Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 2)

47. To romance or not to romance

"Muzo, am I not one of your closest friends?"

"You are."

"Then at least listen to me a little, you know? We've been over this before," Ayhan huffs as she and Muzaffer walk down the street. "You and Sanem have nothing in common. None."

He glares at her. "May your tongue dry up and turn to dust. How can you say that? All I have to do is update my method of wooing, I have to change if want to get around the likes of Can Divit. I need to surpass him in every way. I'm telling you, I will beat him!"

"You're right," she eyes him and stops.

"What?" he blinks in surprise.

"You need to change."

"Yes!"

"You need a makeover. New clothes... A haircut...Mm, one by one, we'll take care of it all. You'll feel brand new." There was no way he was ever going to look better than Can but as long as he believed it, what did it matter?

"Oh you speak such beautiful words, Ayhan!"

"Let's go. We'll talk to aunt Melihat."

-

"He forgot, Melihat," Mevkhibe pouts sadly, looking at herself in the mirror as Melihat worked on her hair. "My Nihat has forgotten our anniversary... and I tried telling him that but all he does is look at me like I'm crazy." Melihat chuckles lightly. "Why am I even trying with this new hairstyle? It's not as if he appreciates anything I do."

"That's a little harsh, dear. There is no way Nihat will have forgotten what today is. We've known him for years. There's no way," Melihat shakes her head firmly, combing Mevkhibe's hair back.

"I don't know anymore, Melihat."

"Come on now," Melihat frowns and pauses in her combing before she looks at her hair in thought. "I know what we'll do," she smiles a moment later and looks at Mevkhibe in the mirror, "we'll take this part here and put it on the other side like this." Melihat grabs a handful of hair and pushes it to the left of Mevkhibe's head. "Maybe we can clip the bottom here? No, I don't think so," she lets the hair go. Mevkhibe looks at her hair blankly as it springs back up. "No clips. We need to curl them. Where's my iron?" Melihat looks around the counter. "We lift it and make it all fluffy. What do you think?"

"Melihat, I already have curly hair, what do you want to curl it more for? I think the other option will work. We comb it over, straighten it and let it show my face." Mevkhibe demonstrates and nods. "Yes, I like that. It's different. It's modern. I want to change it, I don't want to look like I always do. Do you understand? I want my hair to remind him exactly what day it is today. He has to remember the second he sees me!"

Melahat laughs and nods. "Oh, I understand, I just don't see it yet,
but I know what you mean." She drags her fingers through Mevkhibe's hair and sighs. "You know, you really don't have to try so hard, Mevkhibe, you're only upsetting yourself. I'll can go to Nihat and drop a hint or - "

"Don't you dare! Don't do it!" Mevkhibe glares at her. "I want him to remember not be reminded! Don't do it! If he does, he does...and if he doesn't then, well..." 

Melihat sighs and starts combing again as Mevkhibe lifts her hands and shrugs, before staring at the street outside the salon in the reflection sadly.

"Did we look like two people who would ever come to this Melihat? What happened?"

Melihat ties part of her hair and then moves to the other side.

"Did our fire cool, do you think? Are we going to make it to the end of our lives together like this?" Mevkhibe sniffs and chokes back a sob.