Honor & Respect

Indeed, a child can bring only joy and Mert was nonetheless the light of their lives. She lived for her son only and he lived for both of them.

Her family, not knowing the true nature of things in their relationship, believed the only solid reason she gave was his cheating.

He tried to justify himself by saying it was part of his revenge, but he didn't anticipate that she would fall pregnant.

The marks on her body, she tried to justify as a moment of weakness to get his attention after learning about the cheating.

After hearing about all these events, her mother, although modern, still adheres to old ways of thinking.

"You are a mother now, think of your child, he needs both of his parents. You are just playing with the poor child."

"Never refer to my son as a poor one! You may be my mother, but don't ever say that again. Mert has both of his parents alive, and I believe he loves him as much as I do. But we can't be together anymore. That doesn't mean Mert will suffer. He will see Mert under Peri and my brothers' supervision until my baby starts to walk. Our marriage is over, and don't try to push me into his arms."

Sibel Kara spoke like she never had to her mother, at the same time addressing all her family members who were gathered around her.

Don't forget we are in the Orient, and their old thoughts are still present. No matter what a man can do, the wife should never abandon her house. Not getting anything from Sibel, and trying to preserve their reputation, Adalet Kara went to Sinbad after her kids didn't want to talk to him. Her brothers were still ashamed of how she surrendered to his command just to protect them.

"Sibel will be as you wish, my soul. If you don't want to be with him, no one will force you," Ismail shuffled her hair as he did back then. He could tell that there was more she was telling. As a doctor, he had seen several cases where men have used their brutal force towards their women, breaking their bones or marking their skin. Poor women, always justifying their men's beastly ways by taking the blame upon themselves. Adem comprehended the situation too, and both brothers sat on each side of her as she held Mert.

"Who would have thought that our troublemaker would be the mom of a lovely boy?" Adem teased her, earning a sad smile.

They both were restless because they had failed in protecting their little Sibel, letting her suffer. She stared at their broken features and took their hands in hers.

"Bro, you don't need to be sorry or sad for how my destiny played out. I will jump myself into hell if in the end you and your family will be intact, besides, I got this handsome young man as a reward."

"He will regret hurting you, you tied our hands with that oath you forced us to make that night, 'cause I would know how to make him bow on his knees," Ismail said as he kissed her hand, remembering that night.

As soon as she was Sinbad's legal wife, she ran towards her family. His guards allowed them to meet without any problems.

"Sibel, why did you do that?" Adem held her arm strongly, being angry and helpless at the same time.

"You shouldn't sacrifice yourself for us. You are our little angel, we are supposed to protect you, not the other way around," Ismail spoke furiously about everything that had happened.

"You always were there for me, you protected me all your life. Now I want you to swear over my head that till I breathe, you will not touch him or do anything against him."

"Sibel, you can't ask this!" Adem was startled and tried to remove his hand from her head, but she was stubborn as always.

"He will not harm me. If he wanted to, he could have done it when I went to his farm, but he respected me. I know he will listen and give me the time to adjust to him. Who knows, maybe I will fall in love with him one day," she tried to assure her brother because she knows how protective they are toward her.

"Promise to her!" Ahmed Kara came to them. Sibel was startled as she didn't expect her father to be so cool towards this situation. Her brothers reluctantly agreed to her request.

"Sometimes things are meant to happen sooner or later. My eyes brightness," Ahmed Kara holds her hand, watching directly with her inky eyes.

Sibel felt abandoned by her father, then and there she knew it was at Sinbad's mercy.

Ahmed Kara had been the only one hushing toward her decision to divorce Sinbad, even while being pregnant. He failed her once and can't even look into her eyes because of a guilty conscience.

"This madness has lasted longer than it should. There is a child left between you both, and you are leaving everything in her hands," Adalet Kara said to Sinbad as she went to meet him by sending Mert.

"Ma'am, I respect your daughter's decision. I will not do anything against your family, so don't worry about that. I am grateful she allowed me to see Mert after all that happened between us."

"We aren't just a simple family around here; we are one of the most important families that have been ruling the Orient for decades. I permitted the divorce because she was unstable, but now this has gone too far. I thought she would have a change of heart after Mert's birth, but unfortunately, it seems she hasn't paid attention to it. So, it's up to you to bring your family together."

"I can't do anything, ma'am. Not after I have done unspeakable things to her. As I said, I am grateful she is allowing me to see Mert."

"I can imagine what you have done to her. After all, it was a forced marriage and those things were meant to happen. But you seem genuinely repentant and ready to give your life for her."

"Ma'am, I raped your daughter. Not just once, but also beat her, humiliated her, cheated on her in our bedroom, and left her in my enemies' hands. Now tell me, do you still want me to be your daughter's husband?"

Adalet Kara wasn't shocked hearing all those horrible things he did to her younger daughter.

"I know what you did to her. She had told her psychologist, so I learned from there. But also I can see you, Sinbad, like I never saw a man in my entire life to have your look. Your redemption is eating you, you live on her breath. She may say she doesn't need you, but she needs you more than ever. She wants to share her daily moments with Mert with you too. She just doesn't want to be the one who bowed her head first. Don't forget she is a woman and by nature she is merciful and forgivable to all the sins committed toward her soul, her body, and her mind. She will respond to your pleading sooner or later."

"What are you suggesting, ma'am?" He was bewildered by the words of the woman in front.

"Keep Mert here and force her to come back. She will do anything for him, then convince her for your repentance. Eventually she will accept you."

"Although you are her mother, you don't know her at all. With Sibel, we worked only one time on the Ultimatum. I will not risk anything anymore. I deserve all this pain from being apart from her and apart from my child. I had it in my hand and I destroyed my chance. Leave her alone, ma'am. She is under too much stress right now. No one will lift a finger toward your family after all the Orientals know that I betrayed her. Don't harass her with useless conversation!" Spoke Sinbad, who was still shocked by her mother.

Definitely, something was off, or they were all crazy to accept things like that.

Her father didn't speak at once to her, her mother tried to brainwash her using Ahmed's silence. Whoever came to visit poked her situation.

"If you don't go on your own, he may take your son away!"

"Is it a tradition for boys to stay with their father's side?"

"Don't be stubborn, every woman goes through your problem once in her life."

"He is Sinbad Melekoglu, the owner of Oriental now. How much do you think he will support your behavior, huh?! You are separating him from his son!"

"Don't be stupid, go to him before he gets married again and take your child away."

"You are being selfish towards your baby. Give him a family."

"You are playing with the honor and respect of your family. And you are not a little girl anymore."

All those words started to hit their spot on Sibel's conscience. She refused to leave the room and got more attached to her baby. She experienced anxiety whenever she needed to send him to his father. Someday she just couldn't let the baby go out of her hand. Unknowingly, she was sinking fast into postpartum depression when she already was in an identity crisis created by him.

It was inevitable that an event of total destruction of her entire being took place, forcing her to make that heartbreaking decision.

"What goes around, comes back around," they say, but they didn't mention that even days can repeat themselves, with the only change being the number of the year, and the night becoming a day.

A year ago, like today but at night, he entered her life, robbing her dreams and throwing them into the trash. Breaking her soul, shattering her heart, stealing her body, destroying her beyond repair.

The ray of sun found her folding her baby in her arms, tears dampening her face countless times that day. Peri, who lately doesn't leave her alone anymore, enters, and her heart shatters again watching her little one suffer like that.

"Go take him a bath," she gently pats her head. Sibel nods, takes her baby into the bathroom, while Peri had done everything ready for the bath.

Ever so carefully, ever so gently, as if he was made of crystal, she washed her baby and then dressed him in the silky clothes tailored for this sublime occasion. Today was his circumcision, a day of celebration for all.

Sinbad distributed money and food for the poor, wishing she could be there to hear all their prayers. He ended his joy alone but worried about her health. How much he wanted to hug her and take away all her pain. Watching from afar was painful, taking in her scent from the fragrance she left on their son was killing him. Only hearing her breathe at night calmed his wounded heart.

He didn't even dream that she would allow him to come to his son's circumcision, but when Peri announced it, he almost had a heart attack.

Sinbad stepped inside the decorated house, looking everywhere for her until he saw his most precious treasure descending the stairs, holding Mert, with Peri by her side who had accompanied her to the last step.

Sinbad, the ruthless one, has shed many types of tears for her over the years, but never these kinds.

These tears that covered his view were the most beautiful ones. He had grown accustomed to staring at her from a distance, but now she was only a hand's length away, like an incredible dream.

Her focus was on their son. The way she talked to him, the way she smiled at him made his heart melt then and there.

"Sinbad, you should close your mouth or a mosquito will enter," she taunted him without ever looking at him, as all her world was in her hands.

His lips curved into a smile as he understood what she meant.

Mert, looking at his father, stretched his little, edible hands toward him.

"You want to go to baba?! Here I fulfill your request, benim şehzadem (my prince)!" Her sweet words touched his heart as her hands made contact with his, delivering baby Mert to his arms. Her attention was on the boy as his was on both of them. Baby Mert took hold of her necklace as she tried to free herself, unknowingly drawing closer to him.

He had drunk in her beauty that had reached heavenly scale; in the first second his eyes had landed on her, but now he allowed his nostrils to be engulfed by her intoxicating scent of dark rose. He closed his eyes and bent down to be intoxicated by her scent. She felt his hot breath on her exposed neck and for the first time, she didn't feel disgust.

One moment later, all of today's dreams were shattered by the flash of the photographer who was hired for the party.

The second they made eye contact, a cold knife pierced his heart. Her eyes were different - no more hate, no more disgust, but something dangerous that he couldn't name.

The celebration ended before lunchtime. He was saying goodbye to his son, handed over by Peri. She was nowhere to be seen. He hoped in vain to see her again, reluctantly went away without seeing her.

The clock in his chamber indicated two; a call from his underworld assistant made him prepare for war.

The sun was shining on the earth of the Orient, giving it a golden color, when she came to the gates of the Melekoğlu farm. This time, there was nothing to be afraid of or scared of. Holding her life in her arms, she moved towards the open gate.

_____&____

Do you think what you are thinking will happen?

Think again!