Chapter 2

"Only two days were left until the wedding date, and in the bride's house, the excitement and tension increased side by side. All the relatives had gathered at the bride's house. For Elif, dealing with the guests was easier and less stressful, but her mother had assigned her the hardest task of all: being by her sister's side. From morning until evening, she was stationed next to her sister Yasemin, reviewing the details of the arrangements and the wedding party with her to address any potential shortage. As if all of this wasn't enough, she also had to deal with her sister's constant crying fits and tearful eyes.

'Enough, sister, please... Then don't get married! Why are you crying again?'

Yasemin wiped her tears and shot Elif a deadly glare:

'I will see your turn too, Miss Elif.'

Elif shook her head mockingly, but as Yasemin's crying increased, she went over to her and hugged her tenderly:

'What's wrong with you, sister, why are you crying?'

'It's very difficult, Elif... Okay, I love Kenan, but I don't want to part from you and stay away.'

'My dear sister, stop doing this, look, we are in the same city. What if you went somewhere else?'

'Elif... Do you know that Kenan hasn't called me at all? I wonder, has he changed his mind, huh?'

'Ah sister, you are talking complete nonsense now! Wait, let me call your groom and check. Besides, you know very well that we are the bride's family and they are the groom's family, and they have their preparations too.'

Elif took the phone and called her sister's groom. The phone rang a couple of times before it was answered, and at the same time, Elif's mouth started running:

'Hey groom, why are you neglecting my sister like this? Look, I'm the one enduring all her tears and wailing now, is this right...'

Elif stopped abruptly when she didn't receive the reaction she expected from her sister's groom.

'Hello.. groom?'

'I am Emir, hello.. Kenan's cousin.'

'Oh.. I'm really sorry.'

'It's okay, don't worry. Kenan is busy with wedding arrangements so I answered his phone.'

'Oh, how could I not realize that! The worst task of all is dealing with the bride, of course.'

'I understand.'

Elif suddenly fell silent as she realized what she had just blurted out. She never knew how she could chatter at such a speed.

'I'm really sorry, it seems I talked too much.'

'Don't worry, honestly you added joy to my day.'

Elif stammered and didn't know how to respond. She wasn't used to such conversations, especially with guys.

'Then.. see you later.'

She said it and hung up the phone abruptly. She turned her back to her sister while her cheeks flushed red. She needed to pull herself together and catch her breath a little. She felt extremely strange; that man's voice was still echoing clearly in her ears. Can a voice leave such an impact on hearts? A voice that combines strictness, warmth, and overpowering charm... What a delusion! She hadn't even seen the man yet, nor did she know anything about him.

She was pulled out of her daydream by a light tap from a handbag that disrupted her train of thought:

'Ouch, my arm.. what are you doing, sister?'

'What's wrong with you, zoning out like that? What did that so-called groom say to you?'

'He wasn't the groom, sister.'

'Who was it then? Tell me quickly! What work could be more important than communicating with me that he couldn't even bother to answer his own phone?'

'He's his cousin.. his name is Emir.'

'Ah.. Emir? What did he say? And where is Kenan now?'

'Oh, as if, sister, as if what could he say? My groom is busy with wedding preparations.'