Talk Of The Town | ongoing

Prologue

Someone else has always been the main character in her story.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Anya Sheriff stared at her neutral coat rack, ranging from light pink to black. Her white wedding gown wrapped in a beige garment bag hung as well. Her matching stilettos were in a shoe box lying on the floor.

Suitcases full of new clothes and accessories were next to them. After the wedding, her mother will donate her old clothes, including cherished, worn-out, and comfortable comic T-shirts. All of her decorative knick-knacks were in a smaller bag.

She has already informed her parents that she would fetch her books later. She intended to construct the perfect home library first.

Sleep is far away that night, and there is no better therapy than fresh air.

Wearing a brown hoodie over her pyjamas, she grabbed her steaming mug of chamomile tea and climbed the stairs to the rooftop terrace.

The chaos, which means her relatives and their children coming to stay over, cooking various meals, applying henna, last-minute touches on their outfits, and the tons of gossiping, has succumbed around eleven p.m. It granted her one more hour to spend at her treasured place in this staggering mansion.

She smiled and took a small sip.

Tomorrow is her wedding day.

Life went by in a flash. She had sat in a cosy coffee shop offering the London Eye view, meeting Emre Yilmaz three months ago. He is one handsome man. It had to be the dimples that raced her heart when he smiled.

Her paternal aunt and parents planned the arranged marriage. He is her aunt's co-worker's son, a successful surgeon who works at a reputable private hospital.

They advised, "Don't miss this opportunity."

Anya has never once felt like the main character. She's always been a part of the audience witnessing the enfolding movie-like event.

In school, at sixteen, her classmate George sat on one knee with a ring pop. He proposed to Paula, asking her to be his girlfriend. Anya put her sandwich down and clapped for them along with the other students in the school cafeteria. It's like a scene straight out of a movie.

At eighteen, a young college student missed the caution-wet floor sign in the coffee shop. It would have been an embarrassment and laughing stock if it were Anya. The girl had good luck. Park Ji-hun, a South Korean student in her university class, caught her in his arms. The other girls in the waiting line, including Anya, blushed. They whispered how cute and real K-drama vibes it gave. It's like a scene straight out of a movie.

At nineteen, she discovered from her gossiping relatives that her elder cousin Hana, who attended university in Melbourne, had fallen in love with a rich boy. Hana hoped to study more. The lack of finances crushed her dreams. Somehow, a mysterious benefactor paid for everything. It took a while for Hana to learn his identity. He confessed his love for her and admitted to being an introvert. Everyone admired their love tale. Once again, it's like a scene straight out of a movie.

At twenty-two, three weeks after her birthday, her neighbour, Heidi, got kidnapped. She is the same age as Anya, and her father is a renowned magistrate. A brave cop named Robert rescued her before the van stopped at its destination. Heidi narrated the tale of his bravery and published it in the local newspaper. She quoted, 'It's full of action and kicks and punches and detective Robert is strong and handsome as well, it's like a scene straight out of a movie.'

Anya has never despised her boring life more after reading this bit in the newspaper. She didn't wish to be kidnapped for ransom. However, drama and romance are lacking in her life.

How does it feel to be in the limelight?

How does it feel for everyone to wish that they could be you?

How does it feel to be in that movie moment where you have to pinch yourself to discover its reality?

Anya set her half-filled mug on the low table and wrapped her hands around the cold metallic balustrade. Part of the highway is visible from the roof of her house. Few vehicles moved forth and back at this hour.

The darkness comforted her in a strange tactic.

Anya closed her eyes. The soothing autumnal breeze washed over her face, detaching some hair strands from her ponytail.

Tomorrow, she'll marry a man who is nine years older than her. It's not a scene straight out of a movie. However, the five times he has come over to her house accompanied by his family, he has brought her a small bouquet of pink roses and a sweet treat. It's baby steps, then.

Emre is wise and compassionate. He is well-spoken. He is richer. He has a good status among his peers and bosses. He often attends formal parties and travels abroad for meetings.

Her aunt had said, "Many girls wish for a partner like him, Anya. All your dreams can come true."

With a deep breath, she wished to become the girl everyone wanted to be. Desirable, spotlight, some drama and cute romance in her future life that she'll have to pinch herself to figure out if it's real. Her boring life better be gone.

With a genuine smile, she opened her eyes.

Revving engines and bright headlights gained her attention. She stepped a few feet backwards. It must be her dumb cousins and their friends who have rented some supercars for the wedding. They decided to go for a late-night test drive.

Loud rap music and laughter poured. Nine boys, shouting or talking aloud, stepped down from the four cars that stopped on the brick driveway.

Grabbing her mug, Anya returned inside. She didn't realise that one should be careful what they wish for.

Sometimes dreams come true, just not the way you expected.