GHOST LOVER

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Murat laughed. He walked toward her, and when he stood right beside her, the air in the room cooled for a moment. Selin no longer greeted this coolness with a shiver, but as a sign of love. Just then, the harsh sound of the doorbell echoing through the apartment shaft cut through the house’s silence like a knife.

Selin jumped from her seat. Murat’s expression immediately turned serious. “They’re here,” he said, his voice now deeper and more distant. “The wardens of the real world are at your door, Selin.”

As Selin walked toward the door, she tried to wipe the happy expression from her face and replace it with a frozen mask. Through the peephole, she saw Melis and her other friend Pelin waiting outside with flowers and “get well soon” packages.

Selin cracked the door open. “Welcome,” she said, her voice as flat as possible.

“Darling! We heard you came back home. We didn’t want to leave you alone,” Melis said, pushing inside. Pelin followed, hugging Selin tightly. But even as she embraced them, Selin’s eyes were fixed on Murat behind them. He stood in the corner of the living room, arms crossed, casting a distinctly inhospitable look at these uninvited guests.

“You’ve… cleaned up the house so nicely,” Pelin said, walking toward the kitchen. That’s when she noticed the table set for two. “Oh, was someone here, Selin? Is your mother visiting?”

Selin walked calmly to the kitchen, Murat following behind her. He positioned himself directly behind Pelin and blew a cold breath toward her neck. Pelin shivered, adjusting her collar. “God, why is this house so cold? Are the radiators not working?”

Selin shot Murat a look that said “Don’t do that,” then turned to the girls. “No one’s here. I was having breakfast with Murat.”

The air in the kitchen suddenly grew heavy. Melis and Pelin exchanged horrified glances. Melis placed a trembling hand on Selin’s arm. “Selin… sweetheart… Murat… you know he’s not here. I mean… not physically.”

Selin gently pushed Melis’s hand away. “Physical or not, Melis. He’s standing right in front of you, by the refrigerator, and he’s telling me how ridiculous you look right now.”

Pelin’s face turned white as chalk. “Selin, you’re scaring us. Two months have passed… We’re worried about you. Look, there are two plates on the table, but one is completely empty. No one’s there!”

Murat whispered in Selin’s ear: “See, your friends are treating me like ‘nothing.’ Show them the truth, Selin. Show them I’m here. Don’t keep anyone in this house who won’t acknowledge my existence.”

Selin’s eyes flashed. She took a step toward Pelin. “Pelin, when you said ‘the house is so cold’ just now… You know what that coldness is? Murat is standing right behind you, and he wants you to leave. Because you’re disturbing our peace.”

“Selin, that’s enough!” Melis cried, unable to hold back her tears. “I’m calling your doctor. This isn’t normal. You’re hallucinating!”

Selin laughed. But it wasn’t a joyful laugh—it was the herald of a fierce storm. “Hallucinating? Murat, show them!”

At that moment, the full coffee cup sitting in front of Murat on the kitchen table trembled with an invisible force and began to slide slowly toward the edge. As the girls screamed and backed away, the cup stopped right at the edge.

“Did you see that?” Selin said proudly. “He’s here. And now… please leave my home. We have a lot more to talk about.”

As the girls fled the apartment without even grabbing their things, not looking back, Selin slammed the door behind them and locked it. When she turned around, Murat was smiling at her.

“Did you see that, my ghost lover?” Selin said, breathless. “I proved you to them.”

Murat moved closer, bringing his face near hers. “That wasn’t necessary, my stormy girl. But I must confess… watching your ‘my way or the highway’ attitude while I was sliding that cup was quite enjoyable.”