Why do Eliyas treat his own family like if they are meaningless people and only considers them as an unnecessary nuisance?
I thought about this question for a long time actually. Especially when i lived together with my in-laws, since Eliyas wasn't only cold to them, he treated them akin they were really inexistent.
I even once watched him quarreling with his sister Ines, to be precise, i watched Ines yelling and complaining nonstop to the silent and indifferent Eliyas, this particular fight happened at the top of the stairs so this meant the matter was not so private and i could watch, since i had the heart of a journalist, it was natural for me to shamelessly stand beside them and watch what was going on.
I vaguely understood that the subject of their quarrel was that Ines promised a certain acquaintance of hers that Eliyas will invest in his X production, this promise wasn't fulfilled of course, and apparently Eliyas refused in a rude way that brought shame to his sister.
While she was complaining about her hurt reputation she suddenly yelled to my surprise:
_" i'm your sister Eliyas! Why do you treat me like a stranger? In fact you even treat a deceitful stranger a hundred times better than you treat me! what is the difference between your wife and i? Do you think she even likes you?! She only loves your money!"
She angrily turned to look at me and piercingly loud she ordered:
_"You tell him your self! That he better wake up and stop pathetically worshipping the ground you walk on! At least be decent and tell him that you only seek his money!"
The me who suddenly found her self included in the middle of their fight looked at them both very confused and didn't say a thing, at that moment, i thought that i indeed deserved to be put in such unpleasant position, i shouldn't have been nosy from the start!
Back then i really didn't like Eliyas, his money was good but it wasn't the reason why i married him, and saying that i accepted mainly because i was forced by Nana sounded even more pathetic than being persuaded by money.
So i didn't reply, i found it meaningless to narrate the hardships of my life for people who didn't even care to hear them.
I guess they both didn't expect that i would remain silent in face of such accusation, usually the guilty would deny the charge, the innocent would defend him self, but i remained silent and cold, which was even more confusing and misleading than talking.
Ines soon interpreted my silence as a confession and agreement, she mockingly smiled and said to Eliyas:
_"You see, i told you, everyone wants to profit from you.. At least let the people who share your same blood have more advantage."
She walked down the stairs soon she finished saying this.
As for Eliyas, it didn't seem like he minded the possibility of me marrying him just for his money at all, he didn't ask me about it, he indifferently walked back to our room without saying not even one word to me, nor to his sister.
The only person who was left eventually at the top of the stairs like a dumb was me.. While staring at both the cold fleeting silhouette I kept wondering: "what the hell is wrong with this family! Are they even human beings!!?"
I needed many years to finally understand why they acted that way.
When Eliyas and i were in the car on our way back to the villa from jail, my heart was so burdened with uneasiness and fear, i know it was never 100% safe to be around Eliyas, but it never occurred to me that even people who i know and who i lived with would plot to harm me, namely my supposedly uncle, Belguassem filladi.
Eliyas and i didn't speak at all along the way, so my head was very idle and i did a lot of thinking and planning.
First: i will definitely report everything to Nana. Although she's very old, her health is still good and her heart is even stronger than mine, she prayed for the safety and well being of the deceitful belguassem for an unnecessary long time while he was plotting to cut her real bloodline and hurt her only real granddaughter, namely me. Now it's high time she focuses all her prayers on me solely and give that man all her curses, most importantly, i wanted to share my concerns with Nana because i needed the reassuring of someone besides my expressionless and unperturbed husband, at least Nana will show some reaction.
Second: since i'll probably stay in the villa for the coming days, i should simply enjoy my time.. Eat well and sleep well, and try not to over think the matters.
But all my thinking came to an abrupt halt when we reached the villa surrounding. The protection team cars that were ahead of us suddenly stopped for an unknown reason, Eliyas immediately pressed the brakes as well, our car violently stopped in consequence.
Eliyas reflexively looked at me concerned, i naturally did the same thing as well, i looked at him.
He anxiously asked:
_" Are you ok?"
I nodded.
The guards soon circled our car fully armed then the leader walked through them towards Eliyas's seat window and reported to him:
_"Lydia Khoudjali is standing midway and blocking the street."
Lydia was blocking our way to the villa?!
What the hell was she thinking!!
Eliyas soon unfastened his seatbelt and left the car, but even before he had the time to bossily order me: "stay in the car." I was already out there walking ahead of him to see that scum personally!
Did i feel the tiniest bit scared and mindful of my security? Absolutely not! I was too angry to even think about anything!
I walked through the cars and guards who didn't dare to stand in my way until i finally reached the first car, and right in front of it, i saw Lydia khoujali standing there.
Although her father was jailed and all her family went bankrupt overnight, Lydia Khoudjali still managed to put on an expensive dress and jewelry, and to apply her makeup impeccably.
I bet even if the sky fell on earth that woman will still somehow manage to dress up for it!
So yes, i found a beauty standing in front of our team's cars and blocking our way.
I didn't know what she was doing standing there, i didn't know why she was standing there of all places, even though the situation was this problematic and suspicious i still didn't care.
Without hesitating for even one second i walked straight towards her moved by my anger, i stopped right in front of her, raised my hand up in the sky then slapped her with all my might!
I'm not a violent person, i never was, even in my childhood i seldom fought with the children because i was always cowardy and scared of getting hurt.
But that woman hell deserved to be slapped!
She looked at me like if a nerve unplugged inside her head, she definitely didn't expect me to do this.
Suddenly, someone tightly hugged me from behind and fixed my arms so as i don't move further.
It was Eliyas..
I didn't get to see his face, but i know my husband's scent and embrace anyways.
he calmly whispered in my ear:
_"go back to the car and wait for me there."
_" is this how you treat me Eliyas! I'm not worthy of meeting you anymore? I have to block your car like a worthless just to see you??" Lydia suddenly shouted interrupting us.
Well, at least we understood why she was blocking the street.
She soon added:
_"how could you do this to me Eliyas!!?"
She was looking directly and intensely at my husband with a red cheek, as if i was unseen and as if my slap never happened.
In fact, i was never part of the scenery whenever she met Eliyas, she always had all her eyes on him.
she yelled again:
_"how could you!"
Eliyas didn't answer, he only remained protectively hugging my back.
although Lydia looked as beautiful as always, something seemed really broken and lacking in her, after she yelled, she stopped talking .. And examined both of us for a long time..
As if.. For the first time.. She finally and truly put me in the picture, and realised that Eliyas was indeed.. Not hers, that he's someone else's.
her tears started to fall.
Unlike the past, it looked like she genuinely was crying.
With a shaking voice she added:
_"i've always been around, i watched you grow up, i always loved you.. How could you pay me like this? It was fine when you forced papa ( my father) to quit his job but how could you send him to jail and take over all our resources and fortune, after all i did for you, you want to throw me to the street, you even dare to send me a plane ticket and force me to leave the country, how could you walk on me after all i did?"
She stubbornly wiped her tears, she laughed while crying bitterly, then yelled:
_"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have been in this place and owning this villa! If i haven't warned you from your own father then you would have remained foolishly controlled by him and you wouldn't have achieved anything! You should be grateful for me all your life! but what you did instead was to marry this village girl! Then take everything from me!"
Once she finished speaking Eliyas who was calm all along finally lost his patient temper, he let go of me, steadily and calmly stepped towards her then coldly said:
_"when you warned me about my father it wasn't even your idea to begin with Lydia Khoudjali, it was your father's suggestion and plan, you both profited from turning tables and stabbing your own partner in the back, still i generously repaid you for what you did, even risking my marriage in the process, as for my personal choices i don't find any need to explain them to you nor i have any obligation to make them suit your taste, my wife is my personal choice that you shouldn't dare criticize, i have given you many chances in the past, i've been too generously forgiving all the chaos you caused to my family, but you apparently overestimated my tolerance of your actions and you have crossed your limits, you dared to threaten the safety of my wife."
He stepped even closer to her, i couldn't see his face but i saw the utter fear in Lydia's face instead, he must have looked very sinister.
He calmly threatened her:
_"If i ever see you or hear of you again, the consequences won't please you at all, your flight to G country and accommodation there are already settled, you better take your mother this evening and never show both your faces in this country again."
Once he finished speaking he ignored her like if she was lower than nothing in his eyes, that cold back he gave her .. Even I .. Her enemy.. I felt sorry for her.
I had no idea what was going on, i have no idea what's going on most of the time anyways so it wasn't a new thing.
_"you can take her now." Eliyas threw this order to his guards and immediately following that the confused, scared and broken Lydia khoudjali was dragged out of the way and pushed inside some car, while that was happening.. Eliyas circled my shoulder and he dragged me towards our car again.
I looked at Lydia one more last time, probably i won't see that woman ever again, and in my heart.. I couldn't forgive her.
It isn't a mistake to love someone, it isn't a mistake to want to be loved by someone. But to hurt innocent people in the process is not only a mistake but a shame as well.
I, Lydia's love victim, would never forgive her for the damage she caused to me.
Although both my forgiveness and unforgiveness mean nothing to her, i will still uselessly harbor these feelings to my grave.
Eliyas kept dragging me back to our car indifferent to the crying woman he left behind, he opened my seat door then made me sit inside, he fastened my seatbelt for me while looking very impatient and displeased, after he did this he scolded me loudly:
_"Do you want to give me a heart attack Noursine Saadat! How can you just simply walk out of the car in such threatening situation when i clearly told you to be cautious! What if that woman had snipers hidden somewhere and they attacked you! How can you be so irresponsible!!"
You see, i was not in the right set of mind to express any kind of reaction since i was still processing the words Lydia said and how my husband is going to mercilessly send her to the exile.
So when he was yelling, i only blinked intermittently and nodded my head.
When he finished lecturing me he went back to his seat and angrily drove the rest of the distance towards the villa.
All along the way he didn't close his mouth not even for a second, he kept expressing his total displeasure with my behavior.
I didn't say a word, actually i wasn't fully focusing on his words because not only my head was busy thinking of Lydia, the scenery outside the car was very distracting as well.
To my surprise, the villa literally turned into a military base! it was surrounded with armed guards everywhere!
When our car was parking in front of the interior gate i noticed few servants standing in a line there and they were being inspected before they were allowed to go inside the villa!
When watching such extreme measures and such changes in a matter of few hours i felt so clueless, and so uncomfortable.
_" Noursine, don't scare me again."
Eliyas finally pleaded with desperate eyes.
I nodded genuinely, and promised:
_" it was a mistake, i'll be more careful in the future."
He sighed, then said:
_" i know lots of things are happening all at once, but this situation will soon be settles, if you have any question then ask me, i won't conceal any fact from you."
_"ok" i whispered while unfastening my seatbelt.
I walked out of the car, then interred the villa.
i found Nana standing right behind the large door anticipating us, when i saw how she looked even more clueless and uncomfortable than i was although she haven't even experienced quarter of what i had to go through i finally had a bit of sense of accomplishment, indeed i was doing amazingly well in accepting everything so far!
Nana who god blessed her with a more curious and emotional soul strode towards Eliyas the moment he walked inside the villa, then she immediately asked:
_" what is happening Eliyas? Your mother has been calling us nonstop ever since you left and she has been asking to urgently speak with you, she's refusing to tell me why, and the guards are surrounding the villa like if we are in a war! Did something happen to buelguassem or Ines?"
Eliyas impatiently looked at her then answered:
_"They are safe and healthy, you don't have to worry .. as for the rest Noursine will tell you later, Now excuse us Nana."
Once he finished speaking he made a signal for me to follow him right away then he steadily walked towards the stairs.
Although i felt sorry for my poor Nana's burning nerves and wanted to tell her what i know, but i really knew nothing sufficiently !
How could i possibly help her when i couldn't even help myself!
The source of all info, namely my husband, was walking out of my sight so i hurriedly said:
_"everything is fine Nana don't you worry in vain, i'll be back soon!"
Then i followed Eliyas.
When i walked inside our room i found him already sitting on the sofa and waiting for me to come.
He was in the process of undoing his tie and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt when i walked inside.
I lazily took off my sandals and sat on the edge of the large bed, looking at Eliyas .. And waiting for him to speak.
You see, when i left my room that morning the far worst event i expected to experience was to quarrel with my ex and end up cursing him endlessly.
I had no idea that all of this would happen!
I waited for a long time .. But Eliyas still chose to stay calm and stir my curiosity to the burning point.
I couldn't wait any longer, so i decided to open the talk first.. I genuinely confessed:
_" i've always wondered why the you who went so extreme with the people who bothered you did nothing to Lydia in contrast, in the past i thought you had her in your heart, we didn't talk much then .. I didn't ask much, i made all sorts of wrong conclusions because of your silence and I, in the end i even doubted you were cheating on me with her. i want to know what great thing she did to you Eliyas.."
He answered:
_" She woke me up, and made me realise i was foolishly trusting the wrong people."
_"you mean your family?" I asked.
He nodded, then he told me the real reason behind his unmountable loathing towards his family.