After they made Ekim sit and gave her some water she calms down a little.
Melek: what happened, Ekim? Who called you?
Ekim: it was from the prison's hospital. Babam was poisoned and was taken to the hospital so he asked to see me.
Kanat: when then?
Ekim: they said today. (without looking at him)
While Kanat was about to say something Kerem interrupted him.
Kerem: I'll take you there then, I'm going somewhere anyway so I can take you on my way.
Ekim nods in agreement without thinking. It was better for her than going with Kanat.
Melek: well then! Go after having breakfast.
After having breakfast, Ekim and Kerem get up to leave.
Melek: take care, okay?
Ekim/Kerem: okay!
They get into the car and Kerem starts driving the car.
Kerem: is your relationship...
Ekim looks at him waiting for him to continue.
Kerem: I mean between you and your father.
Ekim keeps silent a little.
Kerem: if don't want to say it, I'm sorry then!
Ekim: No, I just was thinking about our relationship, I didn't try to describe it before.
She keeps silent for some seconds.
Ekim: it wasn't that bad but it wasn't good too, it was complicated somehow.
Kerem understood that she doesn't want to tell him the details so he kept silent. When they arrive at the hospital, Kerem parked the car and went to ask the receptionist about the room. They go up to the room.
Kerem: can I come in with you?
Ekim looks at him with amazement but she didn't refuse.
When they entered the room, Alpay was laying on the bed and there was a serum in his hand. When Ekim saw him like that she felt sad, in the end, he was her father and she hadn't someone else, or that's what she thought before that she was going to know after minutes.
Tuna: Ekim! I thought you'll never come!!
Ekim: what happened to you?
Tuna: I don't know, I felt a hard pain yesterday after dinner, they told me that I was poisoned.
Ekim: was this intentional? Or what I'm asking anyway of course intended!!
Tuna: I asked you to come today for that, Ekim! They will try to kill me again for sure so I should tell you something.
Tuna: looks at Kerem and Ekim as he asks her who he is!
Ekim: it's Kerem, baba! Tell me what you want!
Tuna: Kerem, Melek's son?
Kerem who was looking at him with a look devoid of feelings, waiting for what he will say!
Ekim: yes, he is. How did you know him?
Tuna: look, Ekim! Your mother is alive, and you know her!
Ekim looks at him shocked and Kerem was not knowing what to do. Ekim linked the actions together and understood who is meant, but she wanted to be sure.
Ekim: who?
Tuna: Melek! The woman in the officer's house.
Ekim looks at Kerem and then at him with teary eyes.
Ekim: what are you saying? What is that mean? This Defne was me all that time? And you? She was right then! Your real name is Alpay!
Alpay: I'm sorry, Ekim.
Ekim: what sorry? What would I do with your sorry? You make me live such a big lie, even though my name was a lie! What sorry are you saying to me?
Alpay: Ekim...
Ekim: what Ekim? What's my real name now? Ekim or Defne? How could you do something like this to us? How could you deprive a mother of her daughter all of these years? And now! Is your conscience awakened to tell me now?
Alpay: forgive me, Ekim, please?
Ekim: why is everyone asking me for forgiveness despite all the bad things you've done to me? Do you think that's so easy? Because of that lie, I had to ignore my dignity just so that my baby wouldn't live the same suffering as me. I'll never forget this and will never forgive you and everyone who broke me one day!
Ekim says and takes her bag and leaves the room. Kerem remains for a moment looking at Alpay with contempt and follows Ekim.
Kerem: Ekim, Ekim wait!!
He runs until he catches and stops her.
Kerem: stop, Ekim, stop!
Ekim: how could you be that calm? Or were you already know?
Kerem keeps silent.
Ekim: that's right, you knew this before.
Kerem: yes, Ekim, I knew it 5 months ago, the day you go. Let's go from here now, and we'll talk in the car.
Kerem grabs Ekim's hand softly and leads her to the car. He starts driving the car so Ekim began to talk.
Ekim: Melek abla...I mean annem, does she know too?
Kerem: we two know on the same day. When she saw your picture, she went to tell Halil abi, but she found that he and Kanat already know.
Ekim: Kanat? Did kanat know this? Look! He knows such an important and doesn't tell me and at the same time, he was accusing me of hiding the fu**ing videos from him.
Kerem: okay, calm down.
Ekim: why didn't you tell me when I came then?
Kerem: annem was about to tell you once she saw you but Kanat pointed to her not to say something for your health.
Ekim: Kanat? Again?
Kerem: anyway, Ekim! Don't bother yourself anymore!
Ekim: how, Kerem? I don't even know my real name now! What should I be called? Ekim Guleryuz or Defne Yildrim?
Kerem: (kidding with her) I think it won't make a difference because you will be from the Şirhan family soon! Ekim Şirhan or Defne Şirhan it won't make difference. 
He ends his words with a loud laugh.
Ekim: why are you laughing now? I can't decide if you're my brother or my enemy!
Kerem: okay, don't be upset! What do you think about having some fun together? As brother and sister?
Ekim: won't this be strange since I knew our brotherhood half an hour ago?
Kerem: no, I knew 5 months ago anyway!
Ekim laughs and turns to the other side. Kerem decides to take her to lunapark first.
Kerem: Yesss, we arrived.
Ekim: where? What's that? Why we came here?
Kerem: you didn't like it?
Ekim: no, not that, I became surprised only.
Kerem puts his arm on her shoulder and starts walking with her.
Kerem: well then, Ekimcem, because of your pregnancy we won't be able to use all the games.
Ekim: if you're reading well, canim abim, you'll see that all the games are forbidden for pregnant women.
Kerem looks at the instruction panel and he found that all games are forbidden.
Kerem: yes, you're right, we shouldn't come here!
Ekim laughs loud at Kerem who got confused.
Ekim: it's okay, let's set in the park, it's quieter anyway.
They sat together and Kerem bring her some sweets and drinks to eat, they talked a lot and had fun with the children in the park and Ekim finally lived real happiness after a long time. It was night so they had to go home. They were in the car in front of the home.
Kerem: don't be angry with our mom, Ekim. She was really worried about you so she couldn't tell you.
Ekim nods at him and then they get out of the car. After the maid opens the door. It was dinner time. Melek meets them worried about being late.
Melek: where were you? Why did you be that late?
Kerem and Ekim looked at each other.
Kerem: I and Defne decided to have fun a little!
Melek: okay, but why you didn't tell... What did you just say?
Melek looks at Ekim in amazement so Ekim smiles at her while nodding positively. Melek hugs her tightly and laughs loudly that all family came to them.
Hazal: what's happening? What's this loud laugh? Make us laugh too! (in a kidding way).
Melek: Defne is here, Hazal!
Hazal: aaa, how did you know, Ekim?
Ekim: it's clear that only me who didn't know right?
She says and looks at Kanat.
Melek: anyway let's have dinner now.
They all go to the dining room.
Cumali: we had passed a lot of bad events lately, but now it's happiness time, finally Melek and her daughter gathered, and the next plan will be the marriage! Go and make the necessary tests and then set the date for the marriage next week!
Ekim looks at Melek and then at Cumali.
Ekim: isn't that too fast?
Cumali: No, kizim, I think it's a great time before being more tired because of pregnancy.
Ekim: I'll go to my room.
Ekim goes and while walking she hears the maids in the kitchen talking so she stops to hear them.
The maid 1: she is pregnant from him, and doesn't want to get married. What a rude!
The maid 2: shut up someone will hear you!
The maid 1: they're talking about the marriage no one will come!
At that moment, Ekim decides to enter the kitchen.
Ekim: were you saying something, honey?
The maid: no, I...I was just ahh
Ekim grabs her arm tightly.
Ekim: look at me, I won't let anyone say anything about me after that, whoever he is, I won't care! So take care of your business because I won't be that nice next time.
Ekim leaves her arm while pushing her away and goes to her room. She calls Ikra as she didn't call her after telling her that she went to Kanat's house in a message.
Ekim: Alo, Ikra, how are you?
Ikra: I'm fine, what about you? Why did you go with him, Ekim?
Ekim: I don't know, Ikra, once he mentioned the absence of my mom I became scared that my baby feels the same thing so my feelings defeated me, but I feel regret now! I was thinking about coming back to Izmir but I can't now.
Ikra: why?
While Ekim was about to answer her, she was interrupted by knocking on the door.
Ekim: I'll call you again, Ikra!
Ekim ends the call and opens the door to find Kanat. She leaves the door and enters the room so Kanat entered behind her and closes the door. She turns to him and waits for him to say something.
Kanat: listen, Ekim, I know you don't want this marriage and you accepted only for the baby so...
Ekim: but I didn't accept, Kanat! I'm forced. You all treat me as a toy, when you don't believe me, you put me at the door. when you found that you were wrong, you ask me to come back. For forcing me to come with you, you hit me from my weakness point. Despite knowing who my mom is, you chose to hide just because of your selfishness.
Kanat: I didn't tell you that for your health, Ekim!
Ekim: you knew before it, Kanat, don't dare to lie to me! (loudly) but you kept silent and didn't tell me just because of your anger and your refusal to even hear me! I was thinking that you don't trust me, Kanat, but it clarified that you don't even trust yourself.
Kanat: tell this to my grandfather then, Ekim. If you hate me that much and won't even give me another chance for our baby to be born into a normal family, tell him that you don't want to get married.
Ekim: you're so a hopeless case, Kanat,  you still hitting me with that baby to accept everything you want. Know that everything I'm doing right now is just for that baby, Kanat, if I sat next to you at the marriage table it will just be for him, to live in a normal family as you were saying, but for sorry even if it happens he will live never live normally with parents that don't trust each other and this will be just because of you, Kanat!
Kanat remains silent not knowing what to say, he knows she was right in every word she said and also right in her anger.
Kanat: you're right, Ekim, it was all my fault, my stupidity, and my foolishness, you're completely right, but I hope you could give me another chance, Ekim. I won't come close to you or try touching you until you forgive me, Ekim. But at least believe me and my regret, Ekim.
Ekim: I begged you to believe me too, Kanat, but you didn't! it's my turn, Now! So please, go now I want to sleep.
Ekim says and gives him her back while going to the bed. Kanat looks at her in sadness and gets out of the room.
_The next morning
Ekim wakes up and goes to have breakfast. She and Kanat were ordered by Cumali to go to the hospital to make the check-up. Melek notices Ekim's confusion so she decides to go with them. After having breakfast, they got into the car and went to the hospital. They made the tests and took the permit to submit the marriage application. Kanat decided to take them to a place where they can drink something and rest as he noticed that Ekim got tired. They were sitting near the door so Ekim saw the cotton candy seller. Kanat looks at what she was looking at so he understands that she might be craving it. He gets up so Ekim looks at him to understand where is he going. She and Melek followed him with their gazes then Ekim saw him buying some cotton candy so she looks at Melek questioningly. When he returns he gives her the cotton candy.
Kanat: I know you like it.
Ekim was hesitant but she took it from him before he gave another one to Melek. Ekim opened it and started to eat it quietly.
Melek: so Ekim, did you know the gender?
Ekim: No, I wanted to keep it a surprise, but hadiga abla told me that it's a girl after seeing some symptoms.
Melek: who's she?
Ekim: the woman I was staying with. She's the mother of an old friend. She took care of me when I went there.
Melek: I must thank her for taking care of you.
She says while stroking Ekim's her. Ekim smiles at her and Kanat was watching them happily.
Ekim: let's go then! I started to feel cold.
Kanat: Okay, you go to the car until I pay.
They went home and their marriage was decided after a week. Ekim's feelings were mixed between anger and sadness. She didn't want her marriage to the person she loves to be like that. The week passed quickly and The day came. Melek, Hazal, and Leyla were with Ekim in the room. They chose a simple long white dress and left her hair loose behind her back and put on a little make-up. They left her and went to get ready so she stayed alone in the room. But she couldn't stay alone for a long time because she found Sevda opening the door.
Ekim: what're you doing here?
Sevda: you're looking so beautiful, especially with that billy.
Ekim: what do you want, Sevda?
Sevda: if you want to keep this billy, you will say no while you being asked after a while.
They were interrupted by Hazal opening the door.
Hazal: what're you doing here, Sevda?
Sevda: nothing! I was just congratulating her. Congratulation, Ekim!!
She said and left the room.
Hazal: did she do something to you?
Ekim: no, nothing happened. Let's go!
They go downstairs so everyone including Kanat looks at them. Kanat lost his mind when he saw her but he felt sad when he saw the sad gaze in her eye. She sat next to him. The Man started talking and then asked Kanat.
The man:Kanat Şirhan, do you accept Ekim Guleryuz as a wife?
Kanat while looking at her: yes
The man: Ekim Guleryuz, do you accept Kanat Şirhan as a husband?
Ekim looks at Kanat and looks at Sevda who was threating her with her eyes.

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