Angels Favorite Dream

18

Ignoring Osman's warning, Berk kept feeding the puppy. Smiling, he said, "I'm not flirting with a woman in a country where people hang others for adultery, like you do."

Despite Osman's grumbling, Berk finished feeding the puppy before standing up. They continued walking toward the village. When they reached the bridge at the entrance, Berk noticed that the lights at the grocery store were off. "The store is closed, but there are lights further ahead. It looks like there's a gas station over there. Should we go?" he asked.

Osman shrugged. "Sure, let's go. I'm tired of waiting; let's walk for a bit," he said.

As they slowly walked along the road lined with tall-walled houses, someone shone a light on them. Someone who had noticed their presence in the village was checking on them. The sudden light made them stop in their tracks.

"I think we shouldn't go any further. This place doesn't seem very safe," Osman said nervously.

People often said that Pakistan was a dangerous place, but they hadn't encountered any problems so far. Still, they didn't want to take any more risks in the middle of the night in a deserted village. Berk felt uneasy as well. "Okay, let's head back. I'm not comfortable here either," he agreed.

They quickly turned around and began walking back to the bridge. As they approached the bridge, they noticed a police officer and a soldier standing at the entrance. The men didn't approach them but gestured for them to hurry up.

When they reached the men, the soldier asked, "Do you speak English?"

Berk, relieved to find someone they could communicate with, said, "Yes, we do."

Unexpectedly, the soldier then began questioning them in a harsh tone. "Why did you go there? What were you doing?" he asked.

Berk tried to determine whether the questions were driven by curiosity or genuine suspicion. "We were thirsty. There was a shop over there, and we wanted to get some water, but it was closed, so we were heading back," he replied.

The soldier frowned, "There's no shop there. Even if there were, you wouldn't be able to enter the village to buy anything," he said.

Berk and Osman couldn't tell whether what they were experiencing was real or a dream. Could it have been the effect of the naswar Berk had used? But it was puzzling that Osman, who hadn't used anything, was experiencing the same strangeness. Berk turned to Osman and asked, "Didn't I come here and buy water and snacks?"

Osman, still trying to make sense of what had happened, couldn't answer. Finally, the soldier said, "For your safety, go back to the train and don't leave again. Someone will be coming to repair the train."

As they walked back to the train, Osman said, "These guys are responsible for the train's security. I guess if something happens to us, they'll get in trouble too. That's why they reacted so strongly."

Berk still couldn't understand why the soldiers had overreacted, but he decided not to argue and quickly headed back to the train. It was already one in the morning, and they had been at the station for about two and a half hours, with no sign that the train would be repaired. They decided to sleep to make the time pass more quickly.

Osman fell asleep immediately, but Berk couldn't close his eyes because of all the questions swirling in his mind. The closer they got to Karachi, the more impatient he became to find answers. How would he spend time with Zoe? Would the days he dreamed of really happen? Would he truly be able to be with the woman he loved? He was going to Karachi to prove his love to Zoe, but what if Zoe only saw him as a friend, despite what she had said in Kabak Bay? For a moment, Berk wondered, "Why would she do that? After all, she knows why I'm coming to Karachi. She said she would believe in my love if I came as promised."

Zoe hadn't believed that Berk would actually come to Pakistan. She thought the memories in Kabak Bay were just a fleeting moment. But Berk was determined to win Zoe's love and planned to build his life around this relationship. Lost in these thoughts, Berk noticed that the train was still stopped. He went outside to see what was happening. He lit a cigarette and walked toward the locomotive. When he arrived, he saw someone working on repairing the train. After finishing his cigarette, he returned to his compartment, hoping the train would soon be repaired.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, the train started moving again, and the horn blared loudly. Reassured that the journey was continuing, he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

When Berk opened his eyes, dawn had already broken. Osman woke up at the same time. "What time did we start moving?" he asked.

"The train's repair was finished at three in the morning," Berk replied. Osman began grumbling again.

Berk didn't want to listen to Osman's complaints first thing in the morning. He got up from his bunk and lit a cigarette. The prospect of arriving in Karachi in the afternoon with a five-hour delay was already bothering him enough.

When the train stopped at a station, Berk suggested, "Let's get off and have some tea. It'll help us wake up."

But when they saw how the cups were being washed at the tea stall, they changed their minds. The cups were being dipped into water that looked even dirtier. Thinking that even the water used to make the tea wasn't clean, they decided not to drink it and returned to their compartment.

Thankfully, they still had enough cigarettes up until now. They had smoked too much when the train broke down, and now realized they would run out before reaching Karachi. So, they decided to ration their cigarettes since there were no cigarettes for sale at the stations.

Just as everything seemed to be going well, the train broke down again at another station. After about half an hour of repairs, they were back on the move. The fear that the train might break down again at every stop began to gnaw at them. They finally felt relieved after passing a few stations without any issues.

The elderly man found an opportunity to sit by the window again, and Osman moved to one of the single seats across the aisle in the now less crowded train. He watched the scenery outside, occasionally throwing resentful glances at the old man.

However, when Berk returned from the bathroom, he found Osman chatting with the men in their compartment as if they had known each other for a long time. Berk was glad that Osman had found something to occupy himself with. He continued listening to music on his phone, which was running low on battery. But Osman insisted that Berk join the conversation. "Come on, don't just sit alone for no reason. Let's chat a bit."

Berk grumbled softly in response. "Dude, I just want to listen to music and clear my head. I don't need to chat. Stop insisting."

Osman kept pushing, though. "Maybe we'll learn something interesting. The journey is long, and it'll help pass the time."

Berk sighed deeply and put his headphones back on, continuing to listen to music without responding. But when his phone battery died, he had no choice but to join the conversation.

Osman pointed to the man who had made him move from the window earlier and said, "Look, this guy's name is Ahmed. He's a businessman and travels frequently. He's even been to Turkey before. Next week, he's planning to drive through Iran, Iraq, and Syria. He gave me his business card and said, 'Call me if you want to come along.' If we can't get a visa for India, we could travel with him," he said, his face lighting up with excitement.

Osman, motivated by his passion for travel, was thrilled by Ahmed's offer. They would have someone familiar with the region, making it easier to travel by car instead of taking a tiring bus journey. However, Berk wasn't interested in visiting countries like Iraq and Syria. Even if they got the visa for India, he didn't want to go there if Zoe wouldn't join him. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Zoe in Karachi, but he hadn't told Osman this yet. So, he tried to brush off the topic with brief responses. But Osman had already started making new plans.

Osman turned to Ahmed and asked, "How much longer do we have left?"

"Three more hours," Ahmed replied.

They both relaxed and took a deep breath. However, as they got closer, time seemed to slow down even further. The road felt endless, as if it would never end.

Without realizing it, they had smoked excessively throughout their conversation. They were running low on cigarettes, had only eaten chips and nuts, and had just enough money remaining for two bottles of water. They hoped to reach Karachi without any further mishaps.

About an hour away from Karachi, the train broke down again at a station. Berk saw this as an opportunity to get off the train and try to charge his phone. He tried the outlets at the station but couldn't charge his phone. The battery was completely dead. Berk had forgotten that he needed to charge it before it completely ran out. Assuming the outlets were faulty, he continued searching for another one.

While trying outlets in the waiting area, a man approached Berk, assuming he needed help. "I guess the electrical system in Pakistan confused you," the man said, taking the phone from Berk's hand. For a moment, Berk thought the man might run off with it, but instead, the man started trying the outlets.

Berk, confused by what the man was doing, said, "The problem isn't with the outlets. I think my phone battery is dead," and tried to take the phone back and walk away. However, the man stubbornly continued testing all the outlets in the waiting room. Finally, realizing he couldn't fix the problem, he handed the phone back to Berk and gestured for him to follow.

As Berk followed the man, he briefly considered slipping away. But when the man unlocked a door, Berk realized he must be one of the station staff.

The man knew very little English and had memorized a set of questions to ask every foreigner he met. Before Berk could answer, the man moved on to the next question. Berk reluctantly engaged in conversation as he realized they were entering the man's office.

"Where are you from? Are you headed to Karachi?" the man asked.

"I'm Turkish. Yes, we're visiting a friend. I'm not alone; my friend is waiting for me on the train."

"So, you're Turkish! Are you Muslim?"

"Alhamdulillah."

"Mashallah. I love Turkey; it's such a beautiful country. I hope I can visit someday. Not many Turks come here, so I'm very happy to meet you. I've been working at this station for twenty years. I'm close to retirement—maybe after I retire, I'll move to Turkey."

Hoping that staying quiet would end the conversation quickly, Berk merely nodded in response. Even though he wasn't interested, he kept listening so as not to offend the man. Appreciating Berk's polite demeanor, the man opened his desk drawer and handed him a bottle of soda. Then he asked, "Do you smoke?"

"Yes, I do," Berk replied.

The man opened the window and called to someone outside to bring cigarettes. Berk thought the man would just give him a couple of cigarettes, but when he handed over an entire pack, Berk realized he might expect something in return for his generosity.

Since they were running low on cigarettes, Berk felt relieved to receive a pack and immediately lit one. As he smoked, the man continued talking. "I have eight children. My oldest daughter is studying medicine—she's going to be a doctor. But life in Pakistan is tough. That's why I want to send her to Turkey," he said.

The man had finally revealed his true intention. He wanted to find out how Berk could help him send his daughter to Turkey.

"Turkey is a dangerous country, especially for a young woman alone. Bad things could happen to her. Harassment and assault are quite common," Berk said, trying to dissuade him.

However, the man didn't seem to believe Berk. "Those dangers exist everywhere. Turkey is a big country; she could have a future there. Could you give me your email address so we can stay in touch?" he asked.

When Berk realized he couldn't change the man's mind, he wrote down his email address and handed it to him, eager to return to the train. "If you really want to send your daughter to Turkey, contact me. I can write you an invitation letter. Maybe it'll help with the visa," he said.

Even Berk didn't believe what he was saying, as he wasn't in a position to vouch for anyone in such a matter. He knew the invitation letter he would write wouldn't work. But it was the only way to get rid of the man. Even if they did email, he had no intention of replying. However, the man seemed to want to see how serious Berk was. "Why don't you write down your phone number too?" he asked.

Berk tried to change the subject to avoid giving his number. "My friend is waiting for me on the train, he's probably worried. I should get back immediately. Email me, and I'll help you," he said, standing up.

But the man insisted on getting his number. For a moment, Berk considered giving him a fake number. However, if the man tried to save the number by calling it, Berk would be caught in a lie and put in a difficult position. So, reluctantly, he wrote down his phone number. In that moment, Berk thought to himself, "I wish I'd never gotten off the train to charge my phone." He knew the man would be calling him every day.

After getting Berk's number, the man smiled happily and, trying to please Berk even more, said, "Please come to my house, I'd like to treat you to lunch."

Frustrated at being unable to shake off the man, Berk said, "Thank you very much, but the train could be fixed at any moment. I'd better get back; I don't want to miss it." He thought he had found a good excuse to return to the train.

But the man quickly responded. "No problem, my house is close. We'll hear the train when it starts moving, and you'll get back in time."

Berk replied, "It's fine, I still don't want to take the risk. Plus, my friend is waiting for me too. I should get back." Without waiting for the man's response, he headed for the door. Fortunately, the man didn't insist further and said, "Let me walk you back to the train," as he started walking with Berk.

Osman had gone out to look for Berk after he had been gone for so long. When he saw Berk, he complained, "Where did you disappear to? I was worried sick, thought something might've happened to you."

Berk pointed to the man beside him and said, "Don't ask. This guy held me hostage. He wouldn't stop talking, and I just couldn't get away."

Osman nodded his head in acknowledgment toward the man. Berk added, "He tried to help me charge my phone. We started chatting, and he even gave me a pack of cigarettes."

When Osman heard that the man had given Berk cigarettes, he shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said.

At that moment, the train started running again. As Berk boarded, the man said, "I'll definitely call you, take care."

Berk replied with a forced smile and thought to himself, "I hope you don't."

There were only a few stops left before they reached Karachi. In their final moments, they decided to take pictures to pass the time, thinking they'd never take a train like this again. Osman acted like a professional photographer, directing Berk to pose for photos. They also took pictures with Ahmed and the old man. When Ahmed told Osman and Berk that they'd reached Karachi, they eagerly looked out the window. But since they were still on the outskirts of the city, they saw nothing but barren land.

Ahmed asked, "Where are you going in Karachi?"

Zoe had sent her address. Berk showed it to Ahmed and asked, "Our friend sent us this address. Do you know where it is? Is it close to the train station? We're not sure how to get there."

After carefully examining the address, Ahmed said, "I know this neighborhood. It's quite far from the train station. My brother is coming to pick me up; he can drop you off as well."

Berk and Osman accepted the offer without hesitation, as they didn't want Zoe to tire herself by coming to the train station to pick them up.

After the conversation, they quietly watched the scenery outside for a while. When the train stopped at a station, Ahmed quickly got up. "I'm getting off at this stop. I'm sorry, I just got a message, my aunt passed away," he said.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ahmed. It's okay. Thank you for everything. I'll call you next week, and if you're still planning the trip, I might join you," Osman replied.

Ahmed nodded. "Alright, we'll stay in touch," he said, then gave a small nod and got off the train.

Now, Berk and Osman had no choice but to call Zoe and ask her to come pick them up. Although Berk suggested taking a taxi, Osman said, "We don't know anything about this country. Besides, Ahmed said the address is far from the train station. Who knows how much a taxi would cost? Forget it, it's more sensible to have Zoe pick us up."

One stop before the final destination, the train broke down again. Since they were close to the city center, they didn't worry about this breakdown. They decided to wait for a while, and if the train didn't start, they would take a taxi. Meanwhile, they saw the men they had talked to at the station where the train first broke down getting off the train. They had ammunition boxes with them. They realized that the men were soldiers returning home after completing their duties. The cheerful and friendly demeanor of the soldiers in Pakistan was interesting to Osman and Berk, as it was unexpected for people serving in such a tense country to be so joyful. The most cheerful soldier gathered his friends when he saw Berk and Osman sitting by the window and came over. After shaking hands through the window, they said goodbye with more jokes in Urdu.

When the train didn't move for a long time, Berk went outside to smoke a cigarette and see what was going on. While smoking and walking around the train, an old man grabbed his arm and said, "The train can't go any further from here. The problem is serious this time. Get on that incoming train."

Berk tried to figure out who the man was and why he was saying that. When he saw the radio in his hand, he realized the man was a station employee. "You have your tickets, right?" the man asked.

"Yes, we do," Berk replied, taking the tickets out of his pocket.

The man said, "Alright, hurry up, or you'll be waiting here for hours. Show your tickets if anyone asks."

Berk threw his cigarette on the ground and rushed to their compartment. "Osman, get ready quickly! We're getting on another train," he said.

Osman panicked at Berk's urgency and, instead of getting ready, asked, "What happened? Why are we getting on another train?"

Berk, irritated, replied, "Stop asking questions and get ready. The train's already here, hurry up."

They hastily got off the train and boarded the packed train. It was so crowded that they had to push their way through people to find a spot. They sat on their bags and headed for the final stop.

The fact that this journey, too, didn't end normally and that they had another last-minute excitement made them both laugh. Osman, trying to stifle his laughter, said, "I'm never traveling by land again."

Berk joked, "If we had taken a plane, it would've definitely crashed."

They still found it hard to believe the journey was over. As the train pulled into the platform, Berk asked a young man next to them, "Is this the last stop?"

The young man smiled. "Yes, it is."

Osman raised his hands in prayer, while Berk was almost ready to hug the young man out of joy.

After a thirty-hour journey, they finally set foot in Karachi. As soon as they got off the train, Berk said, "We urgently need to find an outlet. I have to charge my phone, or I can't let Zoe know we've arrived."

However, a long line had formed at the exit due to the passengers getting off the train. Everyone was trying to push their way out. They waited on the side for a while, watching the crowd disperse. Once the station was empty, they entered the terminal building and split up to look for an outlet.

After a while, Osman excitedly called out, "Come here, there's an outlet!"

Berk quickly went over to Osman and immediately plugged in his phone, hoping it would work. However, the phone still didn't respond. Berk frantically took out the battery and rubbed it between his hands to create some static, then put it back in. After several tries, he finally heard the phone's startup sound.

After waiting a bit for it to charge, he eagerly messaged Zoe. "Hey Zoe, we finally made it to Karachi, even though we're a bit late. My phone's battery is messed up, so it could die at any moment. We're at the train station. Can you come pick us up?"

After sending the message, they waited for Zoe's response. When they didn't get a reply, Osman suggested, "Let's go outside, maybe we can find a café or restaurant. Plus, I'm starving. We can charge the phone there too."

"Alright, but we need to exchange some money first. There might be an exchange office at the station," Berk replied. They split up again to look for a place to exchange money. However, they couldn't find anywhere to exchange currency in the station.

Berk approached two workers walking around the station and asked, "Excuse me, is there an exchange office here?" The men gave Berk a brief glance before continuing to walk away without answering. Berk muttered to himself, "It's obvious we've reached the city—people are starting to be rude."

Since they couldn't find a place to exchange money, Berk returned to Osman and said, "There's nothing here, let's go outside. Maybe we'll find something out there."

As they were heading towards the exit, Berk's phone rang. When he picked up the phone, Zoe said, "Berk, is that you?" in a voice trembling with excitement, which touched him.

"Hey Zoe, yeah, it's me. We finally made it."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Zoe let out a squeal of joy, "I can't believe you guys actually made it!" Hearing the background noise, Berk guessed that Zoe was in a crowded place. Zoe added, "I'm on set right now; I think I'll be done in about an hour. I'm really sorry, but I'll keep you waiting a bit."

Berk smiled like a lovesick teenager. "No problem, we'll wait at the station. But my phone isn't working properly and might die. We'll find a restaurant to sit in, and I'll text you the name."

"Alright, I'll let you know when I leave. We'll meet up somehow; after all, you made it all the way to Karachi," Zoe said. However, shortly after hanging up, she called back and asked, "Which train station are you at exactly?"

The question caught Berk off guard. "How many train stations are there in Karachi?" he asked.

Since Zoe didn't know the answer, Berk handed his phone to someone passing by, saying, "Could you please help me out?"

The man hesitated at first, saying, "I don't speak English," but when Berk said, "My friend on the phone is Pakistani," he stopped and took the phone. After a brief conversation in Urdu with Zoe, he handed the phone back.

"Berk, just stay at the station. A friend of mine will come to pick you up," Zoe said.

After the flurry of phone calls, Berk noticed Osman looking at him curiously. "Zoe's sending a friend to pick us up. She said to wait here at the station."

Osman felt relieved that they had finally reached Zoe, but he was hungry. "Alright, let's exchange some money and grab something to eat while we wait for her friend. I'm so hungry I feel dizzy."

When they stepped outside the terminal, they saw a row of restaurants. Looking inside, they were glad to see that they could eat somewhere clean.

"Let's go to that burger place. We can eat something quickly without waiting," Osman suggested.

"Alright, you go in and order. I'll find a place to exchange money," Berk said, quickly crossing the street.

As he walked down the street, he felt like he was in the Sirkeci neighborhood in Istanbul. The old buildings, street vendors, and electronic shops—everything reminded Berk of Turkey. This made Pakistan suddenly feel very close and familiar to him. He started to imagine what it would be like to build a future with Zoe and live in Pakistan. From what he saw, he felt that he wouldn't have much trouble fitting in. It might have been too early to decide, but he was already starting to get used to it.

Since it was past six in the evening, Berk figured that currency exchange offices or banks would be closed, so he decided to head to some hotels. He hoped that, like the hotel in Quetta, he could exchange money at one of the hotels here. At a few hotels, he asked, "Do you exchange currency?" but the staff responded rudely. Eventually, he came across a polite receptionist who said, "You can exchange it at the 'City Star' hotel around the corner."

When Berk entered the hotel, the man had described, the atmosphere reminded him of the cheap hotels in Istanbul's Aksaray neighborhood, where immigrants and refugees stayed. Berk asked the receptionist, "Can I exchange dollars here?"

The man replied gruffly, "Yes."

Berk handed him a hundred dollars, saying, "I only want to exchange fifty dollars." Since he was exchanging money on the black market, he wanted to exchange only a small amount to avoid the risk of being scammed. However, when the man saw the hundred-dollar bill and realized Berk was desperate, he responded, "I don't have any small change to give you. I can only exchange the full amount."

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to exchange money anywhere else at this hour, Berk reluctantly agreed. He exchanged the money at the high rate the man offered. After getting the money, he quickly returned to the restaurant.

Seeing that Osman had already finished his meal, Berk looked at the food counter but saw that there was nothing left except biryani. Not wanting to eat more rice, he ordered a burger instead. After finishing his meal, they went outside to smoke. At that moment, Zoe sent a message. "Berk, I've been trying to call, but I can't reach you. Where are you waiting?"

Panicking, Berk called Zoe, but when she picked up, he heard her talking to someone else. He decided to hang up and try again later, then returned to the restaurant. Just then, someone entered, talking excitedly on the phone, and started walking towards them.

"I've been looking for you," the man said, extending his hand to Berk.

After shaking his hand, Berk said, "You must be the friend Zoe mentioned."

"Yes, sorry, I got so excited I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amir, Zoe's close friend. She's on set right now and didn't want to keep you waiting, so she sent me."

"Thanks so much. It was really a long journey. Let me settle the bill, and we can head out," Berk said, standing up from the table and heading to the cashier. But Amir quickly stepped in and told the cashier not to take Berk's money.

Berk insisted, "I'll pay," and they briefly argued while the cashier watched with a smile. In the end, Berk said, "We'll be in Karachi for a while; you can treat us next time," and paid the bill.

When they left the restaurant and got into Amir's car, the journey that had taken days and been filled with all sorts of challenges finally came to an end. But for Berk, the real adventure was just about to begin in Karachi with Zoe. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fully surrendering himself to the flow, not knowing where the dream-like days ahead would take him.