Forgiveness.

Chapter 21 - Puppet of Control

Puppets of Control

She shifted in her sleep. The small space on the sofa was enough for her petite body, but it was not as comfortable as she would prefer, and Rafan could see it. She turned around, and her eyes flickered under her eyelids. The beauty that he once had fallen for was pale and tired. The freshness it held once was no more, and it was not due to her illness but due to the pain of yearning and guilt.

Her eyes blinked open, but slowly, adjusting to the illumination of the light. As soon as her eye accommodates the blurry image in front of her, they went wide. Although the color of the skin was anemic, those sharp features and those dark brown eyes seemed almost amber in the bright light that graced them.

She observed that he was just sitting there, not moving, staring at her with an unread expression, but he still held a form of coldness in his icy browns. He sat there with his two fingers covering his lips but not completely. His dark brown hair was tied back in an informal ponytail. His one feet overlapped the other as he wore what seemed like casual yet work clothes, that is if he was considered. In a white loose shirt and black jeans with a pair of brown combat boots, he just sat there and stared at her, not speaking a word.

Swallowing roughly, she sat back up from her lying position. Not meeting his eyes again, she looked around, trying to find her brother and niece, but did not even hear a single noise. She glanced back at his face to only find him in the same state as before. Not even an inch had changed.

"Where is everyone?" She asked with normalcy, without wavelength of disturbance in her tone, to which he only blinked as if mentioning that he did hear her.

"Why weren't you in our room?" Rafan asked instead and her mouth shut into a tight line. Not only did that reaction disapproves of his counter-question, but it also did not recommend an answer for him.

"I do not think that is important. I will look for them on my own." She stood up and walked around the house calling the rest of the families' names, but there was no answer, nor had she found someone. It only caused her to panic.

"What if my stupid left me alone with him and went to his in-laws?"

"Where are they?" She demanded, a bit concerned and with a lot of frustration, but Rafan only stared back at her, not even deflected by her anger that was starting to surface on her face.

"Hospital. Zeynep has an appointment." As if on cue, the anger got replaced by embarrassment for her oblivious nature. Every Sunday, Zeynep goes to her therapist for special sessions.

"I apologize." She said as her eyes flickered at the floor. Radan stood up; as he slipped one hand into his jeans, he placed the other's finger under her chin and leveled her face to his. It was a soft gesture as he searched her eyes before speaking.

"Next time, don't make me repeat what I expect from you. I am fulfilling my responsibilities. So, from now on, you do not have any other choice but to let me. That automatically means you will follow every action that is required by you as a wife. Do not come in between what I promised once again." All it took was for his words to settle, but she did not speak. His eyes, in a way, decreed her to a status that she could not revoke.

When she did not speak, Rafan increased the distance that he once had closed in before and picked up his leather jacket as he moved towards the door, but as if her mind finally comprehended what was happening in the longer run. Instantly that caused her to snap at him.

"I am no puppet of yours. I won't take orders, Rafan. I am an independent person who makes her own choices." Despite the extensive change in Jeena's personality, her relentless and individualistic autonomy still remained intact. Rafan stopped on her words but never turned towards her.