Bartu slowly stopped the car in front of Masal's house. It was quiet outside, only the wind rustling the leaves of the trees. Masal paused for a moment before opening the door. Their eyes met, but only briefly. Masal's gaze held a mixture of both apprehension and gratitude. Bartu's eyes held a mixture of curiosity and protective instinct. Masal smiled slightly, "Thank you," he said. Bartu simply nodded and replied with a short smile
. At that moment, they both seemed to have much more to say, but the words were stuck in their throats. As Masal slowly closed the door and walked towards her house, Bartu continued to watch her in the rearview mirror. Even as Masal pulled out her keys at the door, the effect of that look inside the car lingered. As soon as she closed the door, Masal leaned her back against the wall. Her heart was still beating fast.
The fact that a stranger had protected her, then given her a ride home... And most of all, that look in the car. A faint smile played on the corners of her lips. Bartu pulled the car into his garage and went inside. He was still wearing the dust from outside, the tension of the fight. Without a second thought, he went to the bathroom.
As he stepped under the hot water, he felt the weight on his shoulders lighten. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes; Masal's face involuntarily flashed through his mind. When he got out of the shower, he threw the towel over his shoulders and went to the kitchen. He turned on the coffee machine. As the scent of coffee filled the house, the file on the coffee table caught his eye.
The documents Emir had brought him... A few photographs among them. Masal's photographs. Bartu poured himself coffee and sat down on the couch. He picked up the photos and looked at them one by one. A slight smile appeared in his eyes, then he grew serious. "So innocent... But why does she catch my eye so much?" he thought. Masal, on the other hand, had changed in his room and lay down on his bed.
He was tired, but when he closed his eyes, the same scene always came to mind: his gaze meeting with Bartu in the car. His heart rate quickened, and he buried his face in the pillow. "Don't be ridiculous Masal... You just met. And... who is she?" he said to himself, but his eyes wouldn't close. Hours passed, and Masal still couldn't sleep. Bartu's gaze was always on his mind.
All night long, he tossed and turned, but even when he closed his eyes, Bartu's gaze was on his mind. When the alarm went off, he sat up with sleepy eyes. When he looked in the mirror, he saw his slightly swollen eyelids. "Insomnia doesn't suit me..." he muttered. Even as he drank his coffee, his thoughts were always on the same place. The incessant vibration of his phone woke Bartu from his sleep. He forced his eyes open, still tired from thinking until late into the night. He reached out and picked up the phone.
Emir was written on the screen. - "Sir Emir..." he said, his voice hoarse and sleepy. - "Wake up Bartu. There's no time to wait, you need to come to the company. There's an emergency." - "What happened?" - "We'll talk when you arrive. Get out as soon as possible." Bartu took a deep sigh and got out of bed. He brushed back his hair and washed his face. When he looked in the mirror, Masal was still in the back of his mind; the moment their eyes met, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
He shook his head, pulled himself together, quickly dressed, grabbed his jacket, and left the house. As he got into his car, half of his mind was on Emir's words, the other half was still on Masal's face. Bartu sped away, braking in front of the company within minutes. He entered the door without even greeting the security guards before heading into the elevator. The seriousness on his face was evident to everyone. When he opened the office door, Emir was already sitting at his desk, files and a computer screen in front of him. He looked up at Bartu.