Regret - Part II

Regret - Part 10

"Osman?....."
"Leyla!!! "
Leyla quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes and smiled at Osman.
"When did you arrive? Is Sanem all right?" she added a little anxiously.
"Sanem is more that all right Leyla but I don't think I can say the same about you." Osman said pointedly.
"Oh no am ok. Something must have got into my eyes.... So!" Leyla trailed off.
"Abla is that you?" Sanem called out from her room having heard Leyla's voice.
"Yes Sanem... you did take your medicines on time didn't you? And what about Sinan. He did come for the therapy yesterday?" Leyla rambled on.
"She is well Leyla...no harm has come her way, you have my words on that! " Can said while looking tenderly at Sanem.
"How come you are back early though abla? You were supposed to return the day after. I thought you mentioned the seminar was for two days not one." Sanem asked somewhat perplexed.
" Yes.... Yes that's correct. But I got very bored after just one day so caught an early flight back.. and I was so worried about you Sanem..." Leyla sat down beside Sanem and hugged her tightly.
"I am all right abla, see. Can has taken very good care of me. Osman too. You didn't have to cut down on the seminar and come back for my bummed leg" Sanem added affectionately.
"Yes I can see that you are well... " Leyla noticed just how radiant and happy Sanem looked. She realized that her absence albeit a short one had helped clear the air between Can and Sanem. She was truly happy for her sister even though her own heart had been broken into a thousand pieces just the night before. And it pained her to be the harbinger of news that will eradicate all that happiness from her sister's eyes.
Can's phone rang suddenly.
"Hello.. "
"Abi is Leyla there? " Emre sounded panicked.
Can excused himself and walked out of the room and slowly closed the door behind him.
"Yes she is here. Infact she just arrived... What's going on Emre?"
"I messed up abi. I have made a lot of bad decisions and now those are going to cost me my happiness" Emre sounded almost broken and alarmingly drunk.
"Are you driving Emre? " Can asked urgently.
"Yes I am. I need to reach home before she leaves. Please don't let her leave before I get a chance to speak to her."
Emre disconnected the call abruptly.
Can stood a little stupied by the events  taking place around him.  He shook his head,  pocketed his phone and knocked on Sanem's door softly before entering again.

No sooner did he enter,  than he realized that something was very wrong. Sanem looked ashen,  Leyla stood facing the window though he could make out the wet trail the tears had left on her cheek. However it was Osman who caused him to pause. Never had he seen Osman this angry. He had come to view Osman as the rock that one held on to in a storm. Calm,  stable. The man now standing before him seemed barely holding it together.
"Leyla... " Can called out tentatively, "...that was Emre and he said he had something very important to talk to you about... "
"Can.... " Sanem called out softly.
" Yes Sanem" Can crouched before Sanem and took her tiny hands in his.
" I... We,  that is,  I... "
" We will need to leave immediately  Can bey! " Leyla said as she turned to face a stunned Can.
" Wait a minute. What is happening? Sanem why do you have to leave?  Do you want to leave?  Sanem plz.. " Can held on to Sanem's hand. Sanem shook her head mutely as tears rolled down her face.
"Leyla please talk to me what is going on? I cannot stop you if you want to leave but I have every right to know why you would rather drag Sanem to a place she will be uncomfortable in than stay here? " Can asked agitatedly.
"Can bey I am sorry but it's for the best that we leave now....please! " Leyla added softly.
Can looked helplessly from Sanem to Leyla not understanding how a perfect day was slowly turning into a nightmare.
"Osman please talk some sense into these girls. Sanem is not in a position to go back to her own house. You do realize that don't you" Can tried appealing to Osman.
"I wish I could help you Can. I have come to value you as a friend in these past few days. But in this case I have to agree with Leyla, we must leave immediately..."
"What did Emre say Leyla? " Can asked Leyla urgently.
"It's what he didn't say Can bey... " Leyla broke down and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Osman inserted himseld between Leyla and Can and slowly shook his head as he warned Can against asking any more painful questions to her.
Can backed away but he felt helpless for not being privy to the reason why Sanem was leaving him. He tried to console himself that it was just Sanem going back to her house but he couldn't shake the shadow of foreboding that this separation meant much worse.

Leyla slowly began to pack Sanem's belongings and what little of her that wasn't already in a suitcase. Osman wheeled the suitcases out once Leyla finished packing.  They both moved out slowly giving Sanem some time to say goodbye to Can.
" Sanem you don't have to go please..." Can began haltingly.
" No Can! I think it's for the best.  I should leave while I still can... "
Can enveloped Sanem in a hug and breathed in the scent that was uniquely Sanem. These past few days he had gotten so used to always being tantalized by the subtle notes of her scent that the abject loss of it hit him hard. He held on to her as his heart shuddered at the thought of missing its reason to beat. He kissed her tear stained eyes,  skimmed across her soft cheeks and claimed her lips like a man crazed with thirst. He breathed her in. It seemed like an eternity had passed before they both came up for much needed air to breathe. They stood like that for another eternity, looking at each other, not taking that desolate first step towards their imminent separation, only to be rudely jolted to the present by the sound of something breaking outside the room. Can helped Sanem slowly walk out of the room only to come face to face with a very drunk Emre lying face first on the floor.

" Stay away from Leyla and do not make the mistake of ever laying your hands on her...." Only someone totally insane or tragically drunk would not heed to the clear warning behind those words. Emre unfortunately fell in the second category. He got up and tried to reach for Leyla once again.
"Emre bey please. We have nothing to say to each other. Please respect my decisions and let us leave in peace... " Leyla interjected before Osman caused further damage to Emre.
" Emre please let's go inside. We can talk about this when you are sober. " Can tried to direct Emre towards his room.
" But Leyla cannot leave yet. I need to speak to her. I love her too much... She loves me too... Leyla plz.." Emre called out pitifully.
"No Emre bey. We have nothing more to say to each other. And I do not have any feelings for you. I... Its Osman I love. We have always loved each other... "
The room stood still as four pairs of eyes rested on Leyla each bearing a different emotion.... from shock to heartbreak to hope! It was only after the last emotion registered that Leyla realized just how her words would come back to haunt her.....

To be continued....