Love Me, Istanbul

#11: I Have Loved You

Levent remained silent as his trusted advisor gave an update on Selin's progress. As he had guessed, the police officer named Demir Erendil will pull out all the stops to bring him down - that is, by using Selin as his pawn. However, he did not expect Selin to wield the doubt card like a double-edged sword. Weighing his options, the mafia leader turned towards the young man standing before him. Among all of his subordinates, this young man proved himself with exceptional skill, intellect and connections - a powerful combination in their field.

"He recently met with Eylül Hanım," the advisor said coolly. "It didn't go well. Ama merak etme, ben her şeyi kontrolüm altında."

Levent raised his eyebrows. Eylül really got some nerve, he thought. "What do you suggest?"

The young man smiled smugly. "We'll wait for now," he said. "When our time comes, Demir Erendil will be gone for good..."

"And Selin," Levent said. "Will be yours."

The advisor smiled. The idea of having his long-time crush Selin Sever as a wife made him shiver with excitement. "Aynen öyle."

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Earlier that evening after he left the hospital, Burak dropped by Demir's apartment with a bottle of Rakı. He knew what exactly Demir wanted to talk about - and he had come prepared. He hadn't planned on telling Demir about Selin's condition. The forbidden object in his bag was haunting his conscience since the morning - and he knew he had to do something about it. Either you get rid of it, he thought. Or tell Demir about it. As they drank, Burak weighed his options. Finally, he mustered his courage and spoke.

"Are you sure," he said. "About Selin, yani."

Demir gave his friend a questioning look. "O ne demek?"

Burak leaned forward. "Kusura bakma ama," he paused. "If Selin is really THAT Selin, why doesn't she recognise you?"

Demir shrugged. "Bilmiyorum," he said. "At this stage, we're no different than any other couple in the world. You knew this version of Selin better than I do zaten."

The entrepreneur sighed. He didn't want it to be that way - like one of those over-possessive ex-lovers pining over the women they once adored. Demir and Selin were meant to be together from the beginning, he thought. I was just a guest in their story. A sad smile crept onto Burak's face. "I'm honoured to have known her as a close friend, Demir," he said. "But you are different. Do you know why?"

Demir remained silent. "Because her heart never belonged to me in the first place," Burak continued. "The man that owned her heart was you. She may have lost herself, but she'll never lose you. Fate has brought her back to you for a reason."

For a long while, Demir never spoke. Finally, a tiny smile formed on his stubbled face. "You think so?"

Burak gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "I've never been so sure about anything," he said.

After leaving Demir's apartment, Burak made his way back home. Taking out the birth certificate from his bag, he took one last look at it and smiled. With a deep breath, he tore up the document and scattered the pieces of paper into his fireplace. He felt relieved as he watched the flames consume the only evidence in the world that could have destroyed his friends' happiness.

"Nobody will ever know about this." 

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Selin hated it when she couldn't sleep. After Azmiye had somehow managed to convince her to go for an MRI scan, Selin reluctantly agreed to stay an extra night in the hospital. She missed her work - although Muharrem Usta had voluntarily adjusted his schedule to work extra hours, she missed seeing the daily buzz at Artemis. She missed talking to Ayda and Merve, she missed Ibo's charming surprises of balık ekmek on her table. Gingerly, she made her way towards her en-suite bathroom with the IV still attached on her arm. She glanced at the clock on the wall - 1.30 a.m.