Far away yet so close

"I want the divorce and you will stay 100m away from me. Moreover, don't even try to approach me in this condition or I swear on my son that as soon as I give birth to him I will kill myself before you. And you know I am not used to making empty threats." This was her warning and the request for separation she made afterwards was settled at her family home.

"Everything will be as you wish, Sibel." What more could he say to her? Obviously, he surrendered without any further conditions. As soon as he left her in safe hands, he picked up his phone and dialed a number while driving to his office. "I want to start the divorce papers and I want everything to end in less than a week. This isn't a request but an order. I don't care what you do, but I want it done!" He hung up and the photo on his phone showed her. He captured it when she made the video call wearing the red dress. A reminder that she could be dead right now.He feared that she might abort the child but got surprised when faced with her reaction.

Flashbacks...

"What happened to me?" she asked after waking up again in that hospital bed.

"You fainted. We were heavily debating and..."

"I remember..." She interrupted, trying to get up but he stopped her right away.

"Stay down," he gently said to her, and his hands barely touched her before she pushed them away.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled and he took two steps back.

"You are pregnant and need to stay down, the doctor recommended."

"You are lying?!"

"No, I would never lie at this moment," he affirmed. She was shocked but in a weird way. He missed how she touched her belly and a smile appeared on her face before she quickly hid it.

"It's yours!" she declared without showing emotions that she was holding inside her chest.

"I have no doubt in that, Sibel, but I will respect and accept any decisions you make regarding his/her concern," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to stop the pregnancy...

"What? Why? Because you raped me and he is a product of rape?!" She yelled at him, all he could do was nod as he stood to her feet.

"Well, I will disappoint your evil thoughts. He may have 50% of your genes, but he will also have 50% of mine. Plus, I will carry him for months, nurse him, so he is more mine than yours. He is my baby, and no one will harm him." She protectively crossed her arms around her belly, something that warmed his heart and broke his soul for not stretching his arms around her belly too. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at her; he was sure the baby was in good hands.

"Don't smile like a fool, be useful and send me to my family home. Just to end your smirking, our marriage is over. The rest of my decision you will hear it there."

She said, or perhaps menaced, it wasn't clear as she stood on her feet again.

*

*

*

*

Time passed by like the water under the bridge. Silently, not making any sounds to not hurt the broken-hearted man who desperately put that signature down on that white paper, ending their marriage.

On the other hand, she was content holding the paper of her freedom.

Even though she prohibited him from being near, he couldn't stop himself from staying updated on her condition. Daily checks from the nurse he sent to be by her side and monthly contact with her doctor.

The moment that broke him was hearing the ultrasound of the baby's heart. How much he wanted to be there with her, holding her hand to wipe away her happy tears.

It's all his fault and he needs to bear this punishment from her.

Hundreds of meters away from her on the street.

Miles away, unable to be there when she has morning sickness or to touch her belly, neither to give her foot massages.

It was inevitable to stop his mind from traveling back to the last day they were in that room. Now, he is staying behind the door, recalling what she confessed.

He didn't know that women could go to these limits when men have injured their body, soul, and mind.

Need to admit, Sibel was different from other women around Oriental. She is an unstoppable force of nature and no one could contain her fury although she turned towards herself all the pain he gave.

If all Orientalian women will act like her for sure, Oriental will be left like a ghost country.

Is there a doubt though, would Orientalian men turn out to be like Sinbad when they realize their sin? Will they love them and respect their voice in the end?

Why women don't act like Sibel doesn't mean that men need to hurt them, to break their pride, to torture until there is no more soul or body to be saved anymore.

Like Sibel said, she was just a woman before a man that from all holy books has promised to protect, provide, and respect her voice.

It's funny when you think men say:

"She is a woman, let her. She is weak. She can't do anything."

All contrary when it is to abuse mentally, physically, and sexually. She isn't weak, she isn't someone that can't do anything, she is the one that deserves all the punishment and in the end they want to be forgiven because they brought food or a rose. God forbid if women decide to refuse them...

"For torture women are strong.

For greater jobs they are useless."

This isn't just for Oriental women but all over this world that human inhabitants called Earth face this unfair paradox.

Sibel is lucky being the daughter of Ahmed Kara, who taught her from a young age to respect herself and not allow any men to tell her otherwise. She did what all women do, threw herself into hell just to save her family. Knowing that a help call from her towards her family could have started a war.

Sinbad wouldn't let her go at any cost, and blood would be spilled from her family now that he was the leader. Even though she didn't enjoy his touch or his kisses, through them she understood that his obsession for her wasn't a mere thing.

Another man would have killed her when she told about the supposed affair between her and Hakan. His obsession knows no limit when it is about her. Yet he needs to complete her order as a soldier.

Trying to live as a free woman, she got involved in a lying spider web that made her taste the bitter life of millions of women around the world. To show him what he has made her do to herself only opened an obscure room of her soul.

Sitting on his porch, drinking his night wine, remembering those women that came to visit their men in prison was impossible to not compare them with Sibel because she was one of them now. Even Esra's eyes hold the same pain as those women, yet in her crystal eyes, his betrayal was read clearly. He was the antagonist of his own story from the beginning.

Clock arrow ticked and the sound of midnight came from the clock in his chamber, reminding him to make his phone call.

A young woman picked up the phone which was left on the cupboard near the mirror. She was admiring her body changes under the new dress when the phone rang.

"Who are you?" She asked. He didn't respond but his heavy breath betrayed him.

"This is not funny, Sinbad," Sibel shouted as she slumped onto the nearby couch. He didn't say anything but his face showed a grimace of a smile. Her breath had become his breath too.

It hadn't been a minute when she heard him sobbing, and after all this time, her heart felt pain for him. She knew what it meant to lose someone you love. She knew his pain now.

He knew that he had lost her forever when she told him that there had been a chance for them, but he blew it. He can't forgive himself for cheating on her.

Although he thought that cheating would be the least important thing compared to other horrible things he did to her, the results could have changed everything if he had saved her that day.

Can he blame only Esra for that?

No, because he went to her.

No, because he kissed her even though the poison was on her lipstick still he can never be forgiven.

She had turned off the phone as she does every midnight since they got divorced.

He didn't appear in the tribunal that day, and that night he started with his midnight calls.

For many, it is creepy to hear only breathing on the other end of the phone, but not for our Sibel Kara. She recognizes him every single time even though he keeps changing his numbers.

Oh, please don't make the mistake of thinking that her heart is melting down.

No, her hate and disgust are still intact only for him.

*

*

*

She was on her due date yet was feeling quite energetic that morning and decided to buy one more thing for her boy when her water broke in the middle of the hallway between the stores. Thankfully, she wasn't alone; all the women of her family were with her so no one would risk her health at this point.

Ismail was the one who notified him, showing a bit of mercy. His spy had been detected and threatened by Sibel for daring one more time to share information with him. He picked up that call on the first ring. Has been in alarm mode from the start anyway.

Left everything, even the meeting with all the other cartels that he had organized.

Among all the troubles that Hakan brought, Sinbad still thought through these months and offered a peace treaty. After all, he was the one who brought to light Esra's evil plan. Hakan didn't think twice to replace him during the board meeting, but when he learned about Sibel entering labor, he wanted to attend the meeting too. Yet he didn't want to raise any unnecessary suspicions, so he called Sanem to go there.

He was there when she entered the labor room, accompanied by her sister Peri. She was holding her pain, not yelling, shouting, or even cursing at him for once. Nonetheless, he felt all her pain coursing through his body.

Knowing that he easily could have entered the labor room, she insisted on identifying all the present nurses and doctors, making him chuckle as tears were making a river on his cheeks.

He was standing behind the double glass window which is used for students; however, this window wasn't there before. Since she got pregnant, he made this happen in the whole Oriental hospital. When she was asked to breathe, he breathed with her. When she was asked to push, his hand hit the wall. If his hand wasn't holding her hand in this sublime moment, then why did he need it?

A baby's cry stopped him from doing further damage to his hand, as their faces were covered by a big smile.

The doctor and Peri gave the boy to her, as he was all bloody, and put him over her chest. He was a tiny red-skinned human that took her heart in the blink of her eyes.

It was a boy, just like she predicted when she first learned. He never doubted it, so he made a baby boy room there when hers was.

Holding on for dear life, she whispered in the boy's ear some Islamic words more than three times.

"Senin adın Mert!" (Your name is Mert)

"Senin adın Mert!" (Your name is Mert)

"Senin adın Mert!" (Your name is Mert)

Reluctantly, she gave the boy to the doctor because letting him go felt like her life was being ripped away from her.

Peri calmed her down by explaining that this was the necessary procedure that needed to be followed.

As soon as he saw the nurse coming with their son, he followed them, battling the urge to enter that room and kiss her passionately, despite her lips that she had bitten so much. However, he refrained from acting on his desires. The doctor had mentioned that although she appeared strong, she was broken inside.

The nurse was Halide. Even though she had witnessed their fights and was aware of his profound regret, she showed him kindness.

"She called him, Mert," Halide spoke, preparing the boy who had her ink eyes.

"Just like his mum, a strong one. Can I hold him?" His voice was like a plea, after all, he doesn't know what her instructions have been.

"Of course, Sibel hanım personally told me to let you hold the boy. She will never separate you from him." Her words were enough to make the steel man's eyes fill up. He undid the button of his jacket, removing it to wear sterile clothes, then sat down on the bench in the newborn room. Waiting for the baby to be cleaned and measured as the procedure needs it. His mind got clouded by past events that weren't doing anything good to his heart.

All the bad feelings vanished when Halide carefully landed little Mert on his father's hand.

"Welcome Mert! I am sorry I hurt your mum so much that she isn't the one to introduce me to you. I will do everything for her and you, if my life is required, I will give it to both of you. I love you, my little man. I will always be with you, my boy." He holds his precious gift ever so delicately like he might get broken. Unconscious, he looked around as if searching for her, like he should have been.

He rose up holding baby Mert and went towards her room, letting his son rest in his cocoon. She was in deep slumber. The labor had exhausted her but didn't steal her beauty.

She looked breathtaking as he got on his knees before her bed, staring at her sleeping figure.

He slowly removed a tendril from her cheek to see her moon-like face. All these months away from her have been the worst punishment in the world.

Peri cleared her throat, letting out her presence. He nodded, rose up, reluctantly leaving her bedside.

"I truly love her..." He confessed to her sister, but his broken heart stole his tongue to say more.

"Even so, you can't impose your presence on her anymore. Let your son be the one to bring you together." Peri genuinely patted his shoulder as the man couldn't lift his eyes to watch her.

"Take care of them, I will be a call away."

"She is my life, before she is your love." Peri spoke, looking at Sibel who was waking up.

He nodded and left the hospital, hating himself and loving her.

_____________________________

"Do you want baby Mert to perform a miracle?"