BAY YANLIŞ

Episode 9 - What's love got to do with it?

How does one decide if they are ready for love? The big letter word with the capital 'L'? More precisely, can one stop themselves from falling in love if one never truly felt it before? How does one even know if it really is love?

Özgür felt relieved. And content. The best part of deciding he should go with his gut and reveal his feelings to Ezgi was the fact that she showed him that she liked him too. More than that. She showed him she cared about him. The kiss she bestowed upon him had so much passion in it that his head spun. In a good way. That feeling was both new to him and fulfilling. Just as kissing Ezgi was. There was something in the taste of her lips that made him want to taste them more.

He would have liked to spend the entire night in their secret spot overlooking the Bosphorus bridges. Embracing Ezgi. Holding her in his arms. Kissing her. If only he could. Unbeknownst to them, their mothers plus a very goat-stubborn aunt Fitnat, had engaged in a battle of families not even Haydar was able to overcome. Haydar had no other option. He called Özgür. As Özgür reached for his phone, still kissably close to Ezgi, he contemplated whether he should answer the call or not. Logic won that argument because Haydar never called him without a good reason. He answered the call and turned on the speaker on his phone so Ezgi could listen too. They almost fell off the picnic table they sat on when they heard Hayday scream into the phone for Özgür to return home. His and Ezgi's mother were facing off in a rather surreal combat. And Özgür's apartment smelled beyond anything Haydar had ever smelled.

What were they to do? Özgür and Ezgi cut their sweetest time together short and rushed home. To their utter dismay and horror, the mothers were still fighting when they got there. Much to their bafflement, Özgür's apartment still smelled in a way that turned their noses upside down. Since explanations right now would do them no good, Ezgi left with her mother. And Özgür quite literally carried his mother and aunt out to the hallway, one at a time, while the apartment's air became more... breathable.

Were both mothers furious? Extremely. Were they livid? You bet. Above all, they were both disappointed in their children. Ezgi's mother accused Ezgi of falling for Mr. Totally Wrong, as she saw Özgür, and accused Özgür of taking advantage of Ezgi and her innocence. Ezgi tried to explain to no avail; her mother would not listen. She was done listening. Done. So, Ezgi decided she was also done listening or trying to hear her mother out. She walked away from her, feeling crushed and hurt beyond words.

As for Özgür, he was beside himself. He felt defeated and crushed. Not by his mother's anger but by her words. What she said was true. Ezgi's mother accused him of lying, hiding the truth, and above all taking advantage of Ezgi. His only reply to his mother was... that Ezgi's mother wasn't wrong. He was guilty of her accusations. He did lie to his mother. He did hide the truth. He did take advantage of Ezgi. But he never meant to cause anyone any harm or pain. He felt he had to find someone to take to Ebru's wedding, and he found that person in Ezgi.

His mother yelled. She told him she could not recognize him. Was this only his doing? Or was it Ezgi's too since she obviously was not without blame. They both lied to their families. That in itself was inexcusable. Unjustifiable. Indefensible. His mother was right. In presuming to think logically, Özgür misjudged the possible outcomes of his actions. The biggest one was the fact that he began to care for Ezgi more than he could reveal to his mother, and more than he was bold enough to admit to himself just yet. He stood up from the chair he sat in and went to his bedroom. His mother wouldn't listen and most definitely wouldn't understand his feelings.

Later that night, Özgür couldn't sleep. Who could in such circumstances? It wasn't because of his mother finding out that he had lied. It was because he found out that he wasn't indifferent to Ezgi. That he wasn't just her neighbor and not just her employer. No longer just a pretend beloved either. In fact, he was on a very good path to becoming her rightful beloved.