Angels Favorite Dream

20

Berk woke up to the sound of his alarm on a sunny morning. He wanted to get up early since there was a chance he might go to the shoot with Zoe. Osman was still fast asleep. Berk quickly got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make coffee, only to find Zoe already awake and ready to go.

"Good morning, Zoe. I'm glad I caught you before you left. Any news from your assistant? Has she spoken with the crew?" he asked.

Zoe smiled at Berk. "Good morning, Berk. Yes, the crew said it would be fine for you to come along. But when I saw you were asleep, I didn't want to wake you. I thought you could use the rest," she said.

Berk was happy to hear the news. "I've had enough rest. If you still have time, I'll get ready right away. I'll wake Osman too, and if he wants to come, I'll tell him to get ready quickly."

"Sure, I'll wait for you. We still have some time, so no need to rush," Zoe said as she started making coffee. "I told the crew to count you in, just in case you wanted to come. Adnan Malik especially wants to meet you. He invited you as his special guest to the shoot."

Berk gave up his leisurely morning coffee and went to wake Osman. When Osman opened his eyes, Berk asked, "Do you want to come to the shoot?"

Osman, still half-asleep, didn't quite understand. Berk repeated, "Do you want to come to Zoe's shoot?" Osman quickly got out of bed. "Yes," he said.

"Then hurry up and get ready. Zoe is waiting for us downstairs."

Berk got ready quickly so as not to delay Zoe. When Osman was ready too, they went to the kitchen to meet Zoe. She was surprised at how quickly they had gotten ready. "I haven't even finished my coffee yet. You guys got ready fast. Well, let's get going then," she said.

Once they got in the car, Berk sat next to Zoe. Zoe smiled, showing she liked this. "If you'd like, you can put on some music," she said.

"That sounds good. Music helps me wake up in the morning," Berk said as he flipped through radio stations. He eventually found a station playing rock music. "There are rock music stations in Pakistan?" he asked.

"Pakistan isn't what you think it is. You probably imagine it like Afghanistan. Don't worry, I'll show you what life is really like here," Zoe said.

"I have a lot to learn from you as my guide," Berk said. Then he asked, "Where will the shoot be? Where are we headed?"

"We're going to the company building you visited yesterday. We'll do a short shoot on the roof, then head to old Karachi. We'll be doing some street shooting there."

When they arrived at the company, the crew was waiting for them. Zoe quickly went inside but then realized she had forgotten about Osman and Berk and turned back to look at them.

"You go ahead, we'll come up after we have a cigarette," Berk said.

He and Osman had a cigarette outside and took in their surroundings in the daylight. Then they slowly made their way up the stairs to the roof. The shoot had already started, and everyone was busy. To avoid getting in anyone's way, they stepped aside and watched. As Berk looked out over Karachi from above, he found the city fascinating. On one side, there were people using horse- and camel-drawn carts in the streets; on the other, luxury cars were speeding down busy roads. The colorful, modified buses were also a characteristic part of the city. But there was one thing everyone seemed to have in common: they were all smiling. Despite everything, they were trying to live life with a positive attitude.

As the shoot continued, Osman started taking photos with his camera, drawing everyone's attention. Many members of the crew were more curious about what Osman was capturing than what the professional photographer was doing. They tried to chat with Osman and look at his photos. Since they were guests of Zoe, no one left Osman and Berk alone, frequently coming over to spend time with them. However, this attention made Osman a little embarrassed; being older than most of the young crowd, he wanted to distance himself a bit.

When the rooftop shoot ended, the crew quickly packed up their equipment and headed to the parking lot. After a brief discussion about who would ride in which vehicle, they put Berk and Osman in a different car from Zoe and set off.

They stopped on a busy street, and the crew quickly began setting up their equipment. Berk didn't get a chance to talk to Zoe amidst the hectic pace, so he wandered around to avoid getting in anyone's way. Osman was still taking photos. While watching the shoot from a distant corner, Adnan Malik approached him.

"Hey there, I'm Adnan. Sorry I haven't had a chance to meet you in all this chaos. How are you?" he asked.

Berk smiled politely. "Thanks, I'm good. How about you? I know you're busy, so I'm just watching from a distance. We're not getting in the way, are we?"

Adnan responded with an unexpected explanation. "Not at all. In fact, I specifically wanted you to come today. We'd appreciate it if you stayed close because people are more interested in the shoot when they see you around. Besides Osman taking photos, your American style really catches their attention." With that, he put his arm around Berk's shoulder and led him closer to the set.

When they took a short break, Zoe came over to Berk. "Sorry I haven't been able to spend time with you. I saw you talking to Adnan—so you two finally met," she said.

"Don't worry about it, Zoe. How could you possibly have time for me with all this going on? Besides, watching you work is enjoyable on its own," Berk said, making Zoe blush. "Yes, I finally met Adnan. I was just watching from a distance, but he wanted me to stay closer. Apparently, people are more interested in the shoot when they see us," he added.

Zoe was surprised to hear what Adnan had said. "Wow! So that's why he invited you specifically. Looks like you're already famous in Pakistan on your first day," she said with a laugh.

At that moment, Amin joined them. "Berk, come on, I'm going to get you a drink you'll love," he said.

Expecting something sweet, Berk was surprised when Amin took him to a street vendor selling bamboo juice. "You can't come to Pakistan and not try bamboo juice. It's one of our most popular drinks. I want you to give it a try," Amin said.

Seeing how the bamboo juice was prepared, Berk hesitated. "Oh no, my stomach is really sensitive. I'm sure I'll get sick, so I'd better not," he said, trying to come up with an excuse. But Zoe chimed in, "Amin's right, you definitely need to try bamboo juice. I haven't had it in a long time either. Amin, could you get one for me too?"

Amin ordered three large cups of bamboo juice from the vendor. With no way out, Berk took a sip, and the bitter taste burned his throat. Just as he was about to hand the cup back, Zoe stopped him and encouraged him to keep drinking. "Don't give up so easily. Have a bit more; trust me, you'll start to like it," she said.

Not wanting to disappoint Zoe, Berk continued drinking. At that moment, the photographer asked him to pose while adjusting her camera settings. So, there he was, drinking bamboo juice and modeling at the same time. Halfway through the cup, he managed a forced smile and said, "Okay, it's not that bad, actually." Deep down, he just hoped he wouldn't end up regretting it later.

After a short break, the photographer called out, "Alright, everyone! It's getting late. Let's wrap this up; we need to finish the shoot as soon as possible." They worked for another hour before completing the outdoor shoot. Zoe was barely standing from exhaustion. Looking weary, she told Berk, "We're going to do a short shoot at the photographer's house and have dinner there. But first, we need to stop by the company to pick up the car."

"Alright, is there anything we can help with?" Berk asked.

Zoe looked at the crew running around and said, "Let them handle it. You came here today despite being exhausted from traveling, and you didn't leave me alone." She looked at Berk with tired eyes, as if his smile was giving her strength.

After getting ready, they got into the cars and headed back to the company building. Before getting in the car, Zoe asked for two of the crew members to come along with them. She wanted someone to drive in case she couldn't. After introducing Faraz and Hina to Osman and Berk, they all got into the car and headed to the photographer's house.

When they reached a run-down neighborhood, Berk wondered where they were going. "The photographer doesn't live here, does she?" he asked.

Zoe smiled, seeing Berk's confusion, and pointed to the tall apartment buildings. "No, she lives in this complex," she said.

Berk was surprised to see the massive buildings rising amidst the shantytown. "It takes some courage to drive through here to get home," he joked.

As they approached the building, Berk noticed heaps of piled-up garbage. Seeing Berk's discomfort, Hina said, "The government struggles to keep the city clean, which makes pollution a big issue in Karachi. But we're going to start a local initiative soon to clean up the streets."

Berk, feeling embarrassed for appearing bothered by the pollution, said, "We have a similar problem in Turkey. The government sometimes refuses to collect trash in areas where they don't receive many votes, almost as if they are punishing the residents," trying to smooth over the situation.

Once they entered the upscale complex, they went up to the photographer's apartment. The crew was already there, and the place was quite crowded. Berk admired the warm and cozy decor of the apartment. He turned to Zoe and said, "I've always wanted to decorate my place like this."

Zoe was surprised that Berk, despite his style, had such taste. "Then you're going to love our apartment in the city center," she said, and went into one of the rooms to continue the shoot.

As Berk sat on one of the couches, taking in the apartment, Amin, who had been by his side all day, sat down next to him and started a conversation.

"I heard you like smoking hash. Do you use anything else?" he asked.

Berk was cautious about drugs. He enjoyed smoking m*******a occasionally because it was natural, but he stayed away from chemical substances. He also wasn't comfortable discussing these topics with just anyone.

"I smoke weed occasionally, but rarely. I usually use it to boost my concentration when I'm working on something creative," he said, hoping to end the conversation.

But Amin seemed unwilling to change the subject. "Karachi has a wild nightlife. The house parties here are legendary, with drugs you can't find anywhere else. We throw these parties every weekend. You should definitely come to one," he said.

Forcing a smile, Berk replied, "I'll talk to Zoe; maybe we'll come one weekend."

This conversation wasn't to Berk's liking. He tried to talk to Osman, but Osman was engaged in a conversation with someone else and wasn't paying attention to him. Thankfully, Zoe, who was on a break, called Berk over.

"Amin told you about the infamous drug parties, didn't he? If you're uncomfortable, I can talk to him," she said.

Berk said, "No, I wasn't uncomfortable. It's just that the kind of scene he described isn't for me, and his constant talk about drugs was getting on my nerves. I'm going to step outside for a bit and look around."

Zoe looked worried when she heard Berk wanted to go out alone. "Don't go by yourself. Let me ask someone to go with you," she said.

"No, don't take anyone away from their work. We made it here just fine; I'm not going to get into trouble now," he said, leaving the apartment quickly before Zoe could insist further.

Berk wandered the streets curiously, noticing that he was starting to draw attention. Everyone seemed to look at him as if to say, "How does he dare walk these streets?" But Berk kept walking, ignoring the stares. He turned onto a street and saw a small convenience store, and went in to see if he could find some naswar. He greeted the store owner "Salam alaikum."

The store owner smiled and greeted him back with, "Alaikum salam," looking at Berk with a curious expression, wondering what a stranger was doing here.

Berk asked, "Do you have any naswar?" which caught the attention of everyone in the store. They all turned to look at him.

The store owner said, "Yes, we do," and showed Berk several different packages. Seeing all the options, Berk was unsure which one to choose, so he picked one at random and paid for it. As the store owner handed back his change, he asked, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Turkey," Berk replied. Hearing this, the store owner nodded as if understanding why Berk seemed so comfortable, thanks to the cultural bond between their countries. Excited to have found the naswar, Berk decided to head home as it began to get dark.

When he got home, he saw that the pizzas ordered for dinner had arrived. Everyone had already gathered around eagerly. Berk waited for everyone else to take their slices, but one of the teammates warned, "If you don't grab some now, you won't find a single slice left in five minutes." Having not eaten anything all day, Berk quickly took two slices and sat on one of the couches, eating enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Osman also grabbed some pizza and sat next to him. Having overcome his earlier shyness, he was now in high spirits, chatting with everyone. "This crew is really fun. We've been talking for hours," he said, smiling like a child.

Berk gave him a teasing look and said, "So you've finally opened up. You didn't say a word to anyone all day."

After everyone finished eating, they relaxed and moved to the living room. One of the crew members asked Berk, "What's your degree in?"

"I studied Radio, Television, and Cinema. Now, I'm trying to finish Business School," Berk replied. Since they were in the same field, the conversation deepened.

"So, you're familiar with cameras," one of them said.

Berk smiled. "Yeah, I am. For my final project at university, I made a short film, and I even played the lead role. The film won the 'Best Screenplay' award. But after graduation, I decided I didn't want to work in this industry. To advance in the media sector in Turkey, you have to be a bit of a suck-up," he said.

The team fell silent at Berk's words. No one commented, likely out of fear of losing their jobs, but their looks made it clear they were thinking, "It's the same here in Pakistan."

Someone else asked, "Can we watch your film?"

"Sure, it's on YouTube," Berk said. However, YouTube and similar social media sites were blocked in Pakistan. Although Berk suggested they could use a VPN to bypass the restriction, they told him it wouldn't work, which made Berk lose his enthusiasm.

Finally, the shoot ended, and Zoe, looking exhausted, came over to them and said, "I just want to go home as soon as possible. I'm too tired to stand." Osman and Berk quickly packed up so as not to keep Zoe waiting any longer. They said their goodbyes and left to head home.

When they reached the car, Berk, noticing how tired Zoe was, offered, "If you want, I can drive." But since Pakistan was a former British colony, the cars had the steering wheel on the right side. Osman quickly stepped in, saying, "Traffic flows in the opposite direction here. You're not used to it; it could be risky. Let Zoe drive."

Berk hesitated for a moment, then decided Osman was right. "I guess you're right. We don't need any trouble in the middle of the night. You drive, Zoe," he said. Internally, he felt frustrated that he couldn't help the woman he cared about.

Zoe was initially pleased with Berk's offer, but when he backed down, she felt disappointed. She tiredly got behind the wheel. As they started driving, everyone was too exhausted to talk, and Osman and Berk just stared out the window.

The streets of Karachi would become almost completely empty at night. After work hours, it was nearly impossible to see anyone on the streets. In this country where Islamic law was enforced, there were no bars. Although alcohol wasn't completely banned, it could only be bought under strict regulations and from specific stores. Drinking alcohol outside was illegal, which meant that nightlife in Pakistan was all about house parties. Once the sun went down, the city fell silent.

While driving, Zoe started talking to stay awake. She asked Berk, "Amin was really impressed by you. He wants to throw a party specifically in your honor. Would you like to go?"

Knowing how such parties typically ended, and not wanting to lose Zoe's trust, Berk responded, "If you want to go, we can, but those kinds of parties aren't really my thing. Plus, I don't use any kind of chemical drugs."

Zoe was impressed by Berk's sense of boundaries and his stance on the matter. The more she learned about his life philosophy, the more her view of Berk shifted, and she found herself feeling increasingly comfortable around him.

When they got home, they were all tired, so they went to their rooms to rest for a while. When there was no sound from Zoe for a long time, Berk and Osman assumed she had fallen asleep, so they decided to sleep as well.

As they lay down, Osman asked, "What are we going to do tomorrow?" He wanted to explore the city with Berk, not wanting to be too much of a burden on Zoe. However, Berk, wanting to spend every moment with Zoe, replied, "I don't know Zoe's schedule. We'll talk in the morning and plan accordingly."

This answer frustrated Osman, and he began to grumble internally. He didn't want Berk to get too close to Zoe; he feared that if they started a relationship, he would be left alone and have to return home by himself. This thought filled him with both jealousy and fear. On the other hand, Berk was also financially dependent on Osman. He couldn't stay in Karachi for long without him, and it was impossible for him to travel back alone by road.

"If you have other things you want to do, you can make your own plans, Osman. You don't have to stick with us. We don't need to be tied together all the time," Berk said in a slightly reproachful tone. Berk could sense Osman's unease, but he didn't want it to interfere with the time he wished to spend with Zoe.

Osman realized that tension with Berk would only complicate matters, so he chose not to escalate the argument. "Alright, we'll just play it by ear," he said.

After lying in silence for a while, they both fell asleep.