A TALE OF BERDEL

CHAPTER 4: A Love Triangle?

As soon as I entered the mansion, I dashed into the room. Even though what I had just heard hurt me, my mind was too preoccupied with someone else to dwell on it. The image from half an hour ago still hadn't left my mind. I had seen Dilan about to cut her wrist with a scalpel. My heart ached to see my friend sobbing uncontrollably. I knelt beside her, took her hands, and pulled her into an embrace. There was a bandage on her left wrist. By the time I arrived, the scalpel had already made a slight cut on her wrist. Seeing her in that state was enough to drive me insane.

Through her sobs, Dilan said, "How will I cope, Berfin? How will I manage this? All this time, he was in love with someone else right in front of my eyes, and I didn't even realize it. While I was hoping he would notice me, he had already given his heart to someone else."

I patted her back. "Maybe someone else is meant for you, my sister. Maybe my brother wouldn't have been good for you. That's why this happened. The heavens know best."

Dilan pulled back angrily and stood up. "It's easy for you to say because you're going to marry the man you love. That's why you can talk like this." She paced around the room.

I stood up abruptly. "Are you aware of what you're saying, Dilan? Yusuf loves another woman! They were supposed to get married today! What more do you want?"

She laughed hysterically at my words. "But they didn't get married... why not? Because your brother kidnapped Rojda. He did what was necessary for you to get married. At least, even if it's through a forced marriage, he's marrying you now. At least he won't be spending nights in bed with another woman!"

She chose to vent all her anger on me, but my patience had its limits too. "The man you said wouldn't spend nights with another woman just told me he'd bring Berivan as a second wife even before we marry." Tears rolled down my cheeks as my eyes filled.

Dilan looked into my eyes and ran to hug me. When I didn't reciprocate her embrace, she said, "I'm sorry, Berfin. My heart hurts so much. It's like someone is stabbing a hot iron into my heart, like the fires of hell. When I realized I'd lost him, I lost myself too."

After she said this, I wrapped my arms around her neck and returned her embrace. As I continued to cry, I heard a familiar voice.

"How, uncle, how? How can you approve of something like this? Don't you ever think about your daughter? Don't you ever think about what they'll do to her there?"

Dilan and I looked at each other. We both seemed to recognize the voice. We wiped our tears and left the room as if we hadn't been sobbing moments ago. Seeing Boran in the mansion's courtyard, I instinctively covered my mouth in shock.

What was Boran doing here? He looked up as if he sensed my presence upstairs. As his angry gaze targeted me, my father said, "If the two tribes become enemies, much blood will be shed. Why don't you understand, my son?"

Boran, with his eyes on me, said, "They'll make her live in hell there, uncle. They'll kill her while she's alive. Why don't you understand? You're ruining your daughter's life for the sake of your son! I'm trying to turn you away from this mistake."

"It's not for my son's sake!" my father replied. "I accepted the arrangement to prevent lives from being lost on both sides. I have no intention of explaining myself to anyone." He said this angrily and sat on the bench in the courtyard.

Boran was about to speak again, but my father raised his hand. "Enough! I've said my final word. This arrangement will happen!"

When he said that, Boran strode into the kitchen with determination. Dilan looked at me and warned, "Boran's arrival is not a good sign. You never know what this reckless person might do. Be careful."

I nodded and went down the stairs to my father. While he couldn't lift his head to look at me, I sat next to him and laid my head on his chest, hugging him. He immediately returned my embrace.

"I know, father, even if no one else understands, I do. You accepted it because you don't want more lives to be lost."

My father took a deep breath. "Your heart will suffer greatly, but I believe what I did is right, yet I know I'm sending you into the devil's den. They won't give you peace there. What should I do, where should I go, my daughter?" His voice was trembling. The voice of the great Agir Agha was trembling.

I lifted my head and looked at his face. "I'm the daughter of Agir Xozan and Jiyan Xozan. No one can oppress me, so don't worry, my dear father," I said. "Besides, Yusuf won't allow them to belittle me."

When my father heard Yusuf's name, he said, "You know I like Yusuf, but after what happened recently, it's uncertain what he might do, my daughter. After all, he was betrayed by someone he considered both a brother and a friend, so don't trust anyone blindly, or you'll be the one who gets hurt." He kissed my head.

I understood my father. In fact, maybe I would have made the same decision. I don't know, maybe I was thinking this way because I loved Yusuf. But no matter what, my father was very valuable to me.

I got up and said, "Let me make you some coffee. It's the best I can do," and walked towards the kitchen with a smile.

From behind, I heard my father's silent plea, "God, help me."

When I entered the kitchen, Boran was still looking at the green bead he was turning in his hand. "Do you remember it?" he asked. My eyes were also on the bead. I nodded, but he didn't see it.

He lifted his head and looked into my eyes, searching for something. He moved away from the counter he was leaning on and came over to me. "I carried this marble in my pocket just because it matched the color of your eyes, while your eyes held feelings for another man. I never parted with this marble because it reminded me of you. Then suddenly—damn! I've been waiting for two years, thinking you might call... hoping maybe you'd be curious... but you almost forgot my name, let alone calling." His voice rose slightly.

I continued to look at him, not saying a word. He grabbed my chin with his fingers. "Is that all I am to you? Is this how much you've given up on me?"

I didn't understand his protest. What we had as kids was just a childish love... nothing more. When I realized I was in love with Yusuf, everything was already over for me.

He removed his hand from my chin. "Your eyes look so empty. I feel like the green marbles I'd give my life for are now wasting my life. Berfin, why can't I let go of you? Why can't I do what you do?"

I tried to close the topic for good. "I was just about to make coffee for my father. If you'll excuse me." I walked past him. He remained there behind me. I took out the coffee and the pot from the cupboard. When I put the pot on the stove, I turned around due to movement behind me.

Boran was sitting on a chair watching me. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking, "What are you doing?"

He gestured towards the pot with his eyes. "Make the coffee salty."

"What are you saying, Boran? I don't understand anything," I said, glancing at the pot to check the coffee.

"I'm saying make my coffee salty. You know, it's good to practice ahead of time," he said.

I quickly turned to him, looking at his face in surprise. As I continued to look at him, he bit his lower lip.

"If you keep looking at me like that, both my patience and the coffee will overflow, sweetheart," he said, gesturing toward the pot.

I turned off the stove just in time and poured the coffee into the cup. I picked up the tray and left the kitchen, paying no attention to Boran. I could sense him following me. As I was giving my father his coffee, I froze when Yusuf entered through the mansion's door.

Why was he here? Had he changed his mind? I wondered as Yusuf's gaze fixed on something behind me. Remembering Boran was there, I turned to see him glaring at Yusuf like an angry lion locked onto its prey.

When Yusuf approached my father, my father said, "What's the matter? Why did you come, Yusuf ağa?" He emphasized the "ağa" part. He was particularly angry with him for taking me away.

Yusuf said, "No, I came for a good reason, Agir ağa," also emphasizing the "ağa" part. "My mother will take Berfin to the jeweler to look at rings."

As he said this, Boran, who was breathing heavily with anger behind me, took a few steps and stood right next to me. Yusuf's eyes shifted to the man standing beside me.

My father said, "What was the need for such a rush?"

"This wedding will happen as fast as possible," Yusuf said, while his eyes were on Boran.

Boran chuckled. "What, are you afraid the girl will run away, Haznedar?"

This time, it was Yusuf who laughed. "Do you think there's any power that can take Berfin away from me now, Xozan?"

As Boran clenched his fists, I intervened and turned to my father. "If you permit, I'd like to leave, father."

My father nodded in approval and turned to Yusuf. "My daughter is now in your care," he said, showing his trust in Yusuf and the need to accept the situation.

Yusuf replied, "I already know that trust should not be betrayed, Agir ağa. You should have told that to others, not me."

Despite his comment about my brother, my father stood up and, as he passed by, said in an embarrassed tone, "You're right... you're right, son."

As I headed to my room, I didn't look back, though I knew whose footsteps were behind me. Dilan smiled when she saw me, but her smile faded upon seeing Boran behind me. As she raised her eyebrows, Boran teased her, "Don't bother with those eyebrow signals. It looks like your eyebrows and eyes are switching places, grumpy."

"Oh, may you be devoted to my eyebrows and eyes!" Dilan retorted.

"Sure, sure," Boran said, then blocked my path. "You're not leaving!"

I raised my eyebrows. "What are you talking about? Yusuf is waiting downstairs. Move aside and stop being ridiculous!" I shouted, intending to grab my bag and leave the room, but when Boran entered, closed the door, and leaned his back against it, I was completely shocked. Had he gone mad? What if someone saw us like this? What if Yusuf came upstairs and found us alone in the room? What would he think?

As his face approached mine, his cheek brushed against mine. Breathing into my ear, he said, "If that ring goes on your finger if that wedding happens..." His warm breath sent shivers down my spine as he continued, "If you belong to someone else, I swear I'll leave no stone unturned!"

When I pushed him away with all my strength, I heard Yusuf's voice from outside saying, "Berfin, where are you, little witch?"

Not knowing what to do in my fear, Boran raised an eyebrow. "'Little witch?'" he asked.

I was caught in a dilemma. On one side, my cousin with whom I had shared something, even if it was as children... On the other side, the man I loved, the man I would marry, even if through an arranged marriage... The knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

Maybe fate had other plans...