Slowly...You Will Fall In Love

Chapter 65: Emir is here!

Pinar, her gaze unwavering, spoke with genuine concern, "Reyhan, you should go back to your family. I can see you are suffering every day here. It's been four years." Reyhan, her smile fading, replied, "Pinar, what do you think? I never considered going back to them. Maybe my family would accept me, but Emir? Would he accept me? I don't know how he is, what's happening in his life, whether he has moved on with someone else... I can't bear to see him with someone else."

Pinar, now more serious, gently urged Reyhan, "Reyhan, legally, you both are still married. If Emir has moved on, he might have sent you a divorce notice by now." Reyhan, contemplating the possibility, responded, "Maybe he doesn't know where I am."

Pinar, empathetic yet firm, continued, "Staying here won't change anything, Reyhan but it might create confusion in your mind. Going back will bring clarity, or even a chance at rebuilding your life back there. Only you can mend those roads to your past."

Ayşe approached Esra with a hairbrush to comb her hair. However, as Ayşe reached out, Esra instinctively moved away, a defiant expression on her face. "No, you won't touch my hair," Esra declared, crossing her arms. Ayşe, trying to convince her, "Please let me comb your hair. We're already late," Esra shook her head vigorously. "No, no. Only Baba can touch my hair."

Just as Emir entered the room with a smile and said "Baba is here. Come." Esra, without hesitation, left Ayşe's side and happily moved towards Emir. He knelt down, his fingers skillfully combing through Esra's hair. As he tied it with a rubber band, a sense of joy filled the room. Esra looked up at Emir with a radiant smile, while Emir, in return, adored his daughter's happiness.

However, in that tender moment, a fleeting memory crossed Emir's mind - the times he combed Reyhan's hair and when he gave her that rubber band to her. Just as Emir was lost in his thoughts, Ayşe interrupted, "Emir Bey, I think we should go." Emir, with a faded expression, nodded, pulling himself back to the present.

In the school principal's office, Emir sat with Esra beside him, Ayşe standing nearby. The principal, addressing Emir, mentioned, "Mr. Emir, the new session will be starting soon, but may I ask you something?" Emir, with a calm demeanor, replied, "Yes, please." The principal continued, "Mr. Emir, you left the column for the mother blank in Esra's admission form. (Looking at Ayşe) Is she...?" Quickly, Ayşe, standing there with confidence, expected Emir to introduce her as Esra's mother. Emir quickly said, "No No! " Anticipating Emir's response, she took a step forward.

He then turned to Esra and said, "Cover your ears and don't hear anything, okay?" Esra innocently covered her ears as Emir continued speaking to the principal. "Actually, my wife is not staying with us. I mean, she left us years ago. As I already informed, I have temporary custody of Esra, but in the coming days, I will file for her permanent custody. Since then, I'm her father and mother both."

The principal, understanding Emir's situation, nodded. "Well, Mr. Emir, I thought that lady is her mother." Emir glanced back at Ayşe and clarified, "No, she's not her mother; she's her caretaker. But she helped me a lot in taking care of Esra, and for that, I'm really grateful to her." Ayşe, though feeling a pang of hurt, managed to maintain a fading smile, masking her emotions beneath a facade of normalcy.

In a cozy café, Emir, Esra, and Ayşe sat around a small table. Esra, with an innocent smile, looked up at Emir and said, "Baba, I want to have ice cream."Emir chuckled, ruffling Esra's hair. "Okay, but only today because It's my daughter's big day, she got admission to her school." Esra beamed with joy at the mention of her achievement.While Emir and Esra shared a moment of celebration, Emir noticed Ayşe seemed lost in her thoughts.

Concerned, he asked, "Ayşe, are you okay?" Ayşe, trying to hide her hurt behind a forced smile, replied, "Yes, yes, Emir Bey. I'm fine." She shifted her gaze, momentarily escaping her emotions.

After several days had passed, Reyhan and Pinar finally returned to Istanbul. They rented a modest apartment, a simple haven that offered a fresh start. As they settled into their new space, Reyhan, with a hint of hesitation, told Pinar, "Pinar, I came here, but now, don't force me to meet anyone else. I need some time." Pinar, understanding Reyhan's feelings, asked, "Did you tell your brother that you're here?" Reyhan shook her head. "No, and please, this time, I just need some time. I can't go and stand in front of them, saying I'm here."

Pinar, supportive and empathetic, nodded. "Okay, Reyhan. Take your time. I'm glad you came and that's more satisfying for me." She extended her arms towards Reyhan, offering a friendly hug. Reyhan, appreciating the gesture, embraced Pinar.

In the quiet morning, Emir was driving through a narrow lane when he suddenly noticed a water pipe leaking from a house, creating a puddle that covered the entire street. Frustrated by the sight, he parked his car and walked out. "Hey, anyone there? Hello, the pipe is leaking, turn it off! Hello, anyone?" Emir called out, hoping to alert the residents of the house.

Getting no response, Emir took a few steps into the garden, determined to turn off the water himself. As he knelt down to handle the leak, Pinar having heard the commotion, rushed to the scene with a stick in her hand. Misinterpreting the situation, she thought Emir was a thief attempting to break into the house.

Just as Emir was about to stand up after fixing the pipe. Pinar, acting on her instincts, swung the stick, accidentally hitting Emir on the head. Emir winced in pain, a mix of surprise and confusion on his face as Pinar realized her mistake.

Emir, holding his head in pain, exclaimed, "Are you mad? You hit me!" Pinar, still defensive, questioned, "Who are you? How did you get inside the house?" Emir, with an irritating expression replied, "I have two feet, and I walk through them."
Pinar, not reacting to his humour, sternly said, "Don't talk nonsense. What do you want?" She continued to brandish the stick, wary of the stranger in her house. Emir, trying to explain, said, "You careless girl. Look, the pipe was leaking, making the whole street wet. I shouted so many times, but nobody responded. So, I came here to turn it off."

Pinar's expression shifted from defensive to guilty. "Oh, I thought..." Her voice trailed off as she realized her mistake. Just then, Emir started feeling dizzy due to the effect of the head hit. Pinar's eyes widened as she realized the unintended consequences of her hasty actions. Concern etched across her face, she lowered the stick and took a step towards Emir.

Now inside their apartment, Emir lay unconscious on the sofa while Pinar paced nervously. She muttered to herself, "Now what would I do? I think I should leave him on the street; anybody passing by will help him." Then, in a moment of dark humor, she added, "No, no... If anyone sees me with him, they will blame me for his condition. Now what to do..." In her dilemma, Pinar approached Emir and gently shook his shoulder. "Hello... wake up. This is not your house. Please wake up and go away."

Just then, Reyhan entered the home and found Pinar standing with a man sitting on the sofa. Emir was partially hidden from view. Reyhan questioned, "Pinar, who's home?" Panic flashed across Pinar's face as she turned to Reyhan. "Reyhan, this man... I didn't do anything. He..."Reyhan, curious, looked past Pinar. Her gaze shifted to the sofa. Her eyes widened as she looked at the man on the sofa, and shock swept over her as she saw Emir. She exclaimed, "Emir..." and started breathing heavily. Pinar, attempting to downplay the situation, said, "Reyhan, why are you panicking?" In disbelief, Reyhan kept repeating, "Emir... how? Emir is here... No, no, this can't be true." Concerned, Pinar reached out to Reyhan, asking, "Reyhan, what happened?" Reyhan continued to murmur, "Emir... he's Emir."

Then, it clicked for Pinar. "Emir?" she questioned, realizing Reyhan's husband has the same name. "You mean he's Emir... your Emir?"