1. A Word That Changed Everything
Baran was sitting on the sofa, phone in hand, glancing at the screen every few seconds. She had been talking about this trip for three days. For three days, every time Farhad said “later,” Baran would start over from the beginning. The plan, the supervisor, the friends, the hotel, the route. She had prepared everything. She was missing just one word.
Farhad came from the kitchen, a glass of water in his hand. He sat on the chair across from Baran. He looked at her face. Baran was trying to look indifferent, but she couldn’t. She had put the phone on her lap, her hands pressing on it.
Farhad said, “Did you send the information?”
Baran said, “I sent it yesterday.”
Farhad nodded.
A few seconds of silence.
Then he said, “Okay. Go.”
Baran stared at him for a few seconds. “What?”
Farhad said, “I said go.”
Baran looked again. “Are you serious?”
Farhad gave a small smile. “Serious.”
Baran jumped up. She picked up her phone and immediately started typing. “Mom!”
Farhad said, “Your mom isn’t here. But message her.”
Without answering, Baran left the room. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the hallway. The sound of her laughter came from her room. Farhad sat there, put the glass of water on the table, and looked at the half-open door of Baran’s room.
2. A Small Explosion of Joy
Baran was sitting on the bed, phone in hand, her fingers racing across the screen. Messages flew back and forth.
“He said yessssss!”
A few seconds later, the reply came. “Seriously?”
“Yesssss.”
“So it’s definite?”
“Definite definite.”
Sticker. Laughter. Video call with her friend. Baran held the phone up to her face and said, “We’re going!”
Her friend’s voice from the other side: “I can’t believe it!”
Baran laughed. “Me neither!”
A few minutes later, she sent a photo. A selfie of herself, with messy hair and a smile she couldn’t contain. Her friend wrote: “You’re so happy 😂”
Baran wrote: “Well, of course!”
Farhad passed by the room. Baran noticed his gaze. “What?”
Farhad said, “Nothing.”
Baran said, “I’m happy.”
Farhad said, “I see.”
Baran said, “Was all that insistence worth it?”
Baran said without hesitation, “A hundred percent.”
Farhad laughed. “Well, good.”
Baran laughed. “See? I told you.”
Farhad said, “You told me what?”
Baran said, “I told you if you let me go, I’d feel good.”
Farhad said nothing. He just smiled and left.
3. Photos from the Peak of Happiness
The day of the trip, Baran woke up early. Even before the alarm went off. She had packed her bag last night, but she opened it again. She checked her things one more time. Clothes, charger, small camera, notebook. Everything was there.
Farhad drove her to the car. Baran got out, picked up her bag. She stood for a few seconds. Farhad said, “Did you forget anything?”
Baran said, “No.”
Farhad said, “Do you have money?”
Baran said, “Yeah, Dad.”
Farhad said, “Call me.”
Baran said, “I will.”
Farhad said, “Every night.”
Baran laughed. “Okay.”
Then she looked at him. For a moment. She said, “Dad?”
Farhad said, “Yes?”
Baran said, “Thank you.”
Farhad said, “Go already.”
Baran laughed and left.
Two days later, the photos arrived. Baran was standing next to her friends in the photo, her hair messy, her face sunburned, a smile that stretched to her ears. She sent one of the photos to Farhad. Under it she wrote: “Look at this 😂”
Farhad opened the photo. He looked for a few seconds. In the photo, Baran had raised her hand, as if she were grabbing something from the sky. Farhad smiled. He wrote: “Did you have fun?”
Baran replied: “Soooo much.”
Farhad wrote: “Obviously.”
After a few seconds, he added: “I’m glad you had fun.”
Baran sent a heart.
Baran held up the phone. “Wait! Again! This one didn’t turn out well.”
Three of them gathered together. One said, “Come on, we’ve taken ten already!”
Baran laughed. “This is the last one.”
She took the photo. She looked at the screen. “This is great.”
Her friend said, “Let me see.”
Baran showed her the phone. Her friend said, “Yeah, this is good.”
Baran said, “I’m sending it to my dad.”
Her friend said, “I think he’s tired of you sending so many photos.”
Then she sent the photo. A few seconds later, the reply came: “Great.”
Baran smiled.
4. A Call Full of Energy
The last night, Baran called. Her voice was full of energy. “Dad, we went to the mountain today!”
Farhad said, “Mountain?”
Baran said, “Yeah! We woke up early. The weather was amazing. We took so many photos.”
Farhad said, “Did you have fun?”
Baran said, “A lot.”
Farhad said, “Obviously. Your voice says so.”
Baran laughed. “We’re coming back tomorrow.”
Farhad said, “Safe travels.”
Baran said, “Dad?”
Farhad said, “Yes?”
Baran said, “Thank you for letting me go.”
Farhad paused. “You’re welcome.”
Baran said, “I mean it. If you hadn’t let me, I wouldn’t be here now.”
Farhad said, “I know.”
Baran said, “So why did it take so long?”
Farhad laughed. “Because I’m your father.”
Baran laughed. “Okay. Fair enough.”
Farhad said, “Good night.”
Baran said, “Good night.”
The call ended. Farhad put the phone on the table. He looked at the photos Baran had sent. Baran on the mountain. Baran next to her friend. Baran with messy hair and a big smile. He looked at them for a few seconds. He smiled. For the first time in a long while, he felt he had done his job right. Not in the sense that he had controlled everything. In the sense that he had allowed.
5. Just a Very Small Sign
The last night, when Baran returned home, she threw her bag in the corner of the room and flopped onto the bed. She picked up her phone and scrolled through the day’s photos. She sent one to Farhad. One to her friend. She saved one. The smile was still on her face.
Then, while looking at the photos, she messaged her friend: “Next time, shall we go north?”
Her friend wrote: “You’re starting again? 😂”
Baran wrote: “No, seriously. Did you see that place? It was so cool.”
Her friend wrote: “Let’s first digest this one!”
Baran laughed. She wrote: “Well, now that this is over, we have to find the next one.”
Her friend sent a laughing sticker.
Baran put the phone on her chest. She looked at the ceiling. She was still smiling. She was still happy. The memories of those two days were still alive in her mind.
But something had formed in the corner of her mind. Not a thought. Not a sentence. Just a feeling. A small pull. A hint. A “and then?”
Not yet.
Later.
But right now, without her knowing it, it had begun.
Baran picked up the phone and sent another message. To one of her friends who hadn’t been on the trip. She wrote: “By the way, I have a plan for next month.”
Her friend wrote: “Finish this month first 😂”
Baran laughed. She wrote: “Well, we have to plan ahead.”
She put the phone on her chest. She looked at the ceiling. She was still smiling. She was still happy. But her fingers, without her noticing, had typed the name of another plan on the phone screen.
And the next desire, very quietly, had entered her life.
