Threads of love

First glimpse of doubt

Three months ago

The evening sun cast a warm glow over the beach, but the beauty of it all felt like a cruel joke against the chaos churning inside me. I glared at Farid, the disappointment bubbling over.

"You say you want to be with me, but you do nothing to make that happen!" My voice trembled, frustration boiling beneath the surface.

Farid ran a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowing in response.

"It's not that simple, Aalya! I'm still in school. I don't have the means to start a life right now!" His voice was strained, but his gaze burned with intensity.

"And how long am I supposed to wait? A year? Five?" I shot back, disbelief etched across my face.

"I've invested four years into this! I refuse to be a placeholder in your life!"

He stepped closer, frustration radiating off him. "You act like I don't want this too! My family has expectations, responsibilities! Do you think I'm just going to throw all that away?" His voice rose, desperate but still filled with anger.

"What about my expectations, Farid? What if I don't want to wait any longer? What if someone else comes along and actually makes me feel wanted?"

My heart raced as I realised the weight of my words, but the fight felt too fierce to stop now.

His expression turned cold, and I could see the hurt seeping through the cracks of his frustration.

"You think I would just stand by and let that happen? You think I'm blind to how you feel? You've made it perfectly clear that you don't care about this!"

"Don't you dare twist my words!"

I shouted, my voice echoing against the waves.

"I care about us—about our future! But you're so wrapped up in your own little world that you can't even see how your indecision is pushing me away!"

He clenched his jaw, and the tension in the air crackled like a storm about to break.

"So what? You'll just give up on us? After everything we've been through?"

His voice was a mixture of anger and hurt.

I took a deep breath, shaking my head.

"You keep saying you care, but actions speak louder than words. If you really wanted this, you would fight for it!"

"Fight for it? Like I'm some kind of romantic fool?"  he snapped, the words slicing through the air.

"I'm not going to drop everything just because you're feeling impulsive!"

A sharp silence fell between us, and I felt the weight of my own frustration weighing down on me. The words hung there, heavy and unyielding.

"Maybe I'm tired of waiting for a man who can't even commit to his own dreams,"

I murmured, the sting of regret lacing my voice.

He turned away, fists clenched, the hurt radiating off him. "Maybe you should think about what you're asking of me!"

He spat the words like venom, and I flinched at their intensity.

With that, he walked away, his silhouette fading into the distance as I stood there, feeling the world tilt beneath my feet.

As I wandered through the vibrant streets of Istanbul, the enticing aroma of grilled meats and spices drew me closer. The market was alive with families chatting and the sizzling sounds of food being prepared. I came across a stall I hadn't been to before,