The Wedding Night...

The burden we carry...

After making sure Dilan was okay. Baran left the room despite her protests. Who dared to speak with his cousin before he could? He caught up with his father and brother, who were bringing Firat to the living room. They let him go, and Baran faced him. When his cousin's eyes landed on him, he went off again—this time, he pulled a gun out and held it on his side. Firat was so fast; everyone was stunned. "I don't know what game you are playing, and I don't care. You will take back the accusations against my father or..." Baran approached him. Firat's reaction was to point the gun at Baran. "Baran!" He heard Dilan scream fearfully from behind. "Son, lower your gun." Ms. Azade pleaded with him. Baran eyed his father and brother. He didn't want them interfering and the gun going off inside the house. "Everyone, calm down," Baran yelled as he raised his hand to make everyone quiet. "Firat, put down the gun, and let's talk." His cousin's hand was trembling. "There is nothing to talk about." Baran thought about the family. For them, he had to control himself. "I don't know what you were told, but I call you to speak to you face to face. I wanted for you to hear things from us..." His cousin interrupted him. "Why? So you could manipulate me?" He denied it with his head. "I wish this was all a lie, Firat. Do you think I take any pleasure in this?" Firat was troubled, but he didn't desist. "You never liked my father or me. You were waiting for the opportunity..." His father spoke. "It is not a lie, Firat. It is all true. My brother, he... he killed my Ayten in front of my eyes." A tear rolled down his father's face. He was remembering.

"You remember wrong, uncle. You were shot. Your recollection of that day can't be trusted. My father had no reason. Why would he do that to his brother's wife? Why?" Baran closed his eyes. The moment his mother came in between him and the bullet. That moment replayed in his mind. He almost whispered. "Maybe she wasn't the target...but me." His cousin heard him. His head was bent to the side, his eyes blinking fast. He was trying hard to process what he was hearing. "No, it can't be. He could not have done that. It was Seyit. It was that man." Baran opened his eyes and saw Firat coming at him with the gun. "You are coming with me to the police, or I'll shoot." Baran knew his cousin didn't have it in him. He had pointed the gun at Baran once before and was not able to pull the trigger. "Then you have to shoot, Firat." Baran heard Dilan's scream on the back. "No!" The sound distracted his cousin long enough for Baran to snatch the gun out of his hand. He cried in Baran's arms and crumbled to the ground. "It can't be. It can't." Baran handed the gun to Cihan and went to Firat. "Look at me, Firat. Look at me." He refused to raise his head. Baran felt Dilan's hand on his back. He moved, and Dilan approached his cousin. "Firat, I know what you are going through is hard. I went through the same when Baran told me about that night. I struggled with it for days before I could accept his words. I even went to ask my father 'cause I could not believe it." His head remained down, but he spoke. "But your father turned out to be innocent." Dilan put her hand on his shoulder. "Not entirely, Firat. Your father... My father did shoot Mr. Kudret."

"Let me share with you the only thing I'm certain of... Your father's wrongdoings are not yours. You were not there that day, and you are not to blame for anything that happened... This is still your family, Firat. That won't ever change." Slowly, he raised his head. First, he looked at Dilan. She saw a fearful child in his eyes. Fearful and disturbed. Baran must have seen it, too, cause he went to hug him. "You are my cousin, Firat. You are a Karabey." Firat held on to the shoulders of Baran's suit as he cried. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Dilan could tell the appreciation Baran felt for Firat. "You have nothing to apologize for, Firat. As Dilan said, it is not your fault." Letting go and cleaning his face, he looked at her husband. "I need to go and talk to him. I need to look him in the eyes." Cihan helped him up as their father spoke. "I don't think it is a good idea, nephew. He will not acknowledge what he did." Firat turned to Mr. Kudret. "Maybe he won't, but I need to do this." Baran put his hand on Firat's shoulder. "Kerem is there. He can arrange for you to see him." He got up to leave and extended his hand to Cihan. "Can I have my gun back?" His brother looked at Baran, who nodded. Firat put away his weapon and headed up the stairs. Ms. Azade stopped him. "Firat..." He indicated no with his head. "Grandmother, we both need to accept the truth." He left, and Ms. Azade collapsed. Kader went to her and prevented her from falling. "Defne!" Dilan called. When the girl arrived, Dilan instructed her to help Ms. Kader and take Ms. Azade to her room. She also told them to take her blood pressure and administer her medicine. The woman left crying loudly. Broken. The reality finally seemed to be sinking in.