Whispers of the Past

Chapter Thirty Five - Under the Paparazzi's Glare: Secrets and Scrutiny

THIRD PERSON'S POV

The news erupted like a flashbang. Timothée Chalamet, Hollywood's golden boy, jetted off to Istanbul with a mysterious brunette. Paparazzi swarmed airports, social media buzzed with speculation. "Chalamet's clandestine conquest?" "Who is the woman who stole his heart?" The headlines screamed, each pixel laced with intrigue.

Timothée, accustomed to the limelight, felt its glare intensify. Atiye, usually unflappable, found herself navigating a labyrinth of whispers and curious glances. Their arrival in Istanbul was a media circus, cameras flashing like strobe lights as they exited the airport, Timothée shielding Atiye with his arm.

Mehmet's opulent mansion, a world away from Atiye's childhood home, became their temporary haven. Yet, within its gilded walls, tension crackled. Mehmet, initially overjoyed, eyed Timothée with a mix of suspicion and veiled resentment. Timothée, used to adulation, felt judged under the scrutiny of this newfound father figure. Atiye, caught in the crossfire, struggled to bridge the chasm between their vastly different worlds.

The opulent library of Atiye's father's Istanbul mansion. Sunlight streams through tall windows, highlighting the tension filling the air. Atiye sits on a plush armchair, her hands nervously clasped in her lap. Timothee stands beside her, his hand a silent source of comfort. Her father, a man with the same haunted eyes she sees in the mirror, paces near the bookshelf.

Atiye: (Voice laced with a mix of trepidation and longing) "Baba, I needed to see you. To understand why..."

Mehmet: (Eyes filled with regret) "I know, Atiye. And there are no easy answers, only a past filled with mistakes." He sighs, the weight of years seemingly pressing down on him.

Timothee: (Steps forward, his stance respectful) "We're here to listen, sir. Please, tell us your story."

Mehmet: (Nods, looking at Atiye) "Your mother… she wasn't the woman you see in the framed photos. There was another, a love she clung to fiercely. When I met her, I was young, ambitious, drawn to her fire. I loved her! And there she was, standing for me! At least I thought that... But short after, the bitter truth poisoned our love.."

He walks towards a picture on the mantelpiece,  him smiling with a woman not Atiye's mother. Pain flickers in his eyes. He smiled a bit, "She's my wife, Azize. She'll be here in a while, she's a bit busy cooking for you. She loves cooking."

Mehmet continued, "So, your mother..  She told me she was divorced, alone with a daughter. I had no idea her husband was in England, tooking care of his family business! She used to spent all her time with me, used to stay at mines for days. When I knew, her husband and she was still together, I couldn’t hold it together. I loved her enough to not ruin her marriage, her daughter's future!  I was angry! Angry and shattered!  Betrayed! I kinda threatened her that I'll kill her if I ever see her again near me. It was yet hard for me to believe, she only was with me for sake of my money! Me, my love was worthless to her! Later three year or four, I met Azize."

Timothee held Atiye's hand strongly as she was trembling. It didn’t miss Mehmet's eye.

"Why did you left me behind with her?" 

"I didn't my child. I had no idea you was born, you was mine! Her husband also had no idea about whatever she did. She along with her husband left for England and never came back. Years later when her mother was sever sick, she called me and before dieing said that I HAD A DAUGHTER! YOU! I went to your mother's she said, if you'd be born, my sunflower, your mother may you as a reminder of everything she'd lost. She said, She never gave birth to you. She didn’t wanna keep her mistake alive! In front of her eyes growing up! I pleaded, but she utter no word but a lie that shattered me again. Yet I went there several times, her elder daughter Amaya,  I used to search you in her!"

Tears well up in Atiye's eyes. This story, though painful, explains so much.

Timothee: (Places a hand on Atiye's shoulder) "We can only imagine what you went through, sir."

Mehmet: (Turns to Atiye, his voice thick with emotion) "I never stopped searching, never stopped hoping. The guilt of failing you… it's a wound that never healed. And seeing you now, a woman of strength and grace, fills me with both joy and sorrow."

Atiye: (Stands up, her voice trembling) "I understand your pain, Baba. But the anger, the hurt… it clouded your judgment. Why didn't you fight for me a bit more?"

Mehmet: (His eyes pleading) "I did, Atiye. I fought the legal system, hired investigators, but every lead turned cold. All I had left was hope, a flicker that never died."

A heavy silence descends, filled with unspoken emotions.

Azize: (Enters the room, sensing the emotional toll) "Perhaps taking a break would be wise, have some food? Maybe I shouldn't talk yet, Give yourselves time to process this… weight of the past." (looking at Menmet) They need rest also. They travelled a lot love.

M

ehmet nodded.

Timothee : (Nods, wiping away a tear) "She's right. This is just the beginning, Sir, Atiye. There's more to understand, more to heal."

As they leave the library, the burden of the past feels lighter, replaced by a fragile hope for a future built on truth and understanding. The journey ahead won't be easy, but they face it together, their love a beacon guiding them through the shadows.