Angels Favorite Dream

10

A few days before the feast holiday, the owners and other staff returned from their vacation in Antalya and immediately began preparations. After a few hectic days, they were fully prepared for the last busy period of the season.

When the long-awaited feast holiday for Berk and Osman finally began, the camp suddenly became crowded. The busy atmosphere overwhelmed Berk from the first day; he even had to give up his tent for a guest and ended up sleeping on the couch throughout the holiday. Despite this, he focused on his work without complaint.

The pace of the first few days was exhausting for both of them, especially for Berk, who was not only managing the bar and welcoming guests but also helping Osman in the kitchen. It felt as if he was handling all the work at the camp by himself. This intense effort caught the attention of his bosses.

One evening, Selçuk noticed that Berk was exhausted and came over to him, saying, "Berk, if you're not feeling well, just close the bar." This offer surprised Berk because it was only eleven o'clock. Without hesitation, he replied, "I can't close it with so many customers here," once again impressing Selçuk.

Throughout the holiday break, Osman and Berk not only worked hard but also had fun chatting with the guests. Although they were tired from working, seeing such a crowd after a long time energized them and made their work more exciting.

After the holiday, as the camp quieted down, Berk and Osman finally started preparing for their journey. Selçuk rewarded Berk's dedication by paying his full salary and not deducting the cost of the drinks. "You're the bartender, you had to accompany the guests," he said, erasing the entire bill. He also mentioned that he wanted Berk back at the camp for the next season. "We definitely want you back in April," he said.

Berk smiled and replied, "If we return from the trip early, I'll be here in January; if not, definitely in April."

Berk planned to return to Istanbul with Osman, but Osman said, "I'll stay a few more days. If you want, you can stay too, and we can go back together." Berk, however, was determined to leave early. "I want to go to Istanbul to prepare for the trip," he said.

"Suit yourself. I'll let you know when I get to Istanbul," Osman said.

After packing his bags, Berk said goodbye to everyone at the camp and set off for Istanbul by bus.

When the bus entered Istanbul, the city looked very different to Berk. It felt as if he had been living in a dream for the past three months. Coming back to Istanbul, a city he didn't like, felt strange; he now felt like a stranger in this city. The peaceful days of Kabak Bay were still fresh in his mind. The hustle and bustle of the city felt like part of a world that he no longer belonged to. Berk realized he was at another turning point in his life, and Istanbul now felt like an old memory.

The first stop of Berk and Osman's journey was Tehran. The train was scheduled to depart from Ankara the following Tuesday, which meant they had a week ahead of them. They needed to use this time to take care of their visa arrangements.

When the guests he met at the camp learned that Berk was back in Istanbul, they started inviting him out. Berk had promised himself to spend his money carefully and not get caught up in the nightlife, but he soon forgot this promise and found himself caught up in the fun. Getting involved in the nightlife caused him to spend his savings, making it difficult to keep enough money for the trip.

After Osman returned to Istanbul, he also got caught up in the nightlife, which delayed their travel preparations. They hadn't even applied for their visas for India yet.

Osman had planned the entire trip on his own, and Berk had simply gone along with his plans. Because of this, Berk thought they didn't need to apply for a Pakistani visa. One morning, Berk decided to check the Pakistani Consulate's website and discovered that Turkish citizens still needed visas. Discussions to lift visa requirements between the two countries were still ongoing. The information Osman found online was incorrect.

The train was scheduled to depart in five days, two of which fell on the weekend. If they didn't apply for their visas soon, they wouldn't be able to make it in time for the train.

Berk sent a message to Osman.

"Osman, we need to get ourselves together. We have to go to the consulates and apply for the visas. Otherwise, we might not make it to the train! Also, I have some bad news: Pakistan requires a visa for Turks as well. The information you found was wrong. If we don't want to wait for the next train next week, we need to act quickly."

For Berk, obtaining the Pakistani visa was even more important. All he wanted was to see Zoe as soon as possible. Being with her and sharing his feelings was his primary motivation for this journey. Getting the Indian visa no longer mattered much to him.

Berk had a habit of avoiding travel to countries that required visas. Last May, he had visited six Balkan countries. He planned to start his trip by land from Bulgaria, but since he needed a visa, he had to fly to Macedonia instead. The process of obtaining a visa and gathering extensive paperwork had always seemed unnecessary to Berk. But this time, things were different. He was determined to break all his rules to see the woman he loved. He was ready to gather all the documents, no matter how pointless they seemed, and apply for the visa.

Since Osman didn't use a cellphone, Berk often found it difficult to get in touch with him. The last time they spoke, they had agreed to meet at eight o'clock Thursday morning in front of the Indian Embassy. However, as usual, Berk got caught up in the nightlife and couldn't wake up in time, so he was late to the consulate. He assumed Osman hadn't waited for him and had already applied for the visa. So, Berk decided to apply for the visa on his own.

When he entered the consulate, the officer handed him a list of required documents for the visa application and requested that all documents be complete. Frustrated by the amount of paperwork, Berk considered abandoning the visa application. He didn't want to gather unnecessary documents for a country he wasn't even interested in visiting.

When he got home, he contacted Osman via f*******:.

Berk: Osman, I woke up late this morning and arrived late at the consulate. When I didn't see you, I went to apply for the visa, but they asked for too many documents.

Osman: Hey Berk, yeah, I went early this morning. They gave me the list too. It's a long list, but we can handle it.

Berk: Alright then. How about we gather the documents today and meet at the embassy tomorrow morning at eight?

Osman: Sounds good, see you tomorrow at eight in front of the consulate.

However, Berk was only able to prepare a few of the documents from the list. He knew Osman would be angry about this since it was clear that the consulate wouldn't issue a visa without all the required documents. He secretly hoped that Osman hadn't managed to gather everything either.

The next morning, Berk once again woke up late. When he arrived at the consulate, he couldn't see Osman outside. He assumed Osman had already gone ahead to apply for the visa.

When he reached the consulate office on the top floor, he saw Osman storming out angrily. "Damn it! The woman won't give me the visa!" Osman muttered angrily.

Berk stepped out of the line and went over to Osman. When Osman saw Berk suddenly in front of him, he was surprised.

Berk asked, "What happened? What's the problem?"

Osman, however, kept muttering to himself. In that moment, Berk once again began to have doubts about taking this journey with Osman. They were going to travel through some not-so-safe countries by land, and many things could go wrong along the way. Osman's anger at every mishap made Berk reconsider.

Finally, Osman calmed down and began explaining what had happened.

"During the interview, I told the officer that I planned to stay in India for about six months. The woman immediately checked my bank account to see if I had five thousand dollars to stay that long. When she didn't see that amount in my statement, she refused my visa application."

So, as Berk had hoped, the trip to India was canceled. Berk didn't even apply for a visa. He would not have been able to get a visa anyway because he had not collected the necessary documents. Although being unable to get a visa from a country like India bothered Berk, he was secretly relieved. Now he could stay in Karachi longer.

"We'll apply for the visa again when we're in Pakistan," Osman said. But Berk thought to himself, "If they won't give us a visa in Turkey, they definitely won't give us one in Pakistan."

After postponing the Indian visa application to Pakistan, Berk said, "Let's go to the Pakistani Consulate right away and apply for a visa. Pakistan probably won't ask for as many documents or be as difficult as India."

The cancellation of their India plans had really dampened Osman's mood, but he still replied hopefully. "I hope you're right. At least let us get to Pakistan." The two quickly got into a taxi to head to the consulate.

However, they encountered another unpleasant surprise at the Pakistani Consulate. They thought they could get a visa with just two photos and a completed form, but the situation was far more complicated. The consulate officer placed a list of required documents in front of Berk and Osman, instructing them to return with everything completed.

Berk knew he couldn't provide a bank statement or documents like an official letter from their employer or a payroll slip. So, he tried reasoning with the officer. "We're just applying for a tourist visa, and it's really hard to gather all these documents," he said in a worried tone.

The officer emphasized the necessity of the documents. "All these documents are required for your visa application to be processed," he responded.

Trying to avoid repeating the issues they faced at the Indian Consulate, Berk attempted to remove the bank statement requirement from the list. "Where we live, there's no bank, so we don't have bank accounts," he explained.

The consulate officer smiled, clearly in disbelief. "There are banks in every corner of Turkey. How is that possible?" he asked.

"You're right, but our situation is a bit different. We work in Fethiye, in a remote area, and there's no bank there. We get paid in cash," Berk continued.

The officer insisted, "You still need to provide a bank statement. It's an important document for evaluating your application," summarizing the situation firmly.

Berk and Osman left the consulate to prepare the documents. Berk started to think that the trip to Pakistan would also be canceled because it seemed difficult to gather the required paperwork. For the past three months, there had been almost no activity in his bank account, and he knew it would be challenging to gather the necessary documents.

Berk thought about what he could do. It occurred to him that he could explain their situation by saying they worked at a summer resort and that, with the season ending, no one was left. He also needed to ask Zoe for an invitation letter and a copy of her passport. Fortunately, getting that wouldn't be a problem for him—assuming Zoe still felt the same way and wanted him to come to Karachi.

As soon as Berk got home, he wasted no time and sent an email to Zoe.

"Hi Zoe,

Today, Osman and I went to the Pakistani Consulate to apply for a visa. The consulate requested some documents from us. Among these are an invitation letter from you and a copy of your passport. Would it be possible for you to send me these documents? We're planning to submit everything on Monday morning. I hope our visa application is approved soon so that we can be ready to set off. Once our application is processed, I'll let you know when we're leaving and when we expect to arrive in Karachi. Do you still want us to come?"

Zoe was excited when she saw Berk's email and immediately prepared the necessary documents and sent them by email.

"Berk, I can't believe you applied to come to Pakistan! I've attached the documents the consulate requested. It would make me so happy for you to come. We have a house in the city center where you can stay. I can't wait to hear more about your travel details."

Zoe's excitement motivated Berk even more. Knowing that the woman he loved was so happy about his arrival and had already started making preparations made Berk even more enthusiastic.