Angels Favorite Dream

17

After a while, the hotel manager arrived. His English was quite good, and he first tried to calm Berk down. But this only led Berk to direct all of his anger at the manager. He began shouting questions at him. "Explain to us why we need to stay here! Why are we here?"

The man calmly replied, "You need to spend the night here for your safety," and then added, "You need a NOC document to travel by bus."

"An NOC document? Why does everyone keep mentioning that? What even is it?" Berk was still furious and kept pressing the man for answers.

"It's a security document that assigns you a guard for your protection. It's required for foreigners to travel within the country. Right now, it's impossible to get this document because the offices are closed. Without it, you can only travel by train, since there are already security forces on board. The first train leaves tomorrow morning at eleven. So, you need to stay here tonight."

"We got all the way here from Taftan without that document. Why do we need it now?" Berk asked.

"I'm sure they arranged for you to have this document after you crossed the border into Quetta. Didn't you have a guard with you along the way?" the hotel manager asked.

Berk hesitated for a moment. "Yes, we did," he admitted.

The man gave him a look that seemed to say, "See?" and waited for Berk to accept the situation.

The explanation was clear, but Berk's anger still hadn't subsided. "We don't have the money to stay in a hotel! And we don't want a guard; we can take care of ourselves!"

The hotel manager responded calmly, "If you try to leave without a guard, you'll be sent back before you even board the bus." It was clear he didn't want to prolong the argument.

At this point, the police officers also lost their patience with Berk's stubbornness. "We warned you, but you're not listening. Do whatever you want now," they said as they left the hotel. With the police gone, Berk and Osman felt a brief sense of relief. Berk grabbed his bag and said to Osman, "They're finally gone. Let's head to the bus station." He was still determined not to believe the explanations.

But Osman stopped him. "All of this has exhausted me. I can't handle another journey right now. Let's stay at the hotel tonight, and we'll decide what to do with a clear head in the morning."

"Why should we waste money on this hotel? We'll sleep on the bus," Berk said, still unable to think clearly.

"I'll negotiate with them and get a good rate. Don't worry," Osman replied, giving Berk a look that said he needed to give in.

Berk took a deep breath. "Fine, have it your way," he finally said.

Seeing that Berk had been convinced, the hotel owner helped them with their bags and quickly handled the check-in process. As he handed them their keys, he warned, "Don't leave the hotel until morning—it's important for your safety." But Osman and Berk ignored the warning.

After dropping their bags in their room, they immediately went outside, relieved to be away from the police. Ignoring their hunger for now, their first stop was a convenience store to buy cigarettes. After hours without smoking, lighting up and taking a deep drag made their heads spin.

It was past eight in the evening, so most of the shops were already closed. The streets were quiet and calm. As they walked around the city, they realized Quetta was much more ordinary than they had imagined. There wasn't even a café where they could sit and have a coffee, so they couldn't find much to do. However, there was another reason for this calmness: they had been wandering for half an hour and hadn't seen a single woman.

Berk looked around and asked, "Are there no women in this city? Have you seen any women outside?"

Osman raised his eyebrows slightly, adopting a knowledgeable tone. "This place is more conservative compared to other cities in Pakistan. It might be under the influence of the Taliban. Women probably aren't allowed to go out without a male companion," he explained.

As they continued walking, they came across the train station. Berk said, "Let's not waste time with this NOC document nonsense—let's just take the train. We were planning to travel by train from the start anyway."

Osman thought for a moment, then nodded. "Traveling by train will take longer than the bus, but you're right. Getting that document will take more time. Besides, I want to travel without a guard. They're restricting our freedom," he said.

Having made up their minds, they entered the station and headed to the ticket counter. While Osman looked around, Berk spoke to the ticket clerk, "Two tickets to Karachi, please."

The clerk, without looking at Berk, busied himself with other tasks. Berk, growing frustrated, repeated his request, "Two tickets to Karachi!"

The man finally looked up, his voice weary. "Which class do you want to travel in?"

Berk didn't understand the question, so the clerk repeated in a firmer tone, "Sleeper or seated class?"

After a brief pause, Berk said, "Sleeper class."

As the clerk printed out the tickets and handed them over, Berk asked, "How long does the journey take?"

"Twenty-two hours," the man replied coolly.

Berk repeated in shock, "Twenty-two hours?"

The man pointed at a map of Pakistan on the wall. "Take a look at the map. Pakistan is a big country."

Berk turned to study the map and suddenly realized just how large Pakistan really was. But due to the man's arrogance, he left without thanking him.

With their tickets in hand, they remembered they hadn't eaten in a long time. They checked out a few restaurants nearby but couldn't find one that seemed hygienic enough. Instead, they headed for a street vendor with a cleaner-looking setup. He only sold sandwiches with local flavors. Thinking they wouldn't be filling enough, they each ordered two. But when the vendor handed them large, generously filled sandwiches, they wondered how they would finish them. They were so hungry, though, that they devoured the sandwiches with big bites.

After eating, exhausted from the stress and fatigue of the journey, they returned to the hotel and went to their room. When they got there, both were completely worn out. After taking a hot shower, they lay down on their beds. Berk asked, "Do you think this hotel has WiFi? We need to message Zoe. It's been three days since I told her we were on our way, and she hasn't heard from us since. She must be worried."

But Osman had already fallen asleep. Berk wasn't surprised that he'd fallen asleep so quickly. The stress and uncertainty they had endured for so long had completely drained Osman. Berk decided to go down to the reception to get his answer.

He asked the receptionist, "Do you have WiFi here?"

"Yes, but it's not free," the receptionist replied.

Berk didn't care, as he was eager to reach Zoe. "Okay. How much?" he asked.

However, when the receptionist quoted an amount higher than the cost of their stay, Berk hesitated for a moment. Muttering under his breath, he paid the fee and took the WiFi password, excitedly returning to the room. He immediately grabbed his phone and messaged Zoe.

"Hey Zoe, we finally made it to Quetta. We couldn't catch tonight's bus because we don't have a document called the NOC, so we're staying at a hotel tonight. We'll be taking the train to Karachi tomorrow morning at eleven. The journey will take twenty-two hours. I'll call you when we get there the next morning."

Just a few minutes after he sent the message, Zoe replied. Berk stared at the screen in surprise, as if Zoe had been sitting by her phone, waiting for his message.

"Berk, I can't believe you're actually in Pakistan! Why did it take so long for you to get to Quetta? Are you okay? Is everything alright?"

Feeling Zoe's concern, Berk smiled and quickly replied. "It’s been quite an adventure. I'll tell you everything when I see you. We're fine, don’t worry. Everything's alright."

Zoe's message eased Berk's stress. His exhaustion and sleeplessness were replaced by a strange excitement. Only one more night separated him from the woman he loved.

He tossed and turned in bed for a while, his mind refusing to quiet down, lost in a tangle of thoughts. Lying there, he lit cigarette after cigarette. As the smoke swirled around him, he drifted into his dreams. Finally, wishing for time to pass quickly, his eyes grew heavy, and he fell asleep.

In the morning, they woke up feeling refreshed from the journey. After three days of travel, they realized how necessary it was to sleep in a proper bed. Osman stretched as he got out of bed and lit a cigarette. "The trip really wore me out. I needed sleep like this. I'm glad we stayed at the hotel last night," he said.

Berk was still lying in bed, trying to wake up by stretching. Even though he had caused trouble about staying at the hotel the previous night, he also realized how exhausted he had been. "You're right. I was stubborn about not staying at the hotel, but I don't think I could've handled another trip," he said, getting up and lighting a cigarette as well.

After finishing their cigarettes, Berk started packing his bag, while Osman said, "Let's have some tea or coffee. I'm still struggling to wake up." Berk, missing his morning coffee with his cigarette, replied, "In my rush to get going, I forgot my morning coffee. Let me ask at the reception; maybe they have some hot drinks."

The receptionist, who was nervous upon seeing Berk because of the trouble he had caused the day before, greeted him with a shaky voice, "Good morning."

Berk, still sounding sleepy, asked, "Do you have tea or coffee service?"

"We have tea service, sir. Please return to your room, and I'll have someone bring it right away."

Berk wasn't a big fan of tea, but he had no other option to get his caffeine fix. "Alright, thank you," he said, and walked back to the room. When he entered, Osman asked curiously, "Do they have anything to drink?"

"Yeah, someone's bringing it to the room," Berk replied.

Osman, with a sarcastic tone, said, "Tea service to the room! We must be staying at the most luxurious hotel in Quetta."

A short while later, a staff member knocked on the door and brought their tea. Berk poured the tea into cups, but he couldn't make sense of its color. Instead of the usual red, the tea was white. He turned to Osman and asked, "What kind of tea is this? Why is it white?"

Osman, with a slight smile, said, "Since Pakistan used to be a British colony, they drink their tea with milk. I forgot to mention that."

Berk took a curious sip of the tea, and his face twisted at the strong sweetness. But since there was nothing else to drink, he lit another cigarette and continued sipping the tea.

After finishing their tea and cigarettes, they packed their bags and left the hotel. As they walked towards the train station, Osman started taking lots of photos. People noticed him taking pictures and posed, asking him to take their photos. The people were so warm and genuine that they never felt like they were in a dangerous city. No one bothered them as they walked down the street. Even beggars who approached them for money backed off as soon as they realized they were causing discomfort.

Osman, suspicious of the people's behavior, said, "I bet they think we'll give them money if they don't bother us."

But Berk was too happy to think negatively. When he was in love, he saw everything in a positive light, so he continued walking without responding to Osman's comment.

When they arrived at the station early, they decided to have breakfast since there was still time before the train's departure. Not expecting to find a clean place, they sat at the first restaurant they saw. When the waiter approached, Berk, still annoyed by the tea they had at the hotel, asked for tea without milk. Then he asked, "What do you have to eat?"

The waiter responded briefly, "Only eggs." They had noticed that in Pakistan, eggs were eaten in abundance at every meal. With no other options available, they asked the waiter to bring plenty of bread and scrambled eggs.

After a while, the waiter brought their tea, along with a bowl of sugar and two rather dirty cups. Berk, finally thinking he would get a normal tea, poured it into his cup. However, upon seeing its white color, his face twisted in disappointment. "Can't they make a regular tea? It's like everyone has to drink it with milk," he grumbled.

Berk was about to add some sugar to give the tea a bit of flavor when Osman stopped him.

"Wait! That sugar isn't for putting in the tea. It's meant to be sipped with. Take a sip of tea, then bite the sugar. You Istanbul folks wouldn't know this. In Diyarbakır, we drink our tea like this," he said, laughing.

Berk took a sip of the tea and then bit into the sugar. "It really does taste different. So, do you also drink it with milk?" he teased Osman.

The waiter then placed flatbread and scrambled eggs on the table and left a fork next to Berk. Berk looked at the waiter, confused as to why he'd been given a fork, but the waiter just pointed to the fork and walked away.

"I bet he thought I was the only foreigner here. Since he only gave me a fork, he must think I can't eat with my hands," Berk said. He then tore off a large piece of flatbread and dipped it into the eggs.

After filling their stomachs and smoking their cigarettes, Berk went inside to pay the bill. At that moment, a worker carrying a pot of food accidentally splashed some oil onto Berk. The worker, realizing Berk was a foreigner, looked at him fearfully, thinking he might cause trouble. However, Berk smiled and said, "It's alright, the shirt wasn't clean anyway."

Relieved, the worker apologized and asked, "Where are you from?"

"I'm Turkish," Berk replied, and the worker excitedly announced it to everyone in the restaurant. Customers and workers alike waved enthusiastically at Berk. Affected by this cheerful atmosphere, Berk left a tip as he paid the bill.

After leaving the restaurant, they headed to the train station. They waited on the platform, smoking their cigarettes as they awaited the train's arrival. When they saw the train approaching from a distance, Osman said, "I hope that heap of junk isn't our train."

In a rush, he set out to find a staff member to confirm if they were about to board the correct train. Seeing a man with a radio, Osman assumed he worked at the station and approached him, with Berk following close behind. Osman showed the man his ticket and asked, "Is this the train to Karachi?"

The man glanced at the ticket and pointed to the "Bolan Mail" inscription, saying, "Yes, this train goes to Karachi."

Osman took another look at the train, still not entirely convinced. Turning to Berk, he said, "Let's go get that NOC document. There's no way I'm spending hours on this heap of junk. We'd be better off taking the bus."

Berk, getting irritated, said, "Don't be ridiculous. We've come all this way, and now you want to deal with paperwork? By the time we get that document, the train will already be in Karachi."

The staff member seemed to notice Osman's unease. "Don't worry, the train is old but sturdy. You'll have a smooth journey," he interjected.

Osman thought for a moment before asking, "Is there any food or drink service on the train? What if we get hungry?"

"The train will stop at many stations. You can buy something from the vendors there. Also, there will be long breaks at intermediate stations where you can eat at nearby restaurants," the staff member replied.

Just as Osman was nearly convinced, the staff member added. "And while you have time, you should get a flashlight. There's no electricity on the train."

This information made Osman uneasy again. Berk thanked the staff member and pulled Osman away, but Osman was still grumbling. "There's no electricity either! Come on, let's just take the bus."

"Dude, you were the one who wanted to travel by train from the beginning. Now why are you causing problems? And what do you need electricity for anyway? We'll be traveling in the sleeper compartment, and we'll probably sleep once the train starts moving," Berk said, wanting to end the argument.

Seeing Berk's determination to take the train, Osman reached into his pocket to check how much money they had left. "Fine, let's take the train, but the money we exchanged at the hotel is almost gone. We need to exchange some more money."

Berk felt frustrated that the journey had been fraught with problems from the very beginning. He approached a man who looked cultured and asked, "Excuse me, do you speak English?"

The man smiled slightly. "Yes, I do. How can I help you?"

"Is there a place around here where we can exchange currency?"

"There's a hotel by the bridge where you can safely exchange money. Stay away from the black market dealers."

Berk laughed when he heard the name of the hotel. "We just came from that hotel. We exchanged a small amount because we thought they would rip us off. Thank you."

Returning to Osman, Berk said, "The only safe place to exchange money is at the hotel, otherwise we need to find a black market dealer."

Osman replied, "We can't go all the way back there. We'll miss the train. There's nothing we can do; we'll have to make do with what we have. Let's grab some snacks from that stand."

After buying chips and nuts from the stand, they had just enough money left for water. Osman sighed, "We're going to be in rough shape again. I hope the train doesn't break down and we actually make it in twenty-two hours."

"Alright, stop complaining. We crossed the Taftan Desert hungry and thirsty; the rest will be easy," Berk said and picked up his bag, heading toward the train.

They boarded the train, which dated back to the 1960s, and entered the sleeper compartment, which the conductor had optimistically described as a "suite." The compartment had six bunks and no door, and there were three other passengers. Osman and Berk's seats were by the window, but the other passengers were sitting in their spots. Osman insisted on sitting by the window.

"The window seats are ours!" he exclaimed, and asked Berk to make the elderly man sitting by the window move. Osman was someone who wasn't shy about talking to people, but when it came to resolving a conflict, he usually waited for Berk to step in. However, Berk didn't want to deal with Osman's small obsessions.

"This is your problem, Osman. Handle it yourself, and don't drag me into it," Berk said, encouraging Osman to solve his own issues. He then took out his book, put on his headphones, and tuned out, listening to music. Osman grumbled and sat in an empty seat in front of Berk.

For a while, they kept to themselves. Osman stared blankly around while Berk continued reading his book. When the man sitting by the window went to the bathroom, Osman didn't miss the opportunity and quickly took the window seat. When the man didn't return for a long time, Osman pulled down the middle bunk and fell asleep. Berk, too, eventually succumbed to sleep while reading.

After a few hours of sleep, they woke up and noticed that one of the three men in the compartment had gotten off the train. Now, they would have a bit more room to travel comfortably. Osman quickly closed the bunk and moved back to the window seat before anyone else could claim it. The elderly man glared at Osman. Noticing the tension, Berk called out to Osman in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Osman, we might get into trouble. Move to another seat so we don't cause any issues," he said.

But Osman stubbornly replied, "My ticket says window seat. I'm not moving."

Berk started feeling uneasy. From the moment they boarded the train, all eyes were on them. Due to his unusual appearance, people gave him curious glances. He feared that even the slightest argument could turn the entire train against them. The fears he had experienced back in Iran began to resurface. Even though there were security officers on the train, Berk didn't feel safe.

Berk tried for a long time to convince Osman, but Osman was adamant about not moving. Eventually, one of the men noticed the situation and turned to Osman, saying, "Please sit somewhere else. The man is elderly; show some respect."

Grumbling, Osman finally stood up and sat next to Berk.

To break Osman’s unreasonable stubbornness, Berk said, "It'll get dark soon, and we'll be sleeping again. Why are you so fixated on this?"

As night fell, there was nothing left to do on the train without electricity. To pass the time, they decided to sleep. When Berk lay down on his bunk, he pictured himself standing in front of Zoe the next day, saying, "As I promised, here I am." He wondered how Zoe would react when she saw him. While he was occupied with these thoughts, he noticed that the train had been stopped at a station for longer than usual. Curious about why they hadn't moved, he got off the train. Usually, the train would depart as soon as people got on or off, but this station was deserted. Confused about why they were waiting, Berk returned to the compartment.

When he entered the compartment, the man who had made Osman move turned to him and said, "The train broke down; we're going to be stuck here for hours."

The mishaps during the journey were beginning to make Berk uneasy. He started to think that something was preventing them from reaching Karachi. A vague feeling emerged that going to Karachi might not be a good idea. He thought it shouldn't be this difficult to reach the woman he loved. Yet deep down, he tried to accept that everything they were going through was a test. Maybe if he remained patient and determined, he would win Zoe's heart.

Osman was still asleep. Berk thought about waking him up, but he knew that if Osman found out the train had broken down, he would start complaining again, so he decided against it. He lay back on his bunk and listened to music. After a while, Osman woke up and rubbed his eyes, asking, "Where are we?"

Berk took off his headphones and said, "The train broke down. We've been in the same place for an hour."

Instead of accepting the situation, Osman grumbled and complained as usual.

Not wanting to listen to Osman's whining, Berk said, "Let's go outside, get some fresh air, and have a cigarette."

When they got off the train, they realized they were at a station called Sultankot. Berk asked, "Have you heard of this place before? Do you know where it is?"

Still groggy, Osman replied, "No, I've never heard of it. I've never read about it anywhere."

They walked toward the locomotive to find out why the train wasn't moving, but there was no one inside—it seemed abandoned. Figuring they would be waiting for a while, they decided to explore the area.

While wandering, Berk noticed a village beyond a small bridge. Hoping to find a*****e, he said, "It looks like there's a small settlement across that bridge. You stay here; I'll go check it out. Maybe there's an open shop. If I find one, I'll get some water and snacks if we have enough money."

Osman handed Berk the last of their money from his pocket. "Doesn't look like there's much there, but it doesn't hurt to try. Go ahead."

When Berk reached the bridge, he encountered a man coming from the village. "Is there a shop around here?" he asked.

"Yes, there's one a little further ahead. I'll take you there," the man replied and showed Berk the way.

When they arrived in front of the shop, the man said, "Here it is."

Berk thanked him and went inside. "Assalamu Alaikum," he greeted as he entered, and the shopkeeper looked at him in surprise. Hearing this greeting from a foreigner caught him off guard. After a brief pause, the shopkeeper asked, "What do you need?"

Berk glanced at the shelves and grabbed two bottles of water, then asked, "Do you have any bread?"

With a regretful expression, the shopkeeper said, "All we have to eat is chips and nuts."

Berk took two packets of nuts as well. After paying the shopkeeper, he quickly made his way back to the train.

Berk handed Osman a bottle of water and a bag of chips, and they filled their stomachs with these snacks. After lighting a cigarette, they began to wander around. Berk noticed that the man he had seen on the bridge was one of the passengers on the train. The man was sitting on a bench in front of the station building, chatting with the other passengers. When he saw Berk, he came over and invited them to join. Assuming the other passengers might not speak English as well as this man, they initially declined. However, they couldn't resist his insistence and eventually joined them. As they had suspected, no one else spoke English.

The passengers laughed and asked Berk and Osman questions in Urdu, expecting them to respond. When they didn't get any answers, they burst into laughter. Since the train had been broken down for hours, Berk and Osman were already feeling low. Despite this, they decided to look at the situation more positively, hoping to make the journey more enjoyable. When asked questions in Urdu, they responded in Turkish. Even though they couldn't understand each other, everyone laughed and had a good time.

During this, one of the passengers took out a packet of naswar and put some in his mouth. Berk turned to Osman and said, "Look, this guy is using naswar too." Osman grimaced with disgust. He wasn't into substances like that; it was the kind of thing he would never dare try. But Berk was always open to new experiences. When the man heard Berk mention naswar, he offered him some, saying, "Would you like some?"

Even though Berk hadn't eaten much yet, he accepted the offer. He took the packet, wrapped some naswar in a piece of paper, and just before putting it under his lip, he asked the man, "Should I chew it or suck it like candy?"

The man must have misunderstood the question, as he told Berk to chew it. So, Berk started chewing the naswar. Suddenly, everyone around him shouted, "No, no!" But Berk had already swallowed some of it. The bitter taste of the naswar burned his stomach, and the pain showed on his face as his eyes watered. As Berk tried to collect himself, he noticed the curious eyes gathered around him. People watched him closely, eager to see how he would react to swallowing the naswar. After a few minutes, he managed to recover and said, "I'm fine, it didn't affect me much." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued their conversation.

The naswar, however, made Berk incredibly thirsty. He turned to Osman and said, "You stay here; I'm going back to the village to get some water."

Wanting to get away from the group, Osman replied, "I'll come with you. I can't take any more of this conversation."

As they walked toward the village, they saw a puppy wandering around the train. They both loved animals, so they started petting the puppy. The poor puppy, thin and neglected, was crying pitifully. Berk went to the compartment to get the crackers he had saved for breakfast. The puppy's eyes were crusty and barely open, so it couldn't see the crackers. Berk couldn't help himself and began feeding the puppy by hand.

They noticed that the other passengers were giving them strange looks. Osman realized why and turned to Berk, saying, "Stop dealing with the dog; people are giving us weird looks."

Berk asked in surprise, "Why? What's wrong?"

Osman replied in an uneasy tone, "This is a very conservative area. People consider touching a dog to be impure. Plus, we've been telling everyone we're Muslim, and here you are, feeding a dog with your hands."