A TALE OF BERDEL

CHAPTER 3: Berdel

YUSUF ALI HAZNEDAR

The day I was betrayed by the person I called my brother was also the day I was supposed to get married. I left a woman with tears in her eyes behind me. I abandoned the woman I loved on our wedding day by eloping with another girl.

As I quickly descended the stairs, I looked at the man I once called a friend. He pointed his gun at me.

"Where is my brother, Yusuf?" he shouted angrily.

I laughed, deliberately provoking him. "He's in my room, Berdan Agha. There's no harm in that." He took a few more steps closer, his gun still pointed at me.

My gun remained in my hand – proof enough of who the true friend was.

"Berfin! Come out, brother, don't be afraid," Berdan called out. "I won't let anyone harm you. Come on out!"

"I warned him so thoroughly that even if he wanted to, he couldn't come down," I replied, staggering backward as his punch landed on my face.

Berdan was furious. As soon as he'd heard that I had kidnapped his sister, he'd rushed here. He was angry enough to kill the man he'd called his best friend with his own hands. I caught his second punch mid-air and twisted his arm.

While I should have been the one angry, it was Berdan who was more enraged. "You ruined my wedding, you bastard!" I shouted, punching him back. We were brawling in the middle of the mansion.

Everyone who heard the news from the Haznedar tribe began flocking to the mansion. No one dared intervene between us as we fought on the ground. No one except Berfin, who ran down the stairs toward us.

"Yusuf... Brother... for God's sake, stop! It's enough!"

My furious eyes locked onto the pleading woman. Could a person never change?

For the last time, I punched the face of the man lying beneath me and stood up. My angry gaze fell on the green-eyed enchantress. If she had listened just once, I wouldn't be so frustrated.

Berdan quickly rose, grabbed his sister by the wrist, and pulled her behind him. My eyes swept over my men and cousins at the door, their guns pointed at Berdan and Berfin. I had to make a choice: my brother's life in exchange for Berfin's. I had to decide immediately. When my father and the tribal elders arrived, it might be too late.

My eyes turned to the little enchantress. When our gazes met, I frowned. The woman I'd never looked at that way would now have to become my wife out of necessity, to prevent two tribes from becoming enemies – while my heart belonged to someone else.

My gaze shifted to the dishonorable person next to her. I shook my head and delivered the real bombshell. "You destroyed your brother's life for your own. Perhaps I can't do anything to you or my brother, but..." My eyes turned to Berfin. "I'll make her life miserable, Berdan Xozan!"

Berdan looked at me in shock, clearly not expecting this. "Don't you dare make this mistake, Yusuf," he growled. "I swear I won't care about my own life or Rojda's. I won't leave my sister in your family's hands!"

He turned to leave, holding his sister's hand, but when he saw the men lined up at the mansion's door with guns, he fired a shot into the air. "Move aside, damn it!" Turning to me, he snarled, "Tell your men to stand down, Yusuf, or else..."

"Or else what?" I roared, narrowing my eyes in anger. "What will happen?"

Just then, my father entered through the mansion's door and swiftly approached Berdan, delivering his notorious slap. Our eyes met as Berdan's head snapped to the side. Berfin covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"And you dare to threaten, you scoundrel!" my father bellowed. "How dare you kidnap my daughter! We considered you a man, welcomed you to our table, and took you into our home. And you set your sights on our daughter!"

My father was as angry as I was, but if he hadn't shot Berdan in the head right then, it meant he was thinking what I was thinking. Berdan remained silent, whether out of fear or respect, I couldn't tell. His head remained bowed.

"Since you got into this mess with my daughter, decide what will happen next, Berdan," my father said.

Berdan quickly lifted his head and shook it. "What you're thinking won't happen, Mehmet."

"Did I find my sister on the ground, you wretch!" I shouted, but my father stopped me with his hand.

"If you don't accept the exchange—" my father began, but Berfin interrupted.

"What? What exchange, Uncle Mehmet?"

I closed my eyes in anger and clenched my fist. We were paying for their mistake.

"I won't make her pay for my mistake," Berdan said. "I can't do it, Mehmet."

"You should have thought of that before you kidnapped my daughter," my father replied. "You thought Yusuf would get married today and there wouldn't be any exchange, but look at God's work – the news came before Yusuf could say yes." He paused before adding, "Your parents agreed to the exchange."

Berdan stared at my father in shock. My eyes shifted to the little witch, and I found her looking at me too. I blinked to show her she shouldn't be afraid. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't harm her. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

She swallowed and averted her gaze. Berdan finally shook off his shock.

"I don't care what anyone says," he declared. "I won't accept it. I won't give up my sister." He turned quickly to me. "Weren't you the one who said your sister is my sister? How can you agree to this, especially when you're in love with Berivan?"

"You've kidnapped my sister, and now you're lecturing me?" I spat. "It's over! Berfin will be my wife, that's final. There's nothing more to say!"

I knew anything beyond this would mean a blood feud between the two tribes. It was better if Berdan thought my real intention was revenge, not preventing a blood feud.

The Xozan tribe had gathered at the mansion. Both sides sat down to talk, with the tribal elders present. Finally, a decision was made – an exchange marriage was decreed. I was going to marry the girl I once called my sister.

Berfin looked at me timidly from beside her family. What was scaring her so much? Was it me she feared?

While I pondered these thoughts, everyone stood up. The discussion turned to wedding celebrations.

"If you wish, you can hold a wedding for either Rojda or Berfin," someone suggested. "That is if the family they're marrying into accepts."

"Never!" Agir Agha shouted angrily. "I will not allow this. Am I supposed to hold a wedding for those who ruined my daughter's life?"

Berdan, realizing his mistake, remained silent before his father. My grandmother also spoke up, "Then we have no intention of holding a wedding either."

"I will give my bride the most beautiful wedding," my father interjected. But they had forgotten one thing: I was already supposed to get married today. My Berivan... What state was she in now? God, give us both the strength to endure this pain.

My mother approached Berfin and took her hand. I noticed Berfin's hands trembling. If we had been getting married out of love, I would have attributed it to excitement. But was she trembling this much out of fear? I had assured her I wouldn't harm her.

"You'll go with your family for now," my mother said, squeezing her hands, "but soon you'll come to the Haznedar mansion as a bride. Don't be afraid, my beautiful girl." Of course, my mother had heard about the slap from my grandmother. Hatice must have told her. Perhaps Berfin had been trembling since morning because of this – she was afraid of my grandmother.

After everyone had gone home, I stood in the courtyard reflecting on what had happened. Then a phone call came.

I don't even remember how I rushed outside or got to the hospital. My beautiful Berivan had attempted to take her own life. God damn me! When I reached the corridor where her room was, her father angrily grabbed my collar.

"What right do you have to come here?" he shouted. "My daughter is fighting for her life inside because of you!"

At that moment, he released me as the doctor emerged from the room.

"Thank God," the doctor said. "It didn't hit a vein, otherwise we might not have been able to save her." So she had slit her wrists. Had she really given up on everything? While I had been there arranging the exchange marriage, the woman I loved had attempted suicide.

"Who is Ali?" the doctor asked. As everyone's eyes turned to me, I spoke up.

"I – I am."

"She keeps calling your name," he said, and I clenched my teeth. I would never forgive myself for making her go through this.

I couldn't handle it anymore. I stormed out of the hospital, got into my car, and floored the accelerator. I stopped in front of the Xozan mansion.

I needed to talk to Berfin. Taking out my phone, I called her. "I'm in front of the mansion. Come out without being seen," I said and hung up before she could respond.

Berfin emerged from the mansion, looking around cautiously. When she spotted my car, she ran over, opened the door, and got in. "What happened? Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

I didn't know how to say such a thing, but I had to make the right decision. "Berfin..." I began, my voice is both embarrassed and sharp, "After we get married, I'm going to bring Berivan to the mansion. As my true wife..."

Berfin froze in shock. She stared at me, her face expressionless. Then, surprisingly, she smiled. She didn't speak but nodded her head in agreement.

I took a deep breath. "I know what I'm asking is very hard for you, but—"

"I should go now," Berfin interrupted in a flat tone. "I've given my answer." She opened the door and ran out.

As I watched her disappear into the mansion, I realized that my words had hurt her. I leaned my head back against the seat and prayed, "God, give me strength to do the right thing. Show me the way."

Just then, a car approaching from the opposite direction stopped in front of the Xozan mansion. I frowned as the person emerged. Boran Xozan had left suddenly two years ago, and now he had returned on the very day the exchange marriage was decreed. Boran entered the mansion with purposeful strides.

Outside in the car, I remained unaware of the significance of his arrival. Because only Yusuf knew that Boran was in love with Berfin. We were all trapped in a maze of dead-end streets; wherever we went, we kept crossing paths or finding ourselves in the same inescapable places...