Two Worlds Apart 🥀

Chapter 6: Guilt

Alihan stood frozen to the spot with guilt and shame as Zeynap's anguished words echoed in his mind. Alihan felt a surge of anger rise within him. His jaw ticked as he turned his furious glare towards the raucous crowd still gathered around the community board, hooting and gawking shamelessly at the provocative photos stuck there. "Move away!" He raised his voice to a shout. "I said move away from there!"

Slowly, the crowd parted before his blazing anger, confused mutters rippling through them. For a long moment, he simply stared at the grainy images. Then he clenched his jaw so hard enough to crack teeth, Alihan reached up and started ripping them down one by one.
"How dare you," he bit out through gritted teeth, crumpling each photo into a tight ball of refuse. "How dare you do something so reprehensible like this?" He looked at the gaping students, eyes blazing with cold fury. "You all find this amusing? Something to laugh and hoot over?" Alihan flung the balled-up photos towards them with disgust, making a few flinch back. "How can you all see humor in violating someone's dignity like this? Are you so sick and depraved that you can laugh and jeer at another person's humiliation? This girl - this innocent young girl - has been wronged in the most horrific way. And you people have the audacity to treat it all as a circus?" He moved his finger pointing at other female students and said, "What if it was you? You? Or you? Would you be so quick to laugh and mock then?"

"Listen to me very carefully. I'm going to find out who is responsible for all this. I'm warning each and every one of you now. However, if the guilty ones have even a shred of decency and honor remaining, they will come forward themselves and surrender to me. Confess and accept responsibility for this unforgivable act. Do that, and there is a chance that you may receive some minor leniency from the humiliation that awaits you or you know me."

Alihan came outside towards the lawn looking guilty and disappointed. Then from a distance he saw Reyhan was sitting at a university bench and crying continuously. Alihan walked and stood behind her. She was unaware of his presence. Just as Alihan was about to place his hand on her shoulder, she fainted. Alihan immediately caught her limp body, held her to support. He could see her face was ashen, beads of sweat along her hairline. "Miss Yilmaz? Miss Yilmaz Can you hear me?" He gave her a gentle shake, panic mounting when she didn't rouse. "Open your eyes!"

STREET - AFTERNOON

Hakan paced down the street, anxiety etched on his face. He had to come up with a huge sum of money to pay off the shady Pasha, and fast, or face severe consequences. Spotting an old friend, Hakan rushed over. "Hey! I need your help. I'm in a bad situation," he blurted out, briefly explaining everything about Pasha and the money he lost to him. The friend's eyes widened. "Come with me, I know someone who might be able to help with a loan."

They hurried across town to a nondescript office building. As they entered the door, Hakan froze - it was none other than Halil, Alihan's father, seated behind the desk. "You?" Hakan stuttered in disbelief. Halil looked up sternly. "What are you doing here?" The friend spoke up. "Sir, I brought him about getting a student loan. He desperately needs money." Halil's expression hardened. "I don't help wastrels. Leave."

Panic rose in Hakan. "Uncle, please...I'm begging you, I need this money. You have to help me."
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Halil appraised Hakan with an inscrutable gaze. "Why should I assist someone who is so irresponsible? Do you really think I will help you after what your sister did to us?" Halil's voice was laced with venom.

Hakan pleaded, "Uncle, I'm so sorry on behalf of my sister. But please, I'm begging you..." He swallowed thickly. "I'm Kerem's son, your dearest friend. Please find it in your heart to help me."
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Finally, Halil turned to Hakan's friend. "Leave us. I will speak to him privately."

UNIVERSITY MEDICAL ROOM

Zeynep's eyelids felt impossibly heavy as she fought her way back to consciousness. "Zeynep?" Rüya was perched on a chair beside her bed and said, "Oh thank goodness, you're awake! "How are you feeling?" Zeynep blinked slowly, struggling to piece together her scrambled memories. "I'm...okay. What happened, exactly? How did I end up here?" Rüya reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, I was late getting to campus today. By the time I arrived, you were already being brought in unconscious." Zeynep said, "I was sitting on a bench and then I don't remember anything. What happened after that."
Rüya said, "Professor Alihan brought you here. He saw you'd fainted on that bench and brought you here." Zeynep got angry and said, "What? How dare he..." Rüya asked, "Zeynep...what's going on? Why are you so upset about Professor Alihan helping you? Did he again try to do something?"

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced out a ragged exhale. "Rüya...you have no idea what that man has put me through." Then she told her about everything in detail. Rüya got angry and said, "How dare he? Zeynep, stand up we are going to complain about him and those students right now!" Zeynep said, "Rüya no.. if I do so the matter will reach the management and my family as well. You know I can't take that risk. Please calm down." Rüya said, "I can never forgive that monster.. From the start he never liked you and Beyza abla's incident added fuel to the fire."

HALIL'S OFFICE

Halil approached Hakan, his expression inscrutable. "Very well, I will help you."

Hope flared in Hakan's eyes as tears threatened. "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you so mu--" But Halil raised a hand to stop him. "However, it comes with one condition. I will not give you any loan." His gaze bored into Hakan. "Instead, I'm offering you a job here at my office." Hakan froze, hardly daring to believe it. "What? Are you serious? Uncle, I..." He shook his head in disbelief. "Thank you. This means everything." A faint smile curved on Halil's lips, but his eyes remained cold and calculating.

ALIHAN'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Alihan reached home disappointment and sad, overwhelmed with the events at the university. As he was going upstairs his dad called from behind, "Alihan.. " He stepped back and said, "yes baba." Facing towards the living room. Halil said, "What's going on.." Alihan got feared if he got to know about the incident at the university. Then Halil said, "Why are you getting so upset my boy! That was just an engagement.." Alihan sighed in relief. Halil continued, "You're my lion.. real men don't cry like this over a woman. One goes, you find another. As simple as that." Alihan looked at him with a hurtful gaze and said, "I can see that.. that's why you forgot mom so easily... I don't need this braveness baba." Then he turned and went upstairs.

UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM - MORNING

The lecture hall was abuzz with chatter as students began packing up their belongings,
One student raised her hand and asked, "Sir? When will we be getting our test papers and marks back?" Alihan replied with a faint smile. "Very soon. I'll have them sent over to the department admin within a few days." The girl's brow furrowed slightly. "Sent over? You mean you're going somewhere, sir?"

A heavy silence fell over the hall as all eyes turned expectantly towards Alihan.
Alihan took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I'm stepping down as your lecturer. I won't be teaching your class anymore."
A startled murmur rippled through the class at his announcement. Zeynep along with the class was in disbelief. The same girl asked, "But...why, sir? Is this still about that incident with the bulletin board photos? Then, we all are really sorry for finding it so amusing at that time. We had no idea the intent behind it was so malicious."

Alihan's jaw ticked as he struggled to keep his composure. "Don't seek forgiveness from me. Seek it from the one who had been wronged."
His piercing stare landed squarely on Zeynep, who had shrunk down in her seat. She held his gaze for only a moment still not looking at Alihan properly.
Clearing his throat, Alihan addressed the class once more, "And the truth is, I don't believe this generation of students is fit to learn anything of value from me any longer. A few students who were angry maybe I scolded them for something and they take it out like this. Along with that, they tried to tarnish a girl's image that's why I don't feel comfortable while being around my own students. Because I don't want any other innocent heart to get hurt because of me."

On that searing pronouncement, Alihan snatched up his briefcase and strode to the exit, he walked out of the classroom. He didn't look back at the faces of the students he was abandoning.